Posts by barry

25

Higher Education: Is The Issue Really That Important?

by Warlock in

the catholics think they have the true religion, but they don't discourage higher education.. the protestants think they have the true religion, but they don't discourage higher education.. the j.w.

's think they have the true religion, but yet they do discourage higher education.. why?

do they really think there would be a mass exodus from the org.

barry

In SDA church higher education is promoted to the extent that in the US a college education amoungst SDAs is twice the national average.

I would have to dissagree with most of you about how the WT society fears higher education. They should rightly fear there members being educated although with larger incomes they would certainly get more donations.

The SDAs have had all sorts of problems with the creation -evolution debate and there young earth theorys with scientists going against there teaching even at there own institutions and has resulted in church meetings at general conference level over the last three years. Needless to say I dont beleive anything will come of such meetings .

One Scientist made a statement during these meetings that while the universe started about 15 billion years ago God has only been a theologin for 6 thousand years. he got the biggest laught that particular day .

26

Once saved always saved?

by greendawn in

at one extreme are people like the jws that we criticise for relying too much on works for their salvation and so they have to live through a lot of anxiety day after day out of fear of failing.

at the other extreme are those that say "i am saved by faith alone, once saved always saved, that's why jesus died for us" and seem to ignore completely the good works factor.

obviously the right balance is somewhere between the two but we need more sophisticated thinking to grasp it than just: i need works to be saved or i need only faith to be saved.

barry

The truth is qcmbr none of those works will save you because even if we do all those works and are perfect until christ comes what about our imperfect lives up until now Also we were born in sin and are sinful. It is our very nature.

The confusion is we are talking about two different things here one being Justification which is 100% and is the free gift of Salvation the other is Santification which is the growing up of the christian into maturity and is never 100% until christ comes when the faithful are glorified and there sanctification = there justification.

Those that would say a person must be perfect for salvation usually say if pressed on the issue 'Well God wouldnt expect us to do something we are not capable of' Isnt that a bit like lowering the high jump bar for the Olympics when God expects perfect obediance? The truth is we are perfect in our representitive because his righeousness is imputed to us though we may fail and we do fail 1000 times a day.

4

How to make $360 in three minutes

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

today i needed to update some payment information for my cable service.

after taking care of that with a billing rep i asked her to transfer me to the sales department.

when i got the sales rep i simply asked her if i might qualify for any promotional discounts right now... and she immediately said yes!

barry

Gday Mate, You didnt make 360 in 3 minutes you only saved it. Just like my wife when she goes to the sales she doesnt make anything because she actually spends money.

32

Dinner with moderate Muslims

by peacefulpete in

my wife has a classmate that recently married a pakistani man.

he's here only on a student visa and is faced with returning to pakistan as soon as he graduates.

he has an application for greencard pending but the wheels turn slow.

barry

I had a mate who said he was an extremest muslim at one time. One night we were all together at a club we used to attend on a regular basis. He came up with the idear the world would be a better place if the rubbish was gotten rid of in the world. The way he proposed this would happen is that Islamic nations should get nucleur weopons and tyears and haveing been taken as a immigrant for a better life here could say such rubbish. I went home and couldnt sleep the rest of the night. Barrry

23

do other religions shun?

by aoxo in

jw
friends

i was wondering if other religions like catholics or baptists shun ex members like the jw's are supposed to shun their ex members.

barry

The change came in the 50s when Barnhouse and Martin studied Adventism two books were printed one by the General conference called 'questions on doctrine' and the other by Barnhouse and martin called 'The truth about seventh day adventists' . These books were sold to Adventists and in christian book stores. These discussions brought evangelicals and evangelical adventists closer and with greater understanding.

one factor that brought confusion was that Adventists have a range of beleifs from Arianism to the Trinity which exists even now and the evangelicals were unsure of what the offical position was because they presented papers with the church logo which presented both views. SDAs also have differing views on the gospel the coservatives teaching a works based salvation similar to the catholic church while the rest teach the protestant gospel of righteousness by faith.

23

do other religions shun?

by aoxo in

jw
friends

i was wondering if other religions like catholics or baptists shun ex members like the jw's are supposed to shun their ex members.

barry

Gday JWs

Just thought i might put you on the straight and narrow.

Im a third generation Adventist and to my knowledge Adventists have never shunned but in the year 2000 It was decided at the general conference held that year that Adventists would no longer excommunicate members because it was thought the excommunication of members may be hurtfull even though excommunicated members have never been shunned.

The most prominate apostate in the SDAs in recent years DR Desmond Ford was never shunned even though he was sacked from his job. In fact soon after his sacking he held meetings in Canberra were the minister of the church I attended went to his meetings where we found many of the people attending were church employees ministers and administrators.

The SDAs have only used excommunication rarely before 2000 and now a member can only be asked to leave.

146

Extra training ... so you know that shooting babies is WRONG ?!?

by Simon in

how dumb and pathetic.. no extra training should be necessary for even slightly trained and disciplined soldiers.

i guess it is for some of the rabble that the us call "troops" though.. of course the real problem is not just those on the ground that have committed the latest attrocity.

it is the chain of command that tried to cover it up and all the way up to the president who sanctions bombing of civilian targets with nothing more than rumour for "intelligence".. from now on america, you are on your own.

barry

No I dont beleive 3000 inocent people deserve to die on 9/11 and Im not even a yank

146

Extra training ... so you know that shooting babies is WRONG ?!?

by Simon in

how dumb and pathetic.. no extra training should be necessary for even slightly trained and disciplined soldiers.

i guess it is for some of the rabble that the us call "troops" though.. of course the real problem is not just those on the ground that have committed the latest attrocity.

it is the chain of command that tried to cover it up and all the way up to the president who sanctions bombing of civilian targets with nothing more than rumour for "intelligence".. from now on america, you are on your own.

barry

I wouldnt worry too much about Simons opinions my first wife was a communist sympathiser and sounded just like Simon. We dont have many communists here in australia and there party has never been banned but was disbanded years ago for lack of support. Us Australians have allways supported the US because we beleive the US is leader of the free world and has the same ideals we also respect.

We have allways supported the US in conflict including Vietnam and now in Irak and Her Majestys forces will continue their support from Australia.

Just got the news about the incident in march in Irak. The soldiers have been cleared.

26

Once saved always saved?

by greendawn in

at one extreme are people like the jws that we criticise for relying too much on works for their salvation and so they have to live through a lot of anxiety day after day out of fear of failing.

at the other extreme are those that say "i am saved by faith alone, once saved always saved, that's why jesus died for us" and seem to ignore completely the good works factor.

obviously the right balance is somewhere between the two but we need more sophisticated thinking to grasp it than just: i need works to be saved or i need only faith to be saved.

barry

I heard a story once about the San Francisco bridge and how many people were falling to there death while working on the bridge. Once a safety net was in place to prevent the high loss of life production increased dramatically.

That is a bit like salvation the safety net provides us with a more conducive atmosphere to do good works The threat of punishment at every turn works to some degree but does it teach us to be more christlike ? i would say it would only out of fear.

What christ did on the cross has saved us we only have to beleive it and thats 100% conplete. The good works and the perfection of our character is only complete when christ comes and is never 100% conplete [I havent seen many perfect people walking around lately]. The bible says in many ways we all offend.

23

I've having a hard time dealing with the present time in my life

by Undecided in

jw
friends

i don't have any problems that i am dealing with but i can't seem to enjoy the present.

everywhere i go i recall the past life with my family when i was young and they were alive.

i remember the houses we called on when i was a jw with my dad and mother, cousins etc.

barry

Gday undecided,

I fly RC too i just got a 33% ultimate and a 80cc 3w motor for it so in th enext month or so should have it flying . One of those may lift youre spirits.