Posts by FlyingHighNow

77

Should Creationism Ever Be Taught In Schools?

by nicolaou in

this is taken from the bbc's sunday morning show 'the big questions'.

i was going to pick out a few highlights but really, you need to watch the whole thing - it's only 23 minutes.

seriously, i could feel the bile and frustration rising in my gullet .

FlyingHighNow

I don't think Creationism has to be taught in school. On the other hand...

I don't think it would hurt anything to express in some class along the line, that some feel that with the complexities of the material universe and the fact that we have life that is self aware, that there could be some deliberate, intelligent design behind our world. They use this _____ type of examples to illustrate the possibility of a designer. Some feel there is another life form they call spirit, which is self aware, intelligent and capable of thinking, creating, similarly to human beings. Some of the people who support this believe the material world had it's beginning with a designer. They feel their point of view is as legitimate as the theories of the Big Bang and Evolution. Some believe Evolution to be taking place as well. We will not discuss the possible religious aspects of this alternate point of view. (Although, I guess private schools might.) This is something you can find out about in World Religion classes and can investigate outside your school. It is noteworthy to add that a significant percentage of scientists do hold a belief in other self aware, intelligent beings of this spirit type.

That's all that need be said. There doesn't have to be a drawn out course on it.

4

A Little Science Humor

by metatron in

jw
friends

http://cheezburger.com/7995393024.

.

metatron.

FlyingHighNow

YW.

16

The Cult of N. Korea--Frontline's Secret State of North Korea compare to WTBTS--discussion

by FlyingHighNow in

did any of you see this program on pbs?

did you see how dangerously similar n. korea is to the wtbts?

did you notice one huge difference, that north koreans are not brainwashed like most still active jws are?

FlyingHighNow

I was struck both times by the woman who had broken the "dress code." At the time, women were not allowed to wear pants. She was very upset when confronted about it by the authorities, even risking arrest.

One family wanted to defect to S. Korea and left one at the time. The woman being interviewed said she knew she was being watched, not just by authorities but by her neighbors, the latter putting her in danger of being reported. It's another similarity to the JWs, being turned in by friends and family and being dealt with.

11

Death Rituals . . . which do you prefer?

by skeeter1 in

i was listening to dr. radio.

a lady mortician was on.

it was morbid, but wanted to share what she said.

FlyingHighNow

There was no money to cremate or bury my nephew David. He died in New Mexico and his fiance couldn't afford to pay for anything and his parents, good JWs had disowned him because he didn't want to be baptized as a JW. The county paid for his cremation and gave David's ashes to my other nephew, TimeBandit here on JWN. Now I have some of them.

4

A Little Science Humor

by metatron in

jw
friends

http://cheezburger.com/7995393024.

.

metatron.

FlyingHighNow

I tried to unlink this, but I don't know if it worked.

What Good Can Come of This Monstrosity

285

Dead pregnant woman forced to stay on life support, due to TX State law

by adamah in

there's an interesting medicolegal issue arising out of tx, a pregnant women who suffered a pulmonary embolism in november and died (when she was 14 weeks pregnant).. however, the body has been kept on life-support all this time (against her and her husband's wishes), due to an ambiguous tx state law (tex hs.

code ann.

166.049) which actually blocks the ability of the patient and family to decide:.

FlyingHighNow

There has to be more to this JT, or the hospital wouldn't put its self at risk in court.

40

Did You Ever Hear An Elder or Bethelite's Comments That Made You Question ??

by minimus in

jw
friends

years ago, the society's speakers used to give many off the cuff statements.

a lot of personal opinions and questionable remarks.. anything ever stand out for you in this area?.

FlyingHighNow

I just remembered being at circuit assembly in Midland, Texas. One of the speakers said that married couples should not hug, kiss or have their arms around each other in public. He said that they could excite single JWs and teenagers and be a damaging example. Just then you saw many husbands' arms come off the backs of the seats of their wives. At the break, there were angry and crying sisters in the bathroom. It was the buzz of every conversation, even on the ride home in our group. The next day, that brother had to go before us and not only make a retraction, but apologize to all of us. When something like that happens, you see how much opinion really governs the behavior of the JWs.

40

Did You Ever Hear An Elder or Bethelite's Comments That Made You Question ??

by minimus in

jw
friends

years ago, the society's speakers used to give many off the cuff statements.

a lot of personal opinions and questionable remarks.. anything ever stand out for you in this area?.

FlyingHighNow

I heard too many.

One thing that really upset me. An older elder made a request for people to come to help clean the hall on the next Saturday. He said that the same one or two people were showing up each week and really, it wasn't fair to them to clean the hall every Saturday with out help. After the meeting, his wife walked up the aisle to meet him. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and said to her, in a very irritated tone, "These people. These people who don't show up to clean the Kingdom Hall are going to be in for a terrible shock when it comes time for Armageddon. They think they're going to survive...." I went home very depressed at the thought that Jehovah could be that cold blooded towards his servants. That just ended up on my list of things that made me go hmmm, which by then had become a folder. You get enough of those things on your list and you end up vulnerable to the truth about the truth.

The Revelation/Climax book and it's application of so many of the symbols to the governing body or the organization seemed pretty out there to me. I remember thinking, "That sounds contrived. How do they know that? They admit they are not inspired of God."

11

Death Rituals . . . which do you prefer?

by skeeter1 in

i was listening to dr. radio.

a lady mortician was on.

it was morbid, but wanted to share what she said.

FlyingHighNow

Natural burial, without embalming. Cloth around the body and put in a deep grave. How it's done in many other parts of the world for centuries. Allows the body to return to earth the most naturally. Your bacteria live on. Alot cheaper, but can't be done in many places! She was saying that in many places, you have to own 5+ acres and then have to check your state/local ordinances.

Problems with cloth wrapped bodies came in during the yellow fever epidemic, where victims had to be buried above ground to keep the water tables from becoming infected. Along the gulf coast of the USA, you can hit water when you dig 2 or 3 feet down. I remember seeing my brothers hit water when they were digging in the woods behind our house in coastal Louisiana. Previously to that, we lived in Mobile, AL. There is a cemetery downtown where many yellow fever victims are buried above ground. New Orleans has cemeteries with above ground graves that you've likely seen on TV and in movies.

We do cremation in our family. There was a documentary on PBS about caring for your own dead, which is legal in some states. It discussed how caring for the dead was taken out of the hands of the family and friends and placed in the hands of the undertaker. There is a certain healing that takes place when families are allowed, often with the help of friends, to bathe, dress and lay out their loved ones. Some people in the documentary did care for their dead, without embalming them and without immediate burial or cremation. It seemed much more comforting to the families and friends. Terminal patients who were choosing to die at home and then be prepared for burial or cremation by family and/or friends, seemed to be helped by the idea of not being given into the hands of strangers. Under some circumstances, bodies can last up to three days, without embalming, before the need for burial or cremation.

You can check with the local Memorial Society to see what practices are legal in your state, for the burial or cremation of the dead.

285

Dead pregnant woman forced to stay on life support, due to TX State law

by adamah in

there's an interesting medicolegal issue arising out of tx, a pregnant women who suffered a pulmonary embolism in november and died (when she was 14 weeks pregnant).. however, the body has been kept on life-support all this time (against her and her husband's wishes), due to an ambiguous tx state law (tex hs.

code ann.

166.049) which actually blocks the ability of the patient and family to decide:.

FlyingHighNow

The Texas Advance Directives Act, Section 166.049, provides that "a person may not withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatment under this subchapter from a pregnant patient."

Look, if I was in the shoes of the husband or family, I truly do not know how I would feel. I haven't been in this situation.

Getting back to the law though: in the above quote, the Texas Advance Directive specifically mentions that the patient is pregnant. Why does there need to be a mention of prenancy, if there is no difference, legally, between a brain dead pregnant woman or one who is not pregnant? There is a difference.