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  15

  On behalf of all lurkers...

  by marked in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ... i'd like to say a big thank you to all you regular posters.

  i've been here as long or longer than many of you with hundreds of posts, but even though i don't often hit "reply" it doesn't mean i'm not responding.

  and i think i speak for many of us here.

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  marked

  ... I'd like to say a big thank you to all you regular posters.

  I've been here as long or longer than many of you with hundreds of posts, but even though I don't often hit "reply" it doesn't mean I'm not responding. And I think I speak for many of us here. (I'd love to say I know who you are, but unfortunately you're like me - bloody lurkers :) )

  So keep it up, folks. If you ever wonder if you're getting through, just take a look at the viewed number at the top of each thread. People are listening. I'm one of them. And if it wasn't for you guys, I might still be a slave.

  Much love.

  marked
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  14

  What are some good non satanic metal groups/albums?

  by Leander in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i created a post like this awhile back but i thought i would start with a fresh one for 2005. i'm still somewhat of a newb to the metal world but i'm a more familiar with the music now than i was a year or two ago.. first off i love almost everything metallica does, i even liked most of the songs from st anger.

  i really dig songs with crushing riffs and hard hitting melodies, but what i'm discovering is that a lot of bands love throwing occult themes and references into their music.

  i'm not quite that hardcore just yet, in fact i bought a few albums without realizing some of the content.

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  marked

  Re: What are some good non satanic metal groups/albums?

  Um, pretty much all of them? (Not that they're all good.)
  

  What do you mean "satanic"? One thing I've learned since leaving is that "satanic" is, for the most part, a buzz word to elicit fear. Even members of the Church of Satan don't believe in the devil. Forget about the boogey man and just listen to the music.

  Megadeth?? Dave is just an unhappy guy pissed off at Metallica for stealing his life from him (or something), and sad cuz his mommy didn't hug him enough.

  Sabbath?? That whole occult thing was done more or less for shock value. 30 years ago. And Ozzie's a wholesome xtian dad now. Nothing to fear.

  Hell, even Marylin Manson is so full of irony that his whole "shock jock" persona is pretty transparent to anyone who really knows what he's about. I'm not the biggest fan, but I appreciate some of what he's trying to do.

  As for an actual reccommendation, try www.deathfromabove1979.com . Don't know if they're metal per se, but they're kinda heavy and fun as hell.
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  27

  What are some Bible contradictions that JWs can't reconcile?

  by marked in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i remember reading in the reasoning book about how to approach someone at the door who said the bible was full of contradictions.

  one of the answers was "many say the bible's full of contradictions but no one's been able to show me an example of one.".

  so, what are some examples that jws would have no real canned answer to?.

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  marked

  There are some good points here that I've never heard before! I think the whole "what day did Jesus die" one always bugged me, since the Publications(tm) seemed to be silent on it.

  But there are some here that my old JW training CAN refute, based on the notion that if two accounts seem contradictory, they BOTH must be true since the bible is inerrant. Not that it matters really, since I've lost faith in the bible anyway:

  What color was Jesus' cloak? Scarlet or purple?

  Easy. It was reddish-purple.

  Genesis chapter 1:11-26 says that green vegetation was created BEFORE humans. Then at Genesis 2:4, an entirely different account starts over: Genesis chapter 2:5-7 says that humans were created BEFORE vegetation!

  This one's along the lines of God only beginning to create flora before humans, and that there's nothing saying he stopped creating new kinds after humans came on the scene.

  (also before the Sun and Moon and stars)

  They only became visible after the other things were created. They were always there! Neat, huh?

  The easiest contradiction is no particular verse, but the over all theme of free will. The puts a wrench in everything, did Pharaoh, Judas, or Cyrus (if the prophecy really was told before it happened), did any of them have a choice or free will?

  I read something about God using certain individuals for certain purposes for only a certain time. After they were "used" he let them go about their business again, including allowing them the choice to continue to serve him or not. Doesn't really answer the free will question, but that's what I learned.

  My favourite stretch was "How did Judas die?" Did he hang himself or get dashed on rocks? Answer: BOTH! He hung himself over a cliff THEN THE ROPE/BRANCH SNAPPED AND HE FELL ON ROCKS! Quite a macabre imagination required for that one.

  marked
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  27

  What are some Bible contradictions that JWs can't reconcile?

  by marked in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i remember reading in the reasoning book about how to approach someone at the door who said the bible was full of contradictions.

  one of the answers was "many say the bible's full of contradictions but no one's been able to show me an example of one.".

  so, what are some examples that jws would have no real canned answer to?.

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  marked

  I remember reading in the Reasoning book about how to approach someone at the door who said the bible was full of contradictions. One of the answers was "Many say the bible's full of contradictions but no one's been able to show me an example of one."

  So, what are some examples that JWs would have no real canned answer to?

  marked
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  27

  More fun with witness urban myths.....

  by integ in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have heard many urban myths associated with the watchtower society and its hapless adherents.

  i like the one where an "interested one" accepted the invitation to attend the memorial one year, and sat next to a "sister" who let the confused attendee use her bible to look up scriptures as they were presented.

  afterword, the "sister" walked the man up to the circuit overseer, who had delivered the talk that year, and introduced the dupe-filled "study" to the co. the co complimented the man on his spiritual interest and asked what impelled him to come up and talk to him.

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  marked

  Funny, I've heard subtle variations on most of the above.
  
  How about these:
  
  Someone started studying and learned that "fantasy" images were Daemo?, so she threw out a unicorn statue she kept in her closet ('cause we all know that horses born with cranial cornucopian sproutings are of The Devil). Anyway, the next day, it was STILL IN HER CLOSET.
  
  Or: A Witness once rented a VHS copy of Interview With The Vampire and tried to return it. The next day, It was STILL ON HIS COFFEE TABLE.
  
  Or: This one Aboriginal Canadian family (pagan/bad by default) living near my hometown in a house on an old burial ground were being pestered by a Daemon?. A Brother? came to their door and told them to write "Jehovah" on a piece of paper and tack it to their fridge. The next day, said poltergeist VANISHED.
  
  These stories used to fuel my faith. Now they make me laugh. Funny...
  
  marked
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  18

  Young People Ask: How Can I Make Real Friends?

  by seattleniceguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my friends were doing some spring cleaning the other day and they found an old copy of this video.

  for grins, we decided to toss back a coke and whiskey or two and watch it.

  it was a blast!

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  marked

  Oh, and as for The Organization Behind The Name: even as a witness, I always hated the shot where the little girl skips to the mailbox to fetch the latest WT magazines.

  Simultaneously exploitative and kinda creepy.

  marked
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  18

  Young People Ask: How Can I Make Real Friends?

  by seattleniceguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my friends were doing some spring cleaning the other day and they found an old copy of this video.

  for grins, we decided to toss back a coke and whiskey or two and watch it.

  it was a blast!

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  marked

  Scoff if you must, but you have to admit that by Society standards, the production values on that thing were pretty damn high. Not Hollywood quality, mind you, but at least up to snuff with After School Special material. Christ, it was legions beyond any Drama I've ever seen.
  

  'Member when that one worldly kid went to buy pot? (POT!!!) And the camera was all zoomed in on the background but you could still see all those blurry figures moving past the camera in the foreground? 'Member??? It was all like: "He's buying POT!!! Could he GET any more worldly? I mean, he's all buying POT!!! and check those blurry figures in the foreground!"

  ART, it was!

  marked of The So Flippantly Sarcastic It Obscures His Point class ?
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  88

  Am I right about the WT being wrong?

  by FreedomFrog in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everyone.... i was "raised" as a dub and got baptised in '86...so in total i had been a jw for over 20 years.

  i came to realize that the "way of life" i was living was in fact made up of mostly lies.

  i started "questioning" the borg about 6 years ago and finally came out with almostatheist last sept. i know in my heart that they are mostly wrong and very legalist.

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  marked

  Have any of you experience this? And does it ease up over time?

  I most definately have experienced this. I think we all have. And not only does it ease up, it eventually stops.
  That "nagging" in your head is residual indoctrination. It's a powerful influence masquerading as your "conscience". Keep your mind open - keep thinking - and you'll flush it out.

  marked
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  37

  Can The Watchtower Society Be Reformed?

  by Cameron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  what about www.jwreform.org ?.

  don at www.captivesofaconcept.com

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  marked

  Those who run http://www.jwreform.org/ are not now nor ever could be Jehovah's Witnesses.
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  17

  Evil SMURFS?

  by marked in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  okay, what's the deal with the smurfs?

  i've heard mention here and there about some 80s rumours regarding demonized smurfs (or something) that got jws in a panic.

  i remember when i was a kid my aunt telling my mother about smurf dolls with blood on them walking around, i think.

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  marked

  From: http://www.cuttingedge.org/ce1021.html

  * SMURFS

  Most of us think of the Smurfs as cute, harmless little blue and white aliens. However, the story line is full of occultism. Papa Smurf is cast in the role of a "White" Witchdoctor who is protecting his people by incantations and rituals and potions. Gargamel is cast in the role of the "Black" or evil witchdoctor who is always trying to cast some evil spell over the poor, helpless Smurfs so he can control them forever. In one cartoon screen several years ago, Gargamel is shown creating a Devil's Pentagram from lighted candles on the dirt floor of his house. Gargamel moved inside the Pentagram and carried out a ritual designed to defeat Papa Smurf and the little Smurfs. Your children have probably watched this most Satanic cartoon.

  Of course, the same website also claims that My Little Pony sets kids up to accept the Antichrist, so...