Posts by Rapunzel

5

Cruise Ship Disaster

by Rapunzel in

jw
friends

apparently, a cruise ship got caught in a typhoon that hit the r.o.p.

[republic of the philippines].the estimated death toll is approximately 700, or about half the number who perished on the titanic.

i fear that the death toll in the latest cruise-ship disaster could actually be higher than 700. my fear comes from the fact that 700 were officially registered as being on board.

Apparently, a cruise ship got caught in a typhoon that hit the R.O.P. [Republic of the Philippines].The estimated death toll is approximately 700, or about half the number who perished on the Titanic. I fear that the death toll in the latest cruise-ship disaster could actually be higher than 700. My fear comes from the fact that 700 were officially registered as being on board. Unfortunately, there exists the common practice of cramming many more people on board, people who are not recorded in the official registry or log. Of course, I hope that this is not the case, but I fear it is. In any case, it's a horrible tragedy. These people were looking forward to a lovely and relaxing sea-cruise, but they got death by drowning.

Moreover, with the estimated eath toll at 700, it seems that more people died in the cruise ship disaster than on land. The estimated death toll on land is 250 - 300.

44

Let's play - Spot The Jest (page 174 Rev climax)

by 1914BS in

something does not make sense!.

i'll be back in a day or so to see if anyone found it.

jws won't be able to find it..

Rapunzel

As Oompa pointed out, the dead fish and the oil barrel are insets. As such, they are are distinct from the picture in general, The fish and the barrel are in their own respective frames.As can be seen, the liquid in the barrel is spilling out of the frame in which the barrel has been placed and into the larger frame of the general picture. This probably a violation of some pictorial norm. The problem is with the liquid spilling out of the barrel and entering the frame of the general picture.

In my mind, this is either an attempt to be "postmodern," or an example of incompetance and/or laziness.

32

Servant Step-dad strangles Pioneer mom Elders ask them to reconcile??

by Witness 007 in

while living in perth my step-dad and mother were pioneering....he was also a servant.

twice my mum left him due to violence...but, elder idiot encouragement sent her back to him.

this last time they had an arguement about the price of potatoes.

Rapunzel

The Mike - The principal problem with the elders' intefering in the problems experienced by married couples is that they have absolutely no training and, therefore, no qualifications nor justification to do so. It takes at least several years of intensive beyond a Bachelor's degree [B.A.] to qualify as a therapist and specialize in marrigage counseling. The interpersonal dynamics of marrigage are quite complex. The challenges faced by married couples often seem daunting. In order to be a therapist, a person absolutely must have the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively deal with a couple's emotional and spiritual issues. He or she must possess a great amount of empathy and compassion.

In short, being married is very difficult. If a couple chooses to see a therapist /counselor, that person had better be highly educated and well-trained in order to serve his/her clients well and help them to face and overcome the difficulties associated with marriage in our modern era. The therapist/counselor should have at least a Master's degree, and preferably a Ph.D. After all, everyone is quite justifiably expects that their doctors and surgeons are more than adequtely trained. Marriage is of no less importance.

Let me ask you, the Mike. Would you, personally, have surgery performed on you if you knew for a fact they had no medical training whatsoever? As we know, many [not all, bu many] Witness elders have only a high school diploma. Many [not all, but many] are "encouraged" to work in trades in the capacity of janitors or window-washers. My point is not to criticize or mock these jobs. My question is: How do these trades qualify Witness elders to be marriage counselors? Or, let's suppose a Witness is an accountant or a lawyers, as some are. Would you go to a lawyer for surgery? Would you say to yourself - "Man, this looks like it could be a tumor on my neck, I should probably call and make an appointment with my accounant."

The truth of the matter is that most elders are incompetant ignoramuses. They are utterly incapable of offering any sort of helpful or reasonable advice to a couple whose marrigage is in trouble. Moreover, the Bible itself can offer precious little usefulness in the area of marital problems and tension. The whole idea of "headship" is a load of tripe. It's misogynist bullshit. The "information" in the Bible is outdated by at least two millenia. It was written in an era totally different from our own, by people possessing an entirely different ethos. By way of illustration, as you probably know, there existed cars in the 1920's. Suppose you found a repair manual dating back to the 1920's. Would you try to use that manual to repair a modern-day hybrid car? Many modern cars have computerized components integrated into their mechanics. Of how much use do you think that 1920's manual would be in fixing a modern-day car?

One last point. If there is any - even the slightest - suspicion of spousal abuse in the form of physical and/or psychological violence, then it is definitely a matter for the police. If an elder even so much as suspects abuse or violence, then he is bound both ethically and morally to notify the police.

It is specifically in this regard that the Witness elders show thenselves to be abhorrant and disgusting bastards. Often [not always], in order "not to bring reproach on the congregation or Jehovah's name," the Witness elders turn a blind eye - or even cover up - all forms of domestic violence and abuse. Witness men batter and rape their wives. Witnesses beat their children in the Kingdom Hall, and are met with approving smiles. Pedophilia is an enormous problem within the Witness organization. It is all-pervasive. And yet, the Witness elders are notorious for covering up these horrific crimes against women and children.

Given that the Jehovah's Witnesses organization is a "safe harbor" and sanctuary for pedophiles and perpetrators of domestic violence [this is due in very large part to the so-called "two witness rule," with which I am sure that you are familiar], how the hell can Witness elders be expected to have the knowledge and the compassionate empathy to advise couples who are experiencing troubles in marriage? It's like asking a pig to play chess.

23

Guided by Delusions of Granduer 2009 District Convention program

by Not Feeling It in

it was sent by a rampant, serial-emailing, hardcore jw.

i didn't see copies on a half-assed 1-minute search.

so sorry if this is a duplicate post.. should be called "guided by voices" in my opinion as a subtle truism and tribute to a nifty band.. -- not attending it.

Rapunzel

Are they already planning for the year 2009? The second half of the year 2008 has not yet even begun.

10

Why there will always be Jehovah's Witnesses.

by TooBad TooSad in

there will always be jehovah's witnesses because:.

1. there will always be people who can not think for themselves.. 2. there will always be people who need to be told how to dress, what to do on vacation, what.

to do on the weekends, how much education you should have, and what married couples can do in bed.. 3. there will always be people who are willing to put thier lives on hold as they wait for better times.. 4. there will always be people who, because they can not make a decision, enjoy being told what.

Rapunzel

Wasn't it P.T. Barnum who said - "There's a sucker born every minute"? He was right. I should know. At one point in my life, I swallowed the whole Witness fraud, "hook, line, and sinker," as the expression goes.

9

I need to find someone who speaks Aramaic

by sacolton in

jw
friends

got a project i'm working on and need to find someone who can record a few words in aramaic.. any ideas?.

Rapunzel

As I remember, didn't Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ in Aramaic? Wasn't the film directed using Aramaic? If so, there had to be some method of teaching the actors how to speak in Aramaic. I'm sure that if you google "learning Aramaic" or "studying Aramaic," you will find some resources.

3

Cross-Cultural Experiences?

by Babylon the Great Employee in

(first, as an american, i must apologize to our international friends for our country ever exporting the watchtower in the first place.

someone should take up the matter with the wto.

seriously, though, i am interested in the differences (if any) in jw's across cultures.

Rapunzel

Hi Renee, as I remember, the Mormons in Taiwan were called Mo-men-jia. As far as I know both the Mormons and the Witnesses are prohibited and banned in the People's Republic of China. However, Taiwan has an entirely different government and politcal system. There is virtually total freedom of religion in Taiwan. In Taiwan, Witnesses and Mormons are allowed to freely preach. Moreover, there are also groups such as Scientology and Hare Krishnas. In fact, I know for a fact that Taiwan has a special "missionary visa" available. This special visa allows a missionary [of any religious group] to legally work part-time. Usually, it is a question of teaching English. The Taiwanese authorities are more concerned with people violating their labor laws. They could not care less about religious issues. Most Taiwanese are outwardly polite when approached by missionaries [the Mormons are ubiquitous], but they usually remain totally indifferent to foreign [Western] missionaries. In fact, I spoke with several Mormons who complained that they had not made one single convert, despite all their best efforts. Mormons are famous for asking: "Have you ever heard anything about our church?"

3

Cross-Cultural Experiences?

by Babylon the Great Employee in

(first, as an american, i must apologize to our international friends for our country ever exporting the watchtower in the first place.

someone should take up the matter with the wto.

seriously, though, i am interested in the differences (if any) in jw's across cultures.

Rapunzel

I can add some ideas in regard to the dress code, although these observations are now rather "dated," and may now be obsolete.

About three decades ago, I spent a year in France. I lived in Grenoble, France from June 1976 until August, 1977. While there, I actively associated with two congregations of Les Temoins de Jehovah [The Jehovah's Witnesses, as they are called in France]. In regard to the "sisters" dress code, it was very different from the one in most American congregations in that it was the custom of the younger women in the congregation to wear blue jeans - very tight, "form-fitting" - blue jeans to the meetings.

I should point out the "dichotomy" that existed between the younger sisters and the older sisters. As for the older sisters [those older than forty], it was the custom to wear dresses or blouse/skirt combinations. However, the younger sisters [those in their teens or twenties] would often attend meetings and go out in service wearing tight blue jeans. In the late 70's, this was the custom in much of France, so, in that respect, the sisters in question did not stand out at all. In fact, they fit in well with, and followed, the dominant cultural trend.

But in many American congregation, such behavior would have seemed scandalous.

On a different point, I wonder how much Witnesses in Asian cultures - such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea - adhere to the "anti-higher education" policy of the Witnesses, the one that greatly discourages college/university education. In Asian cultures, higher education has traditionally been valued to the point where it is virtually revered. I wonder to what extent Witnesses living in these cultures adhere to the official Witness "party line," as it were. I wonder to what extent are allowances made for local cultural norms in the area of higher education.

Another point is that of so-called "ancestor worship." Having lived in Taiwan for twenty years [as a non-witness who had absolutely no contact whatsoever with the Witnesses], I know for a fact, that, in the minds of Taiwanese, it is not a question of worship at all. It does not form part of the religious realm, but rather it is a matter of culture. It is a question of respect for one's ancestors. It's a matter of tradition, as opposed to worship. I wonder how Witnesses in these cultures view these matters. In Taiwan, virtually every home has a family shrine. I wonder if Witnesses follow the local societal mores, or rebel against them. I can say that there are only a very few Witnesses in Taiwan. In my twenty yeards there, I did not encounter a single Witness. So I have no idea about their perspective on the matter.

21

Watchtower "Lights" Up Their Lives

by Farkel in

i've commented offhandedly about this subject a number of times in the past, but it is worth discussing because it speaks volumes about the jw religion and the cognitive dissonance that is endemic to it.. dubs are never satisified with their "current light.

" they weren't satisfied four decades ago when i was active, and they are not satisified now.

they won't come out and say that of course, but we all know it is true.

Rapunzel

There is no "new light" scripture [as interpreted by the Witnesses] in the entire Bible!!!!! They rip a few Bible verses [from of the book of Psalms or Proverbs, I believe] entirely out of context. As I remember, the verses in question don't speak of new light, but rather of a light which grows brighter and brighter. There is a subtle, yet distinct, difference between the two notions. Moreover, the verses in question establish a general, metaphysical contrast between the "way of the righteous" and the "way of the wicked." The verses in question establish an opposition between the two groups' states of being.

It's scandalous how most Witnesses don't even bother to read the so-called "new light" verses in their proper context. If they did so, they would see that the Bible does not even use the phrase, "new light."

28

Don't JWs Get Humiliated Everytime They Say THIS Time The End Is CLOSE!!!!!

by minimus in

jw
friends

i don't get it!

Rapunzel

The reasoning behind such "pronouncements" on the Witnesses part has a lot to do with human psychology. Basically, they say this because they need to say it; saying such a thing fulfills a basic psychological need. Most people [both Witnesses and non-Witnesses] see a great need in preserving the integrity, the constancy, and the consistency of what they perceive as their "ego," their sense of self. To admit to themselves that the end is not near would be too much for them to endure. They have so much at stake in preserving this delusion. This delusion is very much who they are; it constitutes their identity. They are the select few, the elect, who will survive into the New System which, by necessity, is so near that its presence is palpable.