Posts by seattleniceguy

Saddam Hussein is single-handedly responsible for the death and injury of millions of people. Now that he is in captivity, the world waits for the trial that will finally deliver justice to the Iraqi people and the world. That Saddam is guilty of crimes against humanity is not in question. What we should do about him, however, is.

When I saw the pictures of the captured Saddam a few days ago, bearded and disheveled, I was hit with a feeling I did not expect: human compassion. It is hard for us not to feel compassion for an old man who is obviously confused and disoriented. What followed was a flash of compacted thought and feeling in me that whispered, Perhaps the obvious course of action is not the right one.

Millions of people would like to see Saddam dead. A public hanging is undoubtedly the fondest desire in the hearts of many Americans and Iraqis alike. Admittedly, the desire for vindictive justice is strong in us. In a complex world, it offers a swift and simple solution. An eye for an eye seems fair, just. But the more I think about it, the less productive I think it would be to kill Saddam. It would accomplish nothing but a fleeting feeling of vengeful satisfaction. The news of his death would not make up for all the wrongs he has committed, and it would have no lasting impact on the world scene.

I believe that one of the most essential, most fundamental aspects of humanity is our ability to change course. When we read literature, we identify with and feel compassion for characters that effect change in their lives. When we read real-life experiences of people who have made major turnabouts after intense soul-searching, such as Ray Franz, we are moved at the most core level. Each of us knows from personal experience with the organization that when inside it, we never dreamed we would leave. Contrary to all expectations ? our own and those of others ? it slowly dawned on us that our life was based on wrong premises. The reason we are here on this board is that we understand the difficulty of taking such a course, and we love and feel deep empathy for those who are striving to do so.

When I was a Witness, I was always powerfully moved by the account of Manasseh. His life was filled with terror and bloodguilt. But he changed. Imagine how the account would read if he were simply wiped out and not given the chance to repent. It wouldn?t even be part of history. It would be no different from every other act of vindictive justice: meaningless.

Imagine if Saddam Hussein were allowed to live. Not on a farm in the country. Not in a home being given preferential treatment. Imagine that he were given decent human treatment and limited access to members of his family. As he nears the end of his life and reflects on what he has done, what blood-soaked hands are his, what fate befell his sons, imagine that true remorse and the deep desire to make atonement wash over him. If Saddam Hussein were to write an account ? personal memoirs from a dictator ? reflecting over his life, his mistakes, his shift in views, imagine how powerful that account would be. Nothing we could ever do or say, no propaganda war, no friendly diplomatic relations, could ever impact people in the Middle East like those memoirs could. They would strike directly at the hearts of millions of extremists and fundamentalists who read them. Such words would literally have the power to change the world.

I do not think it is necessary for us to judge the likelihood of such a conversion for Saddam. Such things are impossible to predict. As long as a human being lives, there is a chance for that person to look inside and make changes. One person who makes such a change can powerfully influence the lives of millions, who will thereafter affect the lives of even more.

Put in this light, killing Saddam Hussein seems pointless. To do so would be to squander a possibility that I believe exists, however remote. His death would mean nothing great in a practical sense; his conversion would hold infinitely greater meaning and power, both immediately and historically.

My position is not one of sympathy for the person of Saddam Hussein. It is one of faith in the nature of humanity. It is a passionate hope in what is possible for us. I intensely believe in that which makes us most human: the prospect for change.

5

I have an avatar now, big deal :)

by CruithneLaLuna in

check this out.

if you go to google.com and search images for cruithne, it's one of the images that appears.

(i thought i'd stay away [for now] from using as avatar the cheery fellow carrying the severed head.).

seattleniceguy

Hey. Nice avatar. And thanks for your heads-attached policy. :)

SNG

14

Ponderings on the 'refreshing highlight' of tonight's meeting

by Mysterious in

jw
friends

the refreshing highlight in their opinion that "[jehovah's witnesses] are free from the snare of the pagan traditions of today's holidays".

the talk was of course about christmas.

i find it amusing how many times they mention pagans or paganism at the meetings, considering neither word is found in the nwt.

seattleniceguy

Isn't that such a strange concept? Pointing at the neighbors and saying, "Isn't it refreshing that we don't live like them? Look at those guys, they actually believe thus-and-such. How refreshing that we do not. How utterly refreshing that we have removed all traces of commonality to other humans from our own lives. In fact, the Greek word for 'refresh' (mam-me-le-ka') is actually related to the verb 'to turn up one's nose; to reject.' Meaningless elitism has always been a deep source of refreshment for true Christians."

Heh heh, hope I wasn't too sarcastic there. :)

82

Just received Crisis of Conscience!!

by acsot in

jw
friends

i've already exited the jws in mind and heart, and have read many comments from everyone about the book, so didn't really see the need to buy it for myself.

however, after reading something here on the forum, i decided to order it (and the tao of pooh and siddhartha.

) a super-dub sits two desks away from (she and her husband knew ray and his wife, had tea with them in their room when he was on the gb, etc.

seattleniceguy

There are certain advantages to buying a copy over reading it at the library. One is that many libraries only have the first version, whereas there are a few noteworthy and relevant additions (mostly at the end of chapters, it seems) in the newer versions. The one I have is copyright 2002, so it mentions some very recent developments.

The other advantage to owning it is that you have it on hand to loan to people when they desperately need it.

SNG

73

Hidden Images in the JW Publications

by Hunyadi in

i am a disfellowshipped brother and have never had a problem with the organization's doctrines.

i am, however, deeply disturbed at the undeniable use of hidden or subliminal images in the illustrations of the wt publications.

there are so many that it cannot be interpreted as anything other than a deliberate pattern.

seattleniceguy

Interesting stuff. I don't think I'm particularly convinced by any of them. I used to look up at the accoustic ceiling in my house from my upper-level bunk bed and see all sorts of faces and things.

Actually, I think the use of overt messages in pictures is far more effective. I think a site showcasing some of the more ridiculous of those would be pretty cool!

SNG

44

The Society has given up on "holiday witnessing"

by dothemath in

.

up until a few years ago......every dec. km had a part encouraging everyone to go in the ministry on the holidays.......christmas day, etc.. no one ever got too excited about it in our cong.

.........it was pretty much a joke to everyone even when commenting on it during the meeting part.. that no longer seems to be the case..........haven't seen any parts like this for a few years now......i guess they've given up completely.. the meeting part usually included some "fine experiences"......but i have heard exactly the opposite from some who actually tried it one time.. have any of you ever went in service on christmas day?

seattleniceguy

I have. It was the one time that I really had to cringe and kind of agree when people would say, "You can't leave us alone for this one day a year?" And of course, they were none too happier when we smiled and replied' "Well, we think that of all days to talk about Jesus, this one would certainly be appropriate!" Then we would go back to the car and make cracks about how worldly people didn't even want to talk about Jesus on their own dumb holiday for him, while secretly heaving a sigh of relief that it was over.

14

Not giving the org a bad name

by seattleniceguy in

jw
friends

i've been out of the org in mind for three months (formally for only two weeks) but i find that i often feel that old familiar impulse to supress myself if i start to say something that could be construed as negative to the organizaton.

do you still feel that?

like, i might hesitate to tell my neighbor that i didn't associate with my dad for six years because of the df/da policy.

seattleniceguy

I've been out of the org in mind for three months (formally for only two weeks) but I find that I often feel that old familiar impulse to supress myself if I start to say something that could be construed as negative to the organizaton. Do you still feel that? Like, I might hesitate to tell my neighbor that I didn't associate with my dad for six years because of the DF/DA policy. Then I catch myself and think, Who am I trying to protect here?

Strange how deeply ingrained that conditioning can be....How about you all?

82

Just received Crisis of Conscience!!

by acsot in

jw
friends

i've already exited the jws in mind and heart, and have read many comments from everyone about the book, so didn't really see the need to buy it for myself.

however, after reading something here on the forum, i decided to order it (and the tao of pooh and siddhartha.

) a super-dub sits two desks away from (she and her husband knew ray and his wife, had tea with them in their room when he was on the gb, etc.

seattleniceguy

Something tells me not to give this man a dime.

Would that 'something' be a guilt/fear complex brought on by an organization that demonizes anything opposed to itself?

Seriously, though, if you're worried about lining is pockets, then get it from the library. You won't be disappointed. Plus, I guarantee you'd be able to relate to the people on the board a lot more.

6

Iraq-Should this billboard be installed along highways in Iraq?

by IronGland in

seattleniceguy

Avengers - yeah, it's wack English. It's from an Internet joke a couple years ago, and originally from some weirdly translated Japanese video game.