Band on the Run

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Posts by Band on the Run

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  36

  LETS TALK JESUS.....

  by Quentin in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  was jesus a real living being?

  or, was he a myth, made up 60 to 70 years after the fact.. i for one believe he did exist.

  was the epicenter of oral traditions and overblown hype.

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  Band on the Run

  The gospels show that most of John's followers did not follow Jesus. It is interesting. Wright and Borg write that Jesus' teachings were not unique. His sayings, morals, whatever fit perfectly into a first century Jewish view. They see HIm as a teacher like Philo and others of the time.

  Christian's don't worship Jesus b/c of his sayings, though they are instructive. Christians worship the Risen Christ. As Paul note's the folly of Christ is the ancient prayer, "Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ is risen. Christ will come again."

  And they expected it before they died.....

  Qumrun, the Essenes, Nag Hammadi, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Pharisees - it was a pivotal time. Is Muhammad much later? They talk of a domination system that the Christian belief overturned.
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  36

  LETS TALK JESUS.....

  by Quentin in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  was jesus a real living being?

  or, was he a myth, made up 60 to 70 years after the fact.. i for one believe he did exist.

  was the epicenter of oral traditions and overblown hype.

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  2. 
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  Band on the Run

  I've done much work for an amateur on the historical Jesus. Right now I am reading The Meaning of Jesus by N.T. Wright and marcus borg. It is not new. I wrote a long paper in college on this topic. It is not universal but just about every reputable scholar believes Jesus of Nazareth lived. Whether Jesus was the Messiah and if so, his nature cannot be answered historically and never will short of the Second Coming.

  My lenten study group tried to separate the different gospel stories from the amalgam of Jesus material in the West. It is very hard not to mismash the whole thing. When I was in college, I deliberately did not research any JW material. Hence, historical Jesus. After NT, I studied in a small Jesus seminar at Columbia. Everyone had to take NT and read the gospels the semester before. Our first day the prof. asked us to write down three adjectives for Jesus. All Christians were wrong. Only three orthodox Jewish males reported adjectives based in the gospels.

  Jesus is all to us. He has to be so big to accomodate every whim and person that Jesus loses any real meaning.

  I love The Last Temptation of Christ.
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  144

  1st Cen. Christianity - One Organization

  by StandFirm in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here is the promised debate.

  the subject is whether or not god has an organization.

  i'll start things simply:.

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  Band on the Run

  For me this thread shows a process that nonJWs follow. We could discuss it openly. People added info, others commented.

  When I was born-in, the Witnesses made more sense. My parents were god like authority figures. They told me there was this vicious god named Jehovah and we were Jehovah's Witnesses. We were the only people in the world who were correct and deserved to live when God who said his creation was good destroyed it for being bad. I knew no JW history or world history.

  It was inevitable, I learned to read. The death knell for the Witnesses. A schizophrenic hanging out in the corner of the Port Authority Bus Terminal announces that Jesus is presently speaking to him. People scoff, laugh and wonder why there isn't better treatment for mental illness. Ultimately, the Witnesses must prove that Jesus gave them control in 1800, 1914, 1975, whatever date. No proof exists.

  Besides reading, I met many fine, decent people attending school and playing in the neighborhood. Jesus would never annihilate these people with a vengeance. Never.

  I have utter contempt for Witness history, doctrine, whatever while I respect individuals.

  The Witnesses, despite a long time period, are a mere fraction of the earth's residents. A casual Bible reading proves them wrong. I see no difference between the schizophrenic and the Witnesses. None at all.

  The truth will set you free. It reminds me of the Bruce Willis film with that cute little boy where Willis' character is dead and does not realize it.
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  20

  Was the 1812 declaration of war on the British empire wrong

  by Star tiger in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  greetings,.

  why are the british always depicted as an evil empire, when in 1812 james madison declared war, the british were defending native american rights, and although the eventual ceasefire was signed in gwent belgium in 1814, and both sides declared victory the only losers were the original owners of the land, displaced onto reservations, the native americans, not much of that in hollywood movies, i'm sorry if i'm being provocative, i'm just not getting many posters on any of my threads, lol!.

  star tiger.

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  Band on the Run

  My legal history course focused on the American Revolution. I learned and have since read elsewhere, that Americans were over the moon about being English. Benjamin Frnaklin was the royal postal inspector. Geo. WAshington and Franklin wrote letters declaring how wondrous George III was. There was a perceptual misunderstanding with Parliament. Americans believed they brought with them all Magna Carta rights. They were dedicated to the English constitution. London did not care about the colonies so our local general assemblies governed. All this was seen as good Britain.

  The economic times changed. America became a source of revenue. London tried to assert power over the colonies after about 100 years of self-rule with nominal control in England. Americans were willing to die for their British constitutional rights. This shows most clearly by contrasting America, a colony, with Ireland, a colony. Ireland never had home rule. John Adams, a common lawyer, defended the British soliders indicted for the Boston Massacre and a Boston jury let them walk. Irish lawyers were hung with their clients. The Stamp Act was too much for an enlightened citizenry used to controlling its destiny.

  The American revoluton was truly an oligarhy rebellion. Opinions towards Britain changed rapidly. Another factor, unlike Ireland, was that poverty was just about nonexisent in America. There was plenty of land.

  Americans are taught very corrupted history in school. I don't why. The actual history is exciting.
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  3

  GOVERNING BODY and Child Labor Laws

  by revelationsrbeginin7871gs in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i have done just a bit of research, but it seems as though, as children we were only supposed to go out in service for 10 hours a month.

  regardless of the watchtower being non-profit, or not for profit, children could only represent the organization for 10 hours!!!

  does anyone have more information or details on this matter?.

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  Band on the Run

  I doubt religions fall within the child labor statutes. The Amish work their children more than ten hours. Don't tell me that small mom and pop business don't work the kids more than eight hours.

  There are enforcement problems b/c a church is involved. Interesting q.
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  161

  What Are You Reading?

  by zoiks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, here's my current list:.

  i just finished the greatest show on earth by richard dawkins, and am almost finished crisis of conscience by...some guy.. currently in hand, i have:.

  the power of myth, joseph campbell and bill moyers.

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  Band on the Run

  The Emperor of Maladies

  White Fang, Jack London

  The Meaning of Jesus, Wright and Borg.
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  20

  Was the 1812 declaration of war on the British empire wrong

  by Star tiger in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  greetings,.

  why are the british always depicted as an evil empire, when in 1812 james madison declared war, the british were defending native american rights, and although the eventual ceasefire was signed in gwent belgium in 1814, and both sides declared victory the only losers were the original owners of the land, displaced onto reservations, the native americans, not much of that in hollywood movies, i'm sorry if i'm being provocative, i'm just not getting many posters on any of my threads, lol!.

  star tiger.

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  Band on the Run

  I am not a 1812 buff. From my reading about the Federalist period, global politics shaped American policy much more than was reported in school. When Geo. Washington was president, England and France went to yet another war. Many patriots, including Jefferson who was a cabinet member, believed we should support France. Washington, Hamilton and others viewed this as foolish. Everyone knew that wihtout France, the US would not exist. People were very pro-French.

  It wasn't only Britain and France because each side had allies. Washington decided to impose neutrality, barring Americans from aiding France. Jefferson was livid. There is the great Pacificus/Helviditus debate published in the newspapers between Hamilton, supporting Washington, and I believe Madison as Washington's surrogate. HIstorians believe Washington took the right course. We barely had a military. The bloody French revolution was also a factor. King Louis XVI actively supported the US. Washington and others were aboslutely repulsed at his execution. Many thought the right to defend France died with Louis.

  So there was a pre-existing recent tension with Britain. There are 1812 re-enactors in some locations.
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  15

  Christian Beliefs Concerning Post Death Existence

  by Band on the Run in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  im reading the meaning of jesus by n.t.

  wright and marcus borg.

  they are nt and early christianity scholars who studied under the same prof. both are active believers.

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  Band on the Run

  You are shameless, LOL. This is comical. Too bad we can't share a beer.
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  9

  Were you allowed to vote in student council elections?

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  around here in fundiedubland, it was considered practice for political elections.

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  we were not allowed to do it at all.. i had to get a parental note stating i wasn't allowed to participate.. watchtower society: sucking the normal out of childhood since 1881.tm.

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  Band on the Run

  Since there were not any Witnesses in my homeroom or class, I always voted. My best friend was student council president. I was elected to serve as a delegate to a very progressive city wide council that discussed the botched school system rather than proms and lunches.

  The Black Panthers and Students for a Demrocratic Society were trying to influence us. I was driven all over the place. They tried to raise my political consciousness as a white ethnic not having the privileges of white Jews and WASPS. I was so dense. In my view, I was very weatlhy and very grateful that I did not have to live in a housing project. They tried so hard.

  It is obvious my mom did not care. In fact, I always saluted the flag. Her fear was another Witness knowing about it.

  Believe me, it is not a big loss. Proms, dances, field trips, hang outs - big losses.
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  15

  Christian Beliefs Concerning Post Death Existence

  by Band on the Run in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  im reading the meaning of jesus by n.t.

  wright and marcus borg.

  they are nt and early christianity scholars who studied under the same prof. both are active believers.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Band on the Run

  And in the year of our Lord 2011, while smoking drug laced weed, Christ came to me through my TV set and told me to tell the world the following:

  Whatever.

  So I am commission apostles to carry the great news througout Earth, Vulcan and Klingnon, while skipping Deep Space Nine.

  Have a pleasant evening.