Posts by crownboy

57

French MP's ban all overt religious symbols from the classroom

by yxl1 in

jw
friends

i must admit, i was happy when the bill was past taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3474673.stm

french mps back headscarf ban.

there are about five million muslims living in france

crownboy

I totally disagree with this law.

Now I'm as secular as the next non-religious guy, but if a religious fundy-nut like Pat Robertson started complaining about this law being anti- religious bigotry, I'd have to agree with him. A religious head scarf/ turbun, etc. does not force anyone to observe the other persons religion or anything like that, it's no different than if some secular person preferred to wear red everyday for good luck. This is a big time encroachment on freedom of religion and speech; the kids aren't trying to convert anyone nor endanger anyone with these religious symbols, they are simply trying to express their own religious faith (or their parent's, depending on the situation).

Now I totally understand that France has been having some cultural clashes with its Muslim population (hell, which country doesn't? Let's just wait untill the US' Muslim population gets significant), but as some other posters have pointed out, this ban will not mitigate the situation in anyway. Hell, it will most likely make it worse. Find useful ways to deal with the situation instead of divisive ones like this. Poor Sheiks, Jews, etc. having to needlessly suffer.

Let freedom (of religion) ring.

19

Serena Williams

by Kenneson in

see "serena's next game.

sidelined by knee surgery, the tennis champ talks about life off the court--including her acting career.".

and check out sister venus as she models serena's designs!

crownboy

I guess Serena Williams is in the latest SI swimsuit issue with the blessing of Ted Jaracz?

Well, her swimsuits are somewhat more modest than some others :

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2004_swimsuit/athletes/

25

New book: The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

new book out in two weeks!.

the four presidents of the watch tower society.

[the following are the first four pages of introduction to the above-named book].

crownboy

The editor was contacted by the anonymous author who for health reasons was unable to finish the study. He was told that he was at liberty to edit, rearrange and add to the manuscript as he saw fit. As a result, revisions were made, and much new material and extensive documentation were added.
The anonymous writer, identified as author, was a third-generation Jehovah's Witness and a member for forty years. He served in the administrative offices at world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York and was personally acquainted with N.H. Knorr, F.W. Franz, Milton Henschel, Hayden Covington, A.H. Macmillan and many members of the Governing Body and other old-time officials of the Society. On his leaving Bethel headquarters some years ago, he was offered a position as district overseer. Disillusioned by what he had learned of the history of the Watch Tower Society, and what he had seen at headquarters, he declined the appointment.

VM44, you said what I was about to say . The above profile immediately made me think of Maximus, but I didn't know about the Rutherford book (that would be a great book). Jim Penton's Apocalypse Delayed was a great book, and if he has a second one coming out, I'll try to get it too.

Thanks for the heads up, Randy, I'll definitely be getting that book when it comes out.

5

Abortion....

by Country Girl in

jw
friends

i used to think that jw's, as a general rule, were against abortion.

however, after asking my pioneer mother, they are against someone, especially the government, dictating freedom of choice.

fundamentally, she ws against it, but said that if it was the law that someone got an abortion, that was the law and she had to abide by it and people could do what they wanted and they'd have to live with it.

crownboy

According to the Reasoning book, if a mother's life would be in danger from delivering a child, she can opt to have an abortion in that circumstance, but aside from that, no abortions are allowed as fair as I know (and Smyler's post pretty much drives that point home).

Some unwed mothers have chosen to give up their babies for adoption, feeling that they couldn?t give the best to the baby. While adoption is certainly better than ending the child?s life, God does hold a parent responsible to ?provide for his or her own.? (1 Timothy 5:8) A single parent may not be able to give her child the best materially, but she can give something far more important?love. (Proverbs 15:17) So under most circumstances, it would be better for an unwed mother to raise the child herself.

1 Timothy 5:8: If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

By putting a child up for adoption, sometimes that is the best way for a person to live by that principle. While love for a child is certainly important, it's not always enough. If you can place your child in a situation where he or she can be loved and provided for, the Society has no buissness trying to discourage your decision.

24

Would YOU Have REALLY Died For Your Brother or Sister???

by minimus in

jw
friends

since jws say they would do the ultimate and actually die for their brother, was that something that you honestly feel that you would have done?

crownboy

Reborn said:

Question: Would you have reallydied for your brother or sister???
Condensed and simplified answer: HELL NO

Ditto.

3

Apostate "daily" text, 1/24/04

by GentlyFeral in

jw
friends

...nevertheless, that night after dinner i found myself sitting down with knowledge that leads to everlasting life.

chapter one, you can have a happy future!

makes a case for life after death: there is so much on the earth that delights our senses -- delicious food, pleasant birdsong, fragrant flowers, beautiful scenery, delightful companionship!

crownboy

I remember reading that some time ago and thinking that it would be pretty boring to live forever. It would be nice to live a little longer than we currently do, but we'd probably be bored to death (pun intended ) by our 500th year. Makes you wonder how those guys like Methusela(sp?) made it so long .

63

Dean meltdown

by Seven in

howard dean...lol!

now perhaps the party will take a long and serious look at it's only electable candidate-john kerry!!

as dean slips, the democrats' drama rises .

crownboy

SixofNine, what is it exactly about a Dean presidency that you would so fear? I can understand the sentiment that he isn't "electable" (though I obviously think it's wrong), but what exactly about Dean's platform makes you think that four years of him would make you feel "unsafe"?

39

You'll die if you don't go to meetings

by Bonnie_Clyde in

last sunday's watchtower admits (p. 17) that "we are not under the mosaic law.

" but in the next paragraph it says that just as the tithing arrangement was not optional for the israelites, meeting attendance is also not optional for christians.

the first page of the february 2004 kingdom ministry tells us why.

crownboy

w88 10/1 27 Remember Christian Principles
Principles are basic truths or fundamental laws from which other truths or laws can be derived.

And who gets to issue these "other truths and laws" exactly? Certainly not god. Why have five meetings you ask? So that you can always use the boring illustration about comparing the meetings to your fingers, and how you wouldn't want to be missing one finger, and hence you should think of your meetings the same way.

63

Dean meltdown

by Seven in

howard dean...lol!

now perhaps the party will take a long and serious look at it's only electable candidate-john kerry!!

as dean slips, the democrats' drama rises .

crownboy

Well, as a Dean supporter I'm still holding out hope that he can win this thing. His speech was certainly a little over the top, but I doubt it will do the serious long term damage that many think it will.

If Dean doesn't get the nomination, then hopefully it will go to John Edwards. He was my early pick before Dean entered the race (and I've supported Dean way before he was well known), and I'm still pretty impressed with him. Clark seems attractive, but I worry that his not too long ago support for Bush will make him look like a phony when he inevitably has to attack Bush on issues during this contest. Dean's actual platform is more moderate than Kerry's, even if Kerry does not want to repeal all of Bush's tax cuts (and I'm still yet to meet any middle class people who got as much as $2000 back in the tax cut).

I'm still pretty confident in Dean and what he can do, but if he ultimately looses this nomination, he'll have no one to blame but himself.

(I actually thought that Dean's speech was over the top in his exuberance and optimism. Yet everywhere I turn the speech is interpreted as "angry"? )

150

The dubs at "Witness World" are discussing UN involvement!!!!!

by somebodylovesme in

i am a lurker on the "witness world" witnesses-only website.

they are having a discussion because someone during door-to-door service confronted them with the un letter.

they are all saying that it is "obviously made up"... but the person is planning on writing to the society to ask.

crownboy

I knew endvr wasn't a JW the moment I read the topic. Brucejw is also transparently "apostate". Hopefully, someone will benefit from the information and start thinking.

(I only read the first page of the thread)