another tidbit of information about this generation from the 1/15/2014 study edition under "let your kingdom come - but when?".
they've changed it again.. this generation will not pass away14-16.
what is a third reason for believing that gods kingdom will come soon?.
As I recall this is not new thought. In Crisis of Conscience Ray Franz mentions (I think Schroeder) raising this theory back in the late 70's or eighties as all realised that the "generation" were getting very long in the tooth. It was voted down as pretty well preposterous and that the rank and file wouldn't swallow it.
He said they stubbornly stuck to the old thought and look whats happened.
thoughts?.
For me I was free to meet truly moral people, not in a christian sense but who have thought about their life and their influence on others..
People who liked me for who I was, not because they were forced by the rules of the wts to "like" me.
People who were far more honest in their lifestyles, not feigning an impossible perfection, not hiding and sneeking around or having family connections in high places to save their asses.
People of all cultures who are proud of their culture, not forced into one homogenous group by Western ideals of materialism dressed as religion.
People who truly care for me (and others) despite having differing opinions and in fact encourage debate and challenge.
I could go on for pages.....
last week friday i was delayed in going to work, for which i am glad.
it was an opportunity for me to help my gran one last time.
she thanked me, told me she loved me and that i would be very blessed.
What a beautiful act rubbing grannies feet and telling her it's OK to go. Enjoy that champagne....
rode over to the farmer's market with a couple of neighbors, nice women, seem sensible.
the driver stopped in the middle of a block and stared at the coca-cola truck that was parked there.
she said, "do you see the round tower?
Nice to see that Coca Cola is supporting our Gypsy friends with a portal to another dimension. Things go better with Coke!
i am sure nowhere is perfect but if we want to compare these two countries from different prospectives like racism, job, income/spending, quality of life, standard of living etc.
can you please give me a rough idea by sharing your experiences.. .
by the way, i am considering applying for a masters progrmme in any of the two countries.. .
but drink more and are less aduated
Damn you edited it!
actually, in my experience, i have not found them to be tighter or more generous with money.
i've found them to be about the same with handling money as non-jws, though less likely to invest their money, but unlikely to waste it on cigarettes, pubs/clubs and gambling like many non-jws do.
i certainly don't find them tighter or stingier than normal people though, and slightly more honest.. what are your experiences with jws and money compared to non-jws and money?.
Actually, in my experience, I have not found them to be tighter or more generous with money. I've found them to be about the same with handling money as non-Jws
Which is interesting considering jws proudly state they are followers of christ and his disciples who eschewed material possessions and material aspirations. Actually I recall one (haughty) elder telling me that he chose servants and elders who were "successful" in business as in his opinion were better organisers. At that time, every servant and elder on his team were pulling dodgy business pratices. I mean every (including himself). Yes it was a loveless, judicial congregation.
I look back now after years of experience and study an realise that he had obsessive compulsive disorder. At the dinner table he would get incredibly distressed if the siverware wasn't in the correct order and as far as washing hands... Anyhow I digress.
for people who have a paralyzing fear of dying, to where it seems like it's this horrible, stalking monster, jwism is a powerful sedative.. but really, the idea of living forever, in human form, is nonsense.
living forever isn't about living forever, it's about not dying.. death is natural.
it can be painful, sudden, or both.
Welcome Bruja-del-Sol. Greetings from sunny Australia.
Death, inevitable but not something I look forward too! If I get a terminal illness I will plan my exit. Euthanasia should be a legal option for all.
this new new world translation just puts god's holy word in a whole new new light for me!
just check out this comparison, and add some of your own if you wish!.
numbers 31: 17, 18 old new world translation.
I think the meaning is fairly obvious considering virgin boys were to be slaughtered....
i think wickedness comes from evil people.. there are many people in between the two extremes of, overly good people and overly evil persons.. i do not believe in a devil.. i think he is a concept dreampt up by evil ones to blame bad behavior, as a red herring, on anyone but themselves.. the watchtower makes up attrocious lies, brow beats good people not to better themselves,.
all the while, they are building their own empire.. they say, do not isiolate yourself.
it is not good for you.. but if you don't agree with them and their current teachings, you will be shunned, disfellowshipped.. that can and does, have earth shattering results.. so many things, i was taught as a born in, are now considered apostate teachings.
Following on from Coco's comment, "wickedness" is in the eye of the beholder e.g. female cicumcision is considered wicked in the West (generally) but in some Islamic countries it is wicked NOT to be circumcised. Weeding out superstition is a great start. Basically though, we are our own gods. We have the ability to perform acts with positive or negative outcomes. When humans finally realise that we don't need spiritual mothers and fathers, gods and goddesses and that we ultimately are responsible for how our lives and in fact the planet turn out.
this thread was inspired because of 3rdgn, and her asking, on behalf of her destitute elderly widowed mom,.
for the return of her mother's "conditional loan" to the society of $20,000.00.. (this was stated today, under my thread of, "what was the effect on you of knowing hypocritical jw's?").
the society more or less yes, no, it is now our money, and you can't have it back.
I have to be careful as this is still fresh out of the courts but a jw I knew started a coffee shop (and deliveries) which became very successful. She moved in with an elder and his wife and she eventually offered them a partnership (yes she is very generous). Later after moving in to her own apartment her accountant contacted telling her that the business couldn't pay its bills and yes on enquiry the elder and his wife had been charging the business for their expensive lifestyle, including cars etc! When confronted they hit the roof, so she just worked harder and the business died and she lost all including her apartment. Finally she broke, left the jws, got legal advice and took them to court. Suffice to say, the lawyers won but no resolution. It was made clear in the court that they had embezelled the business but he is still an elder. Allegedly this couple are disliked in the cong and most are aware of their behaviour (this isn't the first time shady business deals have gone down). She's broken...
