I think that the importance of the medium of theatre is greatly underplayed in the historical transmission of cultural belief. The christ cults used it to disseminate the story of "the man who overcame death" (according to JM Robertson) and the gospels can be argued to be transcripts of contemporary theatre on exactly the same theme. An example being the events leading up to the death of Jesus are telescoped down into one continuous narrative taking place in an unreasonably short period of time...just as it would be if it were in a theatrical presentation.
Half banana
JoinedPosts by Half banana
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My Capstone Essay-
by fulltimestudent ini've had approval for the topic of my capstone essay (which is supposed to demonstrate how far i've travelled in my years of study.. after some negotiation, the unit convenor has approved the topic as: "an investigation of hellenic influences on representations of divinity in daniel 7.".
he was kind enough to suggest that i may find some interesting thoughts in this book, the human and divine in history: herodotus and the book of daniel by paul miskanen.. some may recognise the topic as similar to a thread i started some four months ago, "polytheism in the book of daniel, a late second temple religious document.
that thread* had some interesting reactions, it was based on an idea in a book by jewish scholar, daniel boyarin called, the jewish gospels: the story of the jewish christ.
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Judgement
by davidmitchell inhttps://jwleaks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/2015-ewhc-1722-qb.pdfjust had a look at this 2015 legal judgement.
one of a number of things that caught my eye was the statement in (11) that "the organisational structure of jehovahs witnesses is modelled on first century christianity as described in the bible".er, hardly.
try acts 2: 44-45"all the believers were together and had everything in common.
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Half banana
A key point you make Eden on liability. Had they not become an "organised religion" or technically a "hierarchical" religion in 1985, (which was for the purpose of total control over both its membership and the KH ownership); perhaps they could have passed the blame on to the individual congregations where the abuse took place.
If this is really so then their greed for property and control has come back to bite them in the bum. The complete lack of care for the abused and by prioritising their selfish concern for protecting their name is their downfall. I hope the victims in this case get compensation.
Whatever, the WTBTS does not resemble anything like the conventional view of primitive Christianity.
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Is Satan really a liar, and the father of the lie?
by Israel Ricky Gonzales in5 for god knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like god, knowing good and bad.. .
genesis 3:22. jehovah god then said: here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad..".
for god knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like god, knowing good and bad.?.
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Half banana
As you say Giordano,Christianity as represented by the NT, is a fusion of Hebrew and just about every pagan belief and Greek philosophy going at the time. They were never coherent then... you just needed your partizan faith!
And that's why it is possible to discuss Bible doctrines INTERMINABLY, as in two thousand years, and still arrive at zero conclusions.
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Judgement
by davidmitchell inhttps://jwleaks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/2015-ewhc-1722-qb.pdfjust had a look at this 2015 legal judgement.
one of a number of things that caught my eye was the statement in (11) that "the organisational structure of jehovahs witnesses is modelled on first century christianity as described in the bible".er, hardly.
try acts 2: 44-45"all the believers were together and had everything in common.
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Half banana
That's the next step Doc, they share their valuables with the GB but not among themselves. Yuck.
Even the writings in Acts (mostly spurious) are probably in praise of a mythical time when they all shared things in common. Since the Bible is a fourth century compilation, they were already fictionalising a sublime past which did not happen. Most of the various Christ cults in the early centuries were drawn from the poorest of society and the few wealthier members could show charity notably by sharing in the form of supplying food and meals for all associates of their particular cult (and hence the ready connection of loyalty to a particular cult and its food supply as played upon in the illustration of a faithful and discreet slave).
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My Capstone Essay-
by fulltimestudent ini've had approval for the topic of my capstone essay (which is supposed to demonstrate how far i've travelled in my years of study.. after some negotiation, the unit convenor has approved the topic as: "an investigation of hellenic influences on representations of divinity in daniel 7.".
he was kind enough to suggest that i may find some interesting thoughts in this book, the human and divine in history: herodotus and the book of daniel by paul miskanen.. some may recognise the topic as similar to a thread i started some four months ago, "polytheism in the book of daniel, a late second temple religious document.
that thread* had some interesting reactions, it was based on an idea in a book by jewish scholar, daniel boyarin called, the jewish gospels: the story of the jewish christ.
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Half banana
I will look forward to a summary of your essay (if not the whole thing!). I think the choice is excellent, an area I would love to investigate in depth myself. It is a critical area of study capable of busting anyone's trust in the divinity of scripture.
So much of adventist and therefore JW belief comes from Daniel and the facts as you have mentioned about the Persian and the Hellenic world is very germane to the development of messianic belief. It links the middle second century BCE Greek philosophical view with the NT world. Not surprising then that the nominally Hebrew Daniel is more accessible and less alien to Greek Christianity. After all it was Greek philosophy and NOT JEHOVAH which gave us the 'logos' which is central to Christianity along with much else from that era.
Keep us informed!
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Life after the witnesses, friends, faith etc
by Theburstbubble inhi everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me :) i have been a witness all of my life (i'm 37) and truly believed it until 3 years ago.
my husband and i had become spiritually weak and over time i began to question more and more until i came to the conclusion that the witnesses were not the true religion but just one of many religions and that if god is there then there are many paths to get to him.
anyway, i've battled with keeping going as my husband still believed and i didn't want to be in a divided household as we have a young daughter and thought it would be very confusing for her (and us).
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Half banana
Hi Theburstbubble, lovely to have you here! When the bubble burst you never need to get trapped inside another one!
It really does take time to get the brain rewired after being a JW but eventually the old proddings fade away and you can be true to yourself and your immediate family.
I found it surprising how very good friends shunned me after leaving but then if their friendship was conditional on the imagined requirements of an invisible sky god, I'm sorry for them... but there are plenty of happy sensible contented non JWs out there who are good company.
Hope it goes well with you and husband in the beautiful real world.
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Anyone seen this new "Bad Association" video at the Convention yet?
by WingCommander ini read on another thread (on another forum) where someone mentioned a truly guilt-inducing, cringe-worthy, "bad association" video that was played at this summers rc's.
here is how that person described it:.
"the video about "bad association" was really weird.
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Half banana
I think even a brain-dead Witness will spot that this is the lamest of lame stories! -
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Mr. Geoffrey William Jackson = Humpty Dumpty
by kepler inwhen i use a word, humpty dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, it means just what i choose it to mean neither more nor less.. .
the question is, said alice, whether you can make words mean so many different things.. .
the question is, said humpty dumpty, which is to be master thats all.
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Half banana
Yes steve2 but then the whole of Christianity is based on the premise that the "word" (a mental construct) became flesh. Since when did mental constructs start to be living, breathing things...? From there on it's not so difficult to believe in any contradiction or impossibility...as long as nobody 'on the inside' exposes the falsehood.
But how is it they get the cherries to grow all year round at Brooklyn?
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Fading and finding our REAL beliefs
by BeautifulMind inhey all.
i hope you are all having a good day.
just a quick update on our fade.
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Half banana
Welcome to the real world Beautifulmind! Your present large cong will hardly miss you if don't go.
I remember the joy of not attending meetings, doing pleasurable things other than listening to the cult drones droning on.
I agree with others that it's great you have your spouse with you, my fade cost me my wife and two of my three kids, damn it! But that was some time ago. There is plenty of time to meet new friends who don't have the cultic baggage. Best wishes to both of you and keep us posted.
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Who is God's spokesperson/s?
by punkofnice inat the australian royal commission (yes, that again), watchtower rock star pope, his holiness wacko jacko was asked by angus (my new hero) stewart the following:.
angus stewart q. and do you see yourselves as jehovah god's spokespeople on earth?
his holiness replied: a. that i think, would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that god is using.
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Half banana
Do Gods need spokespersons?