Right after Russell died, didn't Rutherford call the cops in to remove the GB from the premisis at bethel and replace them with yes-men he selected?
DarioKehl
JoinedPosts by DarioKehl
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36
More Disclosure Stuff
by metatron inhardly a week passes without some credible figure testifying to ufo reality.. http://beforeitsnews.com/unexplained-phenomena/2012/08/ufo-disclosure-may-be-imminent-2430224.html.
i've followed ufo stories for some years now and this barrage of authoritative people looks unprecedented.
couple that with the claim that ufo sightings have increased enormously in the past couple years and...... who knows?.
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DarioKehl
I miss being a "believer" in UFOs, but, after escaping JWs and learning critical thinking skills, I found that I used the same apologetics, shoe-horning and mental gymnastics defending my personal belief in UFOs as I did defending the WBTS. I also got totally enthralled with conspiracy/new world order stuff to the point that I'm embarrassed when I look back on those days.
Skeptics, free-thinkers and atheists like myself do not doubt the existence of ET life. In fact, many recent observations almost predict it's a certainty. But when it comes to the cultural phenomenon of UFOs (and cryptozoology), you will observe the same dogma, logical fallacies and poor apologetics among those who insist they're real that you see in fundamental religious people!
If UFOs are extraterrestrial, how did they get here? Inter-dimensional travel? Warp drive? Worm holes? You have to realize that the energy needed to drive a vessel through hundrends or thousands of light years in "real time" would require the total energy output of a star throughout its entire life! Not to mention the effect it would have on the travellers--they cannot return to their home planet without seriously messing with their own relative space-time. Ok, so, they may be "an advanced civilization." Then why would they travel so far in these inter-dimensional warp driving ships only to zap cows, make impressions in crops or kidnap and put all kinds of hell up the butts of rednecks? In this age of technology where billions of people around the globe carry amazing handheld devices with HD capabilities, how come every single photo or video of a supposed UFO/alien ship are in such poor quality and can easily be debunked (if not proven forgeries)? You would think by now that irrefutable, super high-quality pictures and videos of UFOs would be available to the world. That's simply not the case at all. Occam's Razor, people... Occam's Razor!
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HILARIOUS Game: Who Said It, Dr. Doom or Yahweh?
by DarioKehl inspecial thanks to the guys at the ask an atheist podcast for inventing this!
below is a list of quotes borrowed from this link:http://lotsoftinyrobots.blogspot.com/2012/07/yahweh-or-dr-doom.htmlyou have to guess if they're from the evil dr. doom (of the fantastic 4 comics) or yahweh, god of the ot.
since both are fond of speaking in third person, their names have been replaced with "steve".
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DarioKehl
Special thanks to the guys at the Ask an Atheist Podcast for inventing this! Below is a list of quotes borrowed from this link:
http://lotsoftinyrobots.blogspot.com/2012/07/yahweh-or-dr-doom.html You have to guess if they're from the evil Dr. Doom (of the Fantastic 4 Comics) or Yahweh, god of the OT. Since both are fond of speaking in third person, their names have been replaced with "Steve". Also, any references to geography or time specific technologies have been redacted. Answers are provided at the end.
It sounds like it would be an easy game but it turns out it's harder than you think. Try it for yourself. It's more fun if you read them aloud in dramatic voice to your friends.
Dr. Doom or Yahweh?
1. "They will cringe at my approach and bow in my presence, and they will do it in fear for their very lives! And I will be pleased!"
2. "Let all the world fear Steve! Let all the people of the world revere him!"
3. "Serve Steve with fear, with trembling bow down in homage, lest Steve be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger.'
4. "Yes, the world is mine. To mold as I see fit, to create a world as only Steve might."
5. "You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I Steve have spoken! When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I Steve have spoken!"
That's the end of the list Ask an Atheist came up with, but I can't resist adding a few of my own:
6. "Yet other enemies will come! Other battles will be fought! But no matter who the foe, Victory will be mine-for now, and for always!"
7. "I have looked into the future, I have seen how one violent action after another spins the world toward a future where all that remains is a burned out cinder."
8. "Cures for all diseases are found...hunger is abolished...and no one goes without. In that world, there are laws. To break even the slightest of these is to suffer immediate and terminal punishment"
9. "Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before Steve against the sun!"
10. "Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes! Dash the young men to pieces...The children shall not be spared!"
11. "My vast and supreme will be done!"
12. "The clapping shall go on for another hour. Have the first one who stops clapping brought out and killed."
13. "Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant."
14. "Only Steve dares to dream! All others serve."
15. "I do as I choose, and I answer to no one!"
16. "I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their cities are now deserted; their streets are in silent ruin. There are no survivors to even tell what happened. I thought, 'Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings, so I won't need to strike again.' But no."
17. "Before this day is ended, mankind shall grovel helplessly at my feet."
18. "The welfare of my people is ever closest to my heart! What a pity I am so often forced to save you from yourselves!"
19. " I will make you as helpless as a blind man searching for a path. Your blood will be poured out into the dust, and your bodies will lie there rotting on the ground."
20. "Go up, my warriors! March against the land of rebels, a land that I will judge! Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you."
Go ahead and post your scores in the comments!
It's a lot harder than it sounds like isn't it? What do you think? Any other suggestions?
Answers below
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1. Doctor Doom.
2. Yahweh: Psalm 33:8
3. Yahweh: Psalm 2:11
4. Doctor Doom.
5. Yahweh: Ezekiel 5:15-17
6. Doctor Doom
7. Doctor Doom
8. Doctor Doom
9. Yahweh: Numbers 25:4
10. Yahweh Isaiah 13:16-18
11. Doctor Doom
12. Doctor Doom
13. Yahweh: 1 Sam 15:3 14. Doctor Doom
15. Doctor Doom
16. Yahweh: Zephaniah 3:6-10
17. Doctor Doom
18. Doctor Doom
19. Yahweh: Zephaniah 1:17
20. Yahweh: Jeremiah 50:21-22 -
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Evidence For Impending Change Re: "Loose Conduct" to "Brazen Conduct"
by DarioKehl inon another thread discussing possible changes to the nwt, the post refered to a 2nd-hand report of a co leaking possible changes to 5 verses where "loose conduct" would be replaced by "brazen conduct.
" although it is merely speculative at this point, i would like to remind those of you who did attend the 2012 dc this summer about some important evidence that supports this theory.
if the program is still available on jw.org, feel free to see this for yourselves.
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DarioKehl
what else could be considered conduct "without shame?"
Repeated R-rated movies
Repeated masturbation offenses (confessed)
Repeated porn viewing (confessed or ratted)
Repeated talking to DFed relatives
Repeated cussing
Repeated wardrobe violations
Repeated charges of not presiding over your house in a fine manner
Repeated counsel on drinking
Yes, I know all of the above could potentially become JC action eventually, but under the broad net of "brazen conduct," I can see how one relapse after receiving counsel from elders could be considered "without shame" which fits the definition of "brazen" and would therefore be instantly judicial in nature.
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Evidence For Impending Change Re: "Loose Conduct" to "Brazen Conduct"
by DarioKehl inon another thread discussing possible changes to the nwt, the post refered to a 2nd-hand report of a co leaking possible changes to 5 verses where "loose conduct" would be replaced by "brazen conduct.
" although it is merely speculative at this point, i would like to remind those of you who did attend the 2012 dc this summer about some important evidence that supports this theory.
if the program is still available on jw.org, feel free to see this for yourselves.
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DarioKehl
On another thread discussing possible changes to the NWT, the post refered to a 2nd-hand report of a CO leaking possible changes to 5 verses where "loose conduct" would be replaced by "brazen conduct." Although it is merely speculative at this point, I would like to remind those of you who did attend the 2012 DC this summer about some important evidence that supports this theory. If the program is still available on jw.org, feel free to see this for yourselves.
I attended the DC in July (Midwest location) and took thourogh notes. Yes, it was pure torture. But I attended as an insider and to get some mental exercise for sharpening my anaylitical and critical thinking skills. Plus, I prefer to keep a pulse on current events from the inside so I can relay the info to my friends within the XJW community. Also, as a fader with many dear friends still stuck in the movement, it's a good idea to be visible from time to time. Anyway...
Please refer to the Saturday morning section of the program and notice the talk entitled "Guard Your Heart Against the Works of Flesh: Fornication, Uncleanness, Brazen Conduct" (cited scripture was Gal 5: 19-21)
I noticed immediately that the word "loose" had been changed to "brazen" not only in the title but throughout the entire talk. In this talk, there were 4 Bulletin Points about guarding your heart:
I) How to guard against cultivating wrong desires
II) How to guard against bad choices in entertainment
III) How to guard against envy
IV) The effect recreation could have on your relationship Jehovah
Once the sited scripture was read, the speaker paused before jumping into bullent point I., Desires ( BTW: the 3 subtopics in Bulletin I were Flirting, Pornography and Homosexuality). I took notes of what he said verbatim. Here is what the speaker said before delving into the "meat":
"Now, we've had additional understanding on this scripture. You may notice it says "loose conduct," but a more appropriate word is "brazen." What does that mean? Brazen means 'without shame.'"
He proceeded to dive into Bulletin Point I and covered flirting. When a married man or woman flirts, it is "disrespectful to Jehovah" and "opens doors to treachery." Additionally, "some dancing can be classified as flirting."
In Bullet Point II, porn is compared to "nerve gas" and a "device to start down that path of destruction" and it "feeds degraded sexual desires." The speaker reminded us of Job who "made a covenant with his eyes not to look at virgins."
Bullet Point III sited Gal 5:24. The material on this talk was somewhat different than usual. Remember, the manuscript of this talk was prepared by WBTS--possibly written by the GB themselves. This particular discussion on homosexuality was unusually directed to girl-on-girl action. "It is more and more common to portray women with other women." I also noticed an attempt to make this message more modern or to better fit with today's culture: "We do not hate the people, but we do disapprove of the wrong conduct." After reading the infamous "that is what some of you were" scripture in 1 Cor 6:9 & 10, the speaker said this, verbatim:
"We offer the opportunity to change. God's word assures us that it's a choice not to act upon improper desires." (The loaded language here is obviously used to debunk the nature/nurture explaination for homosexuality. ie: "You say it's not a choice and you were born that way? ok! well, you can choose to not act on it! So don't you see? God gives you the freedom of choice! Yay!)
OK--so where am I going with all of this??? Well, if you've noticed, the manuscripts from many DC talks are later printed as WT study articles about 9 months later. Now, if the rumors are true about a NWT change and a super top-secret last-minute 8-hour special Elders Meeting sometime after Jan 1, 2013, then I suspect that it will indeed be about changes to the NWT and "brazen" will be the main adjustment. By the time this talk is released in a WT study article next spring, the new bible verse will be up to date and the theme/title will fit the scripture. The DC speaker admitted that "we (whoever "we" refers to) have had additional understanding on this.." and gave the definition of "brazen." Additionally, the 2010 Shepherd the Flock elders' manual was the first time I noticed the words "brazen" anywhere. It has steadily increased in WT literature for the R&F and now it's on a very important convention part. It has not officially been presented as "new light" yet, but I can assure you, the elders have already been prosecuting JWs for "brazen" conduct since 2010 when the new manual came out. Perhaps many JWs who found themselves trapped by this much broader word and faced judicial action have become vocal about it so WBTS may feel that an official change finally needs to be made--pronto.
Why so serious? See for yourself! Re-read the elders' manual about "brazen" conduct. This vague, broad word is a giant net that can be cast over the R&F and snag people for things that were formerly allowed to slip through. According to this talk, simply flirting (and by inclusion, dancing) is filed under "brazen." In fact, just about anything can be labled "brazen" by any elder on a power trip with an axe to grind. It reminds me of the way the media uses the word "terrorist" or the way cops can charge a person for "resisting arrest" if they simply flinch while being thrown onto concrete. This change would give ridiculous draconian power to individual elders or corrupt elder bodies who rule toxic congregations. Imagine that one single parent sister who's late to every meeting and gets "talked to" about several times. If there are elders A-hole enough, they could consider her continued tardiness a "brazen" action of disobedience and walla--brazen is a judicial matter now. Officially! If an elder talks to you about any issue and it's repeated, the act of doing it again could be considered "brazen" even if it's something stupid like chewing gum at the hall! How about counsel received at a shepherding call? "Brother, we'd like to see you increase your hours in the field ministry." Meeting attendance, punctuality, participation, allowing your kid to go to college after being told not to...any of these things can be shoehorned into the "without shame" definition! I'm a critical thinker and I try to avoid the slippery slope fallacy wherever possible, but I honestly believe there is reason for serious concern here! Agree? Disagree? Check out the DC program and Elders' Manual again and couple that with this upcoming special meeting and see if you guys think that your friends still inside are about to face a newer, stricter ambush of judicial action.
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demon posession?
by perfect1 inmy gradmother used to tell me about a catholic icon at her aunt's house which was demon possesed and once blinked at her.
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any other good stories of possession from people you know?.
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DarioKehl
Yes!
In the early 80s (1982-83) I snuck my Smurf doll into the Kingdom Hall at a Sunday morning meeting. The damn thing got up, walked down the aisle and went right out the door! We found it lying in the parking lot all soggy from puddles so we couldn't burn it. After seeing the Sparlock DVD, I finally decided to go into my attic and find it. Into the dumpster it went.
I never told anyone about this so I'm sure none of you have ever heard anything this crazy!
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do you believe in karma?
by SpiceItUp inwe have all heard the cliche' "what goes around comes around" but do you really believe it?.
i know this person that for many years has been unkind, devious and vengeful and then over more recent years has had bad luck everywhere they turned around.
i mean one thing after another.
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DarioKehl
no. i believe people remember the hits and forget the misses.
the human brain is hard-wired to automatically search for patterns within random noise or mistakenly assign significance to vague or random stimuli.
even though things like these happen, spilling coffee in my lap on wednesday has nothing to do with upsetting a coworker the previous week. giving a bum change will not make my job search any more successful.
each of us do good things and bad things, intentionally and unintentionally. each of us experience daily crises and successes. believing that there is causality or meaning to them is flawed thinking. it's an illusion. anyone can play connect the dots with multiple unrelated events and assign a special significance to an apparent connection, but, there are far more other ways in which these connections can be arranged. our brains find the ones that appear to make sense.
i do it all the time even though i know it's woo. but when left unrestrained, very dangerous things can happen. case in point: that terrible book "the secret" was responsible for ruining lives and destroying the confidence of many people because it tells you that if you just "will" or "believe" or "think" about things happening, the "energy" (GOD pseudoscientists love that word, don't they?) connected to the universe will "realign" your future and those wishes will simply "create" the desired outcome. it's pure BS. think of all the good people who suffer and the wicked who seem to have it all so easy. for every example of "karma," you can easily find a dozen of examples refuting the idea.
uncomfortable, i know. but welcome to the world of reality!
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New World Translation Assaults on Language and Phrases that Always Wigged Me Out!
by DarioKehl ini listened to the august 4th episode of the healingxjws podcast where they interviewed a former jw circuit overseer.
he shared many great examples of how original meanings (especially poetry) were lost in this terrible translation.
it's worth listening to.
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DarioKehl
In that same podcast episode, the guest talks about the lost meaning of the poetry quite a bit. The NWT translators were so analytical in selecting things word-for-word that the ancient cultural context (and beauty, mood and tone) of the poetry was obliterated. The Song of Solomon is a perfect example. I always HAT-ED talk #2s from that book because the direct translation into English is absolutely ridiculous. "Your breasts are like towers" probably had a greater cultural meaning in original Hebrew but I dare anyone to snag NWT SoS verses like that and use them in pickup lines at a club. See how far you get!
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Reuters Story; Worldwide drop in "Religiosity" since 2005.
by Balaamsass inby tom heneghan, religion editor.
paris | wed aug 8, 2012 1:41pm edt.
paris (reuters) - traditionally catholic ireland has registered almost the steepest drop worldwide in people calling themselves religious in a new survey tracking international trends in faith and atheism in recent years.. only 47 percent of irish polled said they were religious people, a 22-point drop from the 69 percent recorded in the last similar poll in 2005, according to the win-gallup international network of opinion pollsters.. average religiosity in the 57 countries included in the poll was 59 percent, a decline of 9 points since 2005, it said.. at the same time, the number of people declaring themselves to be convinced atheists rose from 4 percent worldwide in 2005 to 7 percent this year.
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DarioKehl
exxxxcellennnnnt...
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Is Fading Emotionally Taxing?
by Aware! ini don't think i could handle a fade.
sooner or later the truth would be found out.
i have yet to come out, but when i do, i'll probably da myself without telling anyone why.
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DarioKehl
hey, Aware!
i sent you a PM.