This agnostic must admit: I still believe in angels!
Thanks for sharing yours with us.
~Sue
betterdaze
JoinedPosts by betterdaze
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25
Ok...I have to share this pic of my granddaughter
by coffee_black inthis is bailey.
she turned 2 in march.
the day before her birthday, my son (her dad) was working with numbers with her and pointed to the number 4. she said "daddy, i have to be 2 before i can be 4!.
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Arizona Assembly Hall costs $7M (material & land)
by Gayle inhttp://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/07/09/maricopa_monitor/religion/doc4c3629b66de3f020301784.txt.
this has got to be an economic crunch for jws around here..financial housing crisis has hit many jws (and non-jws).
the job market is very tight.
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betterdaze
This costly new mega church assembly hall is a fund-raising facility to support a tax-free global sham. Thanks to the Internet, their growing reputation as a cult now goes before them, so they bank on being an "education" denomination.
a 45,000-square-foot weekend facility to be used by the denomination for biblical education.
weekend-long educational instruction
In the past, Jehovah’s Witnesses had rented out school auditoriums for their assemblies,
“Everything about this location,” says Ellison, “is conducive to education.”
representatives strongly encourage anyone to attend a weekend instruction.
No mention that these Witness people are Christians or that the hall is for worship. Why are they so ashamed to say so?
Yet, privately they have the audacity to call themselves the only True Christians™ and God's "sole channel" while hatefully demeaning worshippers of any other faith.Many of the members will be traveling distances that demand lodging, groceries and entertainment, and almost all visitors will require gas and meals.
Funny, they used to be ministers sharing the good news of everlasting life on paradise earth… Now they go a-whoring with the hook of generating $$$ for local businesses! Could they be any less tactful more blatant about it?
~Sue -
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betterdaze
Iran bans the mullet Islamic republic aims to free itself of 'decadent' western hairstyles Phil Daoust guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 6 July 2010 21.00 BST
An official describes appropriate hairstyles for men at a hairdressing show in Tehran. Photograph: Reuters Imagine a country where a man with a ponytail could have it cut off by the cops, as could one with a mullet, or one whose hair was slathered in gel, fancifully spiked, or simply too long. Repeat offenders would face stiff fines, while their barber-accomplices would have their shops closed.
It may sound like paradise, especially if your own crazy-haired days are behind you. It's actually the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose cultural ministry has just unveiled (although that's perhaps not the most appropriate word in this context) a list of approved hairstyles in an attempt to free the country of "decadent" western cuts.
Jaleh Khodayar, who's in charge of the government- backed Modesty and Veil Festival, explains that the styles "are inspired by Iranians' complexion, culture and religion, and Islamic law".
It's not all good news for fans of the short back and sides, however: 1980s-style floppy fringes are acceptable, as are quiffs. And, worryingly, there seems to be a lamentable softening of Iran's hard line on goatees.
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Deborah Antignano: A Witness to the Truth (CBN TV)
by betterdaze in.
for deborah, a casual dating relationship with a jehovahs witness led to a 15-year indoctrination into the religion.. .
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/rr46v3_ws.
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betterdaze
For Deborah, a casual dating relationship with a Jehovah’s Witness led to a 15-year indoctrination into the religion.
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/RR46v3_WS -
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Jesus Cano was deported to a Mexican prison, not freed
by rebel8 in...according to the court clerk i spoke with.. in this thread i gave a link to the us-mexico treaty which requires deported prisoners to serve their entire sentence.. starting a separate thread because rumors like the "parole" one tend to be difficult to kill.. fyi.
you can always contact the courts and/or homeland security to ask questions if you want to..
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betterdaze
Thanks for the update. Do you know what happens when his sentence is finished in Mexico? Will he be able to return to the U.S.?
~Sue -
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Michael Jackson's children going in field service
by Gayle inhttp://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/06/23/source-michael-jacksons-reclusive-children-spreading-religious-message-door-1313501295/?test=faces#content.
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betterdaze
She obviously is old enough to remember all of that so it's very likely that when she becomes of age, she'll quit going.
That's exactly what separated our older sister from my brother and me. She already experienced "pagan" birthdays and holidays, even trick-or-treating at Halloween!
I had one Christmas, maybe two?
Our brother definitely had nothing at all.
Our sister was OUT, way out, by high school. But us younger siblings stuck with the beliefs more-or-less into our 30s!
So yeah, I suspect Jackson's children may become "rebellious youths." Their father made an effort to celebrate with them. Those "normal" family memories must be demonized by their JW guardians for proper Watchtower inculcation.
Only time will tell.
~Sue -
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sex offender wants chaperone to kh
by nelly136 inhttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/aleqm5jvfmefxqjo3kj0srix3w_8n5jtkwd9geetog3associated pressconcord, n.h. a new hampshire sex offender is asking the state's highest court to allow him to go to church with a chaperone.the case of 35-year-old jonathan perfetto of manchester marks the first time the new hampshire supreme court is being asked to rule on whether a probation condition that effectively bars church attendance violates a person's constitutional rights to religious freedom.. perfetto was convicted in 2002 of possessing child pornography.
a condition of his probation is that he have no contact with children.
a lower court denied perfetto's request to attend jehovah's witnesses services with a church elder acting as a chaperone.. the new hampshire civil liberties union and perfetto maintain the chaperone would eliminate any risk to children.
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betterdaze
Update on the court case:
High court weighs sex offenders’ rights
Man wants to attend church where children are presentBy Annmarie Timmins ?Concord Monitor
Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010
CONCORD — The state Supreme Court took up a case Wednesday that could determine how and where sex offenders worship after they’re released from prison.
The justices’ questions were many, but they boiled down to how to balance an offender’s fundamental right to practice religion with the state’s duty to protect the public.
At the center of the case is 36-year-old Jonathan Perfetto of Manchester, who served about seven years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 61 items of child pornography.
Since shortly after his 2008 release, when he briefly lived in a Concord parking garage, Perfetto has wanted to worship with a Manchester congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But he says he can’t, because his supervised release prohibits him from having contact with anyone under 17.
If he has such contact or reoffends or uses the internet, he could go back to prison to serve up to 28 years of his remaining suspended sentence.
Perfetto, initially representing himself, thought he had a solution a year ago when he asked the Hillsborough County Superior Court to let him attend church meetings under the close watch of a church elder. Perfetto said he hoped a chaperone would satisfy concerns of prosecutors.
The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office objected, saying the church is a family-oriented congregation that requires members to attend frequent meetings.
“The likelihood that (Perfetto) will be supervised every minute, of every meeting, every week is not high,” wrote Assistant County Attorney Maureen O’Neil.
Four days later, Judge Larry Smukler denied Perfetto’s request without a hearing.
Perfetto’s appeal went before the state Supreme Court Wednesday, with legal representation by Barbara Keshen, staff attorney for the N.H. Civil Liberties Union.
Keshen didn’t disagree that Perfetto’s activities could be restricted while he’s on supervised release. The problem, she said, is that Smukler decided the matter without hearing from Perfetto or delving into the facts of his particular situation.
That sort of analysis is required, Keshen said, when the state wants to restrict a fundamental right that is protected in the U.S. and state constitutions.
“Here there probably can be limitations on Mr. Perfetto’s right to worship, but they have to be narrowly tailored,” she said.
She added, “The court needed a lot more facts than it had when it decided this case. What is his risk to offend now? What is the ratio of children to adults in the congregation? Are (children) always supervised in the sanctuary?”
Justice Carol Ann Conboy noted the state’s arguments that Perfetto could worship at home or through a Bible study with other elders from the church. “I’m struggling, frankly, with your contention that this is a restriction on his right to practice his religion,” Conboy said.
Chief Justice John Broderick asked how Keshen would handle a client who wasn’t allowed to use the internet but claimed he could under his right to free speech. Would a chaperone satisfy the state’s concerns and protect the public’s safety?
Keshen said she couldn’t say without more specifics about such a case.
“I would support the balancing (of interests) that would be involved,” she said.
Conboy asked, “Is it reasonable that someone convicted of (61 counts) of child pornography be prohibited from unsupervised contact with kids?”
Yes, Keshen said, “but then the question is how do you craft something that balances his fundamental rights to worship and public safety?”
The justices were equally curious about the state’s position.
Conboy and Justice James Duggan wanted to know why Smukler didn’t learn the details of Perfetto’s situation before denying his request to attend church with a chaperone.
Chief Justice John Broderick asked what should be done if children attend every service at the church. How, Broderick asked, can the state balance Perfetto’s right to worship and the public’s right to safety?
Nick Cort, who handled the appeal for the state Attorney General’s Office, said the test is reasonableness. Cort said the state is not obligated to set the least restrictive conditions possible when it comes to fundamental rights.
“There is a reasonable relationship between these restrictions and the goals of the corrections system,” he said. -
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Fox news weighs in on sex offender going to kingdom hall !
by koolaid-man inhttp://video.foxnews.com/v/4250574/does-safety-trump-religious-rights.
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betterdaze
More on his background here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/child-abuse/194988/1/sex-offender-wants-chaperone-to-kh
With his life history, Perfetto's much more dangerous than this short clip makes him out to be.
~Sue
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Michael Jackson's children going in field service
by Gayle inhttp://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/06/23/source-michael-jacksons-reclusive-children-spreading-religious-message-door-1313501295/?test=faces#content.
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betterdaze
Mary, I'm pretty sure MJ knew what he was doing when he chose his JW mother as his children's guardian.
They will be watched very closely for a long, long time. "Worldly ones" will come to know how much it stinks growing up JW… field service, no holidays, "bad association," etc.
Katherine's indoctrination (though well-meaning, I'm sure) cannot possibly reflect well on the Watchtower Organization. It's like a ticking time bomb from beyond the grave.
~Sue
An official describes appropriate hairstyles for men at a hairdressing show in Tehran. Photograph: Reuters 