fulltimestudent

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Posts by fulltimestudent

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  11

  Attention Governing Body, What does nature tell you about a male having long hair?

  by Greybeard in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was raised my entire life to believe it is a shame for a man to have long hair because of this bible scripture 1 corinthians 11:14, “does not nature itself teach you that long hair is a dishonor to a man?” nwt however the international standard version reads, “nature itself teaches you neither that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair.” so what does nature really teach us?

  jesus was called, “the lion of judah” and the king of the jungle has long hair.

  thank you nature for clearing this twisted scripture up for me.

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  fulltimestudent

  In many ancient cultures men had long hair. Hair length is relative anyway.

  Just more evidence that so-called 'sacred texts' are bullshit.
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  32

  After 50 years Zealous Service, My Elder Friends goes Inactive

  by James Jack in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i asked him what happened.

  he said "him and his wife lived a full theocratic life for jehovah.

  doing everything the organization and the traveling brothers told them to do, like work part time, regular pioneer, serve where the need is great.

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  fulltimestudent

  Wasted lives.
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  20

  Fraud

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if someone commits financial fraud, they commit a crime, and can be punished (jailed).. but if someone commits a religious fraud, western society does not see that as a crime.. on another thread, a poster pointed out that the jws, "literally steals peoples lives and causes horrendous damage.

  of course, the jws are not the only religion to practise religious fraud.

  all sorts of large and small religions make unverifiable promises and ask for financial support on the basis of their promises, which is precisely what financial defrauder does.

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  fulltimestudent

  If someone commits financial fraud, they commit a crime, and can be punished (jailed).

  But if someone commits a religious fraud, western society does not see that as a crime.

  On another thread, a poster pointed out that the JWs, "literally steals peoples lives and causes horrendous damage."

  Of course, the JWs are not the only religion to practise religious fraud. All sorts of large and small religions make unverifiable promises and ask for financial support on the basis of their promises, which is precisely what financial defrauder does. The financial defrauder promises "give me your money and you will get x% back." The spiritual defrauder promises, support me financially and you will get enormous spiritual benefits (not to mention everlasting life).

  Western societies are wrong to allow spiritual fraud under the guise of freedom of religion.

  Everyone here would have been richer if religions were banned.
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  52

  What does the rise of Donald Trump tell us about the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i thank one of my former lecturers for drawing my attention to this overview.. after some 100 years, living out its "manifest destiny" dream, as the hegemon of the world, what has this 'dream' done to/for the usa?

  the approaching presidential election provides an opportunity to examine this question.. and what of all the appendage organisations (like the wts) that rode across the world on the hegemon's coattails?.

  the answer may be here: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism.

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  fulltimestudent

  kaik: many Trump supporters want him to be a strong man like Putin in Russia.

  Good point. And it raises the question, does Stenner's theory of a subset of people with latent authoritarian terndencies hold good for ALL human societies?

  Is Putin supported by such a subset of Russians?

  We can imagine early human societies may have wanted/needed strong authoritarian leaders.

  Does Stenner's theory hold good in China, which moves steadily toward a more open society?

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  freddo : USA may have been the power (business and militarily) hegemon of the world since WW1 but the description falls down in it's cultural influence.

  I live in Australia freddo, so I'm somewhat isolated from Europe. But I see my society as less "Australian" and more "American," however you read those terms. In fact, one could see Tony Abbott, our recently outed PM as a local version of an authoritarian leader like Trump.

  freddo: Actually given it's awesome power I believe it has been quite benign militarily speaking and I believe its British background roots has a lot to do with this.

  Really?
  
  
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  4

  The YHWH/JESUS INTELLIGENT DESIGN STUDIO's Penis Designs

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are many things to question about the intelligence of the designs emanating from the yhwh/jesus intelligent design studio.. lauren reid, a phd candidate at durham university, writing in 'the conversation,' takes a look at why humans and spider monkeys are the only primates without a bone in their penises.

  most mammals have such a bone, which is called a baculum .

  humans don't, in spite of the term 'boner,' being in common usage, though whales, horses, rhinos, rabbits, elephants, marsupials and hyenas, were also designed without such a bone.. how does a baculum work?

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  fulltimestudent

  There are many things to question about the intelligence of the designs emanating from the YHWH/JESUS Intelligent Design Studio.

  Lauren Reid, a PhD candidate at Durham University, writing in 'The Conversation,' takes a look at why humans and spider monkeys are the only primates without a bone in their penises. Most mammals have such a bone, which is called a baculum . Humans don't, in spite of the term 'boner,' being in common usage, though whales, horses, rhinos, rabbits, elephants, marsupials and hyenas, were also designed without such a bone.

  How does a baculum work? Quote: "The baculum is generally kept in the male’s abdomen until it is required, at which point abdominal muscles push it out into the penis, thus causing an erection." Quite effficient, don't you think? If you doubt that, think about this.Quote:"A male lion’s baculum, for instance, allows him to engage in an impressive 250 copulations in four days." Not many human males can equal that performance, can they?

  The commercial success of drugs like Viagra and Cialis tell us that many humans are not quite satisfied with the design work of the YHWH/JESUS design team, in fact dissatisfaction can be as high as 40% in older human age groups. Perhaps, the hydraulic engineer on the YHWH/JESUS Design team was off sick on the sixth creative day, when humans were designed.

  Read on: https://theconversation.com/the-human-penis-is-a-puzzler-no-bones-about-it-6366

  PS: Later we can take a look at some other phallic designs by that great design team, the YHWH/JESUS INTELLIGENT DESIGN STUDIO, you will fall to your knees in wonder, mouthing the words, "How many your works are, O Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made." (Psalm 104:24, F.Franz translation)
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  6

  USA Today article: Majority of people in Scotland have no religion

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/05/scotland-majority-no-religion/82660980/.

  majority of people in scotland have no religion.

  trevor grundy, religion news service 6:47 p.m. edt april 5, 2016. .

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  fulltimestudent

  haha!!!

  scotsman : Scotland also has the "world's gayest parliament". I'm sure there's no correlation.

  Therefore, assuming no other major religious organisation, and noting that membership of the Presbyterian church is ... (quote):
  

  "The proportion of people who say they belong to the Church of Scotland — the Presbyterian Church that for so long dominated almost every aspect of life in that country — has fallen dramatically, to just 20%,"

  the percentage of Scots people attending church on Sunday is likely to be around 2 or 3 %.

  And assuming that the percentage of 'out' gay people in Scotland is around 5% of the population.

  There will be more Scots people in a gay bar on Saturday night, than there will be Scots people in church on Sunday. Surely a 'sign of the approaching end,' (of the Jesus mob).

  (grin)
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  52

  What does the rise of Donald Trump tell us about the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i thank one of my former lecturers for drawing my attention to this overview.. after some 100 years, living out its "manifest destiny" dream, as the hegemon of the world, what has this 'dream' done to/for the usa?

  the approaching presidential election provides an opportunity to examine this question.. and what of all the appendage organisations (like the wts) that rode across the world on the hegemon's coattails?.

  the answer may be here: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism.

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  fulltimestudent

  An image from the above cited overview:

  

  Another interesting question, noting the enthusiasm of Christian Republicans for Trump, is 'Does Jesus appear as authoritarian to Americans?'
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  52

  What does the rise of Donald Trump tell us about the USA?

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i thank one of my former lecturers for drawing my attention to this overview.. after some 100 years, living out its "manifest destiny" dream, as the hegemon of the world, what has this 'dream' done to/for the usa?

  the approaching presidential election provides an opportunity to examine this question.. and what of all the appendage organisations (like the wts) that rode across the world on the hegemon's coattails?.

  the answer may be here: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism.

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  fulltimestudent

  I thank one of my former lecturers for drawing my attention to this overview.

  After some 100 years, living out its "manifest destiny" dream, as the hegemon of the world, what has this 'dream' done to/for the USA? The approaching Presidential election provides an opportunity to examine this question.

  And what of all the appendage organisations (like the WTS) that rode across the world on the hegemon's coattails?

  The answer may be here: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
• 
  11

  Do JWs think Jesus was a liar or just a fool?

  by TTWSYF in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  not alot of love or respect for jesus, his apostles or his church from the jws.

  .

  did he build his church on sand or have fools in charge that couldn't get out of their own way?.

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  fulltimestudent

  Sorry for the delay in responding, I've been so busy.

  TTWSYF: Never heard of the tree dwelling Christains before

  Just some more observations (and historical references)

  That's OK (to never hear of tree-dwelling Christians), but it does demonstrate that "Christians" know incredibly little about their own history. St Simeon (do you believe that people can become 'saints'.after death?) the Stylite became incredibly powerful. When the Emperor Theodosius wanted to rebuild a Jewish synagogue, 'Saint' Simeon condemned him and forced him to retract his promise.
  

  Below is a sixth century engraving showing Simeon resisting Satan

  
  

  
  

  TTWSFYF: Incredibly, in spite of these 4th century converted people, the church still grew to include some 20% of the entire world's population.

  True, but its more likely that the figure is more than 30%, though any decision about numbers brings up the tiresome topic of who is actually a Christian?

  But let's take a look at this claim. Early Christianity did spread. But its incredibly difficult to establish accurate figures. The first Christians would have been almost entirely Jewish. And there's an interesting point made in Acts about them. Jesus performed his short ministry almost entirely in Galilee, but the Jews that Luke sees fit to nominate in Acts 2 (vs 9-11) are mostly from the eastern and southern provinces of the Roman Empire. For example, some of the first mentioned were Parthians, Medes and Mesopotamians etc in other words, descendants of Jews who did not return (from Babylon) to Jerusalem after Messiah Cyrus's liberation decree. All this Jesus the Messiah stuff was new to them.

  For some centuries the east (and Egypt) were strongly Christian. (We are just witnessing the almost final end of the eastern Church. But was that because of Jesus? I suggest to you that historical evidence for a large church is just not there, UNTIL the conversion (sort of) of the Emperor Constantine. He started a campaign of forced conversions and the destruction of pagan temples and places of folk religion importance. And it has been the same ever since. I'm sure that you wouldn't really approve of the way that South America was "converted" would you? Of course, forced conversions did not always work. Sometimes, as in Japan, forced conversions caused a reaction and tens of thousands of 'Christians" were slaughtered in a campaign by the Japanese government. (Did Jesus decide to just them die?) Something similar in China, where European nations forced the weak government of the nineteenth century to allow 'Christian missionaries' into China. The so-called Boxer Rebellion was a reaction to that and thousands of 'Christians' were slaughtered by Chinese advocating the expulsion of the west from China.

  In the earlier Taiping Rebellion (the Taiping were Christians) in the mid nineteenth century that nearly toppled the then Qing dynasty, it is so interesting that the rebellion was eventually quelled when the 'Christian west' decided that they preferred to manipulate the weak pagan Qing, rather than face a strong Chinese government, even if it was Christian.

  I think you'll agree that was a really incredible turn of events?

  TTWSYF: And the church that was started by Jesus [,under the influence of his deluded mother], started an organization that compiled the most popular book ever written. Gave the world the college system, hospitals, foodbanks, homeless shelters, orphanages, the scientific method, and civil rights for ALL people. It's amazing when you think of how it all started, and yet continues. Of course, these are just observations.

  just a few more historical observations for you to check out?

  Did you know that the Sumerians had 'scribal schools' as early as the fourth Millenium BCE, (Must've been about the time that the most popular book ever written says that there was a world wide flood, but since Freddy Franz used that to set his dates, I've lost a bit of confidence in the 'most popular book in the world.')

  And actually, the oldest University (wait for it, while we have some drum rolls) is ...

  The University of al-Qarawiyyin or Al Quaraouiyine (Arabic: جامعة القرويين‎) is a university located inFes, Morocco. It is the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree awarding educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records[5] and is sometimes referred to as the oldest university.[6] The Al Quaraouiyine mosque-religious school / college was founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 with an associated school, or madrasa, which subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Al_Quaraouiyine

  Pik below

  
  

  Which, of course, is Islamic.
  
  

  The Buddhists in India had one even older, dating back to the fifth century CE

  
  

  Remains of the University of Nalandra

  But invading Muslims armies forcibly closed it down (funny how religions like to do that to each other)

  I wonder if you (in writing particularly the last section quoted) just closed your eyes and wrote on automatic.

  Do you really believe that Christianity was responsible for the western 'enlightenment?.

  think about this quote:

  "The Enlightenment of 18th century was an extension of the scientific revolution in which rational thought and reason was extended from nature to society. Thinkers of the Enlightenment, known as philosophes, completely rejected the supremacy of religion, superstition and Church authority and replaced it with reason."

  https://mmuntazir.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/influence-of-enlightenment-on-economic-social-thought/
  

  On Hospitals: Some of the very large pagan temples in the Roman Empire were actually sanctuaries for healing. Sort of like hospitals.

  I've run out to time, hope that's enough to go on with.

  
  
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  11

  Do JWs think Jesus was a liar or just a fool?

  by TTWSYF in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  not alot of love or respect for jesus, his apostles or his church from the jws.

  .

  did he build his church on sand or have fools in charge that couldn't get out of their own way?.

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  fulltimestudent

  TTWSYF : Not a lot of love or respect for Jesus, his apostles or HIS church from the JWs.
  Did he build His church on sand or have fools in charge that couldn't get out of their own way?

  There's another perspective.

  That Jesus, under the influence of his deluded mother, was the of a long line of people to suffer the same delusion.

  As for 'fools in charge,' may I respectfully draw your attention to later Christians who thought it was a 'wise' way of spending your life, to live up a tree, like these guys:

  They were known as Dendrites:

  During the 4th century, from Upper Egypt to Syria, Palestine, and Arabia, various groups of ascetics formed around an abba, or “father” (from which “abbot” derives). In Syria, some monks went naked and in chains, lived on tall pillars (Stylites); nested in the branches of trees (Dendrites), or foraged in the woods like wild animals (Graziers).
  http://www.myss.com/library/religions/christianity/18_mystics.asp

  

  who may be Bishop Paul of Qanetos

  A fascinating paper on the Dendrites is: Kyle Smith “Dendrites and Other Standers in the ‘History of the Exploits of Bishop Paul of Qanetos and Priest John of Edessa’”
  “Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies”, Vol. 12.1, 117-134:http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol12No1/HV12N1Smith.pdf

  “This paper summarizes evidence for tree-dwelling monks in late antiquity and outlines a little-known, fifth-century hagiography that has a peculiar focus on trees: the “History of the Exploits of Bishop Paul of Qanetos and Priest John of Edessa. In the text, there is an encounter with a long-bearded dendrite living in a mountaintop tree and a duel with an Arabian tree-god. An edition of the text—along with an introduction and an annotated translation by Hans Arneson, Christine Luckritz-Marquis, and Kyle Smith—is in preparation.”

  Then there were the stylites:

  The first was probably Simeon Stylites the Elder, Who got up on top of a pillar sometime in 423 CE and stayed there until his death 37 years later. He used to a bucket to haul his food and water up, and then used the bucket to pass the waste down after it had passed through his system.

  
  

  Here he's represented (on the left) showing off his ulcerated leg, and on the right is a later imitator.

  Would you like me to go on with further examples of Christian ratbaggery ?

  We were of course, ALL deluded into making some sort of sacrifice of aspects of our lives. For my own part, I held close in mind this text, and I used to pray that I could be as faithful as the examples held out in Hebrews 11:36-38:

  …36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.…

  
  

  What bloody fools we were.