Bungi Bill

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Posts by Bungi Bill

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  34

  What makes a "good Jehovah's Witness"??

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, i have been thinking...what is the formula or recipe for the "perfect jw"?.

  here are a few points i thought of...please feel free to add!.

  always dress in the jw manner...no variation in clothing / hair styles / facial hair.

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  Bungi Bill

  Having an in-built switch somewhere that completely bypasses the brain, permanently padlocked in the "Bypass" position, and the key conveniently lost somewhere.

  Bill
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  12

  QUESTIONS and ANSWERS with NT scholar Prof. Bart Ehrman

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the following is a tiny excerpt from bart ehrman's blog of which i'm a member.. this particular entry contains questions and answers about the nature of translating the new testament.. .

  did the fact that early christian scripture was written in koine greek have an effect in how the religion was perceived by the pagan elites and imperial family?

  in other words, did that make the religion look bad or koine greek was acceptable?

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  Bungi Bill

  Pistoff,

  Enrolement records from the University of Cincinatti confirm that one Frederick William Franz was enrolled at that institution between September 1911 and December 1913. During that time he studied Liberal Arts, Latin, Classical Greek, and also received an introduction to Koine Greek. He left before graduating, making his formal qualifications that of a "College Dropout".

  Crazy Fred's total tuition time in Classical Greek amounted to 21 hours, and that in Koine Greek just 2 hours. It certainly was NOT the two years of intensive studies in Greek, like he tried to portray it was when he wrote his autobiography (see the Watchtower of 1 May 1987). In fact, one could argue that he received just enough tuition in Greek to make him dangerous!

  The point I was trying to make in my original post was that the criticism levelled at FW Franz's lack of qualifications as a bible translator should be:

  (i) The brevity of his formal studies in the Greek language.

  (ii) And also the fact that he never completed the degree course.

  However, the fact that almost all his brief tuition in Greek was confined to Classical Greek should NOT count against him - as according to Professor Ehrman, anybody who understands Classical Greek would have no problem understanding Koine Greek. (In our loathing of the WTS, there is always the temptation to get a bit reckless when criticising such things as the New World Translation. Leave that to the William Schnells of this world!)

  Believe it or not, that is all I was trying to say!

  (As an aside, if you have lived in countries such as Papua New Guinea - as I have - it is not at all difficult to understand how an individual versed in Classical Greek would understand Koine Greek.

  The people who lived along the Gulf of Papua - i.e. on PNG's southern coastline - developed a language called "Hiri Motu", to allow them to be able to trade with one another. The "Hiri" was the annual trading expedition that set out from what is now Port Moresby, to trade with the peoples further around the gulf. The Motu people spoke the "pure" form of the Motu language, and between themselves and the Daru, Keremas and other groups, they developed a simpler form of that same language to be able to communicate when trading.

  After Papua was proclaimed a British Protectorate in 1884, the Administration adopted Hiri Motu as the official langauge of government, as it was already well established as the lingua-franca of the Papuan coast area.

  The relationship between "pure" Motu and Hiri Motu is very similar to that between Classical Greek and Koine Greek - i.e. those who can speak "pure" Motu have little difficulty in following a conversation in Hiri Motu. On the other hand, if you can speak only Hiri Motu, don't even attempt a conversation in the pure form of the language!)

  Bill.
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  12

  QUESTIONS and ANSWERS with NT scholar Prof. Bart Ehrman

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the following is a tiny excerpt from bart ehrman's blog of which i'm a member.. this particular entry contains questions and answers about the nature of translating the new testament.. .

  did the fact that early christian scripture was written in koine greek have an effect in how the religion was perceived by the pagan elites and imperial family?

  in other words, did that make the religion look bad or koine greek was acceptable?

  1. 
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• 

  Bungi Bill

  Pistoff,

  I do not have any transcripts, but understand Frederick Franz did study Classical Greek for two years while at university. (Although I don't believe he actually graduated with a degree). For a person of his times, this is not in any way unusual - studies in "The Classics" used to be quite commonplace. In fact, in the English public school system, education was limited to little more than those subjects.

  Just for the record, I am in no way a fan of Mad Freddies!

  Bill.
• 
  12

  QUESTIONS and ANSWERS with NT scholar Prof. Bart Ehrman

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the following is a tiny excerpt from bart ehrman's blog of which i'm a member.. this particular entry contains questions and answers about the nature of translating the new testament.. .

  did the fact that early christian scripture was written in koine greek have an effect in how the religion was perceived by the pagan elites and imperial family?

  in other words, did that make the religion look bad or koine greek was acceptable?

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  Bungi Bill

  Interesting!

  Anyone who can read Attic Greek can easily handle the Koine, but not the other way around.

  This is something to remember when directing criticism at the late FW Franz, whose academic credentials were in Classical Greek - but who had only (so it is said) two or three days formal tuition in Koine Greek. According to Prof. Ehrman, this matters not one jot!

  Bill
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  83

  PART TWO of AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE BY A PRACTICING JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

  by Sparks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  while you are sitting there reading this, there are literally hundreds of thousands of young males and females all over the world [ mostly in america / canada and england] sitting in their grotty little smelly bedrooms or flats, designing computer viruses that they will up-load onto web-sites to cause anonymous innocent peoples computers to malfunction.

  these creeps spend literally weeks,months or even years hoping to make a computer viruses that will get into peoples computer bios to completely destroy their computers.

  they never see the peoples anger, frustration and distress.... the damage can cost each person about 1,000 [ $1,660.74 ] or more to replace a basic new laptop or tower.

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  Bungi Bill

  If ever there was a 21st Century equivalent of the old time soap-box politician, it would be this guy!

  Bill
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  68

  Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible."

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  go ahead.

  tell me.. "i've read the bible cover to cover.

  i don't believe you.. it is damned near impossible!.

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  Bungi Bill

  I've known so damned many lying-ass Jehovah's witnesses in my lifetime, I've become cynical about what anybody says when they make a personal claim.

  My policy (it might sound unfair or ridiculous) is NOT TO BELIEVE a word I'm told.

  Terry,

  I will try to always remember the above words when reading any future posts of yours. Certainly, one cannot hold it against a person if the JW experience left them somewhat cynical in outlook!

  I believe very much in letting others express their opinions and thoughts - and in the process, "cutting them a bit of slack", as the saying goes. However (and this is just me) I am very careful when it comes to questioning another person's integrity. As a consequence, I do (by my own admission) tend to be rather oversensitive when my own integrity gets called into question. My sincere apologies for having responded in that manner!

  Bill.

  PS: In me, you are dealing with a bookworm extraordinaire! Depending on circumstance, that can either be an asset or a curse.
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  68

  Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible."

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  go ahead.

  tell me.. "i've read the bible cover to cover.

  i don't believe you.. it is damned near impossible!.

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  Bungi Bill

  Terry,

  Are you trying to say that a person should only read the bible if they beforehand agree to believe what it says? I would have thought that the time to form an opinion about any piece of writing is afteryou have read it. That is what I always do, anyway!

  Or are you trying to suggest that the mere act of reading the bible will automatically transform one into a believer? For many who have responded to this thread, a reading of the entire bible actually had the very opposite effect on them.

  At no time did I ever claim to believethe bible (including its remarks about "turning the other cheek"). I only stated that - contrary to the claim made in the title of this thread - I have read the entire bible.

  Bill.
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  68

  Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible."

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  go ahead.

  tell me.. "i've read the bible cover to cover.

  i don't believe you.. it is damned near impossible!.

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  Bungi Bill

  I'm flattered!

  Yes, as you might have gathered, I do take rather strong exception to being branded a liar!

  Your remarks about just how beneficial such a bible reading is, though, are quite correct (certainly in my case, anyway). As previously stated, completion of that task felt very much like a let down.

  Bill.
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  68

  Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible."

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  go ahead.

  tell me.. "i've read the bible cover to cover.

  i don't believe you.. it is damned near impossible!.

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  Bungi Bill

  I have read the thing cover to cover:

  - Call me a liar if you like. However, if we ever meet up in person, I will smack you well and truly in the bloody mouth for having done so!

  Being an avid reader, I had not too much difficulty reading it right through over the course of one summer holiday.(Hard going as it was, I have had to wade my way through harder reading matter, and for that matter, still am).

  Not that the exercise ever did me one bit of good, mind you. Rather, it was something of a let down.

  Bill.
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  159

  An important message from a PRACTICING Jehovah's witness

  by Sparks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi, i am also a practicing jehovah's witness and very proud of it,to say the very-very least..!

  i am a middle-aged man with many decades of being a witness of jehovah god in england.. this important letter is personally to you, just as many of the bible's 88 letters are to be taken personal by you the reader.

  i am writing to you to urge you to take stock of your life, think what your future holds for you.

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  Bungi Bill

  Yeah, I get the drift:

  - JWs are the only ones who speak "The Truth" because they say they do, and for no other reason than that.

  Therefore, all you naughty girls and boys had better do what the JWs say - or else.

  Bloody terrific!

  Bill.