Posts by DannyBloem

54

I'm telling lies from the stage

by DannyBloem in

i recently gave a public talk, and i really felt bad about it.. it was the public talk about the great flood of noahs days.

the is so much evidence that this great deluge never happened, but that is something you can't tell the audience from the stage.

(i will tell about that evidence if people are interested, but it is a bit off-topic now).

DannyBloem

Hello Zen and IP_SEC,

that is what I mean. Both things would be telling lies for me.

10

encoding wtlibrary

by DannyBloem in

is there somebody who knows how to read the data from the watchtower library cd's?

i have encoded the data from the cd's of older age (watchtower library cd until 1999), but the newer use a different code.

anyone any idea?.

DannyBloem

Thank you for the suggestion 'IT SUPPORT'

Anyway I tries to look at the DLL's with the dependency walker of Visual studio.
There are a lot of problems because teh definition files are of course not there. The name mangling of the DLLs shows that there are class based (C++). This means that it is not just calling a single function. It is making the right object, initializing it, etc.
This all must be done without knowning the parameters which you have to give.

So in short, just looking at the DLLs seems not to solve the problem.
You said somebody did just that. Can he give me some sample code (or better, sample project?) Give me some more details on which fuctions to call, and with which aparameters.

Thanks Danny

54

I'm telling lies from the stage

by DannyBloem in

i recently gave a public talk, and i really felt bad about it.. it was the public talk about the great flood of noahs days.

the is so much evidence that this great deluge never happened, but that is something you can't tell the audience from the stage.

(i will tell about that evidence if people are interested, but it is a bit off-topic now).

DannyBloem

Hi, there where a lot of reactions to my post, and some very useful. By the way I guess on this board there are not many witnesses around (mostly ex-) I guess. I would like to hear from those inside too, but ….
I want to give some more details and replies to some of the reaction and suggestions.
It is good to here that I am not alone in this situation, and appreciate that you shared your personal experiences with me.

First of all, there are no kids involved in this situation. That makes things a bit easier, because lying to my own kids and influencing them in this way would be something unforgivable for me. Then the decision would be made much earlier I guess, and more suddenly.

Second, my current congregation is quite liberal and I manage to start and encourage some ways of freethinking in my talks and comments by asking provocative questions etc. Even if most are within the designed framework, as you understand what I mean. It is actually quite surprising how far you can go without people or other elders saying something.

Then third some people suggested that I do not have a life within the organization. I do not agree with this that much. I had a good education even growing up in the ‘truth’ (excuse me for still using the JW vocabulary). I studied at a university and have a degree in some sciences. Second, I have a job that pays very well and gives me satisfaction too. (I never told them on my work I am a JW). I do the sports what I like (I even play in some competitions, which should not be okay, but other elders are okay with it). For other things you can get away with a lot of things if you just don’t tell it to the wrong people. Be selective. And yes just showing up and doing something else for the field service is also easy. (Nice suggestion Blondie, I already practiced this a lot).
So when people say, get out and get a life, there is not much that I would like to change actually.

Anyway, when I say that I still think that the JW”s are one of the best religions, I do not mean that I think anything they say or teach is true. The opposite actually. I do not think that they are very harmful. In the time I did see people change for the better. The most things that they teach are actually good. (Respect, peace, love you neighbors etc). The only thing is, I am quite sure there is no God. (The discussion to this is off topic now I think).
I still think that the organization is not a bad organization. I do not mean that I agree or believe anything they say. The thing about blood is a bit questionable at least, but most religions have some things like that and mostly worse. It did maybe cost some lives but that is their explanation and everybody making its own decision finally. Anyway a lot of lives are saved on the other hand in the no smoking policy.
The society tries to keep things together on the only way that is possible, by limiting own thoughts. I would not work any other way I guess, if you want unity. I think that most in the society (the top) are sincere and that they are thinking they do the right things. They probably know they are not honest in everything for that, but there are biblical examples enough for this. They probably themselves thing that they are used by God. There is not a big financial scandal as far as I can see either.
The thing with the U.N. is something small for me, and something I actually do not understand so much. Why did they do it in the first place, what they wanted to gain? It was a bit stupid that is all I guess. Nothing criminal or so.
Then of course there is some (not extreme) indoctrination and brain washing. But that is done everywhere. Look for example at the American government. The ‘we are Americans, and we are good’ doctrine is washing in all American brains every day. Everyone and everything is influencing you or trying to influence you. So yes of course the society is doing the same.
So the only thing is, and that is for almost all religion, that they slow down the progress of the human race, limit the freedom of thoughts etc. But most people seem to need somebody to think for them. If it isn’t the society it is somebody else. People seem to need religion and fairy-tales. Without them most can’t be happy. So what is better get that from them?

So then what am I complaining? Just that it would be so nice to speak the truth for once to my friends and family.
Would you get disfellowshipped for telling that you think that there is no God at all? Even after you have faded out already?

Anyway, sorry for all this text, but I more or less made my mind up already before, and most suggestions seem to conform this. Just fade out. Take it easier, quit things one by one. I already busy for some time with this.
It would be nice to go out with a blast, but I know nobody will have profit from it. And I do not know how fair it would be even if I were able to undermine their faith in God. Would it make them happier? Probably not.

Thanks again, I’ll keep posting

54

I'm telling lies from the stage

by DannyBloem in

i recently gave a public talk, and i really felt bad about it.. it was the public talk about the great flood of noahs days.

the is so much evidence that this great deluge never happened, but that is something you can't tell the audience from the stage.

(i will tell about that evidence if people are interested, but it is a bit off-topic now).

DannyBloem

Thanks for some quick reactions.

It is not the case that I really dislike the society, I still think it is the best religious organisation and that there is no better religion.

So for some things that is not a problem.

I know that if I will leave or 'fade out' I will hurt a lot of poeple I love. Including my parents and spouse.

That is not very easy

5

age of people before the flood

by DannyBloem in

here is some question about the ages mentioned in the bible of the people living before the flood.. the age of all the ten persons unto noah is mentioned there when the get there first son, and the number of years that the lived after that.. so many of the numbers mentioned here end with a zero or a five that it started me wondering.

there are also one or two that end with an 8 or 3. no other numbers.

if we make the assumption that this are 8 and 3 are rounded from 2.5 and 7.5 we can say that all numbers are a multiple of 2.5 or 30 months.. when you look at this statistically it is impossible that it is coincidence (with or without the assumption above).

DannyBloem

Here is some question about the ages mentioned in the bible of the people living before the flood.
The age of all the ten persons unto Noah is mentioned there when the get there first son, and the number of years that the lived after that.
So many of the numbers mentioned here end with a zero or a five that it started me wondering. There are also one or two that end with an 8 or 3. No other numbers. If we make the assumption that this are 8 and 3 are rounded from 2.5 and 7.5 we can say that all numbers are a multiple of 2.5 or 30 months.
When you look at this statistically it is impossible that it is coincidence (with or without the assumption above). The chance would be 1 to a billion or so.
I give here the numbers as found in the bible.
1 Adam 130 800
2 Seth 150 807.5
3 Enos 90 815
4 Kenan 70 840
5 Mahalalel 65 830
6 Jered 162.5 800
7 Enoch 65 300
8 Methuselah 187.5 782.5
9 Lamech 182.5 595
10 Noah 500 450
11 Sem 100 500

Since it can't be a coincidence what can be the conclusion? For a lot of people the Genesis account is just all a fable and has little value. But I like to know the JW’s point of view on this.

1) It is all fake. The numbers are made up, that is why there are not random.
2) Before the flood people used another way of measuring time. Since the period of a year did not have that much meaning maybe, the measured more the months and had a period of 30 months in which the measured the time of somebody’s life. Moses or somebody earlier made the conversion to years.
3) The people themselves did not count them that accurately, and they are just not so accurate. (That means also the time of Adam 'birth' isn't accurate)
4) It is just that one in a billion chance and everything is just as it is....

Or somebody have any other thoughts about it?
Let me know,

Jaap van het Plurkendal.

54

I'm telling lies from the stage

by DannyBloem in

i recently gave a public talk, and i really felt bad about it.. it was the public talk about the great flood of noahs days.

the is so much evidence that this great deluge never happened, but that is something you can't tell the audience from the stage.

(i will tell about that evidence if people are interested, but it is a bit off-topic now).

DannyBloem

Hello,

I recently gave a public talk, and I really felt bad about it.
It was the public talk about the great flood of Noah’s days. The is so much evidence that this great deluge never happened, but that is something you can't tell the audience from the stage. (I will tell about that evidence if people are interested, but it is a bit off-topic now)
I felt so bad telling lies from the stage. And of course that is not the first time. Some parts about some arrangements from the society, or lot of other things and doctrines.

But what can I do? Refuse the talk, and all meeting parts, refuse the field service :) ?
Or just tell them the truth from the stage for once and be disfellowshipped with a big bang? (And loose my friends and family)
This is not a very easy decision, but I feel really bad the last couple of years, going in the field service without any believe that you actually helping people. I am happy if they don't listen (what is mostly the case of course)
Anyway outside the 'truth' I do not know a lot of people and would need to give up a lot of friends. And also would make some family members (parents, spouse, etc) really unhappy. Those people are important for me.
Any suggestions?

Jaap van het Plurkendal

11

jezus and time

by DannyBloem in

just some thinking about the sctiptues.. as we know god created jezus.

that must mean that jezus has a beginning or is born.

that must mean that time already existed.. time is a property of the universe.

DannyBloem

First of all, thank you for the comments.

I do not want to say anything about the truth or falseness of the Genesis account. I leave that up to you to decide. I do not think that any of this reasoning proves something in one way or the other. But it can be interesting though.

The last comments explains quite well what I mean. It is full of paradoxes, and very interesting to hear what other people think about this subject.
Time is the fourth dimension of the universe (yes I know about spring theory and multiverse theories, but they do not change much for this paradox). Time is not something we just invented. It is related to the other dimensions and to matter in the universe by physical laws. In that way it is a property of the universe.
If something or someone is not inside the universe there is no time neither any other dimensions for that person. That is why it does not sound strange that God is without beginning and end. It could not be different. For Jesus this is different, so that is why my question or thoughts.

For our friend from Texas I have also something to say: Maybe I was a bit lazy and did not check the spelling, but I think the meaning of my comments was clear (to the others anyway). Not everybody cares that much, and not everybody is an American (yes there are people outside America, who use English only as a second (or third) language. I will try to take a bit more care at spellings issues. But I won't discuss this any further as it is off topic.
About your view on time that it is just a human invention and does not really exist, I was quite surprised. Time is something we can measure. There are a lot of laws concerning the time, think about the laws of relativity of Einstein for example. You could not say that we just invented the earth because it is very convenient to 'walk on'?
About the definition of the universe, I though this is something well defined in scientific terms. It is not everything that exists anywhere. (Or maybe that is the same but it is surely not the scientific definition)
Of course there are some assumptions in my question. I know that assumptions are the mother of all errors. But there always are assumptions. It is a religious discussion board, and religion is all assumptions.
I hope this clears things up a bit for you. By the way, thank you for your comments and remarks they are valued.

10

encoding wtlibrary

by DannyBloem in

is there somebody who knows how to read the data from the watchtower library cd's?

i have encoded the data from the cd's of older age (watchtower library cd until 1999), but the newer use a different code.

anyone any idea?.

DannyBloem

Thank you for your comments. I do not want to make a comparison with the two dataset because I am pretty sure they are not changes. I decoded the older versions just by looking at the data and writing a program that could decode it. It was not very easy but possible. There was some encryption, but simple more to save (a little) space. Like letters that are frequent have a single code.
The newer version is probably more compact and uses maybe Huffman codes.
I like to read the data to be able to use it in my own applications. (Yes I know they are not happy with that maybe)

Thank you also for your offer to send me some data, but I do not need something specific; I need the whole data set.

I will take a look at the DLL's somebody mentioned, but have little hope.

10

encoding wtlibrary

by DannyBloem in

is there somebody who knows how to read the data from the watchtower library cd's?

i have encoded the data from the cd's of older age (watchtower library cd until 1999), but the newer use a different code.

anyone any idea?.

DannyBloem

Hello,

Is there somebody who knows how to read the data from the Watchtower library CD's? I have encoded the data from the cd's of older age (watchtower library cd until 1999), but the newer use a different code. Anyone any idea?
Thanks

11

jezus and time

by DannyBloem in

just some thinking about the sctiptues.. as we know god created jezus.

that must mean that jezus has a beginning or is born.

that must mean that time already existed.. time is a property of the universe.

DannyBloem

Just some thinking about the sctiptues.
As we know God created jezus. That must mean that Jezus has a beginning or is born. That must mean that time already existed.
Time is a property of the universe. Jezus can't be created before time was created. Therefor it is reasonable to comclude that Jezus is part of the universe and did not crate it, maybe only the things or some things inside.
If God is no part of the universe and Jezus is, there is a huge difefrence between them.
Any thoughts on this matter?