paul from cleveland

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Posts by paul from cleveland

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  152

  7 graphs that prove America is overrated

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  before the usual suspects start reaching for the pich-forks and forming a mob, i invite you to actually read and consider this, not just leap to conclusions.. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130607/7-graphs-america-overrated-nsa-prism-privacy.

  why do i care?

  it seems the people being screwed the most are also the most visciferous defenders of the status quo which sees them being severely disadvantaged.. maternity leave?

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  paul from cleveland

  Thanks Jgnat, that makes sense. Regarding the auto industry, however, they've shut down a lot of factories here too. In Cleveland alone, they shut down the Chrysler stamping plant, the Ford engine plant and soon the Ford stamping plant will shut down too.
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  152

  7 graphs that prove America is overrated

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  before the usual suspects start reaching for the pich-forks and forming a mob, i invite you to actually read and consider this, not just leap to conclusions.. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130607/7-graphs-america-overrated-nsa-prism-privacy.

  why do i care?

  it seems the people being screwed the most are also the most visciferous defenders of the status quo which sees them being severely disadvantaged.. maternity leave?

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  paul from cleveland

  I've only met a few Canadians but the people I've met seem to have a deep seated resentment for the United States. It seems strange to me that they spend so much time brooding and fretting about it. Canada doesn't come up much in conversation here but when it does it's always positive. It's a beautiful country.
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  53

  For Those who believe the Bible is truly the word of God

  by sosoconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what exactly is the reason?.

  i am not an athiest or agnostic... i definately believe in god.

  however i would honestly like to hear others explain to me why they believe the bible is truly the word of god.. .

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  paul from cleveland

  Who decided which books would be included in the bible? Wasn't it the pagan Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century that got the church leaders together to vote on which books should be included? The fact that a pagan Roman emperor is responsible for the collection of books we consider "the bible" today would be one vote against it being the word of God.
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  32

  My JW Experiences and Living in No Mans Land

  by wizzstick in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lots of proper pioneering (90 hours), lots of calls, lots of studies, lots of interest.

  enough to make it all interesting.

  driving this buzz was the sense that armageddon was imminent.. my father was never a jw, and was very opposed.

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  paul from cleveland

  Wizzstick, I'm in a somewhat similar place as you mentally even though I left many years ago. The core teachings still make sense to me. Other interpretations such as who "this generation" is referring to are clearly being made up as they go along. An elder told me once that 'Since the Society got the core teachings right, everyone just gives them the benefit of the doubt on the rest of it.' I'm sure that's true. In retrospect, it's easy to look back and see how manipulative they've been. To create the desired amount of urgency they've continually reinterpreted the definition of the "generation" to make the end seem ever imminent. I resent that. Then, like you said, to just fluff it off and basically say 'oh well... at least we were sincere and keeping on the watch'. To that I say what about all the other religions that are sincere but wrong? Do they have Jehovah's approval too?
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  23

  Inside Australia's Chilling New Cult (AJ Miller ex jw)

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2oa4oigvo.

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  paul from cleveland

  What does Larsinger have to say about this?
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  19

  Why should God answer a prayer to get a job while atrocities happen everyday?

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had a conversation yesterday with my wife, who seems to think every good thing that happens to her just has to be jehovah, and every bad thing, she just knows is satan.

  this irritates me to no end.

  i told her yesterday that i have trouble praying to have relatively petty thing resolved in my life, meanwhile around the world, many people are raped mutilated, tortured, and killed everyday.

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  paul from cleveland

  BU2B, this is exactly how I feel too.
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  22

  Cedars versus Simon

  by Calebs Airplane in

  1. social
  2. humour

  if cedars and simon had a debate about how to run a website and lady lee were the moderator, who would win this debate?.

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  paul from cleveland

  I'm sure the Watchtower is delighted as they watch former Witnesses continually fight among themselves like this.
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  15

  shunning and jw funerals

  by man in black in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when a jw from your area dies, do you attend the visitation or funeral ?.

  since i have da'ed myself, several people that i have known for years have died, and i have attended both the visitation, and or funeral.. but everytime, i have been treated like i don't even exist.

  just trying to follow normal human emotions, by attending and showing my feelings to the surviving family has been alot like running into a brick wall.

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  paul from cleveland

  My sister died about 4 years ago. She was in hospice beforehand. I went see her there. Many Witnesses were there at the time but most of them treated me like I was invisible. A few did come up to me and give me a hug. Of course they couldn't "say a greeting" so they just gave me a hug and said they were sorry about the situation. She died a few days later and I went to the "viewing". It was the same situation. Most of the Witnesses completely ignored me. A few though did speak to me briefly. It was so difficult that I didn't actually go to the funeral.
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  10

  Are We Living In A Computer Simulation?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.simulation-argument.com/

  i'm supposing that the above is a serious philosophical argument.

  it is difficult to argue against but also largely unfalsifiable.

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  paul from cleveland

  I think it's possible. With the way technology advances so rapidly how could we rule it out? The "2045 Strategic Social Initiative" has as it's goal to create a holographic avatar that can upload our consciousness by the year 2045. But what if that has already happened?

  If God used advanced computer simulations to show the consequences of Adams disobedience we wouldn't have to have billions of people actually suffer and die to prove his point. He could put Adam into the simulator to show him what would happen. Perhaps make him live 70 or so years, a human lifetime, in the simulator, before he ever put him in the garden. How do we know that's not what's happening?
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  26

  If this is true then expect the GB to get even crazier!!!!

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.anointedjw.org/memorial_experiences_2013.html .

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  paul from cleveland

  I think this trend is real and it's the reason the Faithful and Discreet Slave was changed to the Governing Body only. They want to prevent any challenge of their authority from the annointed.