Half banana

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Posts by Half banana

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  8

  The Evolutionary History of the Apple

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a fascinating study of how our modern apples evolved.

  the study involved examining the genomes of the array of apple varieties, including related types of fruit.. from it we can learn that the fruit types we know today, may not have existed in ancient times.

  from its origins in what we now call kazakhstan, it seems the original fruit changed as trees grew in many places along the great ancient network of trade routes we call the silk road, and as different varieties evolved in various ways.. a readable version of the story can be found in popular archaeology:.

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  Half banana

  Thanks Fts, the domestication of the apple from the wild species is an interesting case of finding naturally occurring varieties which have special or desirable qualities and their genes have then been kept in circulation by cultivating them. The silk road makes sense because it runs through many climate zones which apples tolerate well.

  We all tend to judge things from the base of the familiar and in the UK we have many varieties of apple which are two hundred years old but hop across the channel to France and it is a surprise to find that the varieties, especially for cider and Calvados production, are often Gallo-Roman i.e. two thousand years in cultivation.

  Btw the wild apple (aka crab) in Europe Malus sylvestris can be distinguished in hedgerows by having all white blossom whereas the domesticated apple which has often found its way there, has pink edges to the petals.
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  Exjw :)

  by tepidpoultry in

  1. social
  2. humour

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  Half banana

  Spot the ex JW!

  (Larson; my hero)
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  5

  Where were the Angels ?

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i do not wish to trivialize or minimize the horrific murder of a jw lady in finland as she handed out mags etc from her cart in finland, but do you remember the stories we used to hear of angels protecting jw's in their "preaching" work ?.

  where were the angels when this lady needed them ?

  watching from heaven ?.

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  Half banana

  You're right Zeb, the mistake is on the part of the GB fostering the idea that angels or God's magic spirit are behind events. It is their job to deceive the sheep--that is how a cult works.

  Angels and spirits are little conceits to calm the minds of religious people who are stuck at the nursery stage of intellectual development.

  When I became a JW two local pioneers were mowed down by a car and killed on their bikes while out in service, so I learned the point early.
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  57

  interesting EX-CO AMA ( Ask Me Anything) over on exjwreddit

  by Diogenesister in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ex-circuit overseer here, ama.

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/6usaky/excircuit_overseer_here_ama/.

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  Half banana

  COs, while themselves are subject to apostasy as with this guy, are unlikely to make contact with those who have left and loathe the religion. COs must live inside the JW bubble...except for the fact that they also meet the most deviant members from inside the congs. I think that alone would wake me up.

  I'd love to get my metaphorical teeth into a practising CO!
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  68

  Over 300 DFed apparently went to a northern U.K R.C!

  by Isambard Crater in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  that's what i've been told by a family member (elder) who went to one of the regional conventions in the north of the u.k lately, who told me the 300 or more disfellowshipped who returned to jehovah by attending show that the end is so close, just like the final talk says..

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  Half banana

  The only thing the JW org is capable of doing is to spread rumours.

  One stupid rumour which gets the gullible excited every time has been trotted out for 138 years, this is it; "The end is now close at hand". (yawn and falls off chair)

  There is a rumour that the Watchtower religion knows God personally since they are the only religion with the truly true truth.

  Isambard, 300 d/f returnees sounds like another rumour? Perhaps a million were disfellowshipped and 300 were reinstated? Were 300 reinstated in one circuit or what I wonder?
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  57

  interesting EX-CO AMA ( Ask Me Anything) over on exjwreddit

  by Diogenesister in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ex-circuit overseer here, ama.

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/6usaky/excircuit_overseer_here_ama/.

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  Half banana

  Thanks for the link Diog. very entertaining!
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  3

  Thank You Watchtower Society

  by snugglebunny in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  thank you watchtower society.. thank you for converting my parents into jehovah's witnesses.

  i really was getting bored with christmas and birthdays and the 5 meetings every week were so much more fun than boring old children's parties.. thank you for getting me out knocking on doors solo at age 10. much better than kicking a football around.

  it was a pleasure to see the astonished looks on my school mates faces when i knocked on their doors, especially on christmas day.

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  Half banana

  Spot on Snugs!
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  61

  Set the record straight!

  by Colinconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would like to state publicly, on this forum, i no longer hold the views i had a year ago.. with much thought, research, study and logical examination i have come to a better understanding of my beliefs and where i stand on all these issues.. i'm very happy to announce i have returned to healthful teaching of the holy scriptures and i firmly believe that the governing body of jehovah's witnesses is the faithful slave.. sorry if i have contibuted to any kind of stumbling and know that if i can turn things around then there's hope for all who come to there sence.. phill4:6,7.

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  Half banana

  Careful, woz the BOE admitting to reading the posts here then?
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  61

  Set the record straight!

  by Colinconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would like to state publicly, on this forum, i no longer hold the views i had a year ago.. with much thought, research, study and logical examination i have come to a better understanding of my beliefs and where i stand on all these issues.. i'm very happy to announce i have returned to healthful teaching of the holy scriptures and i firmly believe that the governing body of jehovah's witnesses is the faithful slave.. sorry if i have contibuted to any kind of stumbling and know that if i can turn things around then there's hope for all who come to there sence.. phill4:6,7.

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  Half banana

  Yes Jook, it's a hateful religion, nothing "healthful" about it, all lovey dovey at the KH but God's gonna kill everyone who doesn't listen to the JW message. This is paranoia writ large.

  Everyone dies-- but Jehovah's Witnesses die either completely deluded or secretly woken up to the fact that its a steaming load of BS. No Jehovah's Witness has ever died with any benefit from their false paradise promises.

  It's a rip-off and delusion for the rank and file but just look how well fed the GB are!
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  23

  I wish I had not gone to the meeting last night

  by stillin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the first thing i saw when i went in was the two video screens having the watchtower singers chorus doing a number.

  the sound wasn't up enough to make out the song, but the video was grotesque.

  the singers were swaying to the music, all independent of each other, no discipline, actually sloppy-looking.

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  Half banana

  Why is it that Jehovah's Witnesses are resolutely Phillistine and cramped in their sensibilities? I suppose if they sought to cultivate a more enlightened aesthetic they would feel they were being worldly.

  I would have to take a ferry sick bag with me if I went to the meetings, enormous derrieres swaying to 'Kingdom' melodies and then ritual bunker indoctrination to scare the children into submission.

  Today it's all about a shameless and dying doomsday cult in action. Bunker mentality only appears in a regime when the cult is in terminal decline.