People have less understanding of their morals and ethics when these have been dictated to them, such as by a religion, and so are more ready to break their own moral standards. Christianity may provide morals but then gives followers leeway to break them with concepts such as we are sinners that cannot help ourselves, pray for forgiveness or "once saved, always saved." The end result being that there seems little difference between atheists and religious people when it comes to how they act on morals and ethics.
jwfacts
JoinedPosts by jwfacts
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Religion VS Atheism and the decline of ethics and morals
by EndofMysteries inbeing back in college after leaving the borg, one of the required classes for a degree at my college is ethics.
after learning a few things, i am curious where morality and ethics is heading for the future of humanity.
i wish i could find the source again, but several weeks ago i recalled reading a transcript of a very old document that talked about when christianity was being spread in europe, it brought civility and community.
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I loved this. A must read. Warning strong language.
by Defianttruth in.
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http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person/.
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jwfacts
Very direct, but true.
"The human mind is a miracle, and you will never see it spring more beautifully into action than when it is fighting against evidence that it needs to change."
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Anybody catch "New Girl" with Prince
by wearewatchingyouman ini just caught the last few minutes and counted at least three disfellowshipping worthy actions portrayed.
he was alone in his room with a girl.
he practiced magic.
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jwfacts
I have had a huge amount of hits on my site for search terms regarding whether Prince is disfellowshipped? I was wondering why, so maybe it has to do with that clip.
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Do JWs use the Baptizmal formula?
by Hortenzie indo the elders say: "in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit" when they are immersing the one being baptized?.
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jwfacts
The elders don't say it, and neither does the person delivering the talk, when asking questions for the candidates to answer. The question is regarding the organisation, rather than the holy spirit. Very sneaky.
Watchtower - 1985 Jun 1 p.30
"The first question is:
On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
The second is:
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization? Having answered yes to these questions, candidates are in a right heart condition to undergo Christian baptism." -
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Marriage Consummation - emailed question has me stumped
by jwfacts ini received an email from a jw that got married, but the wife never had sex with him.
they were together for a period of years.
he told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done.
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jwfacts
piztjw You suffered terrible injustice. Your experience really sums up the answer to the question, it is not a matter of what the rules are, but whether the elders have it in for you.
For those that doubt the experience, I received it as a completely unsolicited email, from a person wanting to know if they have been properly dealt with according to Watchtower rules. They have nothing to gain from the story, nor asked me to post it, so I see no reason for him to have embellished the details, though he may not have known the real reason they disfellowshipped him.
PaintedToeNail - Abishag Was that on purpose or a faux pas?
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JW history buffs questions for you.
by Crazyguy ini was reading the book 'time at hand' by russell dated 1889 volume 2. in the book russell says that the 'day of the lord',' day of trouble' started in 1873.. i thought he was with boubor on the time of jesus so called start of his heavely kingdom to be 1878, of course after boubor prodicted 1878 as the year for armagedon and it didnt happen so he substituted "his presence" instead.
but this book seems to state other wise??
please advise.. also after russell's perdiction of armagedon in 1914-15 did happen, didnt rutherford say some thing to the effect that 'yes the time had ended the gentile times, and were now in a new age and thats why that generation would not die etc.
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jwfacts
The description of the dates changed over time, as predictions failed, but basically
1874 - Start of Jesus presence/Day of the Lord, as trujw said
1878 - Start of Jesus heavenly rulership
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Marriage Consummation - emailed question has me stumped
by jwfacts ini received an email from a jw that got married, but the wife never had sex with him.
they were together for a period of years.
he told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done.
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jwfacts
At what moment is it the point of no return? The test seems to be whether it is the signing of the wedding documents, or going back to the honeymoon suite? I would imagine a person could pull out of the marriage during the reception, and not get disfellowshipped later for adultery, but once they have spent the first night together that is the point that they are considered married. (If they pulled out of the reception, they would have trouble over breaking a vow instead.) It seems it is not the sex act, but the imagined sex act of the first night that cements it in the eyes of the elders.
There was a couple in Hobart congregation that went for the honeymoon and came back separated. They were told they were not free to remarry, and are both single to this day, well into their 60's. The rumour is he is gay, and realised/admitted that on the honeymoon.
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What is the real Percentage of visitors to jw.org
by maisha init seems the main countries are not visiting the jw.org site as they say in their stats.. this is the claims made: jw.org reaches 230 nations.
but here are the stats from alexa.. i realise alexa is not 100% accurate, but it is sure different ti jw claims.... country.. % of visitors.. rank in that country.
united states20.9%1,770 brazil8.1%589 mexico6.7%562 japan5.1%1,729 russia3.8%2,434 italy3.5%1,177 united kingdom3.1%1,910 nigeria3.0%351 france2.5%2,657 germany2.4%3,533jw.org is just a pointer domain to watchtower.com.
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jwfacts
The Watchtower would have a good idea, as they would see how many are returning visitors, which would be by far the majority, since JWs now go their to get them magazines etc.
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Marriage Consummation - emailed question has me stumped
by jwfacts ini received an email from a jw that got married, but the wife never had sex with him.
they were together for a period of years.
he told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done.
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jwfacts
WMF - They disfellowship people who HAVEN'T had sex but have stayed under the same roof over night when they see fit,... because of appearances.
I thought of that, which is out of the Shepherd the Flock manual. I think the elders would have used that, or some similar catch all reason to disfellowship him, despite the man doing nothing Scripturally wrong. Wondering though if they thought they had a legitimate reason.
Wozwozza - in confusion of her loyalty to keep quiet for the sake of Jehovahs name she has sex again shortly after finding out what her husband did. She later talks to elders saying she has trouble staying with her husband but they tell her it's too late she has had sex with him so he is forgiven.
I never of a very similar situation. Husband cheats, wife is recommended by the elders to stay with him. She sleeps with him but can't bear it, but the elders say she showed forgiveness by sleeping with him so is no longer free to remarry. As you also mentioned, if sex seals the marriage in this situation, then a person whose wife never had sex with him really is not married in God's eyes.
Besty - thanks for your words of wisdom.
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Marriage Consummation - emailed question has me stumped
by jwfacts ini received an email from a jw that got married, but the wife never had sex with him.
they were together for a period of years.
he told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done.
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jwfacts
I received an email from a JW that got married, but the wife never had sex with him. They were together for a period of years. He told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done. He finally decided to leave her, and married another woman. They elders disfellowshipped him and he is now being shunned.
Was it right to disfellowship him, under Watchtower doctrine? I would have thought it was not adultery, as the marriage had not been consumated. Although, Luke 16:18 (NIV) says "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery ", wouldn't the fact that the marriage was not consumated me it does not count as a marriage.