Posts by Terry

posted

11
RE: NORWAY J-Dubs and the possible hold-out by Anthony Morris III
by Terry in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
january 2021: the norwegian state denies state subsidies to jehovah's witnesses, citing exclusion policies.. august 2021: a norwegian court annuls a disfellowshipping decision by jehovah's witnesses.. may 3, 2022: the supreme court of norway upholds the decision to annul the disfellowshipping.. october 25, 2022: the county governor of oslo and viken demands changes to jehovah's witnesses' practices.. december 22, 2022: jehovah's witnesses' registration as a religious community is revoked.

—---anthony morris iii officially stepped down from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses on february 22, 2023.

march 4, 2024: oslo county court rules in favor of the state, upholding the decision to withhold funding and retract registration.. february 3-14, 2025: the oslo appeal court hears the latest appeal from jehovah's witnesses.
Terry

Re: NORWAYJW’s
January 2021: The Norwegian state denies state subsidies to Jehovah's Witnesses, citing exclusion policies.
August 2021: A Norwegian court annuls a disfellowshipping decision by Jehovah's Witnesses.
May 3, 2022: The Supreme Court of Norway upholds the decision to annul the disfellowshipping.
October 25, 2022: The County Governor of Oslo and Viken demands changes to Jehovah's Witnesses' practices.
December 22, 2022: Jehovah's Witnesses' registration as a religious community is revoked.
—---Anthony Morris III officially stepped down from the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses on February 22, 2023.
March 4, 2024: Oslo County Court rules in favor of the state, upholding the decision to withhold funding and retract registration.
February 3-14, 2025: The Oslo Appeal Court hears the latest appeal from Jehovah's Witnesses. ____________ The now removed video of former Governing Body member Anthony Morris III as he shows his teeth and g-r-r-r-r's at the camera, "WE WILL NEVER ..." and his subsequent vanishing act (but still in 'good graces') as evidenced by the free housing with WatchTower money seems to provide a reasonable picture of the behind-the-scenes struggle to hang on to $$. Is it really a "Scandal" or a "Cover-up"? Hmmmm...It is mostly JUICY, I'd say. What do YOU say?
5
My conversation with a crucified man
by TerryWalstrom in
1. jw
2. friends
(what follows is an excerpt from my new book (available in a month or so:a funny thing happened to me on my way to armageddon)______.

crucified by salvador dalihave you ever met anybody who’s been crucified?

and no--it wasn’t a religious delusion on my part.
Terry

I found a LINK to a story about this today with "further" insights :)
The author says, "Jesus" but that is not the title of the painting.

https://tinyurl.com/muywmkr2
5
THERE'S A KILLER ON THE ROAD (A poem for Jehovah's Witnesses)
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
there’s a killer on the road (a poem for jehovah’s witnesses)sunshine spills across the backyard sunday morning half past sixcoffee on the kitchen counter,(where’s my glasses?

)tick tick ticks that old clock in the shadowscrickets dancing with cicadas painting sounds like drunken *dadas*but - uh oh…here we go…kiss your perfect day goodbye, my friendthe world is broken - it’s the endjehovah whispers warnings and we heardtime is up please sing along these fateful words:………………there’s a killer on the road.

………………the end of days approaching……………….there’s a killer on the road……………….
Terry

HERE IS A SHORT VERSION as a SONG

https://tinyurl.com/mr2u2kxe
121
PRESIDENTIAL predictions...let the prognosticators have their say!
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
my only prowess in making predictions stems from my 77-years of life in the united statesgrowing up under president truman, eisenhower, kennedy, nixon, .....etc.

etc.i was a widdle kid sitting in front of a tiny black and white tv set when the very first broadcastsof political conventions, deal-making, debates (nixon vs kennedy), assassinations (jfk, rfk, martin luther king, etc.

) i grew up with duck and cover under my elementary schooldesk, the cold war, the iron curtain, the korean war, the vietnam war and i went to federal prisonas a jw conscientious objector while hippies, flower children, political activists protested and universitystudents were fired up on by troops.i grew up reading newspapers (2 of them).
Terry

Personally, I'm burnt out on political discord on both sides.
It defies rational thought that ANY person exists who hasn't made up their mind.

I wish I could be freeze dried and thawed out a year from now.

Watchtower has to be vewy vewy careful this next year.
121
PRESIDENTIAL predictions...let the prognosticators have their say!
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
my only prowess in making predictions stems from my 77-years of life in the united statesgrowing up under president truman, eisenhower, kennedy, nixon, .....etc.

etc.i was a widdle kid sitting in front of a tiny black and white tv set when the very first broadcastsof political conventions, deal-making, debates (nixon vs kennedy), assassinations (jfk, rfk, martin luther king, etc.

) i grew up with duck and cover under my elementary schooldesk, the cold war, the iron curtain, the korean war, the vietnam war and i went to federal prisonas a jw conscientious objector while hippies, flower children, political activists protested and universitystudents were fired up on by troops.i grew up reading newspapers (2 of them).
Terry

My only prowess in making predictions stems from my 77-years of life in the United States
growing up under President Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, .....etc. etc.
I was a widdle kid sitting in front of a tiny Black and White TV set when the very first broadcasts
of political Conventions, deal-making, Debates (Nixon vs Kennedy), assassinations
(JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King, etc. etc.) I grew up with DUCK and COVER under my Elementary School
Desk, the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and I went to Federal Prison
as a JW Conscientious objector while Hippies, Flower children, Political Activists protested and University
students were fired up on by troops.
I grew up reading newspapers (2 of them). I always stayed current in my knowledge of World Events.
As a Jehovah's Witness I was subjected to crazy notions, preposterous interpretations, lame-ass predictions,
and I was paroled after 3 years into a kind of PTSD mental struggle with marriage, children, lousy low-paying jobs,
and 1975 expectations that came to...........................................nuthin'

With all that in mind...
Here is MY PREDICTION for the Presidential Election in a few days.
1. "They" will never, ever, ever allow Donald Trump back in the White House.
Comment: "Who is "They"?
Answer: Whomever is really running our government. Take your pick, we all have suspicions and crackpot ideas :)
2. If he isn't assassinated first , the ELECTION PROCESS will become the most CONTESTED happening in the last 200 years.
3. Unstable people full of contempt for their political opponents will make the rest of us cringe with outrageous public statements. Remember how it was when Trump defeated Hillary? All the "Russia" lies, accusations, day and night in all news media, the censorship, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
4. If Kamala wins under "suspicious" circumstances (cheating at the polls, etc.) there will be, of course, a noisy protest - but -
the Republicans aren't as insane as the Liberal Far Left in deeds done without conscience.

This coming year will be PURE HELL either way.

Now, go ahead and make your own predictions. We'll all hide in the fruit cellar and watch.
21
A Fun Topic: BEFORE God
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
yuh gotta start somewhere, right?.

big bang theory is not a theory of the creation of the universe, but rather a model of the history and evolution of the universe from its earliest moments.

it wasn't really until the time of st. augustine that the idea of "out of nothing" entered the discussion.. a reading of genesis doesn't force the "out of nothing" into it at all.. in fact, a kind of chaotic "something" was put into form - or - something out of "something", the way adam is formed from red mud and eve from the rib.
Terry

Who of us remembers the rather laughable explanation Jehovah's Witness writers first gave us
illustrating how Original Sin affected all of Adam and Eve's offspring?

"it's like baking with a pan that has a dent in it. Everything you bake with that pan will have a dent in it. So since Adam and Eve are imperfect and we are their children they can only produce sinful imperfect humans"

This rather astonishingly conflates/confuses a physical imperfection with bad behavior.
Those are entirely different species. Blind parents don't produce blind children, etc.
The word SIN has origin in meaning and use.
Read this:
The concept of “sin” in the New Testament is indeed related to archery. The Greek word hamartia (ἁμαρτία) is often translated as “sin” and literally means "missing the mark"1 2. This term was used in archery to describe an arrow that missed its target, symbolizing falling short of a goal or standard 1 2.
This metaphor highlights the idea that sin is not just about willful wrongdoing but also about failing to meet the ideal or divine standard set by God 1 2.
___________________________________

Let's play with this for a moment, shall we?
I owned a bow and arrows when I was 13. My target: a straw circular target with a yellow center bullseye.
What was my INTENTION (mental focus and goal)?? Of course, hitting the center yellow spot!
What was my BEHAVIOR (physical action producing a result)?? Of course, it was mostly missing!

Therefore, because Adam and Eve sinned, I couldn't hit the bullseye....right??
Balderdash and poppycock!
I practiced long and diligently until I grouped my arrows in the center yellow bullseye. (Sin defeated?)
Um...no.

We can become skilled through practice - but - we can't become non-sinning in our behavior.
SKILL = practice makes perfect
BEHAVIOR = effort toward right-ness often = Sin.

RELIGION becomes (eventually) all about Purity.
I am more PURE than you because I DON'T do X,Y, Z.
That is the opposite of PERFORMATIVE religion which actually helps people (I.e. Charity).
Jehovah's Witness leaders pretend to be at the helm of a CHARITY. Instead, they are
focused on so much PURITY TESTING they just about ran everybody off and now they
must back off.

All the above got way off topic, didn't it? Sorry, but it's my thread, after all :)
21
A Fun Topic: BEFORE God
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
yuh gotta start somewhere, right?.

big bang theory is not a theory of the creation of the universe, but rather a model of the history and evolution of the universe from its earliest moments.

it wasn't really until the time of st. augustine that the idea of "out of nothing" entered the discussion.. a reading of genesis doesn't force the "out of nothing" into it at all.. in fact, a kind of chaotic "something" was put into form - or - something out of "something", the way adam is formed from red mud and eve from the rib.
Terry
It's clear that if man wanted, the world would be a much better place. Hate, greed, selfishness, etc all make it incredibly challenging for a huge part of the world to live in peace. It's easier to blame God for lightening or a shark striking an innocent person.
_______________________________

I can only speak as a man and only from the POV starting in 1947 when I was born moving forward in time.
All the rest is READING what others have said, done, opined, philosophized, pontificated, codified, declared, posited, inculcated and required in religious teachings and in Law. With that large mouthful as my preamble, I now continue :)

The concept of human sinfulness and moral failings was indeed grappled with by thinkers before Augustine. However, Augustine’s formulation of original sin was particularly influential in shaping Western Christian thought.
Before Augustine, early Christian theologians like Irenaeus of Lyons and Tertullian also addressed the nature of human sin and its consequences. For example, Irenaeus spoke about the fall of humanity and the need for divine grace, while Tertullian discussed the inherited nature of sin.
In the broader philosophical and religious context, even before Christianity, various traditions grappled with the nature of human wrongdoing and moral corruption. For instance, in Greek philosophy, Plato and Aristotle explored the nature of virtue and vice, and in Jewish thought, the concept of sin and atonement was central.

Here are the dates for the thinkers mentioned:
- Irenaeus of Lyons: Born around 120/140 AD, died around 200/203 AD 1.
- Tertullian: Born around 155/160 AD, died after 220 AD 2.
- Augustine of Hippo: Born on November 13, 354 AD, died on August 28, 430 AD 3.
- Plato: Born around 428/427 BC, died around 348/347 BC 4.
- Aristotle: Born in 384 BC, died in 322 BC 5.
21
A Fun Topic: BEFORE God
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
yuh gotta start somewhere, right?.

big bang theory is not a theory of the creation of the universe, but rather a model of the history and evolution of the universe from its earliest moments.

it wasn't really until the time of st. augustine that the idea of "out of nothing" entered the discussion.. a reading of genesis doesn't force the "out of nothing" into it at all.. in fact, a kind of chaotic "something" was put into form - or - something out of "something", the way adam is formed from red mud and eve from the rib.
Terry

Just why is there something...out there...instead of nothing?

_________________
Nothing isn't really an alternative to Something IF there is God.
Presumably, God is something (although we are using "thing" in a casual way).

So? So this: once you posit the existence of....well: God, you've cleared the hurdle.
ON THE OTHER HAND... if there were nothing...
the need for such a question vanishes. Why? Because nothing needs no self-justification.

Did I seem to avoid answering the question or did I answer it?

We date the birth of PHILOSOPHY back to ancient Greeks who posited:
Matter is neither created nor destroyed; only changed, mingled, transformed, etc.
MATTER always existed, in other words.

To wit:
The concept of creatio ex nihilo (creation out of nothing) has been a significant theological and philosophical topic. While Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) is indeed one of the prominent figures who articulated this idea, he was not the first to do so.
The doctrine of creation out of nothing was already present in early Christian thought before Augustine. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202 AD) is one of the earliest Christian theologians who argued that God created the world out of nothing 1.
21
A Fun Topic: BEFORE God
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
yuh gotta start somewhere, right?.

big bang theory is not a theory of the creation of the universe, but rather a model of the history and evolution of the universe from its earliest moments.

it wasn't really until the time of st. augustine that the idea of "out of nothing" entered the discussion.. a reading of genesis doesn't force the "out of nothing" into it at all.. in fact, a kind of chaotic "something" was put into form - or - something out of "something", the way adam is formed from red mud and eve from the rib.
Terry

FIRST things FIRST seems a good starting place for any discussion.
The basic metaphysical issue that lies at the root of any system of philosophy is the primacy of existence or the primacy of consciousness.
In other words, if I were dead, would the Universe still exist or is it entirely a creation of MY mind?
Further, IS the Universe merely GOD's mind? Or if God exists, is the Universe simply real apart from brains?
All philosophy and all religion has origin in this PRIME (or first) consideration>

the primacy of consciousness — the notion that the universe has no independent existence, that it is the product of a consciousness (either human or divine or both).
The primacy of existence (of reality) is the axiom that existence exists, i.e., that the universe exists independent of consciousness (of any consciousness), that things are what they are, that they possess a specific nature, an identity.

Now, here is YOUR problem and MY problem; we have to come to terms with this POV for ourselves. Nobody escapes.

Aristotle and Plato differed entirely on this matter and MOST of Christianty during Jesus' era was schooled and influenced by Greek/Roman culture and PLATO (subsequently, by NEO-Platonism).
Now that, my friends, is a fact. (Research it and enjoy!)

Here is where I am:
My persuasion is with Aristotle. Existence does exist whether I'm here or not.
My current hypothesis is this: IF God exists, we then may well be all in His imagination.
I go one step further: His mental preoccupation with "the Universe and mankind" is what keeps Him 'sane.'
And one more item on the list! All the damage done throughout the history of our world "Does Not Count" against God because He is merely an author thinking up a plot in which heroes die and sometimes Bad Guys flourish.

If you can handle that, my opening paragraph is more Salient.

Once you make up your mind which side of the Primacy you stand on, you're ready to crank up the brain and tackle God.
Primacy of Consciousness : "simply believing makes it so."
Primacy of Existence: My toothache and yours may be similar but you don't really feel mine; I DO.

RELIGION is actually a big CHEAT because it BLENDS the two Primacy issues into one sloppy mess.
God will "save" us if we "believe God will save us."
And the rest...is dance music.
21
A Fun Topic: BEFORE God
by Terry in
1. jw
2. friends
yuh gotta start somewhere, right?.

big bang theory is not a theory of the creation of the universe, but rather a model of the history and evolution of the universe from its earliest moments.

it wasn't really until the time of st. augustine that the idea of "out of nothing" entered the discussion.. a reading of genesis doesn't force the "out of nothing" into it at all.. in fact, a kind of chaotic "something" was put into form - or - something out of "something", the way adam is formed from red mud and eve from the rib.
Terry
I asked A.I. how close Jordan Peterson comes to the same conclusions that A.I (above) has offered, and I got this thoughtful reply:

_____
Jordan Peterson, a renowned psychologist and public intellectual, has indeed explored similar themes in his work, although his conclusions may not align exactly with the thesis I proposed. Here are some key points:
Quantum Physics: Peterson has discussed the implications of quantum physics for our understanding of reality 1 2. He has participated in conversations about the problems of quantum mechanics and the role of consciousness 2.
Metaphysics: Peterson uses the ancient transcendentalia of human ideals called truth, beauty, and (moral) justice of the ancients, recalling Plato to explain postmodern cultural pathologies 3. He has also explored the metaphysical adventure of consciousness & the importance of hierarchical perception parsing for salience in achieving our highest potential 4.
Ontology and Epistemology: Peterson’s work often involves deep contemplation on the ontological (the essence of something) and the epistemological (the nature and limits of knowledge)3. He believes that ideas are as profoundly important as the physical world 3.
While Peterson’s work intersects with the themes of quantum physics and metaphysics, his focus tends to be more on the psychological and societal implications of these concepts. He often uses these ideas to explore human behavior, societal structures, and cultural phenomena. So, while there are similarities in the topics we’re discussing, our approaches and conclusions might differ. 😊