Pole

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Posts by Pole

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  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  Gary,

  I think I sensed the difference, but never made it so explicit. Your clarification is useful. Thanks for that.
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  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  garybuss wrote:
  

  Is the Belgium government concerned with the "beliefs"? or the behaviors? I have never heard of a belief resulting in a death, only a behavior. Are you sure you don't have "belief" and "behavior" mixed up?

  in reply to pole's comment:
  

  some of their beliefs, because they are socially harmful (e.g unnecessary deaths).

  I guess we mean the same thing here. They act upon their beliefs (e.g. blood policy) which result in behaviours (not accepting blood), which may sometimes lead to unnecessary deaths of JWs kids. This is how I think some beliefs result in behaviours which in turn result deaths if you want to be that precise.

  Edited to add. But I see your point, and I like it. They can believe whatever they want, as long as they don't put it in practice.
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  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  double post
• 
  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  Czar,
  

  If the US cracks down on scientology and JW's, what is it going to do with the hardcore believers that refuse to give up their faith? Put them in camps seems to be the general reaction. And then some get murdered, some starve or get sick, and then you have a real crime on your hands. And the government, once it has assembled that apparatus, is going to perpetuate its effort by picking the "most" extreme religion and destroying it, and then going after the next one and the next one. When has government ever disassembled or stopped doing anything?

  That's a good observation in general. However Belgium doesn't put JWs in concentration camps. They just get discriminated. They're not treated as any mainstream religion.

  I do believe that the WT is an invalid, untrue belief system. But the only way to combat THAT is truth. Information. Spread the word. The Internet has done more damage to the WT than any amount of government sanction ever did. And that's what freedom is - to be free to make the WRONG choice.

  Ok. But in Belgium the idea is that the government should react once this kind of knowledge reaches them, by making it explicit that they won't tolerate some of their beliefs, because they are socially harmful (e.g unnecessary deaths). It's the last stage of this information campaign that you've mentioned.
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  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  Panda,

  I guess you realize that your reply is nothing but empty rhetorics. It's a pity you are so content with your isolationism.

  Well, so you are concerned about the future of my country?

  So you think America needs no feedback from the rest of the world? Ok, I won't give you any more. Good luck. Besides, if you hadn't intentionally ignored my very next sentence you wouldn't make this stupid comment. Twisted rhetorics example #1.

  "Don't worry, I don't dream about becoming an American voter." I won't worry. Plenty of other Europeans want to come here and earn the priveldge to vote. Many infact from Poland.

  Is that supposed to make me feel inferior? Plenty of Americans come to Europe because they're fed up with their cultrue. How's that for an argument? Jingoism and twisted rhetorics example #2.

  "It just seems like some of you have lost many of the values on which America was built." And exactly what would you know about American values of the 18th century? OK maybe that's unfair. Maybe you are a historian and I should give you credit for studying American history.

  Oh, Panda, you shouldn't have made this comment if you immediatly admitted that it may be unappropriate. Instead you should have asked an honest question. First of all I studied American culture and history among other things. Secondly you should know that the cultural transfer between America and Europe is one-directional. the average European knows much more about the American culture (even f it's folk knowledge from Hollywood movies), than vice versa.

  " Now you think you are smart and you delegate the "dirty job" of accepting the Turks to the EU, thus ruining its economy." You are the one calling the acceptance of Turkey a dirty job, not me. I merely comment on the fact that your economy will be adversely effected by this move and yet I suppose it will be easier to get in the middle of that group of Islamics and Christians in Turkey in some imperialist way when you share an economy.

  Either you know nothing about political correctness or you are being intentionaly dishonest about my reply. So, you say, you "merely commented on the fact"? Don't be ridiculous. Your intentions are evident even from your last comment:

  " How cunning. " Why thank you Pole. That's the nicest comment you've made to me.

  Your problem is that I haven't made a single ksenophobic comment on this thread that could offend you or any American person. If I have, please show me where. I didn't say America is worse in any respect than any other country. I even admitted they're doing economically better than any other country.

  I only objected to the idea that all countries should adopt the American constitution. What I got as a reply was a pile of nationalist aforismic comments pretending to be clever observations on international policy. I also got intimidated and misquoted.

  Well, I guess that's how some people react to criticism.
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  34

  Is this Web site a joke?

  by Quotes in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  no, not *this* web site.

  we all know that jwd is not a joke.

  i mean this one: http://watchtower.virtue.nu/index_en.htm.

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  Pole

  Homeros,

  As a person who lived in the former communist bloc, I guessed your intentions immediately (see my post above). :)))

  You could be a KGB agent in the Department of Provocative Propaganda.
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  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  The Euro will be taking over in 10 years. Oh please don't make me laugh. Aren't the Turks going to be part of the EU? Good Luck Euro.

  Panda. What exactly do you mean by the Euro? The currency? It's already doing much better than the dollar.

  I think you are right in saying that the EU economy is not likely to outperform the American one (if that's what you are saying), but the argument you've chosen....

  I think I now understand what your president George W Bush meant when he recently said that Turkey should join the EU (For which he was righly scolded by Chirac who reminded him to stick to his country's problems). If he meant the same thing as you then he is a cynical bastard.

  This sort of attitudes make me wonder about the future of America. Don't worry, I don't dream about becoming an American voter. It just seems like some of you have lost many of the values on which America was built. Now you think you are smart and you delegate the "dirty job" of accepting the Turks to the EU, thus ruining its economy. How cunning.

  What a jingoistic thing to say.
• 
  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  double post :)
• 
  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  Heathen,
  
  YOu got it all wrong again, dude. What "Euros" are you addressing, when praising Czar for his peculiar point about gun control laws? Are you talking to the Canadian guy?
  

  ::Thank God you euros don't have the right to vote in the US .

  This is a ridiculously childlish thing to say in the context of the discussion on this thread. True, you said earlier on:
  
  

  :: I believe that all countries should adopt the US constitution as the foundation of law , it is a fine document that grants people civil rights and a free conscience in religious beliefs .

  But just because you want every country to become the 51st state of the USA doesn't mean you can assume anyone here wants to vote in America to make it more European or whatever. So thank God you Americans can't vote here to make us accept your constitution. What sort of comment is that anyway?
  
  
  

  :: I don't think any of you have read the US constitution . If you could show me one area where it demeans human nature you might have a point .

  
  Hello? WHo are you talking to? Are repling to my comment:
  
  

  :: OMG! Heathen, have ever made yourself familiar with any other country's constitution? Any European one?

  I didn't say American Constitution sucks. I've read it and even memorized parts of it. I only asked you if you were familiar with any European constitution. If you aren't, then how can you say you'd like all countries in the world to accept the American Constitution?

  :: Czar had a point that we are usually mad as hell about the government and it's constant persuit of undermining individual rights such as freedom of religion or the right to free speech .

  No. Czar made a silly insulting comment about Europeans and applied it to a Canadian guy. Czar should apologize for what he said. If he doesn't then he will make himself look like a narrow-minded jingoistic American who cannot admit his mistake. Don't follw suit, Heathen.

  Pole
• 
  106

  Does Belgium Have it Right About JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  us criticises religious .

  discrimination in belgium

  source: expatica (belgium) http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=11964&name=us+criticises+religious+freedom+in+belgium.

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  Pole

  czar first wrote about shamus's post:

  Sorry, but you dared to pass judgement, an arrogant and stupidly shortsighted judgement, on a cultural item that is near and dear to my heart.

  a paragraph later czar wrote:

  Of course, Europeans can't seem to understand that Americans hate their own government with a passion - enough to do it violence if it gets out of line. Such a thought terrifies their stultified feudalized minds, so they try to make it more friendly, like an overbearingly psychotic ex showing up with baked goods and oil changes.

  Isn't czar passing "arrogant and stupidly shortsighted judgments" himself (to use his phrase)? Should he apologize to all the Europeans on this board now, for describing them in such a way? I think he should, although I don't really feel offended as many Americans would if I made a statement like this about their nation. I think it's a cultural difference.

  Pole

  BTW

  If you didn't know Poland is the greatest country in the world, and all countries should adopt it's constitution, because it is only here that people can find genuine happiness.

  Oh come on Americans, how can you seriously say similar bulls***t?