leec

Joined

• started 21 topics
• posted 446 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by leec

• 
  113

  Should I walk away from my "underwater" home?

  by The Berean in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  millions are now facing the dilemma of making house payments on a property that is not worth what is being paid.

  .

  after originally promising to repay the bank, is there a "moral" obligation to continue in a dwelling, even at a loss ... or is it best to exercise the "legal" right of foreclosure and pay the consequences ?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  Question: if I have, say ... $6000 in the bank, and my monthly mortgage is $2500, and I am unemployed and have no income, can I "afford" to pay that mortgage, and if so, for how long, until I have exactly $0 to my name?
• 
  20

  For non theists : What is the conscience and does it really matter?

  by cyberjesus in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  since we dont believe in a set of moral standards based on the desires of a powerful god, on what do you base your conscience?

  "how do you define it?

  and if at the end of everything we are going to die, why does it matter to have a conscience?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  Are there any "non theists" on this site who have been so since birth? Are there any here who follow Crowley's precept: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" ?

  I do believe in God but I do not act out of fear of punishment or deprivation. I have no rational explanation for why I try to "do the right thing." It makes me feel better ... that's about as much of a reason as I have. But it occurs to me that, even though I long ago rejected the Catholicism I was raised in, some of the morals may have taken a deeper root than the more objective bits and pieces.

  But is it necessary to have "religion" to have "morals", in general? I think that's really hard for anyone to say ... who among us has no knowledge whatsoever of morals derived from religious tenets? The answer of course is - no one. And given that knowledge, no matter what one has decided to believe, even if it's Satanism and glorification of evil, it's still believed within the inescapable context of the knowledge of moral religion.
• 
  16

  JW Science Quote (1-29)

  by TD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you've been exposed to american entertainment at all during the last forty years, it would be difficult to be unfamiliar with the sci-fi character, "mr.

  spock.

  " spock was a character in the series, star trek, the son of a "vulcan" father and a human mother.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  TD: "The current ban of transfusion medicine was born as a direct result of the mistaken belief that blood itself is the food upon which our bodies are sustained instead of simply the transport medium. "

  I didn't know that ... that clears up some confusion I had over a recent discussion on here about that. I guess now it's just hidden behind the vaguery of "partake".
• 
  16

  JW Science Quote (1-29)

  by TD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you've been exposed to american entertainment at all during the last forty years, it would be difficult to be unfamiliar with the sci-fi character, "mr.

  spock.

  " spock was a character in the series, star trek, the son of a "vulcan" father and a human mother.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  "To their credit, this theory did not last very long. (Although some crackpots still believe it today.) By 1977, The Watchtower was already starting to back away from it (cf. The Watchtower November 1, 1977 p. 659) and by 1986 it had been thoroughly repudiated. (cf. The Watchtower June 1, 1986 p. 15) The entry for "heart" was completely rewritten in the 1988 publication, Insight On The Scriptures, which was the successor to Aid To Bible Understanding."

  ... so people who were present then, and are still JW today, just chalk that up to "increasing light"? I mean, I can sort of see how the "1914 generation" thing can be explained away that way, since none of it is based in scientific research, but here we're talking about a relatively recent travesty of medical knowledge (or lack thereof). To my mind, that would be much more of a deal-breaker. How can the organization that produced that drivel 40 years ago still be accepted today?
• 
  71

  A honest question to all creationists

  by bohm in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hey!.

  i have a question regarding creation thats burning me.

  i dont have any clever arguments depending on what is answered, i am just curious.. first off i want to say that i think people are free to believe whatever they want.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  on 2nd thought, I'm deleting my post with the intention of getting into this discussion at some other time when I have the energy for it
• 
  27

  Did you suffer from panic attacks in the borg?

  by highdose in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i can certainly say that i did and that i knew alot of others that did too.

  i can also say that i don't any more, i left my panic attacks in the km!.

  what about you?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  I remember once my friend calling me - crying hysterically - that the world was going to end, that all these scary things were happening, etc. I was taken aback, since whatever was going on at the time (whatever natural disaster, war, etc) seemed just as bad or good as the usual crap that goes on in this world. I had to "talk her down" - it was really disturbing. At the time I attributed it to her probably being upset about something else, but now in context I can see how immersion in the WTS's beliefs have contributed to it.
• 
  69

  Jehovah's Witnesses and Calvinistic Predestination

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a complex question, and i just want to get a discussion started on the message of jehovah's witnesses and how it relates to their adventist roots, and esp calvinism.. bear with me, i will try to be concise.. we all know that while jehovah's witnesses like to deny adventist roots, that it is clear that according to them, the man jesus selected to get the whole thing started, c t russell, was heavily influenced by adventist ideas, esp the (adventist) idea that has really never left them; the idea that somehow, a time date or period can be inferred from the bible if you read certain scriptures through an adventist lens.

  (thus, the 2520 years, 7 gentile times, etc.).

  so while this is relatively well known, there is a concept that jehovah's witnesses teach against, yet practice.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  Predestiny has far broader roots than Calvinism. The whole set of conclusions that come out of the "God is all-knowing" thing strongly suggest predestination. The ultra-common saying "everything happens for a reason" implies the same.

  What puzzles me personally though is that, having been raised Catholic, I don't recall this concept as part of any religious teaching. Is Catholicism unique among Christian religions in this way, or am I just not remembering or putting things together correctly?
• 
  86

  Best guitar solo in rock song

  by sooner7nc in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh no, not another music thread!

  sorry folks but yes another music thread.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tjyn-eg1zk.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  "I love the way he says "thank you" at the end. "

  - just saw this post. +999999. I knew the audio recording long before I saw the movie, and I always loved when he said "thank you" ... I would say it with him -- to him lol.
• 
  86

  Best guitar solo in rock song

  by sooner7nc in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh no, not another music thread!

  sorry folks but yes another music thread.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tjyn-eg1zk.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  beksbks -- 2 of my all-time favorites - right there.
• 
  6

  A Sliver of Poetic Justice

  by leec in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://laughingsquid.com/san-franciscos-answer-to-westboro-baptist-church/.

  san franciscos answer to westboro baptist churchby ed hunsinger on january 29, 2010 comments (6).

  photo by edw lynch.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  leec

  http://laughingsquid.com/san-franciscos-answer-to-westboro-baptist-church/

  San Francisco’s Answer to Westboro Baptist Church

  by Ed Hunsinger on January 29, 2010 · Comments (6)

  

  photo by EDW Lynch

  Westboro Baptist Church showed up to protest in front of Twitter’s San Francisco office on Thursday, but found themselves severely outnumbered by a crowd of absurdist pranksters, including guest blogger EDW Lynch above.

  WBC’s hate-promoting signs were answered by multiple signs of randomness, nonsensical yelling, and even a unicorn. A portable stereo blared Lady GaGa, while press and people passing by ignored the WBC signs and took pictures and videos of the more entertaining signs. I was also there and turned on the video camera while holding my sign.

  

  photo by Rubin Starset

  Westboro had scheduled an appearance in front of the Golden Gate Theatre later that evening to protest Fiddler on the Roof. Fellow guest blogger, Burstein!, reports:

  Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, Fred Phelps and his followers cancelled their appearance before Fiddler on the Roof. Apparently, they were all hated out from their big day and just had no more hate to spare. Nevertheless, even in their absence a small crowd gathered and gave rise to an elegantly dadaist protest in which accordions, random signs of love and hate, and rick rolls abounded. While many of those attending Fiddler were bemused and confused, the staff and crew apparently loved this counter-protest and the director, stage manager, and choreographer all came out to thank these ridiculous protesters.

  

  photo by sandwichgirl

  See also: God Hates Twitter, Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest At Twitter Headquarters