Posts by Half banana

15

A Question about Spiritistic Books

by schnell in

jw
friends

i have a nearly academic interest in the occult, though i am not a spiritualist and remain a skeptic.

i've come to learn that demons are based on everything from dust devils in the desert, to diseases, to actual people.

probably most of all, demons are a tool of good ol' fashioned con artists and fear mongers.. but here's a question.

Half banana

The problem of spirits as I see it is that it is inbuilt into mammalian brains.

It is easy to be spooked--- and with good reason: there are or at least used to be predators about. For our for cave dwelling forebears, to be able to respond quickly to potential signs of danger could save our skin. The careless and carefree were foolhardy and the most likely to become the breakfast of a big hairy carnivore; no offspring for them. Only the 'spookable' would live to breed.

Even without the predation, it is our evolutionary legacy that we can still be spooked by imaginary presences and religions and spiritualists play on this instinct for those people who have not resolved the issue by their reasoning and information level.

19

What would happen to the assets of the JW organisation if the cult went into meltdown?

by Half banana in

what if the jw org became publicly exposed as a repressive and harmful cult working to the detriment of society, the membership dropped away and the gb woke up to reality and quit .

what would happen to the worldwide property and investments of the wtbts and allied companies?

where would the money go then?

Half banana

Thanks very much Blondie, very detailed and authoritative.

After the failure of the WTBTS they could give away the remaining funds to a similar enterprise! Well of course that would go against the WT grain and if the other enterprise is based on faulty Biblical reckoning as well it would be improbable that the org, in a state of meltdown would want to give it to another chancer in the doomsday business.

I can't help thinking that its money would be more likely to be found in off-shore retirement funds before any charitable consideration!

OK they are not immediately going under, however illogical and deceitful they are, but the fact here is highlighted that those businesses which are financially successful, as a rule have no need to stop functioning, even if the ideas they promote and the wares they sell are intellectually bankrupt. The leaders are well aware that at the bottom end of the organisation their loyal customer base will want to keep subscribing since they have a total emotional investment in its paradise claims.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have put all their eggs; their hopes and their dreams, into the WT basket. In contrast, the JW organisation at the top is a pure business, fighting its way to maintain solvency and growth in its financial empire and to hell with the truthfulness of its teachings!

Their predictions have never proved to be true and their beliefs routinely change.

Surely it is only its capacity for money making which keeps the JW org alive and hence in difficult times there is even greater grasping for income as we are observing now?

20

Jehovahs Witnesses condemn Christian Religions .In reality Christian religions are Caring for Aged JW`s.

by smiddy in

who are looking after the aged and infirm jehovah`s witnesses ,?

its certainly not the organization known as the wtb&ts ./jehovahs witnesses religion .. and why is that ?

satans system of things with jehovahs blessing , has programs to look after those who have such needs , such as the dole for unemployed ,medical assistance for those who cant afford it ,and their are many charitable institutions that look after those that fall in the cracks.

Half banana

Yup, the JW principle is to deny charity to others but be ever ready to take advantage of what the state or others provide for the needy.

Especially this includes tax exemptions for the most undeserving charity of all time; the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.

Why else did these hypocrites join the UN if not to defend their claim on tax exemption in certain lands?

The Watchtower suck the life blood out of their flock and then throw them on the state to look after them in old age. Ruthless unprincipled hypocrites!

8

Today vs Tomorrow in the JW World

by Funchback in

i am a teacher and coordinator in brazil.

the school (it's for adults) i work for requires that our students donate food (rice, beens, pasta) or clothes or toys every month.

then, at the beginning of the next month, we take all of the donated goods and deliver them to places that exist on receiving donated items.. two months ago, we delivered the items to a home that cares for kids with cancer.

Half banana

Very well said Funch. I remember an elder saying with contempt, "charity is to Jehovah like a red rag to a bull". Even though a committed JW myself at the time, I had to pity the man.

The rationale is simple enough; that the "promised kingdom" will cure all human problems but the trouble with this is that it's a complete myth just like most of the Bible.

Anything which places an ideology above the value of human life is dangerous to a happy world. Fanatical religions like JWs and extreme Islam are a source of life-anxieties not the answer to them.

Humanism, as you say Tepid, puts humanity first, not improbable gods and stupid, unfounded religious imperatives drilled into believer's minds.

11

1 bilion property revenue since august 2016 and still they have not enough

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

read in the new york business review that jw.org made 1 bilion property revenue since august 2016.. unbelievable, isn't it?

they are one of the richest religion organizations in cash flow, for sure.. the co asked us this morning to "overthink wat we can share, to support the work and make jehovah happy".. g..

Half banana

I suggest a slight modification to the scripture at Proverbs 27; 15,16 and add the JW organisation to the list of things which "never say enough". Although wealthier than kings they have an insatiable appetite for worldly riches.

19

What would happen to the assets of the JW organisation if the cult went into meltdown?

by Half banana in

what if the jw org became publicly exposed as a repressive and harmful cult working to the detriment of society, the membership dropped away and the gb woke up to reality and quit .

what would happen to the worldwide property and investments of the wtbts and allied companies?

where would the money go then?

Half banana

What if the JW org became publicly exposed as a repressive and harmful cult working to the detriment of society, the membership dropped away and the GB woke up to reality and quit . . . What would happen to the worldwide property and investments of the WTBTS and allied companies? Where would the money go then?

Are there precedents for dissolving giant but solvent corporations? Or is the cash flow exclusively their lifeblood ?

50

No updated Watctower's articles on Evolution

by opusdei1972 in

as far as i know, the "creation" book is out of print ?, am i right?.

well, i was searching for new watchtower articles trying to debunk, for instance, human evolution.

so, i did my homework, for the first time, so as to read past and updated papers and books on human evolution.

Half banana

The credibility of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been shot through because of their false expectations of the end of the world.

As hopelessly faulty interpreters of the Bible and non believers in the scientific method for determining truth, how could the Watchtower ever claim to be able to pronounce on Bible matters let alone scientific subjects such as evolution and the human pedigree?

They are resorting to the only thing they know; quote the Bible and believe with unjustified pride and wilful ignorance, that its contents are true.

11

Jesus ransom or the sanctification of God's name the most important?

by Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu in

some time ago, during the mid-week meeting, the sanctification of god’s name was being discussed (chapter 4 in ‘god’s kingdom rules’).

in paragraph nine we read that in the early period the jw’s viewed jesus ransom sacrifice as the most important teaching of the bible.

then they said they gave overbalanced importance to jesus, and nowadays, they say the sanctification of god’s name is the most important thing in the bible.. .

Half banana

JC bwana, firstly note how the most important words found in the WT book you referenced are not God or Jesus but the navel gazing publishers of the text who presumptuously call themselves "God's people". The literature quoted is about their constant changes of perception. The GB are always making a drama out of doing 180 degree turns as if it were a thing to brag about! A real god surely, would always give "His people" (if there ever was such a thing) the unchanging, immortal, irrevocable truth!

Secondly the argument as to what God's primary purpose is, is a complete red herring. The Bible is a story book from which you can pick out a thread of belief and create whatever teaching you want from it.

What sort of God is it who is so insecure that he has to make a case for the sanctity of his name? It is religious gobbledegook. Who on earth cares about which God does what? Everything the Watchtower says has NO MEANING outside of the demented closed cult thinking!

57

Will Donald Trump Be Impeached Before His Term Ends?

by Brokeback Watchtower in

i'm thinking his willful failure to be briefed by the cia about russian election tampering and not understanding diplomatic protocall.

making off handed statements without proper research about the mater.

he's an outsider when it comes to running the government that will make big mistakes at every turn because he seems clueless when it comes to running a government.. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michael-moore-predicts-trump-impeach-resign_us_58261464e4b0c4b63b0c6dee.

Half banana

As unlikely as this development will be, I think Trump’s election makes the prime case for a national and for that matter; an international vetting of heads of state as a mandatory arrangement . . . UN please take note!

Tests for understanding the world situation, a broad education to a high level, psychological profiling and very important; long experience of successful political leadership. Mrs May would come out well on this analysis.

Surely there must be at the very minimum a level of political experience in a prospective president as an essential requirement?

What qualities do a game show host or property developer or for that matter a religious leader as in the case of Muslim prime ministers have to do with the complex diplomatic, informed leadership required for such a demanding role on the world forum. Obama did have those qualifications as does Hillary Clinton.

Trump reminds me of the predicament of film characters such as those played by Norman Wisdom or Charlie Chaplin where the man in the street is suddenly and mistakenly elevated to a position of authority; they fail hilariously. Unfortunately Trump is a real person. He has advisers galore, a civil service and secret service to help him but surely they must be gagging at the public’s choice?

The relevant question is; can they steel themselves to help this ego on legs or will they give up and call for an end to the farce in an impeachment? Who can say?

Will people now realise that the job of president is a matter of a highly developed political nous not just being a TV personality and trashy demagogue? Will the American public tolerate a political system in future which permits an unqualified but popular ignoramus to lead them?

Or perhaps that what they really want?

3

102 years of 'kingdumb rule'

by eyeuse2badub in

happy new year to all.

well here we are, 2017, and still no armageddon, no 'great' tribulation', no 'paradise earth'.

however, the "good news" is that we can now celebrate 102 years under 'kingdumb rule'.

Half banana

Gall; second definition: brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence.

The governing body wanted to celebrate 100 years of kingdom rule. It was a half hearted affair. They had the gall to promote the idea that the greatest biblical fulfilment of all time had taken place in 1914.

Let’s be frank, like every utterance which comes from the Watchtower it is useless and wrong information. However much you tell yourself or print it or tell others at an assembly of true believers, the idea that everything changed in 1914 as predicted by the Watchtower is worthless rubbish. “More evidence than for gravity”--- my foot!

Nothing happened in the heavens in 1914 because nothing ever does or ever did happen invisibly in heaven because 'heaven' is a religious fantasy, it’s a magician's distraction and a confidence trick to deceive gullible believers.

Wakey wakey Jehovah’s Witnesses! Think for yourselves! Your leaders live on Fantasy Island, don't make the same mistake as them.