It was funny how Tavis Smiley became visibly uncomfortable when Prince brought up how he didn't vote because of his religion and then didn't give any real reason. I hope Prince makes the circuit and lets a few more interviewers get at him. I don't know that Jon Stewart or Charlie Rose or NPRs Fresh Air will let him get away with the non-answer he gave Smiley.
Posts by lrkr
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9Did anybody else see "Br. Prince" on Tavis Smiley?
by Dagney inwelp, it was interesting.
tavis was a "little" over the top saying he was "the greatest musician in the world.
" (riiiight.
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WT to entirely shut down Brooklyn soon? New developments
by sir82 inone thread already started on this, although you may have missed it since the topic title is not so descriptive: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/173227/1/moving-sale.
here is a news article on it:.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20090326/news03/903260466.
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lrkr
That is all poor Ramapo needs. They have enough land off the tax rolls with every Hasid family claiming that their house is a religious institution. They had to close a school this year because the orthodox community votes in blocks to make sure that there is no public school funding (because their kids go to private religous schools) Besides, now I'll have to see more bethelites in the grocery stores, movies and malls!!!
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Change in Regular Pioneer application process
by Ultimate Reality inthis week a letter is being read that changes the process for the approval of regular pioneers.
in times past you had to fill out an application, submit it to the elder body (who would then add their comments), and it would be forwarded to "the branch" for approval.. this is being changed so that the elder body grants the approval instead of brooklyn or the local branch.
it looks like the lawyers are removing any and all direct contact between the rank-and-file and the gb.
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lrkr
I love it. Lets try and isolate those in charge from liability. Nothing about say, preventing, recognizing and dealing with molesters.
Every other organization who has been sued over child abuse issues has instituted major steps to help parents prevent, recognize and talk to their children about abuse. The Boy Scouts has a whole section on it that is mandatory. Local soccer leagues run criminal background checks on coaches and assistant coaches.
Not the WTBTS though- lets just insulated the top from liability!!!
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lrkr
When talking about the letter that the church bought from Alby and the ensuing difficulties for the family, Bill made a comment like- The church doesn't want this to turn into another ____ _____ affair (I cant remember the name he used). Is that a reference to a real Mormon scandal over old church documents? I hear that they have these type of scandals often. Apparently, there are a lot of wild letters floating around that are quite embarrasing and the Mormon church has gotten into trouble before and even been blackmailed to avoid the release of them.
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Comments you will NOT hear at the Congregation Bible Study Week Starting March 9
by LUKEWARM ini have recently joined after spending over 12 months lurking reading posts and evaluating/digesting the truth about the truth.
i learned all about ray franz here and after reading both of his books feel a great deal of appreciation toward the man for what i can only describe as a labour of love on his part.. .
(romans 9:1) how, though, can we make sure that our conscience is in harmony with jehovahs holy spirit?
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lrkr
Another classic WT head fake. Yes, yes, conscience is very important. Now acknowledge that you have a really sucky conscience that needs to be trained by us. Obey, obey, obey. (forget about conscience- just obey)
Its amazing how it only takes about 4 paragraphs to completely say the opposite thing.
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What do you think about this letter to the JC???
by tsar_robles inhi guys and gals... you've probably read my earlier post regarding the prodigal son question and how the jc sent me packing... well, after talking with a good friend of mine i decided to move a new cong.
where the elders have known me for many years and actually appreciate me as a person... at first i was planning on handing this letter in person so i went but their meeting time had changed so i called one of the elders in my reinstatement jc and asked him for the meeting days but he said 'it would be better if i mailed it' to which i replied 'do you just not want me around your congregation, is that it?
he said again it would just be better to mail it again and left it at that.
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lrkr
Just FYI. No matter what congregation you are in, the elders in your congregation have to send your request for reinstatement to the elders that served on your original JC and they have to pass judgement.
I hope you find peace.
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Article: The Atheist's Dilemma
by BurnTheShips incampos: the atheist's dilemmaby paul camposwhy is stanley fish so much smarter than richard dawkins?
that question occurred to me last week, while attending a lecture at which fish, the well-known literary and legal theorist, did the thing he always does, which is to make the following point over and over again:.
"no believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong.".
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lrkr
I read the article hoping for something like a dilemma. All I saw was Dawkins bashing- no evidence, no nothing.
I'm really hoping for an anti-athiest argument that makes some sense. At least then there can be a discussion. Right now, its like watching a Superbowl between "any other team" and the Buffalo Bills.
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Why I am an atheist
by Awakened at Gilead insomeone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.
1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.
once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.
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lrkr
I like reason 2G the best. (from page 1 of this post)
2 kids are talking about what the earth sits on. One says confidently- "It sits on the backs of 2 elephants" "So, what are those elephants standing on?" asks the other kid. The first kid thinks and says "2 more elephants" "So what are they standing on?" Frustrated, the kid with the elephant theory says, "Its just elephants, all the way down."
Thats the problem with God, doesn't really solve anything- just sets up the next question- where'd he come from.....
But my real problem with religion is, their logic goes something like this: life is complex, therefore it was designed by a creator....Life was created, therefore the judeo-christian version is true...the judeo-christian version is true, therefore JWs have the truth.
The first statement requires a leap of faith. The other two require dishonesty.
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lrkr
I guess it depends on where you live. Here, the Y has signs all over that say that the YMCA is a completely equal opportunity organization and that membership is open to anyone regardless of religious faith. Signing up is a matter of paying the bill. They take a picure for an ID so that they can enforce the "pay the bill" thing.
This link is what I am familiar with- a community support organization.
http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/
PS- Do you suppose its also "religious harlotry" to join the JCC (Jewish Community Center)- also a non-religious, great place to swim and work out.
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Sin
by AllTimeJeff inthe subject of sin is one that is at the core of judeo/christian thought.
jw's and ex jw's alike deal with many levels of guilt that is associated with believing that certain actions and thoughts are "sinful" or offensive to god.. jw's define sin as "a missing of the mark...... god himself sets the mark..... missing that mark is sin.
sin is anything not in harmony with god's personality, standards, ways and will.
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lrkr
Sin is an attempt to make people feel inadequate and off balance. Therfore, if you walk into a church or Kingdom Hall feeling pretty good about yourself, the sermon and associated ritual will knock you off balance. You are sinful. You may not even know why or how, but repent. It throws you off and makes anyone who buys it easy to control. I agree with whats been said, its a tool of the powerful.