mavie

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Posts by mavie

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  Looking for Jan 07 Awake and Awake on Evolution

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  looking for a scan of the jan 07 awake and the recent awake on evolution, i believe it was jan 06?

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  mavie

  Looking for a scan of the Jan 07 Awake and the recent Awake on evolution, I believe it was Jan 06?
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  5

  Letter to Dad

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm doing good.

  i'll be flying back to portland next monday.

  i'm reading a book by a biologist named richard dawkins called "the blind watchmaker".

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  mavie

  Thanks.
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  5

  Letter to Dad

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm doing good.

  i'll be flying back to portland next monday.

  i'm reading a book by a biologist named richard dawkins called "the blind watchmaker".

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  mavie

  Thanks.
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  5

  Letter to Dad

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm doing good.

  i'll be flying back to portland next monday.

  i'm reading a book by a biologist named richard dawkins called "the blind watchmaker".

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• 

  mavie

  I'm doing good. I'll be flying back to Portland next Monday.
  
  I'm reading a book by a biologist named Richard Dawkins called "The Blind Watchmaker".
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Watchmaker-Evidence-Evolution-Universe/dp/0393315703
  
  He argues against the teleological argument, the argument that all life is designed by a god. The Watchtower, and your email, use this argument. Usually it's presented like this:
  
  "One of the most famous arguments of the creationist theory of the universe is the eighteenth-century theologian William Paley's: Just as a watch is too complicated and too functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed." You could also say the same thing about a house (the bible uses this), airplane, etc.
  
  Of course, a watch, house, and airplane were designed. Yet, they are not living things. This brings us to the butterfly, a living thing. Of course, the odds against a butterfly, or any other complex organism like a fish, flower, or human suddenly springing into existence are so remote they can be considered impossible. However, this is NOT what Darwinian evolution is about. Unfortunately this is how the Watchtower and Awake present evolution.
  
  Darwinian evolution argues that small changes in organisms occur through environmental stresses and/or random mutations. Now, most mutations are not benefical and do not survive to the next generation. Do small changes occur? The January Awake of 2006 admits as much about finches on the Galapagos Islands. Micro-evolution *is* observable...even the WT has to admit this.
  
  So that begs the question, does macro-evolution occur? How can different species develop through micro-evolution? Well, given enough time and relative isolation a series of cumulative micro-evolutionary changes will eventually give rise to an organism that cannot mate with it's relatives who had a different set of micro-evolutionary changes.
  
  You can see 'missing links' throughout the fossil record. You can see micro-evolutionary changes in existing data. Yet, how is a mutation that gives the stub of a foot better than no foot? How about change that gives something 1% of an eye, how is that possible? You have to research this to find out. It's really eye-opening dad.
  
  I love you guys very much and it wasn't easy to make this decision. It's important to do proper research and not be afraid of what might be out there. The tendency towards rejecting something because it doesn't fit with your current worldview is harmful.
  
  This clip is by Richard Dawkins...he is talking about his new book. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but why be afraid of it?
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUk78ocGvs (Richard Dawkins)
  
  Love you,
  
  Michael
  
  -------------------------original message
  
  Hi, How are you?
  
  I wanted to share this with you, I got it from Sister Hatridge in our Cong.
  
  We watched the Al Gore movie last night, we don't have long!!
  
  
  Love, Dad
  
  
  
  
  Subject: FW: Glasswing Butterflies ....Gorgeous!
  
  
  Subject: Fw: Glasswing Butterflies ....Gorgeous!
  
  
  I hope the pictures come through on this.
  
  Lives in South America
  A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful.
  As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glasswing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red.
  All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed: in life that
  which is unnoticed has the most power.
  
  
  (pictures of butterflies up close, beautiful shots)
  
  
  
  
  Really something isn't it?
• 
  41

  Snippet of a JW letter.

  by jeeprube in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  here's a snippet from a letter my sister in law recently wrote my wife.

  enjoy:.

  hope you two are doing well!.

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• 

  mavie

  A member of Bethel was visiting and said that the governing
  body strongly feels that the end is very near. They are just waiting for
  the prophecy in Revelation to be fulfilled where Jehovah will put it
  into the hearts of the governments to turn on false religion.

  Interesting, I wonder in what capacity this is being told to dubs. From the platform?

  The preaching work, at Matthew 24:14, is strongly felt to be nearing fulfillment
  if not fulfilled already! That's where it says that the good news will
  be preached everywhere before the end comes. There are only 3 places
  where the good news has not reached because it can't reach there
  (banned) - North Korea, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia.

  So, the millions of people in this county can be reached?
• 
  47

  microphone duty

  by praiseband in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok, for those of us non-, and never before-jw's, will someone please explain what the big deal is about having responsibility for microphones is all about?

  we do use microphones in our church, but ....i mean whoever is in charge of any technology that day sets up microphones.

  it could be anyone in the church, male or female, young or old, the pastor, the janitor.

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  mavie

  Well, when I was an MS, I was the Sound Servant.

  That means:

  1.) I made a schedule each month determining in advance who would run each microphone and the sound console.

  2.) Get to the KH 20 minutes early and setup the mics and sound for the meeting that night.

  3.) Run around and try to find people to handle the mic assignments. It was difficult. It seemed like some did not want to be involved...I tried to be gentle.

  4.) Handle any sound issues during the meeting...high pitches, low sound, too loud, etc. The elder who had the job before me was very picky about the sound and would constantly be tweaking the knobs.

  5.) O yeah, I was also an attendant, which meant I was standing at the back for most of the meeting taking count and handling any disturbances in addition to walking the parking lot twice a meeting for safety.

  Hey, it gave me something to do. I got a little concerned toward the end how easy some brothers would get upset over silly things like handling mics. I hated, and refused, to counsel brothers about service time and appearance.
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  27

  JWD outage -- what if it were longer or worse, permanent?

  by Fatfreek in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  jwd to me, and for some like me, is my morning coffee.

  if its not up, like earlier today, it gets me to thinking, what if this were a permanent thing?

  what if jwd were actually shut down like our friend quotes site in 2006?

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  mavie

  I would mourn the loss of a place where all are welcome to come and pursue honest research regarding Jehovah's Witnesses and the WTBTS.
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  14

  JW Talks Password Protected Now

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  www.jwproclaimers.org is now password protected.

  i think there is a yahoo group associated with this site....did anyone get the talks before it was locked up?

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  mavie

  >The reason that I set up the site is that there
  >is so much focus on the Watchtower.
  
  >I am one of Jehovah's Witneses,not the Watchtower.
  
  >In none of these files, does anyone use the term "Watchtower Organization."
  
  >The site is not about the Watchtower. I do not have Watchtower material
  >on there. For that reason they have no jurisdiction over it.
  
  >How is it that there are so many that are against and talking
  >badly about Jehovah's Witnesses when you all don't even
  >know about JWs? That is because you don't listen.
  
  I agree, some people don't listen. When I first came to this site, I thought all the people here were nothing but complainers. I saw many ad hominem attacks which are pointless in the end. Also, I was a raised a JW, so I know the teachings and lifestyle very well. I know what it means to be a JW.
  
  >But the purpose of the site is that all of you are so Watchtower this
  >and Watchtower that, but yet Jehovah's Witnesses are much more than
  >The Watchtower. They are just publishers of printed materials.
  >There are no printed Watchtower materials on there.
  
  I agree, JW's are much more than the WT. Your site fills in those gaps. Another reason I am interested.
  
  >The purpose also is to have accurate information that was given in the past
  >rather than looking back.
  
  Exactly, this is what I'm after.
  
  >Oh, I do have the so-called "stay alive til 75", but I can not verify the
  >authenticity of it.
  
  I actually obtained that talk from another source today. It would be interesting to see if your source is the same.
  
  >Actually I passworded it because I am doing layout changes and uploads
  >until tomorrow.
  
  Fair enough, but you must understand why some on this board would think otherwise. I look forward to the site coming back online and appreciate the service you are providing.
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  14

  JW Talks Password Protected Now

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  www.jwproclaimers.org is now password protected.

  i think there is a yahoo group associated with this site....did anyone get the talks before it was locked up?

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• 

  mavie

  well, I received a rude pm from who I believe to be the admin. He first insulted my intelligence, then more or less informed me I wouldn't be able to access the talks.

  it's unfortunate all that material is privately held, and can be deleted at any time and be lost forever. this kind of secrecy is part of the reason I decided to leave.
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  14

  JW Talks Password Protected Now

  by mavie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  www.jwproclaimers.org is now password protected.

  i think there is a yahoo group associated with this site....did anyone get the talks before it was locked up?

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  mavie

  Well, there is a wealth of information there. The talks from the 50's and 60's are interesting. Unfortunately, the administrator seems to be fearful of the WT's own teachings being publicly available. If it's money ou are worried about, I'm sure some here would gladly provide bandwidth to host the data.