anewperson

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Posts by anewperson

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  68

  How we Know that Evolution is a Fact

  by JanH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there has been a number of threads related to evolution in the last month or so.

  some posters, like penn, subscribes to a form of creationism, which i for this purpose will define as denial of large scale evolution (sometimes called macro-evolution).. even saner people sometimes alleges that scientists are unnecessarily 'dogmatic' about evolution, and that this is 'just a theory.

  ' these people may be recent exjws or jws, still believing the watchtower propaganda against evolutionary science, or accepting similar claims from various fundamentalist preachers and groups.

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  anewperson

  Whether all agree with you or not, Jan, we can agree that you have presented your evidence in a logical way, which is quite admirable.

  All the same even with what you present we can still take the opposite view, namely that life came into existence as fully distinct species rather than slowly or even fairly quickly evolved.

  How so? Well, one can argue that when birds came into existence the so-called junk bits of genes for teeth were already pre-programmed into their genes. Why? Possibly so that if necessary birds could later on develop teeth, though such rarely ever is seen.

  And so the wheel keeps turning in the debate. But to many of us, Jan, it is a moot point as to which view is right insofar as to whether or not "a source for all existence exists," i.e. God.

  If God created directly or if God created indirectly (by evolution), regardless, God (source of existence) still exists. To believers to deny that God exists would be to deny that existence exists, which is clearly illogical.

  Going one step farther, that source provides many nice things for us like sunshine, food, water, a pretty planet, air, life itself. Any good father is a provider, a gift-giver. So it is also not illogical to call that Source our Father.

  I can pinch myself and know it, Jan. Ergo, I exist. So do all we humans, whether we wish to argue against that too or not. Existence consists of both what is (matter, energy) and what is not (space, emptiness, non-materialism). It has always existed and always will. It or better described, He, acts just like a good Father.

  Interestingly, the Hebrew for to be/being/existence is "hayah" from which is derived Yaweh or the short form Yah, also rendered as Jah or Jehovah.

  I believe I have made my own points and now will sit back and see what others may say.

  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jahchristian
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  5

  Persecution Fever

  by radar in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do any of you recall the persecution paranoia, that swept across the congregations in the late 80s?.

  the great tribulation was believd imminent, and bro's were getting excited and encouraging everyone to be ready.. the book study was highlighted as a meeting that must be never missed!

  because if a sudden ban came upon the kingdom hall meetings, then only those who knew where the current book study was held, would get spiritual food and help.. the next thing was "hide your watchtower literature" in places where the authorities would not find it.. jws, including myself, consequently hid literature in the walls of our homes.

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  anewperson

  It happens. Some do have hidden book stashes. Some halls have them too. For example with storage area for hiding books up in the attic, in a basement, behind walls. Yes, I have seen it. A lot of secretive things go on that women members are especially not told of. It varies from hall to hall, area to area and apparently nation to nation or within nations. That's why some elders will deny it in honesty, others affirm it also in honesty. There's also secret books and policies or rules the elders know of and the normal JWs don't. Secret ways of operating such as Theocratic Warfare doings. What else would one expect of a group emphasizing the end any second.
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  18

  Christendom basically has it right!

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw yadirf's post (formerly friday on h20) barking about how christendom still has it all wrong regarding the trinity, immortal soul, all going to heaven, hellfire, jesus dying on a stake and not a cross, etc.. it is obvious that such people as yadirf have never visited a regular mainline church or he would not make such absurd claims, the very same idiotic claims touted by the watch tower lying and deceit society.. most christians and christian theologians do profess the trinity, in varied forms, but it is not a matter of salvation to accept it.

  likewise for the soul, hell, the cross, etc.. genuine everyday christians are far more concerned about living a christian life, doing good, and following jesus.

  they do witness, though informally as the spirit moves them ... which is a far more caring, considerate, and successful method then the watch tower door-to-door system.

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  anewperson

  There are some Church groups like highly fundamentalistic Pentecosts who do stress you must believe the Trintiy or else, and this is stressed even by their grassroots members. Happily though many others, probably most do not. As Amazing said, for most members in most churches theological fine hairs are just background noise that their trained preachers get excited about. Long live the Free Christians movement.
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  20

  Japan Lost 500 Congregations!!!!

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do the math:.

  1998 - 3,802 congregations (1999 yrbook figure) .

  (drum roll, please).

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  anewperson

  I believe J.W. Dugan who is in Japan has said it is a combination of halls being combined and also losses in members due to organized efforts to expose the WTS there.
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  12

  PolyHeme Update-WTS foolish policy

  by Lee Elder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  northfield labs has run into some difficulty with their application .

  from human red blood cells.

  it looks to me like jws will have to.

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  anewperson

  The WTS may even have stock in some of those companies artificial blood products and even be behind writing of the press releases for them. This was brought out in one of the Free Christians Newsletters, Lee. If you don't get it, there's a lot of things on the blood issue you've missed and will miss.
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  54

  The Russell/Mason debate

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have noticed there is some debate on this board about russell and whether he was a mason or not.

  some say he is a part of a conspiracy others say it is nonesence.. i am, to be quite honest, not sure where i fit in this.

  i do find it interesting that russell is buried under a pyramid in the masonic section of a grave yard.

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  anewperson

  Some of the early 1900s books have the winged sun-god Ra on the front cover, another Masonry symbol never used by Christians

  I'm not sure Russell is buried under the Pyramid which may be a monument marker but rather may be under the smaller tombstone that calls him, again I believe, the Second Laodicean Messenger.

  Someone wrote before that his dad Joseph was a Mason as was his dad-in-law but that he himself though Mason-influenced was not officially a Mason. However others say he was and that there is a book with a picture in it of him in Masonry garb including the Mason's apron.

  So, whether a member or not, he was influenced by Masons even as was the religion he founded. Masonry symbols or influenced have also been shown for Mormon, Unity and Christian Science.
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  13

  My personal "Alamo"

  by Lee Elder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  br.

  br.

  i only saw br.

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  anewperson

  Sounds typical. It is safer to write up the wrongs done by COs, DOs, Elders or what-nots then mail or email them to people. Bullies hurt so many people they can't be sure who hit them when their walls start falling! BTW, we notice you got pretty quiet about AJWRB.org blood issue stuff. Were you mis-hoping for reforms this year? Strung along by reports of such?
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  21

  Seventh Day Adventist Funeral

  by Judith in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i attended a seventh day adventist funeral today.

  she was a really nice person that i had worked with some years ago.

  she was kind to everyone, never a bad word about anyone, always willing to help, and didn't toss her religion down your throat.

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  anewperson

  There are also smaller brand new groups breaking way from the WTS and returning to Jehovah's Christ. Contact [email protected]
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  10

  A geophysicist looks at the "Life" book

  by Mindchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was going through some files on my computer tonight and discovered something i wrote a few years back for an elder serving as a congregation po who claimed he was trained as a geologist (fat chance of that when i actually started asking him questions he didn't even know the basics) and claimed that the societies life book was a very scientific and comprehensive piece of work.

  in fact, he claimed that if i could show otherwise, he would use the information in a public talk he was giving that related to the subject.

  i blew him off at first because this is just about the same odds of winning the lottery but he kept after me and then taunting me that i had no answer for him.

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  anewperson

  Correction there. Groups besides the WTS teach paradise earth resurrection for some. For example the Jah Christians, Round Mountain Free Christians (Arkansas), the Ekklesia (Washington & Oregon) etc.
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  20

  Who fulfills Matt: 24:14

  by Parliament in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in the past, i have wondered who fulfills matt 24:14. i know that jw's are really the only ones who do preach from door to door.

  that scripture will is burned in my head forever from my parents making me remembering it when i would door knock.

  i haven't been to a hall for almost 20 years, except for the year my mother was dying and asked if i would come to the memorial.

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  anewperson

  WITNESSING, WHY & HOW TO DO IT BESIDES DOOR-TO-DOOR? Christianity as a whole has observed the commandment to preach the Good News whether by word of mouth or, better, by acts of loving kindness such as building shelters for the homeless and giving food to the starving. Although Acts 20:20 says apostles went house to house Luke 10:7 says do NOT be transferring from house to house, which most believe means, as with Christ and the apostles, visiting a while with someone who shows sincere interest and tell the Good News then going to someone else at a distance, perhaps as a referral, but that we are not to normally move about canvassing every single house such that people regard us as pesks or busybodies, potentially angering or bringing undue reproach against God's good name or person. The Bible says they went house to house, notice, NOT "door to door." But regardless of whether it is done systematically or more naturally and informally, God loves a voluntary hence cheerful giver of the Good News.

  And as said witnessing can be by word of mouth or fine works etc, but tracts are also a favorite both nowadays and in centuries past. People give Bible tracts (leaflets) to store sales clerks, co-workers, shopping waiting in line or seated by fountains inside malls, waitresses along with a tip, McDonald's and Wal-Mart cahsiers, grocery store checkout clerks, gas station attendants, convenience store cashiers. If they own their own business they include tracts in customer bags. They leave them in restrooms, on ATM machines, at telephone pay booths, on seats at donut shop counters, on car windshield wipers, in gift packages for the poor and needy, on coffee shop seats, on bus stop beaches, in airport waiting areas, inside magazines at the doctor's office or hospital waiting room, in books at the library, inside videos when returned to the rental store.

  Also Bible tracts or leaflet are left at the bowling alley dining area or restroom or even in a returned rented bowling shoe, at amusement park facilities, at fairs of all sorts, in hotels inside Bibles left by the Gideons and atop ice-machines, in magazines aboard airplanes, with truck drivers at places they stop, in laundrymats, in storerooms, places visited while on vacations, with flight attendants, with people at parks, with cab drivers, at the office for food stamps, the department for family services, at a safe house for battered women, at a juvenile detention center, wrapped in plastic then left in driveways, on grocery shelves, mailed to those the newspaper says were convicted of driving while intoxicated.

  Again, there are other ways to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and 28:19, word-of-mouth, good deeds for the needy (Ga 2:10), a scripture on cardboard in your car window or on a bumpersticker etc. Really which would you yourself prefer if cold and hungry, being told "keep warm and well fed" even as you freeze and starve, or being given warm soup and a coat??? But keeping tracts or leaflets in purse or wallet is inexpensive, handy and makes it all the more likely you'll actually use them. A tract can be a simple handwritten black and white photocopy with just 2-3 Bible verses, include simple drawings like those at chick.com, or you might buy some in color. See! Anyone can do it no matter how young or old, shy or talkative, rich or poor. That's how THEY do it - and so can YOU!

  Visit our nonprofit Jah Christians egroup at the following website to get a Free Christians Newsletter at no cost and without obligation to join anything: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jahchristian, or locally: