Posts by GLTirebiter

86

Are JW'S "hated" in all the world? Or...are they considered IRRELEVANT?

by Terry in

jw
friends

wathctower 90/1/1 p. 12 par.

8 not ashamed of the good news .

while it is true that jehovahs witnesses are hated and opposed in all the nations of the earth, this is in fulfillment of what was foretold to be an identifying mark of genuine worshipers of the one living and true god.

GLTirebiter

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." -- Elie Wiesel

The Witnesses would rather be hated ("proof" that they are spreading The Truth) than be ignored. If they were hated, that would mean they are important in what they believe to be the grand scheme of things. Indifference and pity affect the cult psyche more outright hostility ever could. Cults are about being special, about having something outsiders are jealous of. A shrug of the shoulders can threaten the cult mindset more than harsh words.

93

Do People Believe We Are Condemned B/c of Adam and Eve?

by Band on the Run in

jw
friends

i find the notion that we inheirited sin through adam and eve to be a quaint, silly notion.

if you believe in the power of god, why would god create such a flawed creation?

few people believe the stories in genesis.

GLTirebiter

That would mean that god is guessing and some percentage of the time, would be wrong. That's is not knowing the future, that's guessing.

No, that means knowning while not intervening. The outcome of the choice was foreseen, but the choice was freely made.

93

Do People Believe We Are Condemned B/c of Adam and Eve?

by Band on the Run in

jw
friends

i find the notion that we inheirited sin through adam and eve to be a quaint, silly notion.

if you believe in the power of god, why would god create such a flawed creation?

few people believe the stories in genesis.

GLTirebiter

if god knows the future, there is no free will.

Consider the example of parents raising children. As they grow and learn, you allow them increasing latitude to make choices, and experienece the consequences of their choices. When they are young, you limit their choices to protect them from serious consequences. As they grow and learn, you allow then to make more choices, more serious choices. When they are teens, they will begin to make grown-up choices. Often, even we imperfect parents foresee that they are making a bad one. We encourage them to choose more wisely, we warn them of the consequences, but we cannot stop them from exercising their free will in a less-than-ideal manner. We do this because we know that if they are not free to err, they are also not free to be correct.

The theological case is the same, at a larger scale: without the freedom to sin, there is no virtue in overcoming temptation. A "god" who denies us the ability to be virtuous? That is a fair description of the devil!

9

Does it matter what kind of keyboard you type on?

by littlerockguy in

jw
friends

i have been typing on the same keyboard for almost 17 years and i'm so used to it i don't want to go to another kind of keyboard if anything happens to this one.. in fact i have a backup model of the same keyboard since they are so hard to find.

it's the old ibm model m keyboard.

i love the sound of the feedback and the racket it makes compared to the newer keyboards.

GLTirebiter

For computer keyboards, the collapsing-spring IBM ones are tops. They have good feel and solid tactile feed-back. I used to have one at work, but after eleven years and three computers I finally killed it (a coffee spill, not wear-out). The "pro grade" HP workstation keyboard is better than they give you with home PCs, but it lacks the rock-solid feel of the IBM.

Yes, it does make a difference. Especially so if you use one all day for writing code, typing specifications, and so forth. It also makes a difference that it can "take a licking and keep on clicking"; some of the fancy "ergonomic" designs just won't hold up like the beefy IBM keyboards.

42

New letter RE public witnessing.. omg they are setting up stands!!!

by BigE in

this link contains news of a letter sent to the elders about witnesses setting up stands to peddle literature in public places!

how desperate are they?

it sounds sad honestly... and they are told not to argue with apostates .

GLTirebiter

I have seen them at a "free speech zone" table set up in the National Park visitor's center. I think that's an accommodation to concentrate all the proselytizing in one place, thus preserving peace and quiet elsewhere in the park.

67

I did NOT survive 12-21-2012. If you did NOT survive. Please check in here.

by FlyingHighNow in

please tell me i am not the only person who did not survive yesterday..

GLTirebiter

I can't tell if I did or not. Perhaps I shouldn't have polished off all the beer in the fridge before midnight, but "waste not, want not" and so forth.

Wait--I see a sign on the wall up ahead, "Stay Alive 'til 75..."

and another,"Abandon all hope ye who enter here"

UH OH!

46

Do You Take Flu Shots?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i never have.

i seldom get the "flu" and if i do, it usually happens after everyone else has gotten it.. i know of many people who regularly get the flu shot and they seem to always still get sick..

GLTirebiter

Yes. I started getting them when the kids started school. The health plan at work covers them 100%, with no co-pay or deductible.

38

Is this a new low?

by Darth Eowyn in

just had a couple of jws stop by my house.

they had been before several times and know that i'm a pretty devout catholic, so i'm sure they were just swinging by to get more time for the card.. well, this time the opening line was about the tragedy in ct. i mean, really?

you're going to try to get converts by capitalizing on this tragedy?

GLTirebiter

Really Catholics don't believe that we are in the "last days"? I don't thingk that is what the Vicar of Christ believes.

The Church teaches that the "last days" began at the time of the resurrection and Pentecost. They've been here for about 2000 years so far, and may last for a long time to come (if we sinful humans can just avoid screwing things up). The Church makes no predications about when the end will be, teaching that "Nobody knows the day...save the Father alone."

One little "s" makes a huge difference: on one hand an age called "the last days," on the other a calendar square circled as "the last day." It's an important distinction.

19

Being a JW is like betting on a horse race-

by moshe in

jw
friends

you can win almost everytime, if you have insider information!

that is what the wt all but promises- you can cheat death and live forever in a paradise earth!

but you need inside information to win that race-- and you can only get it from the governing body - the meat in due season, is the equivalent to the horse race insider tip- it's like a sure bet folks!!.

GLTirebiter

But for 98% of them, the "place" payout is the best they can hope for. Only 144,000 have "win" tickets, and they're all sold out.

46

Believers and dinosaurs

by Christ Alone in

i was curious to hear what other believers understand about dinosaurs.

i know we have a few young earth creationists here.

i wondered what you understand about dinosaurs and when they existed, as well as hear from those that believe dinosaurs lived millions of years ago and how it fits into the bible..

GLTirebiter

Non-literal interpretation of Genesis goes back to the earliest years of Christianity, long before knowledge of dinosaurs or evolution.

In all the sacred books, we should consider the eternal truths that are taught, the facts that are narrated, the future events that are predicted, and the precepts or counsels that are given. In the case of a narrative of events, the question arises as to whether everything must be taken according to the figurative sense only, or whether it must be expounded and defended also as a faithful record of what happened. No Christian will dare say that the narrative must not be taken in a figurative sense. For St. Paul says: “Now all these things that happened to them were symbolic." --Augustine of Hippo, The Literal Meaning of Genesis[highlight added]