Posts by fulltimestudent

7

Brethren

by manda63 in

got approached by a brethren the other day who started to engage me in conversation about christianity i thought at first that he was a gb witness but turned out not when i explained to him that i thought he was one he said no no not one of those that lie and decieve he represented a true religion that only those that follow will get ever lasting life etc they apparently stick to first century teachings and when i said followers of the governing body also claim this so he explained how they differ;.

brethren - 1/ clergy dont lie about not having paid clergy as they actually dont have paid clergy the only exception being missionary`s who are sponsored.

2/ neck ties-not worn as they are pagan.

fulltimestudent

8/ would not shun a family member who leaves the church but couldnt eat or drink in the same room

There are different Brethren groups, one of which identifies as 'Exclusive,' and one describes itself as 'open'. I make that point because in Australia, one Brethren group has been accused of shunning (not sure which one, but guessing that it is the 'Exclusive' group).

A Wikipedia entry on this Christian cult is quite detailed and interesting to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Brethren

The shunning seems to be practised both at an organisational level and a personal level.

Groups and individuals, that split away seem to be treated in the same way as our former, ever so loving brothers and sisters treat 'apostates.' (Sardonic smile)

The Wikipedia entry states:

The Plymouth Brethren split into Exclusive and Open Brethren in 1848 when George Müller refused to accept John Nelson Darby's view of the relationship between local assemblies following difficulties in the Plymouth meeting. Brethren that held Muller's congregational view became known as "Open", those holding Darby's 'connexional' view, became known as "Exclusive" or "Darbyite" Brethren.

Darby's circular on 26 August 1848, cutting off not only Bethesda but all assemblies who received anyone who went there, was to define the essential characteristic of "exclusivism" that he was to pursue for the rest of his life. He set it out in detail in a pamphlet he issued in 1853 entitled Separation from Evil, God’s Principle of Unity.

That concept, Separation from Evil, God’s Principle of Unity,is rather interesting, as the pre-Christian, Qumran community cult, of Dead Sea Scrolls fame, and which bore quite striking similarities to the early Jesus cult, adopted a similar principle.

That's why they had isolated themselves from the mainstream, Second Temple Judaism cult.

In regard to the shunning of individuals, the Wikipedia entry says:

Among the various criticisms raised against the church are:

Members who leave or who are expelled from the group have often been treated with what outsiders may regard as great cruelty. [24]

Leavers are shunned by members of the group because leavers are seen as having chosen the world and the devil against God, and because they could bring members into contact with the sinful world. [24] The Brethren have been accused of using their considerable wealth and power to punish members who have decided to leave the church and to have allegedly actively used their influence to split families up to protect the organisation's interests. [25]

For the most part, members who have left the Raven/Taylor/Hales group are completely ostracised. Members are not permitted to live with those who have left and this causes families to break up; remaining members do not speak, eat or otherwise socialise with those who have left the group's membership. To leave the group, either voluntarily or to be excommunicated, means to be asked to leave one's home, and the subsequent breaking of all normal family relationships with those who remain within the group. [24]

Some popular Australian TV shows have taken supported shunned members and attempted to face down church members at the entry to their churches. The hostility of the church membership, toward both the shunned ex-members and the TV crew, is quite palpable.

15

Is Obama Giving Putin Ideas?

by scotoma in

jw
friends

the guardian tues 25 march (julian borger).

"russian actions are a problem.

they don't pose the number one security threat to the united.

fulltimestudent

Putin's master plan was to create a Eurasian common market similar to the European union.

The framework for closer Eurasian ties already exists in the form of the Shanghai Co-ooperation Organisation. This map gives you an idea of who is in the SCO:

The West doesn't want Russia to do that because they fear that some sort of military alliance similar to Nato would eventually emerge.

If that was the crux of the problem, then they've already failed. The current western blustering will have the opposite affect. It will drive China and Russia closer together and speed up their military cooperation. While Obama can sneer that the Russian's are just a regional power, a closer Union between China and Russia would be much more formidable.

Ukraine is the essential piece to that project's success. Putin couldn't just let Nato get control of the strategic access Russia needs to the Black Sea-Mediterranean and the Atlantic. So, now this sets his plan back because he has been forced into a corner and had to respond militarily which of course scares off other countries from joining his project.

Yes! I think you're right, the real target of the West's creation of unrest in Ukraine, was the Russian Naval base in Crimea. I see it as the USA/EU attempt to punish Russia (under Putin) for supporting the present Syrian government in that country's civil war.

What I'm not sure about is how accurately the USA/EU side assessed the situation on the ground in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, where according to observers that I judge as unbiased, there is majority support for Russia and many ethnic Russians. How could anyone think that Russia could abandon those people.

Another factor is the position of Obama in American history. He would not want to go down as the President that governed the US during a loss of power. He has to do something that makes him look powerful. Kicking the Russian dog must look like a good idea. Trouble is, some dogs, when they get kicked, jump up and bite.

9

Corruption in India.

by fulltimestudent in

an economist report has reviewed the very far-reaching affect that corruption has in india.

unfortunately, i've reached my free reading limit, so i post this overview by a finance writer for australia's fairfax press.. link: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/indias-corruption-tragedy-hurts-us-all-20140325-35fyj.html#ixzz2x0dyyyvo.

brisbane timesindia's corruption tragedy hurts us alldate march 25, 2014 - 3:02pm.

fulltimestudent

Does the fact that the exposure is coming from "The Economist" give you any hints?

Ummm, errr, No!

I wish I could say Yes! Anne, because clearly you do see 'something.'

I could say (as a possibility) that you suspect western exploitation. But I can't see a connection between excessive corruption and exploitation in this case.

Perhaps you're suggesting that some of what is called 'corruption' is dependent on a western definition. I'm also aware of that possibility. Most 'standards' in today's world are set by Euro-American interests and may not reflect the practises in other societies. There is probably a good essay in that concept.

And, of course corruption exists in western societies. In Sydney a high profile case, involving a former influential politician, is presently before an inquiry.

Over to you.

9

Corruption in India.

by fulltimestudent in

an economist report has reviewed the very far-reaching affect that corruption has in india.

unfortunately, i've reached my free reading limit, so i post this overview by a finance writer for australia's fairfax press.. link: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/indias-corruption-tragedy-hurts-us-all-20140325-35fyj.html#ixzz2x0dyyyvo.

brisbane timesindia's corruption tragedy hurts us alldate march 25, 2014 - 3:02pm.

fulltimestudent

the exposure isn't to correct the situation, it's to allow other interests access for the purpose of interjecting their own agenda.

Precisely what agenda do you think that either the Economist or the Brisbane Times may have, in running this story?

1

In Crimea, Putin may have got something right

by fulltimestudent in

the uk independent writes up the new attorney general of 'free' crimea, who the indpendent says is getting a good press on the web, most particularly in japan;.

natalia poklonskaya: internet swoons over 'battle-ready heroine' crimean attorney general.

observers of the conflict, primarily in japan, have become pre-occupied with the region's newly-appointed attorney general.

fulltimestudent

The UK Independent writes up the new Attorney General of 'free' Crimea, who the Indpendent says is getting a good press on the web, most particularly in Japan;

Natalia Poklonskaya: Internet swoons over 'battle-ready heroine' Crimean attorney general

Observers of the conflict, primarily in Japan, have become pre-occupied with the region's newly-appointed attorney general

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

Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/internet-swoons-over-battleready-heroine-crimean-attorney-general-natalia-poklonskaya-9212474.html

1

New Chinese Naval Vessel Commissioned

by fulltimestudent in

apparently, in response to western requests for more transparency regarding chinese military matters, (the chinese military is still much smaller than that of the usa), the chinese press seems to be publishing many more stories on the chinese military.

.

this story details a new guided missile destroyer.. link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/98649/8577130.html.

fulltimestudent

Apparently, in response to Western requests for more transparency regarding Chinese Military matters, (The Chinese Military is still much smaller than that of the USA), the Chinese Press seems to be publishing many more stories on the Chinese military.

This story details a new guided missile destroyer.

Link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/98649/8577130.html

9

Corruption in India.

by fulltimestudent in

an economist report has reviewed the very far-reaching affect that corruption has in india.

unfortunately, i've reached my free reading limit, so i post this overview by a finance writer for australia's fairfax press.. link: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/indias-corruption-tragedy-hurts-us-all-20140325-35fyj.html#ixzz2x0dyyyvo.

brisbane timesindia's corruption tragedy hurts us alldate march 25, 2014 - 3:02pm.

fulltimestudent

DJS-

I date a woman from India, and it pains her terribly to see and have experienced what the economists describe. It is real

Yes, I know. I went to the trouble of enrolling in another University (that is , different to my normal University which is Macquarie U, in Sydney), so that I could undertake some studies on India.

One topic covered was on the status of women in India. I chose that topic for a short essay I had to write. I asked my lecturer whether it was as bad as I described. He replied, "No! It's much worse."

1

In only 15 years-ASIAN Equity Capitalisation will be Larger than ALL the Wests.

by fulltimestudent in

that's the conclusion of a report/analysis by one of australia's largest banks, the anz bank.. asia ex-japan equity market capitalisation is set to explode, the report says, rising from $us9 trillion ($9.9 trillion) to almost $us55 trillion by 2030 .

in us dollar terms, asian equity markets will exceed the us, european union and britain combined by 2030.. looking further ahead:.

china's debt markets are forecast to grow from about $us4 trillion last year to about $us27 trillion in 2030, anz's modelling suggests.. .

fulltimestudent

That's the conclusion of a report/analysis by one of Australia's largest banks, the ANZ Bank.

Asia ex-Japan equity market capitalisation is set to explode, the report says, rising from $US9 trillion ($9.9 trillion) to almost $US55 trillion by 2030 . In US dollar terms, Asian equity markets will exceed the US, European Union and Britain combined by 2030.

Looking further ahead:

China's debt markets are forecast to grow from about $US4 trillion last year to about $US27 trillion in 2030, ANZ's modelling suggests.

Link:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/world-business/anz-tips-surge-in-market-capital-size-of-asian-financial-system-20140323-35bqa.html

9

Corruption in India.

by fulltimestudent in

an economist report has reviewed the very far-reaching affect that corruption has in india.

unfortunately, i've reached my free reading limit, so i post this overview by a finance writer for australia's fairfax press.. link: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/indias-corruption-tragedy-hurts-us-all-20140325-35fyj.html#ixzz2x0dyyyvo.

brisbane timesindia's corruption tragedy hurts us alldate march 25, 2014 - 3:02pm.

fulltimestudent

An Economist report has reviewed the very far-reaching affect that corruption has in India. Unfortunately, I've reached my free reading limit, so I post this overview by a Finance writer for Australia's Fairfax Press.

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/indias-corruption-tragedy-hurts-us-all-20140325-35fyj.html#ixzz2x0DYyyVO

BRISBANE TIMES

India's corruption tragedy hurts us all

Date March 25, 2014 - 3:02PM

Michael Pascoe

While the China bears and bulls do daily battle and our markets wobble one way or the other on a percentage point of Chinese growth data, a genuine disaster continues to build to our north and remains largely ignored: India is rotten.

Not all of India, of course, and not rotten enough to make the 300 million or so souls of the Indian middle class economically irrelevant, but the corruption and ineptitude of the soon-to-be world's most populous country is so ingrained and of such a scale as to be one of the great crimes against humanity of this century.

With another 1.2 billion people now and 1.7 billion by 2050, something like a billion people will live stunted lives, denied the opportunity to realise a fraction of their potential, because their nation is so enmeshed in graft, rent-seeking and administrative despair.

According to research detailed in Britain's The Economist, global corruption watchdog Transparency International reports more than half of Indians (54 per cent) admit to paying a bribe last year, a higher proportion than in Nigeria (44 per cent) or Indonesia (36 per cent).

And the looming Indian elections seem to offer no hope of change. With a fractured democracy apparently incapable of making difficult but necessary decisions, the corruption class is as much a part of the governing as the governed.

As previously argued here, it matters on a selfish basis to Australia because India's failure to evolve limits our own opportunities, it has meant the end of the Goldilocks view of our resources-exporting future.

On a regional strategic basis, it matters because it's hard to imagine a nation of 1.7 billion remaining stable under such a broken system. But most of all, it matters to ordinary Indians, the "wasted workforce", as The Economist has described them.

Indeed, The Economist is one of the few major western publications to try to keep a regular tab what's happening in India, or what's not happening.

Last week it carried a fine investigation of India's corruption from an economist's point of view – it's damaging the economy.

And Indians know it, as the magazine reported:

In a recent poll 96 per cent of Indians said corruption was holding their country back, and 92 per cent thought it has got worse in the past five years.

The effects are economically debilitating, as The Economist reports:

Private firms have cut investments; a fall in investment from 17 per cent of GDP in 2007 to 11 per cent in 2011 is one reason why GDP growth has slumped to 5 per cent, the lowest level for a decade. And ineffective efforts to deal with corruption seem only to have made things worse. India's cranky legal system, its overlapping investigative agencies and its raucous media have meant that responses to the problem may have done as much to paralyse business in general as to punish wrongdoers. Few senior people go to jail; but officials fear being accused of malfeasance, so many think the safest course of action is to make no decisions at all.

The investigation is worth reading in full to understand the soul-destroying extent of Indian corruption and the toll it is taking on individuals and the nation.

The multi-billion dollar scandals are occasionally uncovered, but the petty graft is just as sapping:

India's entry into the global economy created unprecedented opportunities for dishonesty. Property became a multi-billion-dollar business governed by officials paid a pittance. The value of mining licences soared along with commodity prices. Privatisations and public-private partnerships became common, and prone to manipulation. At the same time the elite cadre of the civil service, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), has decayed. A top officer puts the clean and motivated proportion of its 5,000 members at just 10 per cent — and adds that at the other end of the spectrum 15 per cent are "scum".

Inevitably, Australia will be a party to some of the Indian stench, in the same way that way we are a major receptacle of corrupt and stolen PNG money. (Whatever did happen to the Australians involved in helping to loot PNG public servants' superannuation? Nothing. Do our banks care where big deposits come from? Silly question.) And there is much more flowing out of India.

The Economist again:

In an office in Delhi an anti-corruption tsar is looking at a piece of paper. On it is the name of a fixer in Singapore who is active in the Indian city of Hyderabad and who funnels illicit funds offshore. The official says there are about 25-50 such individuals, known as "settlers", serving India, mainly from Singapore, Dubai and London. The scale of activity is "immense". By cross-checking India's trade statistics with those of its trading partners, Global Financial Integrity, a research organisation, estimates that gross illicit outflows from India have averaged $US52 billion a year since 2007.

A key part of the tragedy is that Indian political machines have become dependent on corruptly-gained funds, and thus offer little hope of reform.

Read the full The Economist story and weep for the loss of future for so many talented people. And then realise that a per cent here or there in China doesn't matter much at all in the greater scheme of things.

48

Jesus was a False Prophet - But was he deluded or deceitful?

by cofty in

any objective reading of the gospels makes it plain that jesus believed his parousia would happen within the lifetime of his generation.. his followers believed in his imminent return until the day of their deaths.. his false prophecy damaged the lives of his disciples in a similar way to that done by the lies of modern cults like the watchtower.

peter and others walked out on their wives, children and businesses to follow him around palestine.

jesus taught them to put their families and other normal concerns in second place to their task of spreading his message - which turned out to be false.. the question is what he was up to?.

fulltimestudent

In the near-contemporary ( To the Jesus movement) Qumran Community, of Dead Sea Scrolls fame, the leader of the community may have been called the 'Teacher of Righteousness'. From a Christian viewpoint he was certainly 'deluded' figure, not neccessarily because he was deceitful, but because the Jewish system of that time essentialy came to an end in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in the first century CE.

In this description, from the Jewish Virtual Library (Reference: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0005_0_05007.html ), not how generally similar the leader of that Dead Sea community was to Jesus, the Leader of his own little community. It's easy to appreciate that while Jesus may have sincerely believed what he taught, there is absolutely no evidence that any of the supernatural promises are true.

The Teacher of Righteousness

While the history of the yaḥad and its parent, and the development of their ideas, are unclear, some details are extant about the founder of the sect (or one of its first leaders), who was given the title "*teacher of righteousness," chiefly in the Damascus Document and the Habakkuk Pesher. Attempts to identify him with a known historical person remain debatable. The Damascus Document uses the title of a future, perhaps messianic figure, but also applies it to an individual who arose some time after the foundation of the movement itself. Apparently, he led a group of followers to form the yaḥad, while the remainder of the movement perhaps rejected him; his death is also noted. In the Pesher literature he is presented more as a founder figure who directly clashed with an opponent called the "wicked priest," who has been identified with a number of historical personages, all Hasmoneans, but who is completely absent from the Damascus Document. Some of the biographical details of the Teacher in the Pesharim reflect allusions in the Thanksgiving Hymns, whi ch some scholars believe to have been written by the Teacher. But these details might simply have been borrowed from the Hymns by the authors of the Pesharim.