Hey, GrreatTeacher, this is totally off-topic, but for your avatar I recommend Tony the Tiger in a Jesus costume. Which, coincidentally, will render any opposing argument invalid.
--sd-7
i never believed in evolution as i thought it didn't make sense and that what was proposed was simply impossible.
how could an environment alter an organism's dna?
as we can see however, bacteria cannot become resistance to antibiotics.
Hey, GrreatTeacher, this is totally off-topic, but for your avatar I recommend Tony the Tiger in a Jesus costume. Which, coincidentally, will render any opposing argument invalid.
--sd-7
i have become more observant at the last couple district conventions of jws faces and enthusiasm and it seems to be very somber.
i remember a couple of years ago i was an attendant at one of the upper sections at the blue cross arena in rochester, ny and in afternoon session at least half were curled up with their eyes closed, some with blankets.
the applause seems very forced and mechanical.
I also noticed that the restrooms are kept cleaner Non-JW events than at Ass'y.
You've got that right. Every JW event I can recall, the bathrooms always smell like one giant fart. I don't know what it is, but that's always the case.
--sd-7
"on october 2, 1914, charles taze russell, then president of the watch tower bible and tract society, boldly announced: the gentile times have ended; their kings have had their day.
how true his words proved to be!
-watchtower may 1, 1992 page 6.
I just noticed in the news that it's been 100 years since Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated. Wow, that's...more than three whole months before the Gentile Times ended. You would think World War I was declared on October 2nd or something. Was Russell just not reading the papers for the three months before or something?
Well, this date has no real meaning anymore. It's funny that 100 years ago, 1914 had a totally different meaning than it does to JWs today, and almost no JWs seem to be conscious of that. Jesus had supposedly been present for 40 years before that, but now that's not even discussed anymore, and obviously for good reason. Nobody would buy the idea of a 'generation' that lasted 140 years...ha ha...actually they would buy it, if they'll buy a 'generation' consisting of two groups, but not just people who were alive when the 1914 anointed were around, but people who were anointed when those 1914ers were around...you know, Jesus really should've left a chart if it was going to get this complicated. Oh, wait, maybe the Great Pyramid of Giza has a chart on it? Oh my GOD! Russell was right!!
So...100 years. Why am I even commenting on it? The buildings near the site of Ferdinand's assassination say that the 20th century 'turned a corner' in 1914. But not in October 1914. In June. And not because of invisible events, but because of visible ones, visible events that were taking place before the so-called Gentile Times ended.
--sd-7
i have become more observant at the last couple district conventions of jws faces and enthusiasm and it seems to be very somber.
i remember a couple of years ago i was an attendant at one of the upper sections at the blue cross arena in rochester, ny and in afternoon session at least half were curled up with their eyes closed, some with blankets.
the applause seems very forced and mechanical.
Well, I know last year I had my Skullcandy headphones and was listening to my iPod shuffle for the whole program. I looked around on occasion, noticed one young fellow giving me a little smirk. I had a feeling he probably could've cared less about the convention, too. Other than that, yeah, folks were snacking and napping during the program. But yeah, those folks were probably not the norm. Most people seemed zoned out and were staring at the platform. Man, that Esther drama sucked. I couldn't wait for it to end and I wasn't even really listening.
Anyway, yeah, the dress and grooming are definitely uh...you know, often the young sisters are doing a JW version of sexy out there. Not that it ever mattered to me, really. I usually stayed in my seat during lunchtime or walked around by myself. The few young ladies I met by chance never seemed particularly interested. But it did a number on my hormones, though. Trying to last the whole weekend without resorting to the unclean habit of mas--was always a challenge. But then, once I got reprogrammed, it was like I had a really cool deflector shield that could stop anyone. At least for awhile, and then it went back to normal.
Well...I guess this year is a temporary break from conventions. Will I return next year? I don't know. But this isn't about me, it's about expressions on faces. Mostly people were pretentiously friendly to each other. "How are you??? I haven't seen you in forever! Blah blah!" And so on. It all seems very different though, once you're being shunned and all.
--sd-7
i managed to catch the new dvd on youtube last night before the inevitable takedown.
as a film i felt it wasn't anywhere near as good as the prodigal movie, the story wasn't as dramatic, the characters much less interesting and developed and the direction weaker.
i found the prodigal relatively entertaining (all things considered) this one was just dull.. here are some of my random thoughts anyway [spoiler alert - ha!].
Well, from all these comments, I'm getting a picture here. The Society's target is not the minds of its audience, but rather, their hearts. Appeals to emotion rather than reason seem to be the focus here. Even if your brain suspects something isn't right, if they create enough fear, guilt and shame, then that holds you in place. You stick with what's safe not because it makes sense but because the alternative is too frightening to contemplate.
Man, I am not looking forward to this one playing in my DVD player...
--sd-7
this photograph from a news site is a succinct summary of a life in wt's hands....... look at their faces, it says it all.. also, note the watchtower pr machine in action, explaining that it brings 4 million dollars to the location.
(10,000 x 400 dollars) clearly a watchtower statistic, where is the care and interest for members who are struggling so much, with new videos encouraging less career activity, less work commitments, at an all time economic low for our generation.. http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/06/15/thousands-attend-watchtower-convention-in-cornwall.
father: "i'm a wt 'yes' man and proud of it!
I like the comment below the news article:
I don't hear the JWs or any other religious group constantly preaching hate against you and your imaginary god. Unlike most religious cults that seem content believing whatever they want, you and your cult are hellbent on spreading hate.
What, did JWs change their message without my knowing? I guess a lot of people really don't know what JWs teach, after all, do they?
--sd-7
http://youtu.be/dhn2to663cu.
im really channeling my inner blondie with my observation and critiques of these new watchtower videos.
something about them really turns my stomach.
WingCommander, your humor is brutally funny. I look forward to seeing this video at home with my family in...I guess another month or so.
Actually, as I think of it, I know at least one of my JW cousins was living in a 5-bedroom house at some point; I guess her husband who is now an elder, I think, makes pretty good money. My aunt's married to a non-JW who worked at NASA and she was a teacher herself, so she was driving a Benz. I guess in their case they were lucky to have a non-JW bringing in the big cash so they didn't have to feel guilty about where it came from. I say all that to say, it's not impossible, you just have to be in certain areas.
Hmm. You know, it's just nice to no longer have to worry about rushing home for the midweek meeting without having had dinner and all. That's one of the biggest bonuses of getting out of it. 'Cause man, was I hungry.
Anyway, I digress. Thanks for the review. I'm still hoping for The Prodigal Strikes Again! to be made, though...
--sd-7
most people here have never met you.
we converse, discuss, argue, laugh, agree, question, share our lives..... quite often, you kind of get to know what a person is like.
some people, we tend to gravitate to and others, we shy away from.. how do you think you come across to other people?
Usually much quieter, in real life, and probably not nearly as witty--if I can be thought of witty on here, that is. But I can be silly or serious or passionate about something, but most of that stays on the inside if I feel insecure or nervous.
--sd-7
this letter was sent as an addendum to the elders regarding their latest elders textbook.
i think you'll find this interesting and also disconcerting as well.. to all bodies of elders.
re: spiral binding of shepherding textbook.
Well, that's strange. But no stranger than having a book that your fellow sisters are not allowed to handle in the first place. If there is any concrete proof of information control, this is one of the best examples of it. So what's the Biblical justification for this? Oh, right..."be obedient".
It makes me wax poetic. I feel a 'Listen, Obey and Be Blessed' coming on here...
We must protect the manual of the elders
This means showing discretion indeed
If we allowed women to read these pages
Can you imagine the things they might see?
Listen, obey, and be blessed
When spiral binding the text
No unbelievers or the female sex
Breathe on baptized brothers' necks
So do not take the manual to FedEx
Don't go to Staples or anywhere else
If you can make spiral bindings in your basement
Then perhaps your fellow elders can help
Listen, obey, and be blessed
When spiral binding the text
No unbelievers or the female sex
Breathe on baptized brothers' necks
So do not leave it inside a gym locker
Not even a safe deposit at a bank
It helps the elders show love to our brothers
It is the faithful slave that we can thank!
Listen, obey, and be blessed
When spiral binding the text
No unbelievers or the female sex
Breathe on baptized brothers' necks
Yes, be right beside them
To keep them in check
Listen, obeeeeeeeeey and be blessed
--sd-7
the organization is shifting away from printed literature in favor of their new jw.org website.
the website contains content that is not printed in literature.
kiosks, trolleys, and storefronts are being used to showcase the website.
It'll never happen. Door-to-door is their bread and butter, as important a cornerstone as using the name Jehovah. They will never end door-to-door ministry as it's considered a Biblical command and essentially their trademark. They hold it up as something (among many things) that makes them better than all other Christians. So...yeah, no.
--sd-7