Gossip isn't so rare. Enforced shunning, even by family members, plus denial of sound medical treatment, is.
Bodhisattva
JoinedPosts by Bodhisattva
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8
Just a thought
by chezza inhas anyone given any thought to the fact that jw's are supposed to be a loving organization and yet they are probably the biggest gossipers around, time and time again there were talks given on not gossiping and how the tongue such a little member can cause huge bush fires, i personally know of many that were stumbled away because of gossip that was untrue, any thoughts on this guys.
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good tv shows?
by gotcha inhello just wanted to ask what tv shows do u guys watch?
we have limited choices over here but now i know where to get tv rips (evil me)..anyways..what are good to consider?
some shows i'm into are sex and the city, friends, and felicity that's about it..southpark too but dont get to watch now..ahh yah i watched survivor too and fear factor when i get to catch it..
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Bodhisattva
What I usually watch:
Andromeda
Angel
Boston Public
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Enterprise
Friends
Futurama
Law & Order Orig./SVU/CI
Simpsons
Six Feet Under
Sopranos
West WingDang, need to go do homework.
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42
Are JW unik ?
by happy man inis it any more religions on earth who have over 6 million members, and who not are taking a part inn war, and not take part inn politics .
, some say we have more , but i dont find anyone who is inn almost evry country on this earth, it can not be easy to lead this peopel, some here complain very much, but if you will lead 6 millions you will se it is not easy.. if i compere widh other organisations who i now, the problem are minimal.
we can see a clear thing today, evrything is breaking upp, .
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Bodhisattva
If a religion produces good people, or attracts good people and makes them even better, shouldn't those be the very people who are in the best position to serve their fellow man by
- Choosing public servants with their votes
- Being public servants
- Determining when the unfortunate choice of making war is the right choice; participating in the public debate and in the defense of their fellow man
- Demonstrating by their love of those who fall short the same thing Jesus demonstrated, that every little Bible law is not important, only love of God and one's fellow man (neighbor)
- Helping the poor through charities and personal effort
- Giving blood to save lives, even of ignorant people who won't give blood but need a great deal for their "allowed fractions" to be oproduced
- Not worrying about numbers all the time, only to fudge them when they go southWhat do you think of Jesus' statement, "the poor will always be with you"?
1) No sense ever helping the poor except through Bible Study to become Jehovah's Witnesses, at which time helping them is clearly first their family's responsibility, then that of the state, um no sister I don't know anything about those forms, why don't you go downtown and wait in line and ask that question to the social services people, but don't miss field service!
2) At that point in time Jesus was saying that it was appropriate to use the oil for him, but that helping the poor is something that should be done ordinarily - any time you're not anointing the Messiah, really - just as the disciples had often used contributions to help the poor in the past, and as most Christian groups do today, rather than plowing all contributions into new real estate and publications that have the most impact in the number of trees killed.
Bodhisattva
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Are there two 2002 School Schedules?
by WTLies inthe watchtower calender and the theocratic schedule that came in the oct. 2001 kingdom ministry say the week of march 4 the bible reading is isa 32 to 37 but my pioneer wife says it's 2 chroncles 6 to 9. was there a change in the schedule since the printing in oct. 2001?.
william, .
former member of a non-prophet.
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Bodhisattva
For the last few years the TMS schedule has had two scripture ranges. One is the chapters considered in the Bible Highlights, and from which the Bible Reading is taken. The other is a guide to completing reading the Bible in four years, IIRC.
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Why no monkey stories?(evolution)
by sleepy in(the title is hyperbole bt the way as is the use of ape, i just didn't know the name of the creature that is supposed to have developed speech)).
something is puzzling me about the history of humankind and the stories that have been passed down through generations as fact.
the various histories of how man came to be.. which leads me to the question,.
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Bodhisattva
It would be interesting to think that the concept in many cultures that they alone are "human" and all other ethnic groups are "others" developed at a time when this was factually true. It is more interesting to note that none of man's recent antecendents - all homo before sapiens - are extinct today, while in the ape line, which had a common ancestor with the human line, there are connecting links. We apparently killed our ancestors' other offpring as enemies, but probably too far back to survive as any particular myth.
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Did The Generation Change Silence Apostates?
by Englishman inhere is a paragraph from the1997 august 1st.watchtower re the generation change:.
"recently, 'the faithful and discreet slave' has helped us to refine our understanding of the term 'generation' used at matthew 24:34 and of the timing of the judgment of 'the sheep' and 'the goats' mentioned at matthew 25:31-46, as well as of our view toward certain types of civilian service.
no doubt some apostates would have been delighted if many of jehovah's witnesses had stuck rigidly to the previous understanding of such subjects and refused to progress.
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Bodhisattva
Eman -
I seem to remember having the same reaction to this when it came out as I do now. It is meant to convey the thought, 'if you haven't accepted this change yet, then the terrorists win.'
Nothing terrorizes the rank and file more than the concept of apostates. While real apostates are sweet and cuddly, the apostates that the Society creates in the minds of Witnesses in recent years are fire-breathing demon-possessed maniacal lunatics.
To some 'apostates,' whether "this generation" means within one lifetime or sometime real soon is about as important as whether the fairies in your garden are wearing blue or green stockings. It is a debate about something completely artificial.
As you suggest, however, the change is beneficial to real 'apostates.' It is an in for criticizing the Society's ever-changing new light, a prime example that is hard to deny ever happened. And in fact it caused many of us here either to start questioning, or to justify our questioning, even if it was not the final cause of our leaving.
Bodhisattva
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24
What did you give up that you wish you hadn't?
by VioletAnai inwhen i started studying again, i got the guilts and threw out lots of stuff.
over 200 cd's - goth, punk, industrial, rock, pop, classical, you name it, i threw it.
i got rid of my witchcraft books, astrology books, crystal ball, tarot cards, even my damn nintendo.
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Bodhisattva
College, in a word. College for free and while I was still 18, in nine words. Now a few more:
Remember the story of the Christians caught in a flood who refused rescue because "The Lord will provide," drowned, find out at the Pearly Gates that the Lord's provision was the attempted rescues?
Something like that with me and college. I graduated high school before the 1992 new light on wishy-washy approval of college maybe if you're gonna pioneer with your degree. Bad association, they said. They said it at meetings, especially at conventions, and in the literature. College is a waste, results in bad association, time is short, faith will be destroyed, and so on. The implication was always that you were weak, would bend to any pressure, would slip into debauchary in an instant. Meanwhile my Catholic friend in 6 years never touched a drop of alcohol (her personal conviction) and otherwise remained a "good Catholic."
Freshman year: Homeroom teacher tells me I should go to college, am being brainwashed. My retort? "You're brainwashed against Jehovah's Witnesses." My father's benefits includes free tuition for one person at the college where he works, but I am determined not to go even though I could live at home.
Sophomore year: I attend vocational training half the day, mostly college-prep level courses the other half. Sucks ass. I need a challenge, and am frustrated by a mid-level course at the real school, must less dealing with the neanderthals at the vocational high school.
Junior year: Our team, including myself and some seniors, does better than my school ever has at the county "Scholar's Bowl," a Jeopardy-like academic knowledge competition. At the end of the year, I am invited to the senior awards evening, where I get a prize from Cornell (a signed edition of a Carl Sagan book, which I later donated to the library). Naturally I am encouraged to go for some of the same scholarships awarded that night so that I'll win something more substantial in my own senior year; naturally I never apply. Oversleep PSAT's, don't worry 'cause I wouldn't want to win one of the scholarships.
Senior year: Editor of student newspaper, system operator and founder of school BBS (pre-Internet dial-in bulletin board system). SAT score 1440 (trust me, this is rather good). We win the "Scholar's Bowl," and the teacher who coaches it tells me that if I want, one of the two one-year scholarships to the local community college (again, living at home) is mine for the asking. I decline. Graduate in top 10 of a class of nearly 1000.
Post graduation: Get a series of crappy retail jobs at 1.2x to 1.8x minimum wage for eight years, hate it immensely. Service time? I'm sure not pioneering, but do get some decent time in because of weekdays off (never got more than four full weekends off, counting vacations, per year); since retail involves working weekends, elders who only get out on Saturdays are not impressed. Shortly after graduation they refuse recommendation to Bethel because I had just moved to the congregation from one where, a year before, my newly-graduated friend had become an MS, who went to Bethel a few months later. Thanks, Mom. (Well, now, really). Didn't hear back from Ministerial Training School. Finally made MS at 22, finally moved into own place at 24. Continued to sink into debt.
Today: Remember my tee-totally Catholic friend? I should have shunned her as bad association (solely because she was not a Witness), but kept in touch instead. She got me an interview at her first employer. Stayed 3 1/2 years with steady pay increases and even stock options, although they are kind of soaked ("under water")for now. Began night school; very tiring with meetings and service. Just over a year ago moved to another company working for a fellow who I had worked with at the first company. "Engineer" title, continuing night school, stopped going to meetings when I started here. Grand plan is to stay another 1 - 1.5 years to build up resume, get better pay still, hope it makes life easier. Still in debt, but can see being free of it on the horizon.
Still far from the degree, which not only gets one in the door without having to know someone, but also confirms you have a boatload of knowledge on how the world actually works, including stuff that you don't learn in the school of hard knocks because it has so few classrooms. Can see that on the horizon too, but I regret - a word I was criticized for using until I showed a scripture where God "regretted" - I regret not going to school while I was fresh out of college and wasn't working 40 hours per week. I regret not building up my socialization post high-school with people of different backgrounds who wanted to be where they were, rather than among the working stiffs and evil management dweebs of retail. I regret not taking advantage of a free ride for all four+ years, a free ride for one year, or untold scholarships.
Bite me, Watchtower. Bite me, Governing Body. You had a member with a biology degree - Lloyd Barry - who allowed all that tripe to get into the Creation book. You have a member, Dan Sydlik, who made a statement that any idiot could swing a hammer (my vocational training was in carpentry), but Bethel needs folks with skills. You didn't allow me to cultivate my skills, which means I didn't use them in your service, and I didn't get the benefit of them for a long time. I could have been a dot.com millionaire, cashed in when I felt I could live comfortably and pursue my goals, and given you a chuck of change. I would have used my degree to support a pioneer wife in your service. I would have gone to foreign lands and helped you build up your membership in new fields. Instead I worked in demeaning jobs, only to come back to needing to go to college anyway to support just myself, and all the debt from not making enough to live on, even though you insisted I would. Bite me bite me bite me.
Bodhisattva
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Move the Al Quaida prisoners!
by Norm inmany are concerned with the conditions of the prisoner held in cuba.
it appears that their conditions are far better then what happens to refugees in australia.. it is quite shocking to read what goes on in australia regarding their treatment of refugees.isnt it wonderful how these lovely and caring australian nation are so happy to keep women and children in concentration camps out in the desert for years?
how great it is to know that we have australia among the international federation of civilized nations, where human rights and particularly childrens right are of major concern, particularly if these children are non australian.. norm
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Bodhisattva
One thing I never see addressed in any articles that deal with the situation of refugees in Australia, the U.K., or America, is what are their options. There is one question I would like to see answered: Are they free to return to where they came from?
If so, they are not prisoners, and providing housing and food for them while considering their asylum requests is better than just turning them away. That said, the governments should provide conditions that are humane and safe, even if the lack of safety comes from their fellow migrants.
If not, they should be free to return home. Most likely they are, and the fact that they put up with the reported conditions rather than do so speaks volumes about the conditions they left.
Edited to replace "sage" with "safe," 'cause we don't need to supply them with wise men.
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Apostate Literature
by YoYoMama inis it possible after researching the net on jw beliefs, background and reading apostate information that a jw would still research the bible and find watchtower teachings as truth?
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Bodhisattva
Of course it is. It's even possible for a whole nation to be so completely stupid they elect an asshole like Bush as president!
Remains to be seen. We may re-elect President Gore, instead.
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How many hours are falsely reported?
by badboy inin the january 1 issue of each year, they harp on about how many hours the jws did last year etc etc.. how many hours are possibly falsely reported?.
discuss,please
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Bodhisattva
The point is, if no one is below average, the average will continually increase until it is equal to the highest performer. It is a moving target.
Yes, this is the point I was making too. I misread Cello's post as if it asserted that the average would not increase, which clearly it does not indicate (thus my need for coffee, although I should only have decaf). Cello said ''If you set the average as some kind of standard, you are eternally fleecing the flock.'' The Society is of course aware of this, thus my comment
But what breaks the system down is that no one can be allowed to think they are doing enough to earn their salvation. So folks are not complimented on improving their hours, but are told that they are not up to the new average, and are goaded to get 12 hours.
One quibble, I only used 10 publishers. First I stated that they averaged 10.0 hours, then I broke them down into the nine, eight-hour pubs and the one, 28-hour pub. You misread ''10 publishers average 10.0 hours'' as if it were '10 publishers each get 10.0 hours.' Your turn for coffee.