Posts by Robert K Stock

i have not see anyone mention this..... but it seems to me that money is the one unifying force the world over, as more and more countries become just different aspects of the corporate world world peace seems more likely than anything religion has ever been able to accomplish... war is bad for business over all which is something you dont hear with regard to drug trafficking.... the more an area is dominated by one drug dealer the more peaceful the neighborhood as he finds violence on his turf to interfer with his money.

Robert K Stock

Zen:

The lack of money is the root of all evil.

Anyone who says that money cannot buy happiness does not know where to shop.

25

Do "born-again christians"believe that the Pope went to heaven or hell?

by booker-t in

jw
friends

i ask this question because i know alot of "born-agains"that do not like roman catholics and feel that they worship mary and will not make it to heaven.

my friend that is a devout catholic has told me many horror stories of christians sending pamphlets to catholic churches telling them that they will burn in hell.

i was igronant of the anti-catholic hatred that is taught in many born-again christian churches.

Robert K Stock

When I lived in Southern Oregon there was a billboard along I-5 from the local Seventh Day Adventist Church saying that the Pope is the Anti-Christ. Many people wanted that billboard taken down but since it was on private property it would stay up.

12

If there is a global catastrophe how will JW structure survive?

by Qcmbr in

jw
friends

i presume the jws believe that the 'times of trouble' will be 7 years or something like that - during that time what provisions have the jw organisation made to stay up and running?

seems to me that if communications fail the local congs will be pretty much stiffed without their weekly magazine study.

does the jw org teach any form of physical preparedness or is it every publisher for themselves?.

Robert K Stock

When I was a Witness I assumed that during the Great Tribulation the Watchtower Society would be shut down by the governments of the world and each Witness would be on their own until Armageddon. That was why making the truth your own was so important. At the end it would be you alone with possibly a few others standing against Satan and his horde.

32

What do you know about philosophy?

by Bas in

what do you know about philosophy and philosophers?

i know many philosphers who were inspired by the bible in their writings, but .

i'm more curious about the "secular" philosophers.

Robert K Stock

Poppers:

You described very well the way Ayn Rand looked at what was real or not. It is not what exists in our minds but how we act that is important.

7

Pardon My Ignorance....

by Englishman in

jw
friends

..but what's the current situation regarding the governing body?.

who's on it, who's the wt president now..in short, what's going on over there?.

englishman.

Robert K Stock

I thought that the Governing Body separated itself from the Watchtower Society. Opening the way for members of the Great Crowd to run the day to day operations and shield themselves from being liable to legal action. That way they can safely vegetate... I mean be completely occupied with overseeing the worldwide preaching work.

I thought I read in the masthead of Watchtower that Max Larson was Preisdent. Is that just the New York branch or the Pennsylvania main office corporation?

32

What do you know about philosophy?

by Bas in

what do you know about philosophy and philosophers?

i know many philosphers who were inspired by the bible in their writings, but .

i'm more curious about the "secular" philosophers.

Robert K Stock

Bas:

I think Ayn Rand was a great mind but was at times a very difficult individual.

Ayn Rand was born Alissa Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1905. She witnessed the Russian Revolution and rise of the Soviets. She went to University in St. Petersburg. She emigrated to the United States in 1926.

Describing Objectivism Rand said, " My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity and reason as his only absolute."

Reality exists independent of human thought. The supernatural does not exist. Morality and ethics are based on self ownership and private property.

Selfishness is a virtue and altruism is a vice. That does not mean a callous disregard for others. If one freely chooses to help others that is fine, but there is no obligation, no duty, to help anyone but yourself.

Ayn Rand died in 1982. Since her death Objectivism has seen the development of three main branches.

1)The Ayn Rand Institute in California can be compared to the Bible Students after Russell's death. No new knowledge was possible because Rand said all there was to say. Objectivism was her philosophy and anything she did not discuss is not Objectivism.

2)The Objectivist Center in Washington DC, looks at Rand as the begining of the discussion and the base from which to build the philosophy and grow in areas that Rand did not discuss. Their desire to not be dogmatic or demand total obedience to Rands every utterance causes the Ayn Rand Institute to think of the Objectivist Center as apostates. I am a member of the Objectivist Center.

3) Sense of Life Objectivists in New Zealand, operates between these two positions.

Each group can easily be found on the web. The Objectivist philosophy can be found in Ayn Rand's novels, Atlas Shrugged, the Fountainhead, Anthem and We the Living.

32

What do you know about philosophy?

by Bas in

what do you know about philosophy and philosophers?

i know many philosphers who were inspired by the bible in their writings, but .

i'm more curious about the "secular" philosophers.

Robert K Stock

Bas:

Ayn Rand developed the philosophy known as Objectivism.

Rand thought that Aristotle was the only philosopher in history comparable to herself.

Ayn Rand was not included in the list of philosophers you posted.

Objectivism is the philosophy I practise.

126

What Was Your Greatest "Privilege" In The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

was it being able to join the theocratic ministry school?

being a regular pioneer?

"handling microphones"?

Robert K Stock

I was a Pioneer for a few years and a Ministerial Servant.

I read the Watchtower quite often and had parts on the Service Meeting.

Once the Elders all had to go to a special meeting and I was scheduled to conduct the Watchtower study. I jokingly said that I would gather a few other Ministerial Servants form a Judicial Committee disfellowship the Elders and take over the congregation. The Elders did not think that was funny so they left one Elder to conduct that Watchtower study.

What I really feel priviledged about was that many in the congregation would approach me with questions because they thought I knew the Bible and the Organization better then the Elders.

The Elders did not like that one bit.