sam harris' book "the end of faith, (religion, terror, and the future of reason)" is out in paper back.
it had been on "the new york times bestseller" list for some time, and i just picked up a copy yesterday.
has anyone else on the jwd read this book?
Java, thanks, I must add this to my collection, I hope it really opens some minds, maybe, hopefully, help these religious zealots to put down their weapons, and contribute to the spread of peace around the world, oh, oh I feel a song coming on......
I know you say, I'm a dreamer
but I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
and the world can live as one
by the late, great John Lennon, wherever you are buddy, I hope your dream comes true.
IC
ask, and ye shall receive.. i will herewith post my notes from the km06 elders school i recently attended.
i will post this in 6 parts, to give people a chance to read smaller chunks and comment on them.. a couple of introductory notes: i wrote an awful lot of stuff, and will not post everything.
for each talk, i will post 3 sections: (1) general synopsis, (2) personal thoughts & observations, (3) particularly egregious quotations.. the primary speakers, who delivered more than 1/2 of the talks, were a circuit overseer and a guest from brooklyn bethel.. to protect anonymity, we will refer to the sadly inane circuit overseer as brother sico.. and the old-timer lifelong brother from bethel, completely out of touch, as brother bethel-coot.. one more introductory comment: it seems the main points the society wanted to send to elders were:.
Sir82 I SALUTE YOU! I'ts a brave thing you have done SIR! But seriously, wow, this must be really scaring the pants off the WTS, the fact that we have undercover people everywhere, It's kool isn't it?
I see they are really nervous about the course this religion is taking, everyone is pretty much fed up with all the damn instructions about avoiding Materialism, Education etc, I'ts really a waste of valuable time to even write up these stupid talks, when most of the Elders will leave that school driving their new SUV's and go back to their nice big houses, and sit in front of their flat screens, and block out all the crap they just heard.
Yeah, sorry to say, it will be the poor and ignorant mostly minority brothers who will heed this garbage.
Keep up the good work, and may the undercover work continue!
IC
FINALLY!!!! I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT! Now I have a piece of SOLID EVIDENCE to show my still active family members, thanks FunkyDerek!
IC (of the Damn, it it was only true class)
thanksgiving is in the us, canada, phillipines, guam, liberia, german and slavic lands etc.
god began the annual harvest festival of booths or festival of ingathering celebrated in autumns by israel.
( lev 23:33, deu 16:13)
WE ARE CELEBRATING THIS YEAR! My close family some faders like us, and other non JW, are having a Thanksgiving Feast this week, YAYYYYY .
IC
please, jehovah's witnesses victims of child abuse and their advocates in the united states, send to columbus, ohio your written testimony.
today, nov. 21, send testimony to: barbara dorris, [email protected] .
(see copy of my testimony at end of this post.).
Thank you for doing so much to help change this tragic policy, I remember in my case, when my MS stepfather physically abused me, my mom was brainwashed into keeping it quite lest Jehovah's name be tainted, keep it quiet, and it will go away, but you know it never does.
When the Dateline show aired, I remember the brothers here talking about it and saying the WTS had a warning about watching this since there were going to be apostates on it. I didn't care, we watched it, and recorded it, and this really opened my eyes about the WTS, I could not believe that they could stand by and allow children to be harmed like this, that planted real doubts in my mind, then I went to the Silent Lambs website and could not believe the stories, so many of them, I told my totally brainwashed freind about it and the first thing she said was - "aren't thos people that are talking apostates? you know you can't believe anything they say" well, I told her no their not, before this show aired they were active witnesses, but the WTS made sure to DF them before the show aired to discredit them like you are doing! She was quiet for a moment, but then went back to her brainwashed state and said "well, the WTS knows what they are doing, we should leave it in Jehovah's hands", UGHHHH, sad, really sad.
Anyway, much continued success with this Barbara, thank you so much for what you are doing, I pray the Creator blesses you greatly for all your efforts.
IC
just to trick and catch us closet-apostates?
haha wow i have weird fears.
picture trying to explain that to a "worldly" psychologist!!!
hahahahahahahaha, Enigma you're right on the money bro!
IC
when i was in my teens, which would have been the 1980's, i knew a couple in our hall that left to do missionary work in columbia.
they were doing a more, working where the need was great, then an actually missionary appointment from bethel.
in any case, they were going to be gone three months and spoke spanish.
F2B, that was really horrific, but you know as you said they were aware of the dangers, although I don't blame them, I blame the society for encouraging this behaviour, to where the R & F begin to think that if they are doing Jehovah's service his angels will somehow protect them, this is sadly not the case.
The Jehovah will protect you BS the WTS is pushing is just a delusion, if not why don't the GB go to these countries themselves and show how well Jehovah protects, why? because they know he doesn't!
IC
just to trick and catch us closet-apostates?
haha wow i have weird fears.
picture trying to explain that to a "worldly" psychologist!!!
Heck yeah, that's the reason I'm really weary of going to these things, after I am out completely, I wouldn't care but for now, I gotta lay low, you are right, if we told this to a worldly phsycologist we would probably be escorted to the padded room.
IC
i am currently reading coc (just starting chapter 11 - point of decision).
i was also just reading on shaun's site the time magazine article (http://www.jwfiles.com/franz-article.htm) on ray franz's shunning.
i didn't realize that he and many other dissenters believe that all who belive in christ will go to heaven.
After researching Near Death Experiences or NDE's I believe that the Soul survives after death and goes to another realm, it usually looks like whatever the person having the NDE believes heaven to be, for some it's like an earthly paradise, for others it's like being in front of Gods throne praising him, the Egyptian's and American Indians have their own and so on, you can also visit other people's heavens or realms, it's quite interesting actually, and you are reunited with your loved ones. Of particular interest are the NDE's of people that were born blind, after being revived they reported having sight, and described what people and things looked like when they floated above their bodies, scientists are baffled about that one.
We will all eventually find out when our time comes but at this point in my journey this has brought a sense of happiness and comfort to my life, and although I don't believe in organized religion, I do believe in God the creator, whoever he, she, or it may be.
IC
well, as a nice start to the new year, the jan 1st watchtower article, "how firm is your trust in god" blasts those who live comfortable lives, those who don't reach out, and those who pursue higher education.. definitely, they are taking a harsher stand, having completely painted themselves into a corner.. i highlighted the interesting comments.
i did not include all the text for each paragraph, just the main points.. .
1 a young man wanted to be more useful to the congregation.
Pistoff - VERY WELL SAID! Yes the GB members live in their own private sanctuary, and expect everyone on the outside to hold up to their standards, I'de like to see them out here, try to follow the Crap they preach while trying to make a living for their families if they had one, they would be on prozac and any other anti-depressive out there so quickly it would make your head spin.
IC
