Posts by Chariklo

27

Hello, I am New Here

by Boolshooy in

i have just joined this discussion board.

i have been reading it for some time and have been enjoying the insightful posts here.

i grew up in the organization and had been very active.

Chariklo

You might like to try the Jerusalem Bible. It's a good translation.

26

To All Elders/MS's/ Publishers Who Come Here

by metatron in

jw
friends

in the past, you were told that you have the opportunity to prove the devil a liar.

this is a nonsensical claim, given that about 2000 years of martyrdom by christians has already passed.

there's nothing left to prove or disprove.. however, you have the opportunity to prove that the watchtower society is lying: that their organization is unclean and overrun with corruption - as proven by an endless stream of elders/ms's and publishers who come here, wishing that they could leave.. you also have the opportunity to prove that their published statistics are false - by reporting fake hours and placements.. if they don't like it, too bad.

Chariklo

You also have the opportunity to prove that their published statistics are false - by reporting fake hours and placements.

Metatron, I like your style. How do you see this working, though?

85

Q for all Christians (not just JW) about the ransom.

by Anony Mous in

so this is the basic logical flaw in christianity i believe.

a brother identified it from the stage for me in a talk.

we all agree (as christians and jw's) that the ransom was necessary because adam lost his perfection and everlasting life.. this is a paraphrase from the talk:.

Chariklo

When someone commits a crime, our sense of justice tells us that someone must pay for the transgression.

No. Mine doesn't. Mine says, stop the poerson from committing another offence if possible and try and teach him to do better next time. Also, help the victim.

My understanding of the atonement is that it was a payment for sin required by the justice of God.

What sort of God do you believe in, then? One who functions by vengeful human standards? The God I believe in is infinitely good and infinitely wise. I suspect "payment for sin required by the justice of God" makes him kind of sigh sadly, if God can conceivably sigh, which is probably inifinitely too anthropomorphic.

185

Earthquakes Earthquakes and more Earthquakes

by sizemik in

jw
friends

for those who may be interested in things geological .

just an update on seismic activity here in christchurch.

what's below is the seismometer drum for the last 24 hrs .

Chariklo

Sizemik, and others who might be interested, you might find this site intriguing.

http://www.astrogeodata.it/index.htm

The guy who creates it is a professor of geology at an Italian university, I forget which one. He makes minute observations on seismic events and examiones them to see if there's any correlation with asteroid movements.

5

'The Good Man Jesus And The Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman

by nicolaou in

i just finished reading this marvelous book, has anyone else read it?

i don't want to give too much away for the sake of anyone who might choose to read it but here's a partial review by the telegraph (respected uk newspaper);.

what pullman has done is to take the gospel accounts of jesus and weave them into a story that runs along the lines of the gospel narratives, but with one radical innovation.

Chariklo

Philip Pullman needs to tell the world what happens next in the life of Lyra Silvertongue Belacqua. I can figure out Jesus on my own, thanks.

(I hate when an author makes you fall in love with his characters and then just stops and leaves them in limbo. It is so frustrating.)

I totally agree. Anyone else keen on the John Twelve Hawks books? I've only read The Traveller and The Dark River so far.

59

Aug.1 WT: God is not omnipresent, independent of physical universe, uses probes

by unshackled in

was checking out the aug. 1 public watchtower and the our readers ask... is does god dwell in one place?

think there was something in an awake a few months back about this.

the physical heavens cannot.

Chariklo

Um, if Jehovah is a spirit, how exactly does he have a spirit that helps Him do amazing things like seeing through lead and looking at rocks on Mars.....

Good question Mary. Maybe I don't quite understand how the Trinity is supposed to work....but does this not kinda sound Trinity-ish? Even though the WTBS constantly harps on the evil teaching that is the Trinity.

The Trinity actually makes a lot of sense, though not as it is caricatured by the WT.

85

Q for all Christians (not just JW) about the ransom.

by Anony Mous in

so this is the basic logical flaw in christianity i believe.

a brother identified it from the stage for me in a talk.

we all agree (as christians and jw's) that the ransom was necessary because adam lost his perfection and everlasting life.. this is a paraphrase from the talk:.

Chariklo

Hey, Prodigal Son

And then there's the Prodigal Son view. You screw up, you die, you're sorry you didn't do more with your life, and daddy loves you anyway.

I think that's fairly close to it!

75

Unrest in the Governing Body

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

one of the many questions that i am asked is what are the current gb members like, who are the hardliners and who are more moderate.. because of my previous job, at a european bethel, i had dealings with most of them with the exception of sam herd.. these are my observations of my conversations with them and how others who had dealings with them.. other ex bethelites may have contrary views to mine, but i would be surprised.. i had spent a lot of time with splane, lett and morris.

hardliners.

david splane, without doubt the one who commands the most respect and attention.