Gopher

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Posts by Gopher

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  14

  how can they ignore this much pain and suffering???

  by oompa in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this site is amazing...if newbies would take the time to search even a few dozen pages....from day one it was up...til today.......god what agony they would see.....right here among those of their very own or those who were there own for forty to sixty years!....something is horribly wrong for wt and fds not to be able to see the pain this jwd group has experienced due to their rules and regs (not what the bible mandates), and is causing families so much grief.....there is no way in the world a loving god would want families to experience this much pain!....and even urge families to not speak to one another!....geeze...that is just..........sorry, no word for it..................oompa

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  Gopher

  Lone Ranger -- while you are right that there is a lot of suffering happening on the planet, the question posed in the original post still has merit.

  The WTS is on a power trip. That's what cults do -- they care not about breaking up families, or about honest complaints that they are abusing their power. The current mission of the WT Society now is its own survival. Individual human beings can be thrown under the bus for all they care.

  They chew up people and spit them out. They take the best years of their lives, and the boys' club subjugates women and children. All this, while claiming to be a grand loving association.

  Many of us were fooled big time by these big claims. And it's very therapeutic to share our anger, frustration and sadness with others who understand. We need to be able to post questions like this and have understanding. It can help us get past the abuse and/or neglect we've suffered in the past.

  True others have large problems to deal with in their life. This board cannot tackle all those. But we sure can take the WTS head-on here.
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  81

  Prop 8 - Petition against the tax-exempt status of the Mormons

  by Devilsnok in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see no reason why any organised religion should be exempt from paying their due taxes.

  here's a chance to rob the mormon church of their tax exempt status.... please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons and sign it and pass it on to your friends.. .

  the lds church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse prop 8 in california via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of californians and their families.. .

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  Gopher

  LOL it is only 'tyranny' if you are the loser..........

  Nope, tyranny is taking away someone's right or power. It's always imposed by the stronger on the 'loser'.

  So we should let a few liberals decide for the rest fo us because they will throw a temper tantrum and akin their opinion to a 'right'.

  It's not American to have majorities take away privileges from minorities. "Temper tantrum" -- LOL. That's what you call protests where people exercise their first amendment rights to free speech?

  If you don't like the voting process, well propose a change to your elected representative.

  I don't live in California, and have no such power to propose a change. However, California is a large part of American society. And as I've stated several times in the past 2 weeks I don't see where it's American for the majority to "vote" on whether minorities have equal rights. That's akin to mob rule. Proper elections are not about squeezing the minorities. America is about "all men are created equal", not about some being more equal than others and voting it that way.
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  81

  Prop 8 - Petition against the tax-exempt status of the Mormons

  by Devilsnok in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see no reason why any organised religion should be exempt from paying their due taxes.

  here's a chance to rob the mormon church of their tax exempt status.... please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons and sign it and pass it on to your friends.. .

  the lds church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse prop 8 in california via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of californians and their families.. .

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  Gopher

  Yeah, whatever. The election is over, lets move on.

  So we should just let this insidious erosion of the rights of minorities continue? We should continue to let the tyranny of the majority decide who gets human rights? This isn't over, by far. If unchecked, this trend will continue. No there is no "moving on". Your poster name is 'free to be me'. So why can't we let others be free to be themselves, in the full sense of legal protection?
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  81

  Prop 8 - Petition against the tax-exempt status of the Mormons

  by Devilsnok in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see no reason why any organised religion should be exempt from paying their due taxes.

  here's a chance to rob the mormon church of their tax exempt status.... please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons and sign it and pass it on to your friends.. .

  the lds church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse prop 8 in california via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of californians and their families.. .

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  Gopher

  Think about it this way, the governement infringed upon the right of Mormons to live their lifestyle.

  Even though polygamy was accepted by "God's people" in Old Testament times (for reasons now explained away by Biblical apologists), and it's still widely practiced in many African cultures, in Western culture we do infringe on polygamists -- not because of religious reasons, but because our culture rejects the unfairness inherent in polygamy.

  Whether or not you think our culture is right in doing so, it does not give a church (one which may feel it has been wronged) the right to force ITS view of morality on others by applying political pressure to take away marriage rights from a minority it despises.
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  81

  Prop 8 - Petition against the tax-exempt status of the Mormons

  by Devilsnok in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see no reason why any organised religion should be exempt from paying their due taxes.

  here's a chance to rob the mormon church of their tax exempt status.... please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons and sign it and pass it on to your friends.. .

  the lds church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse prop 8 in california via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of californians and their families.. .

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  Gopher

  Let me get this straight.

  The Mormons (and / or their members, cough, cough) funnelled millions of dollars into Proposition 8 which defines marriage as only between ONE man and ONE woman!!

  Oh the irony.

  I thought Mormons have been notorious for defining marriage as between ONE man and, oh, five or six women???

  For goodness sake, they even had to get their own state (Utah) to keep that practice going for a while.

  The Mormon religion is truly hypocritical and hateful. A century or so ago, the black race was 'cursed' in their definition, and blacks could not hold positions of authority in their religion. When this becamse socially unacceptable, their leader had a convenient 'vision from God' telling them they should change.

  This century, the target of Mormon bigotry is homosexuals.

  It is disturbing that California is starting a trend of states using their Constitution to TAKE RIGHTS AWAY. America has always been more progressive, extending rights to minorities and oppressed groups. And make no bones about it, gays have been very oppressed as long as any of us can remember. It's always been hard for them to be open, and they're constantly ridiculed and discriminated against.

  And now, in a truly un-American "vote" in California, we have the majority voting to take away the rights of a minority. One thing government should do in America is stand up for the rights of minorities.

  I really hope this hateful trend by religions against minorities will come to a stop, and soon.
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  9

  Three hours in line just to get an absentee ballot!

  by LovesDubs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow lovesdubs... i walked in to the village hall and it was just me and another woman to get an absentee ballot.

  took some time to fill out the paper work, but not bad.

  though this town is small... i wanted to avoid the long lines and wait tomorrow..

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  Gopher

  America got rid of poll taxes because they favored the wealthier voters. Poll taxes threaten the right to vote.

  Making people stand in very long lines to cast a vote is a form of a poll tax. Some people cannot afford a whole day away from their job (although some employers do pay you for a couple of hours to go vote, sometimes that just isn't enough). Some would have to pay a day care while you go stand in line to vote.

  There must be a better way to allow more to participate in America's elections without causing such colossal inconvenience.

  Perhaps the federal law should allow a weeklong voting period, instead of cramming everybody into Tuesday -- how archaic is that? Tuesday was picked as election day in America because the nineteenth-century folks didn't want to vote on the Sabbath, and it took a couple days by horse-and-buggy to ride in to the polling station back then.

  With the increase in population since then and in the increase in available technology, there MUST be a better way.
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  22

  Freaked Out, Failed to Vote, & Cult Thoughts Kick in too....

  by yknot in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so i tried voting twice today, both time complete failures.

  now it isn't only a select few in my kh who think i am possessed.

  first time i got to the front of the line and freaked out badly.

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  Gopher

  Isn't election day tomorrow (Tuesday)?

  If you can go tomorrow, it may help to have a sample ballot filled out and decisions made ahead of time, so that all you have to deal with are the actual mechanics of the thing.

  Many big-city newspapers have a page where you can create a sample ballot tailored to your area, or your state's Secretary of State website also has sample ballots.

  Having the decisions made ahead of time can relieve some of the pressure.
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  22

  *** Proof ! Angels really do walk the earth ***

  by FlyingHighNow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn5l5u92_54&feature=related

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  Gopher

  You can get her CD at Walmart.com for $11.88.

  http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10628532
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  22

  *** Proof ! Angels really do walk the earth ***

  by FlyingHighNow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn5l5u92_54&feature=related

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  Gopher

  Halcyon,

  You can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Talbot

  She placed 2nd overall in the TV contest. Sony BMG wouldn't sign her due to her age, so she signed a contract with Rainbow Recording Company and released an album which has sold over a quarter-million copies.
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  22

  Post Your Favorite Holiday Recipes!

  by StAnn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, folks.

  i need ideas!

  starting with non-boring cookies!

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  Gopher

  I used to do a lot of baking when I was younger.

  I don't do much right now. Here's a yummy-looking recipe I found.

  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-and-Cranberry-Cookies/Detail.aspx

  INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.