betterdaze
JoinedPosts by betterdaze
-
352
Post Songs of Rebellion, Change, Peace & Love - You-tubes Welcome !
by flipper in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyhvpb8g45y&feature=related.
-
-
-
352
Post Songs of Rebellion, Change, Peace & Love - You-tubes Welcome !
by flipper in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyhvpb8g45y&feature=related.
-
-
betterdaze
&feature=related
We Weren't Born To Follow
Songwriters: Bon Jovi, Jon; Sambora, Richie;
This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles
This one goes out to the ones in need
This one goes out to the sinner and the cynical
This ain't about no apology
This road was paved by the hopeless and the hungry
This road was paved by the winds of change
Walking beside the guilty and the innocent
How will you raise your hand when they call your name?
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We weren't born to follow
Come on and get up off your knees
When life is a bitter pill to swallow
You gotta hold on to what you believe
Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow
And that your saints and sinners bleed
We weren't born to follow
You gotta stand up for what you believe
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
This one's about anyone who does it differently
This one's about the one who cusses and spits
This ain't about our livin' in a fantasy
This ain't about givin' up or givin' in
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We weren't born to follow
Come on and get up off your knees
When life is a bitter pill to swallow
You gotta hold on to what you believe
Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow
And that your saints and sinners bleed
We weren't born to follow
You gotta stand up for what you believe
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah -
1
Religious group, environmentalists battle over preserved land in Edison
by betterdaze inwarwick, ny.. .
ramapo, ny.. .
edison, nj.
-
-
betterdaze
Warwick, NY.
Ramapo, NY.
Edison, NJ.
This little riverfront parcel in Teaneck I posted about before.
See a pattern yet? The Watchtower is determined to build on environmentally sensitive lands which fall under pre-existing land and water preservation statutes. I've seen this here all my life, specifically with Hasidic Jews, and later the burgeoning Asian churches who took a page directly from their book and followed suit. Enter the Watchtower.Comment from one of the readers:
"Many years ago, this whole area was a gem. 100 year old trees, lots of wildlife, hiking trails and natural water ways. Little by little, greedy developers like Nick Visco and Edison Township politicos allowed the area to be encroached and decimated by horrific developments. Years ago, Edison was mostly sprawling farm land and woods. Dense development zoning, driven by the same people (including local politicians which voted for this zoning), that owned this land, produced postage stamp lot sizes with large (3500 square foot homes) homes right on top of one another which enriched both the landowner and developer and produced the hyper populated area, which we all know today. One word summarizes it all…Disgusting."
~Sue
Religious group, environmentalists battle over preserved land in Edison
Published: Sunday, December 26, 2010, 6:30 AM
By Brent Johnson/The Star-Ledger
EDISON — It’s church vs. nature.
For years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have planned to erect a kingdom hall in Edison on one of the last private tracts of land in the Dismal Swamp wildlife sanctuary. The 3-acre property was donated by the widow of a prominent developer.
But there’s a problem: Because the property is landlocked, the religious group needs to build an access road through 1/10th of an acre of township land preserved as open space.
The issue has sparked a more than year-long debate. Environmentalists have tried to stop the project. Others say it’s an issue of religious freedom.
John Figlar/New Jersey Local News ServiceRobertSpiegel, executive director of Edison Wetlands Association, Jill Weislo,
an intern from Manchester, England, and David Wheeler, director of
operations for Edison Wetlands Association, spot a bird while giving a
tour of the Visco parcel in the Dismal Swamp last year.
The most recent chapter ensared the Edison township council. The panel voted in October to deny the Jehovah’s Witnesses permission to seek approval from the state for the road. A month later, the council reversed its vote.
The road’s fate is now up to Green Acres, an arm of the state Department of Environmental Protection that oversees open space.Lloyd Tubman, a land-use expert, said it won’t be an easy decision.
“A township cannot discriminate against a religious facility, nor can the state,” the Flemington-based attorney said. “But that does not mean it had to do whatever a religious entity requests. A religious purpose doesn’t necessarily trump open space.”
Edison officials promised the road years ago to developer Nicholas Visco, said the religious group’s attorney, Stephen Barcan, a member of the Wilentz law firm. But Barcan said the agreement was never finalized before Visco died. In 1994, the land where the road would have gone was designated for open space.
Eventually, Delores Visco sold 10 acres to Middlesex County, keeping three acres for the Jehovah’s Witnesses.But last month, environmental groups lobbied the Edison council to find another piece of township land for the hall.
“The Dismal Swamp is one of the jewels of New Jersey,” said Jeff Tittel, president of the state’s chapter of the Sierra Club. “Protecting this habitat is crucial.”
Though council president Charles Tomaro feared the Jehovah’s Witnesses would sue the township, the council shot down the project, with three members voting no and three abstaining.
But a month later, the issue was again on the council’s agenda, This time, dozens of Jehovah’s Witnesses — and Delores Visco herself — pleaded for the council to change its mind. They said members travel to Metuchen and Plainfield to worship, and a town as large as Edison needed a hall.
“I am at a crossroads,” said Sudhanshu Prasad, one of the council members who switched his vote. “But I will support the right to own property and the right to worship, even though I am an environmentalist at heart.”
Now, the Edison Wetlands Association is researching whether the second vote was illegal.
“The way this was done raises a lot of legal and ethical questions,” said Robert Spiegel, the environmental group’s president. “They have been trying for many years to build on this property. Now, they’re playing the religion card.”
The council’s vote merely allowed the issue to move to the state. The DEP has the final say. Barcan said a hearing date hasn’t been set. -
6
Jehovah's Witness crimes - Interactive Map/Database
by rifter inhello friends, rifter here from jwr.. i'm starting a new project using google maps to plot locations, news articles and other sources regarding high-profile crimes committed by jehovah's witnesses, and other related reports.
the project will be ongoing, and much of the data so far is based on articles posted in the in the news section of jwr.
i will soon be adding data from additional sources whenever possible.
-
-
betterdaze
Many thanks from a news nerd, rifter!
(I once recommended a Google news search on "Jehovah" to a diehard JW and they replied: Why? Satan runs the Internet.)
Ha!
~Sue
-
44
Well, I just finished reading Crisis of Conscience thanks to IssacAustin!
by Botzwana ini couldn't put it down!
very informative.
i agreed with it all.
-
-
betterdaze
Is there one available in spanish? My mexican wife wants to read it
. -
8
Spanish JW admitted to Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistens".
by InquiryMan ini found this interesting information in the 2010 report on international religious freedom.
the government has taken steps to integrate non-catholic religious groups through the foundation for pluralism and coexistence.
the foundation provides funds to minority and religious groups to promote religious freedom and dialogue.
-
-
betterdaze
For some context on both sides:
Minority religions are asking the state not to fund confessions
Las religiones minoritarias piden al Estado que no financie confesiones
* * *
Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses … high, high
Mormones y testigos de Jehová... arriba, más arribaIf the Mormons and JWs are now accepted as "deeply rooted" (if not mainstream) Protestant and/or Evangelist religions, what's to stop Scientologists and Moonies from claiming the same recognition and publically funded benefits?
~Sue
-
8
Spanish JW admitted to Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistens".
by InquiryMan ini found this interesting information in the 2010 report on international religious freedom.
the government has taken steps to integrate non-catholic religious groups through the foundation for pluralism and coexistence.
the foundation provides funds to minority and religious groups to promote religious freedom and dialogue.
-
-
betterdaze
Does anyone now whether the JWs accepted its admittance or if they declined participating in the Foundations work?
Judá Morcillo Rivas, Representante de los Testigos de Jehová, was scheduled to participate in a Training course: "Public Policies and Religious Diversity" hosted by the Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistence (Fundación Pluralismo y Convivencia).
Roundtable: "The vision of Religious Denominations," November 26, 2009.
Will join the debate:
Faustino López Requena
Representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Morcillo Juda Rivas
Representative of the Jehovah's Witnesses
Jamyang Rinchen Ngagpa
Representative of the Buddhist
Spanish PDF download
English translation (text only)
• What's odd is that the "The course aims to give public employees the knowledge and skills to face the new challenges posed by the design and implementation of public policies for the management of religious diversity." Since when is the Watchtower managing public employees of other faiths?• It's not clear that Rivas has actual membership on the Foundation's board. He was scheduled to participate in an interfaith "debate" sponsored by a government entity. There's lists of funding recipients on the website, no WT (yet). But it wouldn't surprise me if they set up an NGO-type front group under some obscure name so they could receive public funding for dubious "education" or "human rights" activities.
~Sue -
57
Prayer & Good vibes needed for our Dear Rabbit JWD/N member
by FlyingHighNow inhe is undergoing very serious brain surgery today.
pray for him and his beautiful mrs. rabbit.
both them are seriously ill and it's not easy for them..
-
-
-
6
The first Apostate? Young James Sullivan Fled From the Work and Prayers of Pastor Russell's Society.
by Mythbuster inthe brooklyn daily eagle new york.
tuesday november 9, 1909, page 11. .
james sullivan, a tall, fifteen year-old boy, plead not guilty to being a juvenile delinquent before judge o'keefe in the children's court yesterday.
-
-
betterdaze
I did! Thanks for posting this account, Mythbuster. Very interesting to me (whose U.S. family began in that era in old NYC) and became the typical 15-year-old JW "rebellious youth" a few generations after.
Is there any one here who was raised in it, who cannot relate to this young guy's circumstances? It was either sink or swim, and it appears he was trying to swim his way out of it as best he could.
Hope he made it to shore.
James Sullivan, may you rest in peace. And if, on the outside chance you're still with us on this earth, more power to ya'.
~Sue -
91
Creationist Theme Park: "Ark Encounter"
by leavingwt insay hello to ark encounter.. .
kentucky governor unveils plans for creationist theme park complete with full-sized ark.
.. a joint project between beshear and answers in genesis -- a christian organization that also built a similar attraction, the creation museum -- the park will reportedly cost at least $150 million and create 900 jobs, according to the news release.. beshear's spokesperson kerri richardson declined to comment beyond what was in her office's news release on the project.. the amusement park, named ark encounter, will include all the modern recreation amenities, including: a full-sized wooden ark, a "walled city much like was found in ancient times, a replica of the tower of babel with exhibits, a first-century middle eastern village" and even outdoor parking.
-
-
betterdaze
Will there be discounted admission for all the widows and orphans who could have truly benefited from $150 million?
~Sue