fulltimestudent

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Posts by fulltimestudent

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  2

  Rent-a-boyfriend (or, girl-friend) for Chinese New Year

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  the spring festival (also called chinese new year) is one of the biggest annual festivals in the world.

  families try to re-unite which often means that people whose life-styles are diverging from that of their parents must try to reconcile their lives with hometown tradition.. so arises a new occupation: the boyfriend (or girlfriend) for hire:.

  china central televison america explains this to americans:.

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  fulltimestudent

  But today's China being what today's China is, the sharp eyes of Chinese social satirists soon saw the potential to have some fun with the concept.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hdA-Wd-b9M#t=369
  
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  2

  Rent-a-boyfriend (or, girl-friend) for Chinese New Year

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  the spring festival (also called chinese new year) is one of the biggest annual festivals in the world.

  families try to re-unite which often means that people whose life-styles are diverging from that of their parents must try to reconcile their lives with hometown tradition.. so arises a new occupation: the boyfriend (or girlfriend) for hire:.

  china central televison america explains this to americans:.

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  2. 
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  fulltimestudent

  The Spring Festival (also called Chinese New Year) is one of the biggest annual festivals in the world. Families try to re-unite which often means that people whose life-styles are diverging from that of their parents must try to reconcile their lives with hometown tradition.

  So arises a new occupation: the boyfriend (or girlfriend) for hire:

  China Central Televison America explains this to Americans:

  Growing number of Chinese women “renting” boyfriends for New Year’s
  
  February 23, 2015
  A growing trend in China is the sale of fake boyfriend rental services, particularly on China’s largest online marketplace, Taobao. Many young women are buying these services as a way to stave off marriage pressure from their parents.
  Unmarried female migrants returning home to celebrate Chinese New Year, often face reprimands from extended family members about their unmarried status. For many women in China, if they’re not married by the time they’re 30, they are considered old maids, or they could also face gossip for being abnormal.

  
  To prevent such a reaction, many rent a boyfriend for the Chinese New Year for anywhere from 1,000 RMB ($160) to 10,000 RMB($1,599) a day, men put their companionship up for sale. Romantic “extras” — such as holding hands, going to the movies, cuddling, — cost extra, according to a Foreign Affairs report.
  According to report, there are an estimated seven million unmarried women between the ages of 25-34 in urban areas in China. Around seven percent of highly-educated women won’t be married until they are 45.

  
  Link: http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/02/23/growing-number-of-chinese-women-renting-boyfriends-for-new-years#ixzz3SmeuqnXJ
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  12

  Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

  however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

  so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

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  fulltimestudent

  Jesus was a Jew and never denied his Jewish heritage. The oldest group of Christians had a Jewish background and, it seems, continued to think of themselves as a sect/group of Jews. It may have taken one hundred or more years for the two groups to see themselves as separate.  

  Possibly the next oldest group of Christians that we know of were in Antioch, where it seems there may already have been some divergence from the concepts that were held in common in the Jerusalem-Temple congregation.

  Besides the OT, specifically the Septuagint version of the OT, the letters attributed to Paul seem to have been the first documents that were assigned a sacred value by the early Christians, so we can imagine we are seeing the adjustments that were necessary for the Jewish/Christian sect to expand in the Roman Mediterranean world,

  Contrary to common thought, Christianity in the pagan world did not appeal to the lowest levels of society, a close reading of the Pauline documents shows that key people in the early Pauline churches had large households (family and slaves) and were wealthy enough to be able to travel or send members of their household on errands for Paul. Paul (and Barnabas) had associates who also had to be provided for. The key people in early gentile Christianity therefore were people of some substance

  The Pauline texts that Island Man quotes, set standards of conduct. It would be a grave mistake to think that the idea of setting standards was an idea that sprang from the mind of Paul or one of his associates. Already in common circulation,  among the social classes that were taking the lead in early gentile Christianity, were documents that have come to be called, "household codes."  The Oxford Biblical Studies (i.e. from Oxford University) Online defines these household codes as: 

  household codes
  Translation of the German Haustafeln, used by commentators for a literary type developed for ethical instruction in the Hellenistic world, adopted by Jewish Hellenistic synagogues, and thence by the NT (Col. 3: 18–4: 1, but also Eph. 5: 22–6: 9; 1 Tim. 2: 9–15; Titus 2: 2–10; 1 Pet. 2: 13–3: 7). The codes were an attempt by leaders of the Christian community to establish a pattern of family and social life not unlike that of traditional families among Gentile and Jewish contemporaries in the Graeco-Roman world. The patriarchal style represents a reaction against the egalitarian organization of the earliest Church in Jerusalem (Acts 2: 44–7) and is remarkable for the absence of Paul's radical teaching against sexual discrimination (Gal. 3: 28).
  Reference: http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/opr/t94/e912

  So the behaviour standards set for the early Christians reflect those codes with some small adjustments to reflect Jewish (OT) standards.

  Hence the answer to my feeble attempt at riddling, should be looked for in the Roman world - not the Judeao-Christian world. So what's the answer to my riddle of which GOD commanded monogamy?

  Not Yahweh, Not Jesus. But the most popular, the most important God (with the power of literal life and death to all inhabitants of the area) who commanded monogamy ....

  was the Divine Caesar Augustus.

  
  
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  3

  Chinese Landscapes transformed by winter and its snow

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i do not have much experience of winter, that is a real winter with snow and ice.

  here in sydney there's not much difference visually.

  the imported deciduous trees still shed their leaves, and there is less color (flowers) but that's about it.

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  fulltimestudent

  I do not have much experience of winter, that is a REAL winter with snow and ice. Here in Sydney there's not much difference visually. The imported deciduous trees still shed their leaves, and there is less color (flowers) but that's about it. I've only seen snow once or twice in my life. I could, of course, go to the hill areas near Canberra and experience the changes that winter snows bring to the landscape. So possibly, that's the fascination (for me). Landscapes lose their familiar appearance and are transformed.

  It must have been a similar experience for these Singaporean tourists, hiking the Great wall in winter as the colours of the landscape are muted by the winter dieback and mists

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQE4p2jjOik

  
  

  and after a snow fall the scene changes again

  
  

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rJy3G1JGhA
  

  
  

  
  
• 
  12

  Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

  however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

  so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

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  fulltimestudent

  My wife says its not allowed so that's decided then 

  (Another grin!) - Even my GAYXJW's partner says NO! to him.

  Island Man - That was an excellent analysis.

  But here's a riddle (or, I think it is) - Which God commanded monogamy?
• 
  37

  Are the trolley dollies* getting any results? Or, is it just another waste of life?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  steve2 initiated a discussion on how our former loving brothers and sisters are behaving, while engaging in the 'trolley work.

  ' (link: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/93590001/within-one-minute-jw-trolley-directs-me-jw-org ).

  my own observations are the same as the posters report on steve2's thread.

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  fulltimestudent

  Went shopping yesterday afternoon, seemed to be only one witness 'on trolley-dolly duty' (and this time he had the trolley facing the oncoming pedestrian traffic, but had actually located it so that people had to walk around it).

  But this (youngish) guy had found a way to keep himself from getting bored. He was really focussed on chatting up a rather pretty young woman -  couldn't tell if she was a JW, but it was clear the trolley could look after itself.
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  10

  Where can Gay people get married in the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  it does not seem long ago that the answer was, nowhere.

  and yahweh and jesus don't seem to mind, they arn't hurling fire and brimstone or making it flood everywhere.

  life goes on as normal, people are, "eating and drinking, men are marrying men and women are being given to other women, just as they have been doing in many places on this globe for as long as humans have been on the earth.

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  fulltimestudent

  LoveUniHateExams17 minutes ago37 states out of 50 - this progress. It's not ideal but it's good. Despite the religious right being popular in the US, the majority of these states have changed to allow gay marriage. 

  Agreed, considering the political structure of the USA and the religious construction of Americans (example, some surveys suggest that 80% of Americans believe that there is a real supernatural devil) it likely had to be a gradual process.

  
  

  In Australia, surveys indicate that 72% believe that gay marriage should be legalised. But the PM (an ardent Catholic - who studied for the priesthood) says NO! - So much for democracy.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  
• 
  10

  Where can Gay people get married in the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  it does not seem long ago that the answer was, nowhere.

  and yahweh and jesus don't seem to mind, they arn't hurling fire and brimstone or making it flood everywhere.

  life goes on as normal, people are, "eating and drinking, men are marrying men and women are being given to other women, just as they have been doing in many places on this globe for as long as humans have been on the earth.

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  fulltimestudent

  Vidiot: Shouldn't those states be colored blue? 

  grin, how about pink?

  But on reflection, the suggestion that all gays are 'pink,' is just a stereotype. 
  
  
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  10

  Where can Gay people get married in the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  it does not seem long ago that the answer was, nowhere.

  and yahweh and jesus don't seem to mind, they arn't hurling fire and brimstone or making it flood everywhere.

  life goes on as normal, people are, "eating and drinking, men are marrying men and women are being given to other women, just as they have been doing in many places on this globe for as long as humans have been on the earth.

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  fulltimestudent

  It does not seem long ago that the answer was, nowhere. 

  Now look: 

  
  

  And Yahweh and Jesus don't seem to mind, they arn't hurling fire and brimstone or making it flood everywhere. Life goes on as normal, people are, "eating and drinking, men are marrying men and women are being given to other women, just as they have been doing in many places on this globe for as long as humans have been on the earth. And Yahweh (if he isn't having an eternal sleep) doesnt care.
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  1

  Debate at my University. Subject: The Historicity of Jesus- Pat 1 and 2 of 11

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  dr. chris forbes and dan barker debate the issue:.

  part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj_u0zg9wk.

  and part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0krdadx3tqa.

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  fulltimestudent

  Dr. Chris Forbes and Dan Barker debate the issue:

  
  

  Part 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcj_u0zg9wk

  
  

  and Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KrDadx3tqA

  
  

  You'll be able to find the other segments on Youtube