i got into a tiny discussion with a return visit about the cross.
i confidently informed her that the cross was a pagan symbol not used by christians.
the romans were pagans, so they used a pagan symbol.
Mary: Yep....when a gorgeous guy came to the door wearing only a towel as he had just gotten out of the shower. I was left speechless and think I offered to sell him a pen or something.
Aww! I NEVER got calls like that! I wish I had been working with you. But then, had I got a call like that, I would have had to have kept all the funny thoughts to myself! So the last thing you would want to do was convert him. LOL
i know there have already been a couple of threads posted about this, but i thought it made since to bring it up again.
i hadn't really heard any "oh my what a blessing, are you pioneering in april?
" talk right after the big announcement last month.
Hello Confused. Welcome
i know there have already been a couple of threads posted about this, but i thought it made since to bring it up again.
i hadn't really heard any "oh my what a blessing, are you pioneering in april?
" talk right after the big announcement last month.
Miseryloveselders: thereby forcing my removal from the BOE
I did not know you were currently serving as an Elder! May I ask why you stay? I'm sure it is for excellent reasons, and I'm intrigued.
Some things that have really surprised me about this board:
People only attend the hall to protect family relations.
People actually execute their fades! (Mine came about organically, no planning)
People craft reinstatement--just so they can execute their fade.
Elders (!) visit this board and are unhappy at the hall.
Again, for all that can still walk through the KH doors, for important reasons. I am humbled that you can do it. I recongnize the sacrifice. I just don't think I could do it--no matter what was at stake--but I'm probably much more selfish than those that can.
If I had heard a talk like what is in the opening post, I would have walked out of the KH. I did it all the time, in the end. I was very sick, and didn't know if I had a future, and that constant pressure used to freak me out--and I'd just get up and go home. putzes
i got into a tiny discussion with a return visit about the cross.
i confidently informed her that the cross was a pagan symbol not used by christians.
the romans were pagans, so they used a pagan symbol.
I did, once. I got into a tiny discussion with a return visit about the cross. I confidently informed her that the cross was a pagan symbol not used by Christians. She said, "I know. The Romans were pagans, so they used a pagan symbol." I was pretty much speechless. It was a good point.
Edited to fix a glaring spelling error that was driving me nutz.
http://www.watchtower21.org/2011/02/danger-of-naive-and-credulous-research.html.
it's been my experience so far, that anything a person wants to find out about jehovahs witnesses, they can find out from jehovahs witnesses.
any and all information ever published by jehovah witnesses is accessible to all.
While in some instances we can cooperate with research projects including surveys we certainly want to avoid having publishers expressing personal viewpoints that may not be in line with the Bible principles that really govern each Christian’s conduct and the united efforts of the brotherhood to carry out Jehovah’s will.
LOL, Wow, that part is making me dizzy. Do it again!
if i told you that something bigger is on the horizon than dateline, bbc, cbc, sunday (australia), and all other tv programs which exposed the sexual child abuse cover-up by watchtower in 2002-2003, would you believe me?
have i ever misled you?
i'll answer that--no!
Hello Barbara,
I only read this thread today, and I did see the jokes. However, when I read the excerpts, I did get excited. Perhaps it is subtle, but the significance if far reaching. The way I understood this is, the courts are allowing people to sue religious organizations for misrepresenting SECULAR facts. That is huge, especially since I've been learning how WTBTS misrepresents its sources.
And why should they have to do such a thing anyway? If what they teach it "truth", then it stands. No trickery needed. Just knowing how many people died because of inaccuracies is shocking. As time goes on, people may start to sue. It must start slow though. First one person does it, and when others see the sky didn't fall, then a few more will sue. As precedences are set, even more will take action. Like you said, the news was indeed huge, but the effects will be felt slowly, yet they will continue to build.
Thank you for sharing it.
New Chapter
i try to understand why other people believe what they believe.
the author discussed in the article below evidently wants to hide his head in the sand and paint all atheists with the same broad, incorrect brush.
it's as if he's never actually sat down with an atheist and had friendly conversation.. .
If I don't believe in the boogie man in my closet. I don't believe in the flying spaghetti monster, I am not rebelling against the boogie man, or against the spaghetti monster. I am not even rebelling against the concept of such things. I am simply accepting the facts as I see them. Why does there always have to be the secondary thought that I must have been terribly hurt, or I am angry. or I am rebelling. No. I'm not mad at the boogie man, and I was relieved when I quit believing in him. I'm not mad or rebelling against the flying spaghetti monster, because he is fictional, but fun to talk about.
I would never ask a theist if they are rebelling against reality or science, because that would be insulting. They believe what they think is true, and I believe what I think is true, and there are no revolutions on the horizon.
The only "persecution" I have seen is self induced in that way
I have not told many about my atheist leanings, because it is new to me. But my brother is a life long atheist, and he certainly doesn't have to go looking for persecution. He prefers not to pray, and he is persecuted. He prefers not to get caught up in superstition and religious observances, and he is persecuted. He wants the US to be educated, and learn actual science in the classroom, and he is persecuted. I don't see how any of that is self induced. The military gives a personality test, and if they feel you are not spiritual enough, or not spiritual in the proper way, they send you off to counselling with some state sanctioned pastor. Was that self induced?
no one will KNOW you are an athiest unless you open your mouth
Are you suggesting that atheist's should keep their mouths shut, or they deserve what they get? Can an atheist get elected to public office? It would be nice if people that don't believe like we all do would just shut their mouths. Cuz then everyone would not feel so obligated to persecute them.
if i told you that something bigger is on the horizon than dateline, bbc, cbc, sunday (australia), and all other tv programs which exposed the sexual child abuse cover-up by watchtower in 2002-2003, would you believe me?
have i ever misled you?
i'll answer that--no!
while most will die unexpectedly
Huh, sounds like you're actually expecting them to die, which means they would not be dying unexpectedly. So, actually, you EXPECT most of us to die, (will you miss us?) and you EXPECT a few to live.
i am noticing here and there that the wt literature will say things like "one bible dictionary says ..." or "one scholar says ..." and then proceed with a quotation.
my immediate reaction is to ask myself why they didn't provide the specific source of the quote - author, publication, page #, etc.
so i am wondering, do other magazines do this?
If I ever did that in my college papers, I would be failed or worse. It's considered plagiarism. And aside from that, it is just poor writing. You always want to build confidence in the source of such quotes---
