okay, maybe i'm getting old or maybe it's because i have been an exjw for going on 10 years now, but i can't remember what's up with jws and mother's day.
i remember my mother going with another sister to my brother's classroom for some mother's day pageant back in the 60's when we lived in alaska.
there is also a commandment in the bible about "honor your father and your mother.
The origins of Mothers Day can be traced to ancient Greece. Mothers Day was celebrated by the ancient Greeks to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. Ancient Romans honored their great mother of gods, Cybele.
And here I was thinking that I was just honoring my mom. Silly me. I should've known that there was more to it than that. Oh, thank you mighty Watchtower for showing me the error of my ways
Sadie
recently, dr. wolf-ekkehard loennig, a jw working in a leading position at the gene-science-department at the max-planck-institute, has been banned from the institute's website for spreading his view about evolution.
he promotes the so called "intelligents design".
max-planck-institute calles this creationism in disguise.
Just shows how similar science and religion are in some ways. This is what "we" believe, and you must subscribe to all elements of what "we" believe, otherwise you are not one of "us" and will be shunned/ridiculed. He did state that. You're right. Yet I think that the meat of his argument predominently involved, not the methods of religion or science, but the leaders of science and those of religion...who are people. If you took his statement out of context and ignored everything else he had said, then yes...I suppose it would appear that he was arguing religion vs science or what have you. But, hey, we've all played that game before via the WTS and well, we know that you cannot draw any decent conclusion based on one singled-out sentence. Now obviously, as was admitted before, people are resistant to change. The difference, though, is that the scientific method is self-correcting, while religions are self-preserving. The fact that we've gone from Newtonian physics to Relativitty to QM to String theory (all have their place) proves that the scientific method promotes an environmment that is agreeable to change. If it weren't, then we wouldn't even be able to discuss this subject on this here Internet thingy. The fact that we are able to discuss this subject freely on the internet lends no more support to the idea that "scientific method promotes an environment that is agreeable to change", than does the fact that we are able to discuss the subject of the JWs and their doctrine freely via the internet reinforces the argument that they are aggreeable to change. We all know the latter is simply not so. And as I have no idea as to what the "methods" of the scientific community are, I can make no informed comments regarding the accuracy of the statement that it "promotes an environment that is agreeable to change", except to say that the fact that we are able to discuss it on the internet proves nothing and lends absolutely no support to that statement, albeit be it a concrete description or not. Sadie
i was just reading something on a thread that tiggered this question.
have you even been involved in a converstation with a christian fanatic?
i have a few times and have been told a few times that i am going to go to hell because i don't believe in the bible and don't except god/jesus (at least their version) into my heart.. i know that having that fear as a basis for beliefs is a sign of cultish behavior.
That is a tough question. I personally (as in: in my own opinion) believe, based on my own personal experiences, that what determines whether a particular denomination/religion is a "cult" (I've never been a part of anything except Christianity so I can't really form any decent opinion on the operations of other religions) depends on the level of control, which is most commonly fear based (hellfire and brimstone/armageddon - take your pick), and to what degree that fear is driven into it's followers. And this can, not just vary from denomination to denomination, but from congregation to congregation as well.
A good bit of it also depends (once again, IMHO) on the level of respect the followers/congregation has for their authority (the leader(s) or pastor). I have belonged to a church (AOG) that loved it's pastor so much that I wouldn't doubt that they would've jumped in a lake if he would've asked them to. There are many factors involved, IMHO. BUT the domination, however, that is administered within the ranks of the JWs (people spying on people, the tattling, the judicial committee, the inability to voice opposition without reproval) is just not there. I mean, you don't normally (I say normally because I am sure there are some) have other churches (i.e. Baptist, Methodist, Holiness) that force you to do things the way they want you to do them or else you can't be a part of their group.
Anyway, did I mention that this is just my opinion?
recently, dr. wolf-ekkehard loennig, a jw working in a leading position at the gene-science-department at the max-planck-institute, has been banned from the institute's website for spreading his view about evolution.
he promotes the so called "intelligents design".
max-planck-institute calles this creationism in disguise.
Poor Ed ...
I think Ed was comparing people, not science and religion. I didn't see where he actually expressed his opinion (informed or uninformed) of science or religion and which was right or wrong...just the similarities of the leaders (who are people) involved in both. He appeared to me to be focusing on the people, not what the people represent. And no one has to be a scientist, religionist, informed, uninformed, or an expert of any sort to express an observation about the behavior of people.
Sadie
at the last district convention, the book "worship the only true god" was released intended to be used along with the "knowledge" book on home bible studies.
both books are to be studied before baptism.
so, what are the 'new recruits' learning?
My husband and I began studying with witnesses about 5 years ago. It was very informal at first, and basically just us asking them what they really believed and why. We live in the bible belt (down in Georgia - or Georgie, as most locals pronounce it) and no one ever talks to the witnesses around here...and there were several tales circulating regarding what witnesses believe. So, the first year was mostly just separating fact from fiction. We live right beside Franklin County, which is one of the few territories in the US that they haven't covered. There are constantly folks coming in from other congregations to help cover it. My husband and I are probably some of the fortunate few in these parts who've been introduced to "the truth" (lucky us, huh?)
Anyway, back to what I was saying...I went way off subject there. Eventually we began the Knowledge book and then the Worship book. We also covered the trinity brochure and the "what does god require of us" brochure. I never even noticed the things to which you are referring, but then again, I probably wouldn't have. I would now, though. I never even noticed the constant references to the FDS and the inability to understand the bible apart from them, until I had stopped attending the meetings then went back to hear one of my husbands talks. That same night, a brother gave a talk and likened helping charities to running back into a town to save victims when a volcano is erupting. He more or less said they should warn them and run like hell...but do not go back in to try save anyone. Their doom is imminent and you will go down with them!! It completely shocked me. I wondered how long I had been hearing things like that and never even realized it. Anyhow...yeah...they studied both books with us. First the Knowledge and then the worship. We were pretty much putty in their hands by the time we began the worship book....
Sadie
i love my family.
but i've been stressed and depressed because of them.
and i just need to gain some understanding.. being raised in a jw family laid alot of pressure and guilt on me.
Of course NY is a filthy, disgusting place. That's why the WT chose it as it's world HQ. In ancient times I'm sure they would have located in the thriving metroplex of Sodom/Gomorrah. LMAO....too funny... Nickey, Now is the time to break free. You are 22. Do you realize that a lot of people are already finished with college at your age, beginning or already settled into a career, married, have children, etc? You are an adult. You are able to make your own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. You are at an age where you are aware of what the consequences of those choices will be and can make an informed decision, knowing full well what will result from your actions. If you want to go to NY, then go. Just do it. But if you would rather please your family, then don't. But realize the power and responsibility is in your hands. You may not like the fact that if you decide to go, that your family will be angry, but that is beyond your control. That reaction is their choice. Realize what is in your power to control, and what is not. You can choose what you do with your life, you cannot choose how others will react to it. Go..... Have fun in NY!!! Sadie
matthew 24:5 .
5. for many shall come in my name, saying, i am christ; and shall 1deceive many.
that was written 2000 years ago.
Christ: \Christ\, n. [L. Christus, Gr. ?, fr. ? anointed, fr. chri`ein to anoint. See Chrism.] The Anointed; an appellation given to Jesus, the Savior. It is synonymous with the Hebrew Messiah.
| Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
| Source : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary |
Christ: Christ, anointed
| Source : Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary |
Messiah: (Heb. mashiah), in all the thirty-nine instances of its occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the LXX. "Christos." It means anointed. Thus priests (Ex. 28:41; 40:15; Num. 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Sam. 9:16; 16:3; 2 Sam. 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices. The great Messiah is anointed "above his fellows" (Ps.45:7); i.e., he embraces in himself all the three offices.
| Source : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary |
Messiah: Messiah, anointed
| Source : Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary |
So, apparently, "Christ" or "Messiah" can technically be anyone who is anointed...
I found this interesting too...personally, I think this is the "Christ" that we were being warned about :
Messiah: Ghost dance \Ghost dance\ A religious dance of the North American Indians, participated in by both sexes, and looked upon as a rite of invocation the purpose of which is, through trance and vision, to bring the dancer into communion with the unseen world and the spirits of departed friends. The dance is the chief rite of the
Ghost-dance, or
Messiah, religion, which originated about 1890 in the doctrines of the Piute Wovoka, the Indian Messiah, who taught that the time was drawing near when the whole Indian race, the dead with the living, should be reunited to live a life of millennial happiness upon a regenerated earth. The religion inculcates peace, righteousness, and work, and holds that in good time, without warlike intervention, the oppressive white rule will be removed by the higher powers. The religion spread through a majority of the western tribes of the United States, only in the case of the Sioux, owing to local causes, leading to an outbreak.
| Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Sadie
are there any non-christian theists on this board?
i ask because it seems that there are two polarities for the members here: either some form of evangelicalized christian or atheist.
but, has anyone managed to go a different route?
someone who believes in God for non-rational reasons
That would fit me. Over the past year and half I have lost all faith in the bible and have no desire to be involved in any "religion". I consider myself to be Agnostic, however I still believe in the possibility of a god...and have no proof of this possible god's existance and no real reason to believe except that at one point in my life I felt a euphoric connection with some unseen presence. It was almost an indescribable experience. And it didn't happen while I was attending any church or subscribing to any system of beliefs. It just happened. So, perhaps this experience is the reason why I am not so eager to completely trash the idea of "something more". I know there is absolutely no rational reason what-so-ever to believe that there is anything more to my existance than what I see, but I am just not willing to close my mind to the possibilities. Perhaps I am just not ready to strip away all the mystery from life and only accept it in its basest and tangible form.
Sadie
i cannot believe that i am pregnant and finally going to have a baby of my own!!!!!!
yahhhhh for me.
my first born is due on christmas eve.. we are all very excited here..... .
Congratulations!!!!
What an awesome feeling...being the host of a brand new life. I wish you and your husband (and the little bambino) the best... You are in for one wild ride. But it will be so much fun, scary at times but well worth it!!
Great idea about keeping a journal. I wish so badly that I had done this with my children. I did good to keep their baby journals filled out (kinda slacked on that a little too). But it would be a nice thing to look back on and have a record of those memories (the mind sometimes doesn't function too well at retaining all the important details).
Have a very happy , joyous , glorious pregnancy!!!
Sadie
.
just asking because i'm wanting to expand my musical horizons, looking for some new artists to get into.. my all time most-listened-to cd (and we're talking hundreds of listenings):.
thanks for sharing!
I always like "Lady Ice". I'm surprised anyone even remembers Arcadia. I liked the Power Station, too. What can I say...I just loved Duran Duran...so anything they were a part of, I loved.
Sadie
