Posts by Vidqun

43

If you were raised in a home with a JW parent and a non-JW parent: a few questions

by Lady Lee in

if you were raised in a home with a jw parent and a non-jw parent: a few questions.. i am going to be addressing the international cultic studies association (icsa) in july at the conference in montreal.

my focus is on 3 groups.

the third group consists of people people who grew up in homes where one parent was a jw and the other wasn't.

Vidqun

Who was responsible for your religious upbringing?The JW or the non-JW? JW
Was your non-JW parent ever a JW? NO
Did they argue about it? YES
Were you forced to go? NO
Did the non-JW parent have any real say in how the family celebrated holidays? YES
Over all what impact did this split household have on your childhood and even later in life? NEGATIVE IMPACT. A LOT OF CONFLICT. NOT CONDUCIVE CONDITIONS FOR BRINGING UP CHILDREN.
What would you want therapists to know about your situation? CONFLICT > ESCAPE > STUNTED EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT > DISASTROUS HUMAN INTERACTION > FAILED RELATIONSHIPS IN LATER LIFE
Any other thoughts? RESULT: 2 FAILED MARRIAGES

41

Quake reveals day of Jesus' crucifixion

by Vidqun in

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/.

"when data about the jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with friday, april 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers.

".

Vidqun

Heathen, I’m with you on this one.

mP, we have been blessed with a brain more advanced than any computer. I think the idea is to use it. As to the distribution of Greek NT MSS, not much need to be said. As to uncials, there’s approximately 257, 93 papyrus MSS, and roughly 2795 miniscules catalogued. This tally excludes lectionaries and translations. So there’s a cloud of witnesses to choose from. The message is remarkably similar with few deviations. That’s good going.

Leolaia, I realize gut-feeling does not fly on JWN, so I was forced to do homework. Not much has been written on the subject in the commentaries at my disposal, except for it being a mystery, or the text being inserted at a later date. I put my money on an ancient transcription error. Nowhere in the Synoptic Gospels is a mass-resurrection mentioned except here. Would Mark and Luke not have mentioned such a significant event? So, what did Matthew mean? The general word that he uses for the “resurrection” is anastasin (cf. Matt. 22:23, 28, 30, 31). Here, at Matt. 27:52, he uses eigerthesan from egeirou (cf. Matt. 26:32). One of its meanings is to enter into or to be in a state of life as a result of being raised. It can also mean to move to a standing position (BDAG). [The noun egersis appears in the NT only in Matt 27:53, whereas anastasis, on the other hand, appears 42 times (EDNT).]

Thayer also have a few interesting comments on some of the meanings of egeirou:

3. in later usage generally to cause to rise, raise, from a seat, bed, etc.; passive and middle to rise, arise .

4. To raise up, produce, cause to appear ; a. to cause to appear, bring before the public (anyone who is to attract the attention of men).

So Liddell-Scott:

I. Act. to awaken, wake up, rouse, Il., Trag.

2. to rouse, stir up,to stir the fight, Il., etc.

3. to raise from the dead, N.T.; or from a sick bed, Ib.

4. to raise or erect a building, Ib.

II. Pass., with pf. act., to awake, Od., Hdt., etc.: in aor. 2 also to keep watch or vigil, Il.:-in pf. to be awake, Hom., Att.

2. to rouse or stir oneself, be excited by passion, Hes., Thuc.

As you pointed out, a redactor could have added it, following the Ezekiel tradition. However, I don't think that is Matthew's style. I still prefer an ancient transcription error, being the culprit. It had to have happened early in the MS tradition, for it not to have been duplicated in the existing MSS. Whether it was because of the continuous script and/or lack of punctuation, or homoioteleuton/homoioarcton, I cannot say. A problem for the Greek scholars to solve. I don’t have a problem with the theological aspects, because if these were resurrected, they would have died again (as Lazarus). Jesus, as first fruits from the dead, would be the first to gain immortality. People, hiding amongst the graves because of the earthquake, would have come out and reported what happened. This is logical, and makes a lot of sense.

170

Simple answer, please! Scientifically explain the origin of life coming from nothing!

by Silent_Scream in

scientific method asserts nothing living can come from something non-living.

science is observable, science is reproducible.

a living thing coming from non-living matter has never been observed nor reproduced.. therefore, it takes faith in an unknown process to believe that that's exactly what happened in the beginning, with no evidence!.

Vidqun

SS, interesting thread and food for thought. I reason this way. Say a planet has all the ingredients to sustain life, an atmosphere, a moderate climate, lots of water, fertile soil, rich in all kinds of minerals, etc. All the best scientists on earth are invited to go there. Their spaceship has the best that technology has to offer. They are invited to do terra forming with only one precondition. They have to start from scratch. They are allowed to take with them all the elements of the periodic table. They have to create organic matter from inorganic matter. Then they have incorporate organic matter into living systems which would be able to reproduce successfully. They can start with microoganisms and plants. Then they can advance to more complex animals.

At this stage such a mission would be impossible, even if they had a million years at their disposal. The scientists would rather take with them existing plants and animals, tried and tested systems, and turn these into successful ecosystems. So, modern science has serious limitations. Perhaps advances would bring them to a point where they can attempt such a mission, but at this stage it lies in the realm of science fiction. When mankind have reached that point, they can jettison religion. They have become "gods." But not before then.

41

Quake reveals day of Jesus' crucifixion

by Vidqun in

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/.

"when data about the jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with friday, april 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers.

".

Vidqun

"When data about the Jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with Friday, April 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers."

mP, I think you missed above quote. They established the time of the earthquake between 26 and 36 CE. As far as I know there is only record of this quake in the Bible. They also used data from the Jewish calendar, astronomical calculations, as well as the different Biblical accounts to decide on a date. I think that's a reasonable way to go about doing things, until they find a better way of working it out. Remarkable is the fact that a man, who did not exist, a mere figment of some Jews' imagination, could influence the course of history as he did. Is it the cowboys or Indians that established the principle: Where there is smoke, there is a fire.

41

Quake reveals day of Jesus' crucifixion

by Vidqun in

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/.

"when data about the jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with friday, april 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers.

".

Vidqun

mP, according to the article, the darkness could be ascribed to a dust storm, which the geologists would be able to pinpoint. There is also no record of a mass resurrection during that time, so the corrupt text could have been caused by a transcription error. An earthquake could have caused bodies "to stand up." Afterwards people would have wondered amongst the tombs. Just my five cents worth.

41

Quake reveals day of Jesus' crucifixion

by Vidqun in

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/.

"when data about the jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with friday, april 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers.

".

Vidqun

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/

"When data about the Jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with Friday, April 3, 33, being the best match, according to the researchers."

32

Mentality of young CO

by Vidqun in

this time it was the co that came round with a young elder in tow.

from our discussion a few points stand out.

i carefully explained why i believe the gb has comitted spiritual immorality by hobnobbing with the un.

Vidqun

00Dad, that's what you get if a bunch of amateurs concoct a theology and chronology, a huge cock-up. Yes, that I was gullible to fall for it in the first place, does hurt. But I believe, where there is life, there is hope. I'll get over it in time.

Notjustyet, don't think they will get any benefit from such big words. Don't think the words have been discussed in the publications, so then they won't count. To implant "a key element" in some minds you will need nothing less than a stick of dynamite. Don't see anything else getting through.

Thanks Billy, I'll keep those points in mind when writing them a letter, a long letter, with many a footnote, endnote, and appendix. I'll dedicate the letter to the CO. He inspired me to write. Now that you mention it, I will insist on the lemurs committing suicide. Think about it, they will have to appoint a research team to find out about the lemurs in Madagascar jumping off a cliff. I'm not sure whether there are cliffs in Madagascar to jump off from. They might even publish their findings in the Awake!

45

If you were a Witness, when did you realize the Governing Body was apostate?

by matt2414 in

for more than 30 years i believed everything that came from the watchtower society, especially since i lived at bethel for a while and i knew a lot of the gb members, who to me seemed intelligent and personable.

at the beginning, the emphasis was on the bible, the kingdom, jehovah and jesus.

but gradually over time, there would appear an elephant in the room that no one seemed to talk about, such as the change in the understanding of "generation.

Vidqun

Only last year I found out the UN-NGO debacle. There were a few small jackals lighting the vineyard, e.g., their attitude to secular learning, child abuse and incompetence of JC's, etc. But riding the beast alongside Babylon the Great, that did it for me. That's certainly not practicing what you are preaching, more a case of do what I say, don't do what I do, just like the Pharisees of bygone days. The bonfire was lit and is burning brightly, thank you.

3

Jack the Ripper, a woman?

by Vidqun in

i read patricia cornwall's novel on the subject a while back (portrait of a killer: jack the ripper - case closed).

by using modern forensic techniques, she decided on eccentric artist john sickert as being jack the ripper.

she concentrated on letters he sent to police and his art works.

Vidqun

Thanks Bangalore, intriguing to say the least. And the fact that she had a nervous breakdown after the killings also fits. She would then be incapacitated, unable to continue the killing spree.

Designs, your article seems to have been removed.

3

Jack the Ripper, a woman?

by Vidqun in

i read patricia cornwall's novel on the subject a while back (portrait of a killer: jack the ripper - case closed).

by using modern forensic techniques, she decided on eccentric artist john sickert as being jack the ripper.

she concentrated on letters he sent to police and his art works.

Vidqun

I read Patricia Cornwall's novel on the subject a while back (Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case closed). By using modern forensic techniques, she decided on eccentric artist John Sickert as being Jack the Ripper. She concentrated on letters he sent to police and his art works. I always thought her case was unconvincing and would not stick up in a modern court.

Here's a turn up for the books. Author John Morris asserts that Jack the Ripper should actually be Jacqueline the Ripper. According to the article, he built a good case to support his assertion. Royal Gynaecologist Sir John Williams was always a suspect, but it now seems as his wife had the motive. He had an affair with one of the last women killed. Lizzy Williams could not have children, and had lost her family fortune. She was desperate and would hold on to her man at any cost.

It was always assumed that the crimes were committed by a man, but a woman would also have been able to do similar damage with a scalpel without much effort. The strongest evidence for his theory is the burnt woman's clothes in a fireplace of one of the victims. The investigators always assumed it was the victim's clothes. He now says it was the murderer's clothes. Later on a witness reported seeing the victim. It was the murderer fleeing the scene with the victim's clothes. Up to this day similar crimes, e.g., cutting out the uterus, have been committed by women mostly.