fulltimestudent

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Posts by fulltimestudent

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  27

  Options for the EU? - A cartoon from the Lebanese Daily Star

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current
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  fulltimestudent

  
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  17

  Indian Paradox

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  while researching a comment on the long-running naga rebellion in india, i came across this charming image.

  a woman wearing a burqua (so obviously muslim) walks her son to school.

  its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the lord krishna.. from the indian newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more.

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  fulltimestudent

  Ruby456 - fulltimestudent- here is another more tongue in cheek pic from that site.

  
  

  Thnx Ruby! I note the dress-up is complete with painted toenails. It leaves us wondering whether the elephant is male or female?

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  17

  Indian Paradox

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  while researching a comment on the long-running naga rebellion in india, i came across this charming image.

  a woman wearing a burqua (so obviously muslim) walks her son to school.

  its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the lord krishna.. from the indian newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more.

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  fulltimestudent

  Reference the comments on niquab versus burqa, I used the word (burqua) used by the writer in the web journal that ran the image.

  Whether use of the descriptive word 'burqa' is based on local usage, or ignorance on the part of the writer, is something that i am unable to answer.

  Wikipedia can hardly be considered the final authority on such a matter, but the Wikipedia entry is interesting:

  A niqab (/nɪˈkɑːb/; Arabic: نِقاب‎ niqāb , "veil" or "mask"; also called a ruband) is a cloth that covers the face as a part of sartorial hijab. It is worn by some Muslim women in public areas and in front of non-mahram adult males, especially in the Hanbali Muslim faith tradition. The niqab is worn in theArab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the UAE. The niqab is also worn in countries such as Somalia,Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh as well as some parts of Palestinian-ruled territories, southern provinces of Iran, and additional areas with sizeable Muslim populations. Because of the wide variety of hijab worn in the Muslim world, it can be difficult to definitively distinguish between one type of veil and another. The terms niqab and burqa are often incorrectly used interchangeably; a niqab covers the face while a burqa covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground. The Quran instructs Muslim men and women to dress modestly and to guard their private parts. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niq%C4%81b

  An Australian ABC (government owned) media website illustrates the issue.

  
  
  

  Its an issue in Aussie 'red-neck' circles, as it is claimed the full length gown could be used to hide explosives. An interesting matter, as the JWs magazine "Consolation" later re-named as "Awake" made the same claim about Catholic Nuns in the 1930's.

  But in goes on to say that:

  Why do some Muslim women wear burkas?
  The Koran calls for both men and women to 'cover and be modest'.
  As with many other religious scriptures, the reference to dress is open to interpretation and has been shaped by centuries of cultures in different nations.
  "The Koran does not explicitly say you have to cover yourself in this manner," Dr Ismail said.
  "Some scholars argue that it is a religious obligation, particularly the more conservative factions within the Muslim world. There are many variations and interpretations."
  Dr Ismail is a Muslim and has been wearing her hijab since she was a child.
  "I'm so comfortable wearing it that I can't imagine myself without it. I wear it for cultural reasons, but there are many women who wear it for religious reasons." Reference: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/why-do-muslim-women-wear-a-burka-niqab-or-hijab/5761510

  However, there is a possibility that burqa rather than niquab is local usage in India, as the closeness of the two cultures surely means some familiarity with local Muslim usage. On the other, since the journal appears use English, it may simply be a translation issue.
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  21

  Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

  by confuzzlediam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

  while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

  as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

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  fulltimestudent

  You can also access the DSS on line.

  Try: http://www.ibtimes.com/dead-sea-scrolls-online-text-available-thanks-google-video-links-318984

  and

  http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/project
  
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  21

  Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

  by confuzzlediam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

  while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

  as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

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  fulltimestudent

  If you want to look for similarities, take a good look at the Essenes, and buy a copy of "The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English." (Penguin, 1997) translated and with editorial comments by Geza Vermes.

  Product description
  The discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Quumran by members of the Essene community, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' first discovery, this revised and much expanded edition of "The Dead Sea Scrolls in English" crowns a lifetime of research by the great Qumran scholar Geza Vermes. As well as superb translations of all non-biblical texts sufficiently well preserved to be rendered into English, there are also a number of previously unpublished texts, and a new preface. Since its first publication in 1962, "The Dead Sea Scrolls in English" has established itself as the standard English translation of the non-Biblical "Qumran Scrolls" and as giving an astonishing insight to the organization, customs, history and beliefs of the community responsible for them.
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  131

  On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

  by Perry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

  what is new is their institutionalization.

  but even that isn't totally new.

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  fulltimestudent

  TTWSYF12 minutes ago

  There were certainly moral people throughout history, but there was no standard of morality until the church established it.

  This is plain bullshit!

  There were 'standards' - there are a number of west Asian 'standards' (if you want to say that there is such a thing as a standard). In Hellenic thought, there were the pre-Socratic thinkers, then Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, without even mentioning the Stoics.

  Early Christians drew on the ideas of the Stoics and Plato in particular.

  Going East from the Mediterranean early Buddhism certainly established "standards' of morality with a strong emphasis on compassion. In East Asia, Kongzi (Confucius - 6th C BCE) established a systematic morality that influences East Asia until now. His near contemporary Mozi taught a system of Universal love, that is more detailed than the vague references Jesus makes to 'love.' Standards exist in all these systems of thought.

  Take your head out of the nether regions of Christianity and look around at the real world.
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  2

  Pay now - Live later. The True Price of the Christian Reward.

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. forum
  2. tech-support

  i apologise for not being able to refrain from making a joke out of this thread, but the topic is rather humourous.. i've just bought peter brown's (the illustrious historian) latest book, "the ransom of the soul - afterlife and wealth in early western christianity," and am in the process of reading it.

  its quite amazing how soon money entered into the early churches relationship with individual christians,.

  may i recommend it for those who may still harbour illusions about jesus and his church.

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  fulltimestudent

  I apologise for not being able to refrain from making a joke out of this thread, but the topic is rather humourous.

  I've just bought Peter Brown's (the illustrious historian) latest book, "The Ransom of the Soul - Afterlife and Wealth in Early Western Christianity," and am in the process of reading it. Its quite amazing how soon money entered into the early churches relationship with individual Christians,

  May I recommend it for those who may still harbour illusions about Jesus and his church. (not that Brown comes across as anti-Christian. As a good historian he records his research with a straight bat).

  Here's a couple of reviews (courtesy of Amazon) :

  In this visionary short study, Peter Brown links two themes which are rarely brought together: Christian views of the afterlife between the second and seventh centuries,and the way in which relations between God and the faithful, living and dead, were mediated by wealth… Beginning with the teaching of Jesus that one should give away what one has, Brown traces a trajectory of almsgiving over six centuries… Brown has rarely published a book without creating a new field of study and endowing it with new research questions, and here he does it again. This beautifully written volume which is eminently accessible to non-specialists holds special interest for Catholics. As it leads reader from the ancient into the early medieval world, it speaks especially to the evolution of Catholic tradition and doctrine… This is an absorbing, thought-provoking book, which prompts reflection on the modem as well as the ancient world, and on the secular as well as the religious sphere. (Teresa Morgan The Tablet 2015-04-11)

  
  

  [An] extraordinary new book… The new work, which is one of [Brown’s] shortest, is also prodigiously original―an astonishing performance for a historian who has already been so prolific and influential… [It’s] a completely fresh look at the issue of Christian wealth and giving, with special attention to changing perspectives from the mid-third century to the late seventh… [An] extraordinarily vivid panorama of money in the early church… Peter Brown’s subtle and incisive tracking of the role of money in Christian attitudes toward the afterlife not only breaks down traditional geographical and chronological boundaries across more than four centuries. It provides wholly new perspectives on Christianity itself, its evolution, and, above all, its discontinuities. It demonstrates why the Middle Ages, when they finally arrived, were so very different from late antiquity. (G. W. Bowersock New York Review of Books 2015-05-21)

  
  

  
  
  
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  17

  Indian Paradox

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  while researching a comment on the long-running naga rebellion in india, i came across this charming image.

  a woman wearing a burqua (so obviously muslim) walks her son to school.

  its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the lord krishna.. from the indian newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more.

  1. 
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  fulltimestudent

  While researching a comment on the long-running Naga rebellion in India, I came across this charming image

  

  A woman wearing a burqua (so obviously Muslim) walks her son to school. Its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the Lord Krishna.

  From the Indian Newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more

  For anyone unfamiliar with Indian history, India has a long and large Muslim presence.

  A Wikipedia entry states:

  According to a 2006 committee appointed by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, if the current trend continues, by the end of the 21st century India's Muslim population will reach 320 to 340 million people (or 18-19% of India's total projected population).[18] Islam is the second-largest religion in India, making up 14.88% of the country's population with about 180 million adherents (2011 census).[19][20] India has the third largest population of Muslims, after Pakistan and Indonesia.
  Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_population_growth
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  131

  On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

  by Perry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

  what is new is their institutionalization.

  but even that isn't totally new.

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  fulltimestudent

  Perry: Child murder, Sodomy & corrupting the Human Genome are not new sins, they are old ones. What is new is their institutionalization. But even that isn't totally new. It's all happened before..... before the flood and in Sodom & Gomorrah.

  
  

  Is Perry relying on the bible for his reference to Sodom and Gomorrah?

  If so, I wish to hell that Christians would read their own stupid book. What does the Bible itself (outside of the actual Genesis story) tell us about the sin of Sodom?

  Outside of the biblical references that threaten people (yawn!)with the same destruction that Sodom experienced we have two key texts that describe the sin of Sodom. One is Ezekiel 16:49, here is that text from a few versions:

  New International Version
  "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
  New Living Translation
  Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.
  English Standard Version
  Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
  New American Standard Bible
  "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.

  So the sin referred to in that text (and, I guess Perry would believe the verse to be inspired) tells us that sodomy is actually, arrogance, overeating, unconcern and not helping the poor and needy.
  

  
  

  Based on that definition of 'sodomy' Perry will find more sodomites in his new church than in all of San Francisco. Stand up in church on Sunday Perry, and tell them all those sinning Christians, str8 - if they are a bit fat from over-eating, God's gonna burn them all up.

  
  

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  OK the second key text is Jude verse , and based on the various renderings offered below, we can see the translators are having a bit of problem finding the right English words to convey the sense of the Greek words they are translating. So let's just accept the usual claim, that it was a direct reference to the Sodom story. So did this bible author get a mental email directly from the Yahweh/Jesus combo God, or what? Scholarship seems fairly well in agreement that Jude (thought to be the Jude who was the brother of Jesus) just copied that from 1 Enoch, which, of course, brings some problems. The writings known as Enoch are thought to be Jewish from the Hellenic period, and are not accepted as scripture by either Judaism or Christianity (excepting two small Orthodox churches). So for Jude to quote from Enoch is a bit like using you Pastor's sunday sermon as a reference

  New International Version
  In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
  New Living Translation
  And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment.
  English Standard Version
  just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
  New American Standard Bible
  just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

  If we eliminate Jude 7 from the discussion on the grounds that it uses a spurious book, and focus on the Genesis version and Ezekiel's view. You'll have to agree that the use of the word sodomy as a synomyn for anal sex, is not well supported in the Bible.

  And, when we realise that no biblical text stops a husband from having anal sex with his wife, we start to wonder what's going on in the minds of these people who are so angry about gays. There are some serious mental disturbances on view.

  
  

  
  
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  131

  On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

  by Perry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

  what is new is their institutionalization.

  but even that isn't totally new.

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  fulltimestudent

  FayeDunaway: Which brings me to a question, have they found the 'gay' gene?

  No! but ...

  
  

  1. Epigenetics may be a critical factor contributing to homosexuality, study suggests
  Date:
  December 11, 2012
  Source:
  National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
  Summary:
  Epigenetics -- how gene expression is regulated by temporary switches, called epi-marks -- appears to be a critical and overlooked factor contributing to the long-standing puzzle of why homosexuality occurs. According to the study, sex-specific epi-marks, which normally do not pass between generations and are thus "erased," can lead to homosexuality when they escape erasure and are transmitted from father to daughter or mother to son.
  Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121211083212.htm

  2. Male Homosexuality Can Be Explained Through A Specific Model Of Darwinian Evolution, Study Shows
  Date:
  June 18, 2008
  Source:
  Public Library of Science
  Summary:
  An Italian research team found that the evolutionary origin and maintenance of male homosexuality in human populations could be explained by a model based around the idea of sexually antagonistic selection, in which genetic factors spread in the population by giving a reproductive advantage to one sex while disadvantaging the other.
  reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617204459.htm