Posts by Borgia

30

My email to the congo....

by truthsetsonefree in

now that the time has past i can give up the surprise that i sprung on the elders before my da'ing announcement.

i emailed the entire congregation!

or at least as many addresses that i had which was most of those who use email.

Borgia

Isaac,

I just wanted to say: Welcome! I am glad for you.

Cheers

Borgia

23

Polytheism, Monotheism, Atheism: a logical sequence?

by Narkissos in

jw
friends

the current heated "(monotheist) believers vs. atheists" threads tends to overlook, imo, this rather commonplace but relevant issue: how modern atheism continues (and thus is tributary to) a line of religious, philosophical and scientific thought which runs from ancient polytheism through monotheism, both in greek and jewish traditions (which are the two main sources of western culture).. in the greek-speaking world, homeric-like polytheism went out of fashion, and although political authorities stood for the conservation of popular worship of the gods (atheism being a capital offence, ask socrates), an intellectual monotheism came to the fore, especially in platonic tradition, along with more or less "underground" forms of early atheism (democritus, epicurus).. in judea, for mainly political reasons ("one god, one temple, one priesthood, one king") the "deuteronomistic reform" of the 7th century bc promoted the active rejection (1) of all other gods than yhwh, and (2) of any representation of yhwh himself, henceforth branded as "idolatry".

it also (3) reinterpreted most "natural" features in older israelite religion (linking yhwh, just as baal, with the cycle of seasons, especially the rain and dry seasons, vegetal and animal fertility) into historical (or pseudo-historical) celebrations: the feast of spring became the celebration of the national foundation in the exodus from egypt, etc.

(4) the development of a doctrine of creation, increasingly construed as creatio ex nihilo -- mere "fabrication" of the world out of nothing instead of the older theomachy (struggle between the gods) wrestling for order out of chaos contributed to emptying "nature" of its numinous, sacred or divine presences: the sun, the moon, the stars, vegetables, animals and humans became mere "objects," vessels designed and made by a master craftsman, but devoid of intrinsic divinity.

Borgia

I wonder whether atheism is a logical subsequent consequence of the others.....Where there no atheist back then? Or rather, people who thought the nice stories about gods, half gods to be.....for the lay people, to put them at rest? Who performed their duties in front of the eye of the people, because it was politically appropriate? Or even people who had concluded, since no god of their time was of any help, not even a reply was given, that gods in human form did not exist?

Apart from the unknown god remark with Paul in Acts 17 I could not find any referecne to atheism per se. Or one should regard the struggle between JHVH and the gods of Egypt including the Pharoa, Golden Calfs, Molechs, Tammuz etc in such light. I cannot help but wonder why an almighty God imprinting his followers with fear and awe at his might is stuck with people so easily deviated from his ways.......Because he did not exist?

Cheers

Borgia

7

Appeal for further assistance - symbols

by Crumpet in

jw
friends

any one got any clue which menu in symbols using microsoft word holds the small lower '2' for me to use in reference to co2.

i can find the upper 2 but not the dropped 2. any ideas or directions would be greatly appreciated!

thank you!

Borgia

Crumpet,

Depending on your"tecla"I would suggest: ALT GR + 2 (alt gr is right alt)

Cheers

Borgia

40

How Much Influence Did The Watchtower Have In Destroying Your Faith In God?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

how much influence did the watchtower have in destroying your faith in god?personally, i do not believe that a corrupt organization should destroy the belief .

or concept of a designer, god or creator.

in addition, because an organization .

Borgia

Ultimately, it has been the expanation about Gods Blessing and the theory of answering prayers that did the trick.

However, there are a heap of why's that I lost faith in something like a deity. This morning I was at the meeting with wifey. Man, what crap do these people believe. They even had the guts to say that the genocide going on in Dafur was the work of demons. Sure!

Cheers

Borgia

9

JW's Refuse to Share Brooklyn Tennis Court with Neighbors

by kwr in

tennis anyone?

yes, but not for everyone.. dumbos only open-air tennis court will soon be open for business.

the hard-surfaced court, which sits atop a five-story building at 69 adams st., has been drooled over by the net set, which has long hoped the court would be returned to service.

Borgia

WBTS: masters of doubleopisms: double talk caused by a lack of knowledge of the underlaying meaning of amalgations or abreviations. ......

Cheers

Borgia

64

Time to make my thoughts known......

by R.F. in

i have lurked around here for a little while and i've finally seen the need to post.

i'm 22 years old and a ministerial servant and pioneer in my congregation.

i'm not really here to knock the organization, but i must admit that there are some things(ex.

Borgia

Hi RF and welcome here.

As you will have gathered, openeing your eyes once, makes it difficult to close them again without feeling the same. One thing the Borg is really correct about: thinking for yourself is definitively the first step away from them.....yes....the ugly 8 letter word.

From your posts up till now, I gather you have some really good opportunities to make some descisions to improve your life.

Use your talents and opportunities well. And in the meantime, enjoy your participation.

Cheers

Borgia

26

Pythagoras wasn't crazy after all!!!!

by Sunnygal41 in

as some may know, pythagoras had a theory that the planets made music.......today, i saw this article and wanted to share it............. .

sun's atmosphere sings .

jeanna bryner.

Borgia

He JGNAT,

I've got that one hanging in my office. Nice view of the mediterraneo, is it not?

Cheers

Borgia

38

Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Dangerous Cult?

by UnDisfellowshipped in

" (quote from the watchtower, august 1st, 2001, page 14).

(quote from the watchtower, december 1st, 1981 issue, page 27).

(quote from the watchtower, december 1st, 1990 issue, page 19).

Borgia

To get this straight: Is the doc "knocking" therefore a cult movie?

Cheers

Borgia

17

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 4-22-07 WT Study (Enjoy Life Fear Jah)

by blondie in

then the end will come.compare matthew 10:23.. *** w97 8/15 p. 14 par.

" turn to pages 82-4, and read paragraph 21.. bible.

then read 1 peter 5:7 and paragraph 11 on page 11.

Borgia

Blondie,

When I read the title of the "study"-article I instantly had to think of this bible text:

(1 John 4:15-19) “. . .Whoever makes the confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God remains in union with such one and he in union with God. 16 And we ourselves have come to know and have believed the love that God has in our case. God is love, and he that remains in love remains in union with God and God remains in union with him. 17 This is how love has been made perfect with us, that we may have freeness of speech in the day of judgment, because, just as that one is, so are we ourselves in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint. Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love. 19 As for us, we love, because he first loved us.”

I still am trying to get my head around the simple question of what good this article should be.......

But as for your analysis: Great!

Cheers

Borgia

8

Does Isaiah 25:8 indicate Jews expected to live forever on earth?

by jwfacts in

the watchtower uses two scriptures from isaiah as proof of people living forever on paradise earth.

isaiah 65:17-25 actually does not say people will live forever, in fact the opposite, it says man will fulfill his days and die.. for here i am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.

18 but exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what i am creating.

Borgia

Hi Jwfacts, I found the follwing quotes: Jewish encycloepdia under ressurrection: Like all ancient peoples, the early Hebrews believed that the dead go down into the underworld and live there a colorless existence (comp. Isa. xiv. 15-19; Ezek. xxxii. 21-30). Only an occasional person, and he an especially fortunate one, like Enoch or Elijah, could escape from Sheol, and these were taken to heaven to the abode of Yhwh, where they became angels (comp. Slavonic Enoch, xxii.). In the Book of Job first the longing for a resurrection is expressed (xiv. 13-15), and then, if the Masoretic text may be trusted, a passing conviction that such a resurrection will occur (xix. 25, 26). The older Hebrew conception of life regarded the nation so entirely as a unit that no individual mortality or immortality was considered. Jeremiah (xxxi. 29) and Ezekiel (xviii.) had contended that the individual was the moral unit, and Job's hopes are based on this idea.

A different view, which made a resurrection unnecessary, was held by the authors of Ps. xlix. and lxxiii., who believed that at death only the wicked went to Sheol and that the souls of the righteous went directly to God. This, too, seem based on views analogous to those of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and probably was not widely held. In the long run the old national point of view asserted itself in the form of Messianic hopes. These gave rise to a belief in a resurrection in order that more might share in the glory of the Messianic kingdom. This hope first finds expression in Isa. xxvi. 19, a passage which Cheyne dates about 334 B.C. The hope was cherished for faithful Israelites. In Dan. xii. 1-4 (about 165 B.C.) a resurrection of "many . . . that sleep in the dust" is looked forward to. This resurrection included both righteous and wicked, for some will awake to everlasting life, others to "shame and everlasting contempt."

They then go on to discuss pharasaic, sadducaic, essenic and other rabbinic traditions in this respect. However, it does not concern itself with the influence of zoroatrism on this particular issue. It is of interest that they do note a difference of opinion about the nature of ressurrection of the early hebrews and the later ones.

Cheers

Borgia