Doug Mason

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Posts by Doug Mason

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  23

  Looking for transcript of the "Miracle Wheat" trial

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  as the title of this thread says, i am looking for the transcript of the "miracle wheat" trial.. any clues?.

  thanks,.

  doug.

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  Doug Mason

  As the title of this thread says, I am looking for the transcript of the "Miracle Wheat" trial.

  Any clues?

  Thanks,

  Doug
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  55

  VAT 4956 Astronomical Observations

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  starting a new thread to discuss the astronomical observations recorded in vat 4956..

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  Doug Mason

  VM44,

  It seems to me that it is one thing to document the outcomes of calculations, however I think it is important also to document the input side.

  For example, what are the inputs? their criteria? any assumptions? how do these impact the results? and so on.

  Is it possible to run the program on a tablet for which there is no controversy as a double-check?

  OK. I know it's tough. All that the W/T did was to make an unsubstantiated claim, but I am interested in knowing that any results and outcomes can be substantiated, even if that ultimately requires a documented report.

  Doug
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  55

  VAT 4956 Astronomical Observations

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  starting a new thread to discuss the astronomical observations recorded in vat 4956..

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  Doug Mason

  VM44,

  Please do not ask me to comment or explain. I am certain your skills far exceed mine.

  I am simply providing this information as background, given your interest in Julian dating. From my simple reading of the following, it seems possible that caution needs to be exercised when plotting Julian dates into a system, since these guys seem to have a Julian day number (JDN) as well as a Julian ephemeris date (JED). Whether that has any significance for you, I cannot even begin to guess.

  Here then is the piece that speaks about converting from either the Julian or Gregorian calendar to the JDN (if that matters to you)

  Doug

  -------------

  On a systematic solar calendar - such as the Julian or Gregorian system - it is a relatively straightforward matter to calculate the exact number of days between any two selected epochs. Most computations of this sort make use of the Julian day number (JDN), devised by Joseph Justus Scaliger (AD 1540-1609). This scheme is based on a cycle of 7980 Julian years, commencing in 4713 BC. The precise epoch from which Julian days are numbered is Greenwich noon on Jan 1 (Julian calendar) in that year. A major reference epoch is 1900.0 (i.e. Greenwich noon on 1899 Dec 31), for which the JDN is 2415020.0. Since most modern astronomical computations make use of terrestrial time, it has become customary to use the Julian ephemeris date (JED) where necessary; this begins at 12h TT.

  Various algorithms have been developed to convert from either the Julian or Gregorian calendar to the JDN, among the simplest being those deduced by Muller (1975), which make full use of the rules of FORTRAN. These are given in equations (1.20) and (1.21). Here J is the JDN, Y the year, M the month and D the day of the month; all variables are treated as integer.

  For any date AD on the Gregorian calendar:

  J=367*Y - 7*(Y+(M+Y)/12)/4 - 3*((Y+(M-9)/7)/100+l)/4+275*M/9+D+1721029. (1.20)

  For any date on the Julian calendar the following simpler formula applies:

  J=367*Y-7(Y+5001+(M-9)/7)/4+275*M/9+D+1729777. (1.21)

  I have employed these formulae in many of the computer programs which I have developed.

  (Historical Eclipses and Earth’s Rotation, pages 31-32, F Richard Stephenson)
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  55

  VAT 4956 Astronomical Observations

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  starting a new thread to discuss the astronomical observations recorded in vat 4956..

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  Doug Mason

  VM44,

  These just some personal musings between you and I, so no one else will know what I am thinking.

  To the average Joe Witness, these esoteric interpetations of ancient characters, results from astronomical software, and such, fly over their heads.

  I guess the average JW simply says, "that's what the 'brothers' in Brooklyn say, and they have the resources. End of story."

  All that the writer of the article needs to say, is that some anonymous people have conducted an undescribed unverified analysis and their unseen report supports the WTS. When this is done, that is good enough for a True Believer, because of who said it -- the WTS.

  What goes through my mind is that there is a number of astronomical tablets in the British Museum, which singly and together confirm the accepted dates for Nebuchadnezzar. There is thus the weight of evidence, not just VAT4956.

  Interestingly, the WTS relies on an astronomical tablet for its method of getting to 539 BCE, so the WTS should not deny the integrity of astronomical tablets out of hand. Pity is that "their" tablet has admitted errors, and it is a calculation, not an observation. So their arguments against records of calculated eclipses is an "own goal".

  Did you see the pic on page 32 of my Critique:

  http://www.jwstudies.com/Critique_of_When_Was_Ancient_Jerusalem_Destroyed.pdf

  Doug
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  6

  What constitutes the great Apostasy?

  by wannabe in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible
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  Doug Mason

  Centuries after the Apostles died, the believers in the Trinity decided which writings would be accepted as their Holy Scriptures.

  Little wonder they got it wrong. Pity the WTS still includes those forged documents in their NT.

  Doug
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  8

  The Watchtower, the faithful and discreet slave indeed!

  by dgp in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  how many of you think that this is true of the watchtower, as the (self-appointed) faithful and discreet slave?.

  24no one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other.

  you cannot slave for god and for riches.".

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  Doug Mason

  Who is the FDS?

  What is the Governing Body's relationship to the FDS?

  What are the GB's responsibilities to the FDS?

  http://www.jwstudies.com/org_chart.pdf

  http://www.jwstudies.com/FDS_and_its_GB.pdf

  What is the organisation's Religious Worldwide Order, whose members sign a Vow of Obedience and Poverty?

  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/march5/12.25.html

  Doug
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  55

  VAT 4956 Astronomical Observations

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  starting a new thread to discuss the astronomical observations recorded in vat 4956..

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  Doug Mason

  Larry,

  Does the tone of your reply indicate the effect Christianity has on people's minds?

  Do your snide and personal remarks indicate how Christianity poisons people?

  What advertising is that for Christianity?

  Little wonder religion has been at the root of major conflicts, and still is. When we look at history, we see the outcome of such religious attitudes. The very worst war in modern times, in terms of casuaties compared with the size of the population, was the religious war between the Protestants of England and the Catholics of France, named the Thirty Years' War. Consider the bloody internecine wars of the Christians in the 4th and 5th centuries, the behavious of Christians during the Spanish Inquisition, the effect of the Christians during the invasion of South America, and down to our own days in Ireland, and so on.

  Your personal attacks, which show your self-considered superiority, completely damages your cause.

  Doug
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  6

  What constitutes the great Apostasy?

  by wannabe in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible
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  Doug Mason

  Maybe the great apostacy is becoming a follower of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?

  Doug
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  19

  Does anyone know what the Watchtower's corporate ladder would be like?

  by dgp in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was wondering if anyone knows how a brother would make his way up to the governing body.

  in my (worldly) opinion, there has to be something like a corporate ladder to climb.

  does anyone know what the "procedure" would be?.

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  Doug Mason

  This is my very unofficial interpretation of the WTS hierarchy:

  http://www.jwstudies.com/org_chart.pdf

  Do not ignore the fact that they have a Religious Order akin to that of the RC Church. Each member of the WTS Religious Order signs a vow of Obedience and Poverty.

  The WTS has used the existence of this Religious Order successfully when arguing cases in courts of law. For further information, see page 5 and 6 of my Study:

  http://www.jwstudies.com/FDS_and_its_GB.pdf

  I notice that a copy of the vow signed by each member of the Watchtower's Religious Order is shown at:

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/03/vow-of-obedience.html

  Doug
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  21

  Critique of the October 1 Watchtower article"When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?"

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  my critique of the october 1, 2011 watchtower article "when was ancient jerusalem destroyed?

  http://www.jwstudies.com/critique_of_when_was_ancient_jerusalem_destroyed.pdf .

  i am looking forward to hearing of correction or omissions.. please note that this is a large file (almost 7 meg) which takes a while to download and a while to format in a web browser.. the design of the critique allows a single major topic to be individually printed, so that those pages may be handed to an apologist for the watchtower society.

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  Doug Mason

  wannabefree,

  Thank you for your eagle eyes picking out the following two typos. I have corrected them. No excuses on my part.

  page 3 last sentence under heading A difference of about 20 years, reads "... while everyone else others depends on ..."
  
  page 11 2nd line of title reads 'Who The "Seventy Years" Aimed Were At'

  The required corrections are obvious.

  I have updated the file.

  Again, thanks.

  And thank you everybody for your kind words.

  Doug