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I am currently working on a science-fantasy novel called Magic Squared and would appreciate any advice on how to get it published once it is completed. I've read others' experiences in having their books published and am getting ready to do the same. Thanks in advance.
Quendi
you have probably heard that there is a mars expedition that is being planned in 2023 where a permanent human settlement will be established.
people are applying for the opportunity at http://applicants.mars-one.com/.
think about it, this might be the one chance we have to leave all the door knocker jw's behind,,,,,,.
The best writing I’ve read on Mars colonization is Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy: Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars. I highly recommend them. While I don’t need to have Harley dealerships, the lack of any KFC franchises put paid to the whole thing for me. LOL
Quendi
you have probably heard that there is a mars expedition that is being planned in 2023 where a permanent human settlement will be established.
people are applying for the opportunity at http://applicants.mars-one.com/.
think about it, this might be the one chance we have to leave all the door knocker jw's behind,,,,,,.
The people who have applied for the Mars One expedition are out of what is left of their minds. They have no idea what they are getting themselves into. By comparison, the inane beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses look completely sane and logical.
Do they really know what would be involved in living there? At least they understand this is a one-way trip, that there can be no return to Earth. I can only believe they have some romantic notion of what life on Mars would be like and think that it simply means living in space suits amid red dust and arctic temperatures. If it were that easy a base would have been established on the planet decades ago.
We’re talking about a nine-month flight just to get there. A world with no free oxygen and no life as we know it. There is no liquid water on its surface. There is no magnetic field or ozone layer to shield inhabitants from deadly cosmic radiation. A world that is also incommunicado with Earth for extended periods of time. That means should disaster strike, there may be no way of communicating this to Earth and perhaps getting some kind of rescue mission together to help the colonists.
In my opinion, based on the technology we have now, a base on Mars is infeasible. It could not be self-sustaining and so there is no reason to establish one. In the future, when we have the engineering and biomedical problems solved, then I would support such a mission. Until then, the best we can do is send a team, spend a few weeks on the surface, and then return to Earth, joyful that we not only put a team on the surface, but got them all back alive along with the invaluable data they will have collected.
Quendi
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bookmarked
judging by the titles/themes of the talks , dramas ,new releases ,tracts,brochures , etc,.i dont think their was anything that would enthuse any witness to renewed activity.on the contrary i think it would demoralize you .their was nothing their to inspire a new convert let alone one who has been in for decades to keep on in service to this organization.
for arguments sake ,i was baptised in 1961 if i was still in , at this convention ,i would be asking ,when is the great tribulatin to begin?
who is the king of the north ?
I think that Bob_NC put his finger on it when he noted that the “lifeblood of the WT is the constant contributions from its members.” The latest information on their website about the ongoing building projects in Wallkill, Warwick and Tuxedo, New York show this. The Society mentioned how this work was being done with volunteer labor and would result in a new location for its world headquarters when completed. It’s not money alone the WTS gets from rank-and-file Witnesses, but an enormous amount of free, unpaid volunteer labor as well.
Why do Witnesses constantly and even enthusiastically volunteer their time and labor for WTS projects? I suppose there are many reasons but I think a very important one is their conviction that despite all the doctrinal, organizational and procedural changes that have occurred during the last twenty years, they are convinced the WTS is “Jehovah’s organization” so that whatever they do is in accord with the divine will.
As time goes by, that belief will fade, but I agree with OTWO’s observation that the organization still has quite a few years left before it vanishes, more’s the pity.
Quendi
in another thread, what's new for 2013 - lo nuevo de 2013, jwn member, oppostate, posted news of dc releases at this year's district conventions.
among the releases was this: .
a new dvd for 2013: the return of the prodigal son.
Early in my vain efforts to get reinstated, my judicial committee told me I had to produce “fruits of repentance”, “works” that proved I was truly sorry. I countered with the parable of the Prodigal Son and asked which “works” did he produce before his father accepted him back? That question provoked an angry silence from the committee which got worse when I followed up with the observation that nothing the committee or the WTS did or demanded from a “sinner” was in the Bible. Looking back on it now, it’s no wonder that all my subsequent requests for reinstatement were denied.
The only reason I wanted reinstatement was to regain contact with my friends and family in the organization. For its part, my judicial committee only wanted me to swear allegiance to the men they called “the faithful and discreet slave.” They weren’t even slightly interested in my relationship with God, seldom asking questions about that. In the end, I was the one who broke contact with them, a decision I have never regretted.
The parable of the Prodigal Son has time and again proved to be a source of exasperation and frustration for the WTS. From what I have heard and learned, when it is brought up in judicial committee meetings, elders are left dumbfounded. Their only reply against it is to parrot WTS policy as opposed to citing the Scriptures. We understand their reasons: this parable strikes at the heart of this cult, its raison d’etre because it exposes it as a false religion, completely undeserving of the respect and honor it currently enjoys.
Quendi
http://www.jw.org/en/news/by-region/americas/united-states/wallkill-warwick-projects/.
quite a complex,,plenty money going on..
When “quick build” projects started in Colorado back in 1981, they were a wonderful way for Witnesses not only to build new meeting places, but also created opportunities to meet people from different parts of a region or even the country. The local Witnesses who spearheaded these projects were able to do quite well on their own, much like many of their forbearers had in the American West in the nineteenth century. I attended two of these events during that time and really enjoyed participating.
But then the WTS got involved. The Society created “regional building committees” and claimed that all who took part had to be appointed by the Governing Body. This had an wholly undesirable by-product of shutting out many talented women from the process. Then the Society mandated exterior designs and floor plans which oftentimes completely ignored local building styles and preferences. And, of course, the Society also took title to all such properties, making sure the local congregations did not even own the buildings they used for worship.
Now, with the WTS set to cash out its Brooklyn holdings and take up a quiet life in the country, one can only wonder how it will manage its far-flung global real estate holdings. Will it liquidate many of them and sit on the cash? It certainly won’t be using the money to help the less fortunate in their own ranks let alone many others who suffer misfortune, will it? The saddest part of all is how the rank-and-file will still give generously, convinced that this is all part of some divine grand purpose.
Quendi
well have they?
given that 'we are all imperfect and fall down many times' one would expect them to have made at least some mistakes since rutherford founded the jw religion.
as christians are supposed to be humble, including those who 'would be great among you', should we not have seen evidence of this over such a long time period?.
How I wish the rank-and-file Witness would consider this thread! Thanks for the reminder, blondie, about the abuse of the word “clarification.” How much falsehood has masqueraded under that name? Satanus puts his finger on a sore that many have felt. This is an organization whose leadership is merciless. It’s bad enough that they are ignorant, unschooled and uneducated. But they are also devoid of compassion just as their ancient counterparts, the Pharisees and Sadducees were. Along with mercy and compassion, they lack humility and courage. I’ll give the leaders of the WCG their due in this matter. It took great humility and courage to write the apology they did. The Governing Body does not have either of these qualities and that is another reason we should expect no act of contrition from them. I also want to add Oubliette’s contributions to this thread when I write to my friends. His scintillating analysis was spot on. I hope I have his permission to do so.
Quendi
well have they?
given that 'we are all imperfect and fall down many times' one would expect them to have made at least some mistakes since rutherford founded the jw religion.
as christians are supposed to be humble, including those who 'would be great among you', should we not have seen evidence of this over such a long time period?.
With your permission, Designer Stubble, I am copying your post in toto and sending it to a number of friends who I believe should read this. Many will benefit from it while I hope others will see it as food for thought. I also remember 1980 as being a year of considerable tumult in the organization. The WTS admitted some responsibility for the 1975 fiasco verbally during that summer’s district conventions although it did so in a way as to put some blame still on the rank-and-file for ‘running ahead.’ Nevertheless, the damage and harm that were done by the buildup for 1975 were never completely admitted or apologized for.
Instead, what we have seen in the nearly forty years which have passed have been a perpetuation and intensification of the evils decried in The Plain Truth magazine. Both the WTS and the Worldwide Church of God tread the same path in that regard, the big difference being the repentance and begging for pardon and forgiveness on the WCG’s part for its egregious sins and errors. You are right to say that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses will never humble themselves to do the same.
Words like “adjustment” and “new light” provide convenient cover for an organization which has never been on the path of truth and enlightenment. Still, I have to remember that when I was a staunch and faithful member of this cult, I found such specious reasoning reassuring. I took comfort in the lie that these changes came from Jehovah himself and were evidence of divine direction and love. Only now, with my shackles removed and eyes opened, can I realize that I was never in a “spiritual paradise.” Instead, I was in a spiritual desert pursuing mirages. I can be thankful that I managed to find my way out and am now treading a more productive life path.
Quendi
thw wts likes to play games with their statistics.
one interesting but truly tragic is the number of jwhovah's witnesses who commit suicie.. now i suspect that if a person commits suicide shortly before or after they are disfellowshipped then the elders would say that person wasn't a witness or that they had done something so terrible that they were too guilty to admit it and by their action of committing suicide they pretty much declared they were no longer a jw.. yup fancy talk to make sure any crap didn't fall on them.. so my question.. do you know of cases like this?
if so then can you answer a few more questions.. had this person been dfed or in real danger of being dfed or whatever the equivalent is if they were never baptized?.
With respect to my friend’s attitude toward the elders, Lady Lee, you are quite right to say he no longer trusted them and wanted nothing to do with them. While I don’t doubt they made an effort to talk to him, I also don’t doubt that their talk was far from helpful. When I said the elders tried to help him, I was speaking from their perspective. Tom obviously saw it in an entirely different light.
One of the problems these elders have is most of them believe they are appointed by holy spirit. It’s obvious to us that this claim is false. I can only think that elders refuse to look at their status objectively. The harm this has done to others cannot be overstated and many have paid a heavy price for this hubris.
I was luckier than my friend. When I realized I was in serious trouble, I got help and found the strength to survive. I hope hoser’s friend can make a recovery and keep on living. His battle with suicidal thoughts may not be over and there may be more crises ahead. I wish him all the best.
Quendi
