thecarpenter

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Posts by thecarpenter

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  16

  I don't know how I'm going to give them up...

  by gwyneth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i bottle fed orphaned kittens from 3 weeks old--they are about 8 weeks old now.

  i have become so attached to them!

  my neighbor said she was bringing a friend over this afternoon to pick out a kitten to take home...i am having mixed feelings about this.

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  thecarpenter

  I love kittens, they go well with rice and beans ;p
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  18

  Experience from a circuit assembly in Ft. Worth Texas

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  currently making the rounds i guess.... .

  experience from a circuit assembly in ft. worth texas :.

  a brother interviewed 4 people.

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  thecarpenter

  such a wonderful experience megadude, brought tears to my eyes (heehee). Yours too blondie. There are several families that I know of which had their children used in articles and books. Many on these kids left the organization shortly thereafter. It is hilarious to see the organization have to change the covers of the books because someone pictured on the cover splits. (also brings tears to my eyes (yukyuk)
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  2

  Why JW's and Mormons avoid each other...

  by Justice-One in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k31bglmtcju&mode=related&search=

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  thecarpenter

  that was hilarious, I loved it.
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  20

  Explaination?...

  by Justice-One in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  could someone please explain to me how an organization can be "spirit directed" but at the same time not be inspired?

  sounds rather orwellian to me..

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  thecarpenter

  Here is the way I look at it. Directed and Inspired are two different words. (the following definition come from Merriam Webster online

  direct - 1 a obsolete : to write (a letter) to a person b : to mark with the name and address of the intended recipient c : to impart orally d : to adapt in expression so as to have particular applicability <arguments directed at the emotions>
  2 a : to regulate the activities or course of b : to carry out the organizing, energizing, and supervising of <direct a project> c : to dominate and determine the course of d : to train and lead performances of <direct a movie>
  3 : to cause to turn, move, or point undeviatingly or to follow a straight course <X-rays directed through the body>
  4 : to point, extend, or project in a specified line or course <direct the nozzle down>
  5 : to request or enjoin with authority <the judge directed the jury to acquit>
  6 : to show or point out the way for <signs directing us to the entrance>

  Inspire - 1 a : to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspirationb : to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on <was particularly inspired by the Romanticists> c : to spur on : IMPEL, MOTIVATE <threats don't necessarily inspire people to work> d : AFFECT <seeing the old room again inspired him with nostalgia>
  2 a archaic : to breathe or blow into or upon b archaic: to infuse (as life) by breathing
  3 a : to communicate to an agent supernaturally b : to draw forth or bring out <thoughts inspired by a visit to the cathedral>
  4 : INHALE 1
  5 a : BRING ABOUT, OCCASION <the book was inspired by his travels in the Far East> b : INCITE
  6 : to spread (rumor) by indirect means or through the agency of another

  When the watchtower speaks of not being inspired, they mean that an angel doesn't bring new revelation to them like the ancient writers of the bible. This would make them modern day prophets if a angel did speak with them (in a conventional sense of the word; bringing new revelations from God as the Mormons claim). If God put the thoughts in their heads for them to write down, that would also make them spirit inspired, modern day prophets of God. The only caveat to being a modern day prophet is that if anything proved to be false, it would show them up to be false prophets.

  The watchtower can claim spirit direction two primary way as far as I can see. One is by following the direction from the bible which has claims spirit inspiration (2 Tim 3:16) In following the direction from the bible, they can say they are spirit directed. Example: the bible says don't kill and they follow that direction and don't kill, therefore they are spirit directed.

  There are certain problems with this approach. Using this argument, I can also claim that I am spirit directed (as well as many religions including the Moonies) because I follow the direction of the bible on not killing. The second problem with this approach involves interpretation of a scripture. One religious group can interpret a scripture one way while another religious group can interpret it another way, both claiming spirit direction but in opposite directions (such as the blood issue). And sometimes we can see a particular group interpret something different ways over a time period. (flip-flopping as in organ transplants).

  A second way that the society claims spirit direction is that of angels interceding in their affairs, such as court victories, how the resources are used, appointment of elders and general running the organization. This comes from Acts 8:26 where a angel directed Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch or when the angel directed Peter to preach to the gentile Cornelius. The problem with this is that they admit that an angel doesn't talk with them. We also see that in the case of Jesus Cano, Leo Greenslee, appointment of corrupt brothers and so on, there was no angel interceding by revealing the corruption even when it was going on under their nose for years. They had to go by visual evidence (not invisible evidence like angels whispering in their ears) and word of mouth like everyone else (the Police and the courts find the invisible evidence unreliable )

  Bear in mind though, when Jehovah gave the warning about false prophets, he didn't make the distinction as to whether someone was spirit directed or spirit inspired. A false prophecy is a false prophecy.

  If I left out anything significant, please add to his post.

  It is important to have his clear in your head because too many friends have this quasi-inspired view in their heads and it sort of confuses a lot of people and emotionally holds them to captive to the bOrg.

  So what it comes down to is whether or not you think the religion teaches truth and also its past and current fruitage. (both of which are interesting topics)

  thecarpenter of the spirited directed class
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  52

  Dallas Apostafest 2006 Photos Update

  by Sparkplug in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i thought this would be easier.

  the other thread got bogged down by the images, so i have removed the photos.

  this tends to change the clarity a bit, but it is a lot easier to access and the speed is an nice.

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  thecarpenter

  sparkplug, you are a gem.... thanks for the great pictures!
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  3

  Heaven with a beer volcano and a stripper factory

  by Skimmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes, there's a heaven with a beer volcano and a stripper factory.

  at least according to the gospel of the flying spaghetti monster.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/flying_spaghetti_monster .

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  thecarpenter

  that would be a fun project
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  44

  IF they were right

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  imagine you woke up in a paradise earth that was inhabited by jehovahs witnesses.

  what would your reaction be?

  personally i'd feel sick (if my perfect body would allow that lol) as eternity stuck with them, would be worse than hell.

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  thecarpenter

  All you guys are nuts. I would be enjoying myself in paradise with my 70 virgins.

  You see, if the witnesses are right, then so are the muslims.
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  68

  What Did You LOVE About Being a Jehovah's Witness?

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok. minimus had his 'what did you hate about being a jw' thread, so i want to take a different tack on this.

  i'll even start it.

  i loved some of the get-togethers we had.

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  thecarpenter

  I loved the ability to travel anywhere in the world and have something instantly in common with people

  I was actually thinking of this the other day. I remember being able to visit people a world apart and be accepted because I was a brother. But this is not unique to this religion. There are other religious groups that will also extend a loving hand. (I have noticed a real cooling down in the congregations in my area before I left. As Blonde said, it was all an illusion...)
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  24

  I guess I won't be re-appointed as a servant again.

  by rassillon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i will try to make a long story short.

  me and my wife (faithful jw) had a problem with an evil pioneer sister elder's wife in our former hall.

  through the course of trying to work it out we decided we would be better off in another hall.

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  thecarpenter

  This post makes me laugh, I mocked a elder once about being appointed. What happened was a elder wanted me to take a care of some stuff. I didn't want to, so the brother started making comments about brothers who are used make spiritual advancement in the congregation (brown noses are a worthy goal). He asked me again to take care of something and I cut him off by saying "... or what, you're not going to make me a ministerial servant?" in a mocking voice. He just stared at me and then I walked away.
  
  I really didn't want to be reappointed again. At this point in my life, I was getting past the disillusionment with the bOrg and was moving to the next phase... anger with the borg. The following year I became inactive and now I longer attend meetings. A man can only take so much crap and then he gets tired of the bullsh*t.

  Life is good out of the bOrg.
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  93

  SHOULD I PIONEER OR COLLEGE?

  by stillAwitness in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  do you think the wt has become more lenient or stricter over the year?.

  i am 21 and i remember just 4 years ago going to college was looked at as something negative.

  girls my age, we had plans to be ft pioneers and become secretaries.

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  thecarpenter

  Go to College and major in plumbing.