Posts by Terry

45

virgin birth in Matt and Luke?

by peacefulpete in

robert price (incredible shrinking son of man) has alerted me to an interesting possibility that matt and luke (that is, the original authors) may not have intended that jesus had a miraculous conception.

mark never gives any hint that he was aware of any birth tradition surrounding his jesus, matt and luke have generally been considered the first to incorporate this element into the legend.

however price and jane schaberg (baba pg.116) have reexamined the texts and come to a different conclusion.

Terry

If Jesus was born of a virgin; I ask what is the purpose of giving JOSEPH'S bloodline?

It's a spiritual thing - jws do not know 'spiritual'

They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.."

"He is not God of the dead, but of the living." ************************************************************************************************************ And what, pray tell, is a SPIRITUAL GENEALOGY? Either somebody had sex and made a baby or they didn't.

20

Understanding why Evil Happens....Same or Different?

by jgnat in

this last sunday's public talk was titled, "why take refuge in jehovah?

" the speaker had studied his watchtowers well, and provided an unattributed quote (possibly from october 1, 2002 wt) as proof that christendom's churches don't have the answer:i have been asked hundreds of times in my life why god allows tragedy and suffering.

i have to confess that i really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction.

Terry

When you begin to "define" who and what God is it becomes necessary to state precisely in actual terms the nature of this person.

But, if the actions, activities, history of behavior (as recorded in a book attributed to him) contradicts those definitions what happens?

Nullifying proof has a "falsifying" effect.

God either IS or He ISN'T:

1.All-knowing

2.All-powerful

3.Eternal

4.Loving

5.Just

6.Wise

7.Purposeful

I would submit that the existence of destructive forces at work contrary to the stated purposes of such a personality as above described are prima facie evidence of "permission" .

To say that god desires that everyone should be saved and yet, to predict that only a relative few will be saved is to call into question His power to achieve His purpose.

For god to be unfailing in achievement is to make the end result perfectly correspond to His intentions. It cannot be otherwise.

If I want my little girl to cross the street without being hit by a car and yet I stand and watch it happen without exerting EVERY MEANS at my disposal to prevent her destruction, I am culpable.

God can be described as "calling out" for us to stop destructive behavior. But, if we don't heed his call or don't hear it or fail to understand the importance--should we be allowed our self-destruction? That is the way the Church frames the issue.

I repeat my above example. If my child defies my counsel and heads for the road--why wouldn't I let her go ahead and get hit by the car? Even if I could BRING HER BACK TO LIFE, would I, as a parent, ever in a million years consider it a good lesson to allow such an act to occur?

Then, how can I be kinder and a better parent than God?

No matter which way you turn the problem; God can only be considered in one of three modes toward humans:

1.Indifferent to suffering

2.Concerned and sympathetic but helpless

3.Concerned and sympathetic but unwilling to intervene

(I left out the option :

no God)

The idea that God needs to "prove" something to Satan or to weak and imperfect humans is laughable. Such an insecure God isn't much of a god at all.

If God isn't IN CHARGE of his creation, such a position in no way differs from being unable, unwilling or non-existent.

Freedom of choice is a ludicrous policy.

Why?

Let us take an example.

Hold a loaded gun to your head and put your finger on the trigger. What are the good choices vs the bad choices? (A wise choice would be to NEVER put the gun up to your head.)

1.Pull the trigger and die

2.Don't pull the trigger and live

Technically, mathematically there are 2 choices. But, survival-wise there aren't ANY choices. There can be NO consideration of the possibility of an action that causes the trigger to be pulled. Never!

So, what does that purport to prove?

The illusion of choice is a subterfuge, a non-issue.

By God giving mankind the built-in instinct to make right choices AUTOMATICALLY, God would have in no way limited humans in any way. By introducing "free will" into the equation what happens? The only possible "choice" is destructive. Mankind can NEVER BENEFIT from a "free choice" vs instinctual and automatic wise choice.

God cooked the books! He stacked the deck! He cheated the outcome!

There is only one conclusion we can arrive at in each of three considerations.

1.The state of the universe and particularly the condition of man and nature demonstrate no God is actively involved.

2.The way things are demonstrate that God is actively involved and he wants things TO BE EXACTLY the way they are.

3.God is unable, unwilling or unconcerned. We are God's video game; his reality TV; his amusement.

Take your pick!

79

Would the world be a better place without religion?

by micheal in

i understand we all need guidance and some people need hope, even if it is not real.

but personally, i believe religion has caused so many hideous crimes against humanity that it is something we would all be better off without.. it really is too bad that religion has capitalized on humankind's need for a divine being to only abuse and control its fellow humans.. so, what do you think?

would we be better of without religion?.

Terry

Have you ever seen the 50's Sci-Fi film, FORBIDDEN PLANET?

Colonists flourished on the planet Altair-4 until they were mysteriously torn limb from limb.

The planet had once been inhabited by an incredible race called the KRELL who were advanced in every way. They were benevolent, creative and devoted to progress in the sciences.

The only colonist who survived the mysterious destructive force is Dr. Moebius and his daughter.

As the film begins, a rescue ship is sent to check on what happened to the colonists who have not contacted Earth in a long time.

The upshot of the film is that Moebius has investigated the KRELL and figured out how their power source works, their technology and especially their MIND BOOST machine.

The KRELL had just perfected a device that could boost brain waves to the extent it had become possible to change thoughts into things. By thinking about a glass of water; you could produce one.

The payoff comes when the invisible force begins killing again, indiscriminately. Who or what can it be?

The answer is this. Inside of every living thing is the hidden part of the mind; the ID. This part of you which cannot be controlled. It contains the REPRESSED thoughts, passions, desires. The Krell machine made their hidden frustrations, anger, jealousy, passion ACTUAL.

Once actual it went on a killing spree.

RELIGION, I posit, is the expression of our ID projected outward and made "actual" in the form of a person: God or Devil.

We won't take credit for it, we cannot face it is from ourselves; so, we do the next best thing and pretend we are controlled from the "outside" by the power of these "real" personalities.

I

14

Letters to the WatchTower Editor???

by Funchback in

did any of you ever write a letter to the wts regarding an article, and it got published in the back of the awake!

mostly, they only print letters that are in full agreement with their articles.

' from enland?

Terry

My wife, J.W., wrote the famous letter asking if it was okay for a Christian married couple to engage in oral sex. It was printed in Questions from Readers.

I wasn't informed she was writing it and when it caused such an enormous backlash I wished I had never been born.

54

If You Could Change Your Screen Name What Would You Be Known As?

by minimus in

jw
friends

recently, deleted changed his name to glenmore for various reasons.

if you could make a name change---what would it be?

?

Terry

The "cure" is NEMESIS

This is that ancient doctrine of nemesis who keeps watch in the universe, and lets no offense go unchastised. --Emerson.

15

Terry composed a tune called "Disfellowshipped"

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

terry composed a tune called "disfellowshipped".

this guy is really good!.

http://www.freeminds.org/stories/disfellowshipped.mp3.

Terry

Now you're giving me chills!

Thank you.

I've uploaded my album to Randy. He's putting it on his website.

I call the album Paradise Lost all written out of the "Jehovah" experience!

15

Terry composed a tune called "Disfellowshipped"

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

terry composed a tune called "disfellowshipped".

this guy is really good!.

http://www.freeminds.org/stories/disfellowshipped.mp3.

Terry

Amazing!

90% of people who hear a minor-key melody call it sad and depressing. I always think minor keys are beautiful too! But, I'm slavic and we have a darkness of the soul.

Thank you,

Terry

14

Did you Suffer for Service?

by Mysterious in

jw
friends

didnt you love being dragged door to door as a kid in the wind and snow, sub zero temperature wearing a skirt and you were told to smile and inform the householder you wanted to be there?

(dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn on one of the few days you should have off from school) .

and then there is that wonderful service car.

Terry

When I first got out of prison (neutrality vs draft) in 1969 the Congregation Overseer, Brother Beard, immediately greeted me at the Kingdom Hall with an application to PIONEER in his hand!

This was within seconds of seeing me for the first time in two years! I later discovered he wanted somebody to partner up with his son whom he'd forced to Pioneer by himself.

His son, Gary, was a florid, passive, timid girly-man (Yo, Arnold!) who couldn't hold a conversation on any subject at all. We spent alot of time together out in service with just the sound of the wind blowing by. He gave monosyllabic answers to open ended questions.

At the door Gary would have his sermon on a 3X5 card and he'd READ IT to the householder! Yipes.

I never minded the door to door work. The occasional live-wire would make it all worth while. I must have lived for the moments I could actually engage in some semblance of conversation. Mostly, it was a drudge because people don't respond at the door. They often try to be polite, but they are embaressed and "on the spot" in such an unnatural situation.

I always thought of the dork-to-door work as trick-or-treating without the costume.

3

All Hail Christ the Overlord!

by XQsThaiPoes in

*** w50 6/1 p. 173 a completely new world for this globe ***.

under theocratic rule directed by the invisible "heavens" with christ jesus the king and overlord, all will be happiness, peace and blessedness on earth.

sickness and disease and want and fear will be unknown, the worship of jehovah will be pure and free, in spirit and in truth, and man and the lower animals will be at peace.

Terry

That's one Lord I'm over for good.

54

If You Could Change Your Screen Name What Would You Be Known As?

by minimus in

jw
friends

recently, deleted changed his name to glenmore for various reasons.

if you could make a name change---what would it be?

?

Terry

ONESIMUS : Oh ness e muss

Onesimus was a runaway slave who informed the Puritan minister Cotton Mather that innoculation against small pox could prevent the disease. This was at a time when religious groups in the United States opposed innoculation as "unnatural". Cotton Mather believed Onesimus and he proceeded to administer the treatment.

I think of myself as a runaway slave trying to warn others how to prevent the spread of contagion.

The Watchtower is the disease.

Does anybody want to guess what the cure is?