Caliban

Joined

• started 4 topics
• posted 27 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Caliban

• 
  47

  What's Sacred, what's not?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's put forth a question here that should provoke some interesting responses.

  please feel free to give your thoughts on the matter inasmuch as that is the purpose of these boards.

  we (jehovah's witnesses) do not accept blood transfusions on the principle that 'blood is sacred'.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  Because when the superstitious tribe of hebrews wrote the bible thousands of years ago they didn't know that blood was made up of other things.
  That's why fractions don't get a mention. It's also why sick people (eg. with epilepsy) would have been labeled 'demon posessed' and there was no provision made for caring for the mentally ill other than by stoning them to death.
  Hmmn...you'd think that if the bible was inspired like it's supposed to be that God would have known these things wouldn't you? Maybe we're just cleverer than he is...
• 
  22

  To wait or not to wait?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  okay, this need not necessarily be controversial but i would like some honest opinions on the matter.

  from time to time (in last sundays wt lesson for example) i read in the magazines or hear brothers say this in their talks.

  (with some variation) arent we grateful that jehovah has waited this long before loosing armageddon on mankind?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  Yes, the longer he waits then the MORE people there will be who have not heard any warning message due to population growth.
  This would make it impossible for the end to ever come unless, like you said, billions of children / babies were to be destroyed without having a chance.
• 
  45

  What is truth?

  by spectromize in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  ah!

  yes, that remark made by pilate after pilate had asked jesus wether he was a king.

  ( john 18:37-38 ).. how would you answer the question according to what we know from the bibles definition, and how the faithful and discreet slave have endeavored to give us spiritual food at the proper time?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  I must agree with Stormy on this one - I think it's pretty clear cut.
  The society has and still does claim to directly speak for Jehovah when they want people to follow them.
  However, when things don't turn out as they expected or they are forced to change their ideas then they claim that they are 'just imperfect men' and didn't have clear light etc... (like it was Jehovah's fault).
  There is no precedence as far as I know in the bible where the people that Jehovah's used got things wrong and this was part of Gods plan.
• 
  24

  Question for this forum???

  by spectromize in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  how many here still believe the organization is ahead of any other religion as far as teaching truth from the bible despite some of the wrong teachings that we perhaps have???.

  i will be the first to answer in saying, i still believe we are ahead of any other religion for the present but it can change.

  only time will tell wether the organization wants to adjust to some of their mistaken chronology and teachings.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  I agree
  The Isrealites were Gods organisation but didn't keep that status for long even though they still claimed it.
  I think that the latest assembly was 'praparatory' for some major change or announcement. I personally think that they will drop the 1914 date. It seems to be beeing mentioned less and less in WatchTowers - even ones discussing Christ's presence and the end of the gentile times.
  Maybe they will drop 607, fit in with everyone elses dating and move 1914 to 1934. There must have been some major assembly that year that they can claim was significant.
• 
  8

  Dinosaur's & fossils records

  by moman in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have been in the "truth" for some yrs., & just can't seem to reconsile the huge fossile record with the society's timetable.

  if each creative day waz 7k yrs., that means the dinosaurs only lived on this earth for a few thousand yrs.= (sixth creative day 7k yrs.

  to noah's flood).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  There are a lot of things to do with the flood that don't make much sense (to me anyway)
  For instance, even a couple of lions would need a huge flock of deer/zebra/gazelle/whatever to feed and would kill one at least every few days. However, it would take them years to mate, mature and grow in number from the 2 or 7 (depending on the verse you read) that were supposed to be in the ark.
  I guess this was why the society printed the rediculous article a few years back claiming that all pre-flood animals were herbivores and had only learned to kill other animals from man. This includied lions, tigers, sharks, birds of pray and other 'killing machines'. They can't explain in this scenario why snakes have poison or cheetahs have to be able to run fast though.
  Also, you can no longer argue against evolution by saying that creatures were 'perfectly designed' for what they do if, in fact, they weren't designed to do these things at all.
  There are also scriptures that describe Jehovah's 'wonderful creation' such as how he made the eagle to soar high & spot it's prey and eat it's blood. If they weren't supposed to do this then wouldn't this make the 'inspired word og God' a lie ?
• 
  22

  What do you like best about the Bible?

  by spectromize in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  just a question trying to find out what most of you like best about learning some things taught in the scriptures and our worship as jw's.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  I always tell people that my favourite scripture is the bit about big fat Eglon being stuck on the loo.

  It's amazing the different reactions you get...
• 
  6

  I still like the old stuff!

  by Frenchy in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i've been reading sf since grade school.

  i love the old masters like heinlein, norton, asimov, wells, clarke.

  i must admit that the little that i have read of the new stuff is mostly incomprehensible to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  Me !
  I love Asimov books (as you can probably tell by my nickname). Also the Dune books - I've just started reading those again.
• 
  28

  Keep doing this until I return

  by Caliban in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if jesus said to keep celebrating the memorial 'until he returned' and he returned in 1914 then why do we still celebrate the memorial?

  isn't he here already!?!.

  can anyone enlighten me?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  I think that it was maybe a mis-interpretation right from the start (do we still follow anything that Russell instigated?) but that now it has become a tradition that can't be dropped because so much is made of it.
  The memorial talk last year in our hall about who partook of the emblems was all facts and figures and 'how many partook last year' etc... without any reference to the bible at all. I think this is an indication that the whole thing has become institutionalised - maybe it will go the same way as 'the generation' one day?
• 
  27

  Challenges Facing us in the New System

  by stevieb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  from time to time some of us may have wondered about the amount of work that we will have to do restoring the post-armageddon world into a paradise.

  think of all that construction and all that clearing up!

  how long is it going to take?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  As long as 'Blind Date' get's canned, that will be good enough for me!
• 
  28

  Keep doing this until I return

  by Caliban in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if jesus said to keep celebrating the memorial 'until he returned' and he returned in 1914 then why do we still celebrate the memorial?

  isn't he here already!?!.

  can anyone enlighten me?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Caliban

  If Jesus said to keep celebrating the memorial 'until he returned' and he returned in 1914 then why do we still celebrate the memorial? Isn't he here already!?!
  Can anyone enlighten me?