Happy Birthday
Posts by Panda
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21HEY EVERYONE GUESS WHAT TODAY IS?!!
by micheal inmy birthday, first one celebrated in a long long time
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Panda
Gadget, The killer may have been in for life or 25 yrs or something. Also he may have been molested as a child and felt this would free him somehow (psychologically)
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33
John 1:1 for nonbelievers.....
by logansrun ini've often felt that the most objective person in a situation is the one who has no stake in the outcome.
this holds true to religious issues as well.
we all know freddie franz translated john 1:1 as "the word was [a] god" and the rest of the christian world flew through the roof.
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Panda
Bradley, You write interesting posts. Coming from my secular mind and from Elaine Pagels recent book "Beyond Belief," I agree that Jesus was not considered God by early writers. Many scenarios suggest themselves here, and I will only say what I think because we all know this is a matter of previous interpretation and translation. I think a good question is first why was John included in the Bible canon? By a mis-identification of the author. As for John 1 and "the beginning" see Pagel's explanation in chapter 4 The Canon of Truth and the Triumph of John (Beyond Belief):
How did those Christians whom Ireneaus calls "evil interpreters" read John and the other scriptures - and why did he oppose what he found there? Iraneaus warns that these people "have cast truth aside"; they introduce lies that entice and delude naive believers, but to many people their obvious fictions actually seem true. Iraneaus says that the christian poet and teacher Valentinus, his disciple Ptolemy, and others like them have invented all kinds of myths about what happened "in the beginning," and even before the beginning of the world, and how the unknown Source of all being, which these Christians sometimes call the primal Father and other times call Silence -- since there are no words to describe this source-- first poured forth streams of divine energies, both masculine and feminine, whose dynamic interaction brought forth the universe. Some followers of Ptolemy go on to say that divine Wisdom came forth "in the beginning" and participated with God to bring forth the universe, as described in Genesis 1 through 3. (pg 115)
So while Ireneaus accepted John into the Bible canon he did not accept the above interpretation of John 1. If we consider as Ptolemy did that "Wisdom ...participated with God," that is the primal Father or Silence needed the divine energies of Wisdom to create. But then again even Ireneaus admits that "before the world ...the unknown Source " was un-nameable, and un-named "since there are no words to describe this source."
Why John was accepted despite as Origen says:
John does not always tell the truth literally, he always tells the truth spiritually (pg118);
is a good question. The probable answer is that many believed the John who authored this gospel was John the son of Zebedee(sp?), rather than John the elder who was a separate person.
So then early Christians found that even though John contradicted Matthew, Mark, and Luke, his work was meant to deepen a search for God's will . Valentinus dreamed that the :
logos --- [ was] the divine word revealed in human form. (119)
Ok so John 1:1 according to this information is Wisdom created by the union of the feminine and masculine forces of the universe.
Ahhhh sort've (I found this on another web site) "My Goddess gave birth to your God"
PS did you know that early Christians used to do a circle dance, surprized me.
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136
...but I happen to like the JWs/WT.....
by ScoobySnax injehovah's witnesses.
the organisation.
i love 'em both still.
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Panda
I had some wonderful loving friendships as a dub. Many of them are still jws and no longer incontact with me. Many others have left and have gotten in touch over the last few years. We indeed did have heartfelt conversations. Some I miss terribly but I would not compromise myself any longer. I just could not support what I knew was a lie.
Scoob, You enjoy your friendships now because when they find out where you post in your free time they won't be your friends anymore.
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16
Former Priest, Child Molester Killed in Prison
by little witch in.
john geoghan, the central figure in the catholic church child molestation investigation, was killed in prison today!.
sorry, no link, but is all over the news.
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Panda
Thanks for this post. I hope all child molesters see this news and quake in their boots. Why child molesters are not put on death row I will never understand. In the latest National Geographic there is an article on slavery. One photo is of some young boys who were sold from Mexico to southern califorians as sex slaves. The boys were not even teenagers, just little kids.
Probably many in prison were victims of child molestation. Killing this one guy was just the medicine they needed.
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16
Clean, Clean the Kingdom Hall
by Euphemism inthree pages of this month's insert are dedicated to the article "let us keep our place of worship in good repair.
" yes, that's 38 minutes of service meeting time devoted to instructions on cleaning and maintaining the kingdom hall.. aside from just the utter ridiculousness and infantilization of this, what really struck me was: "when was the last time that there was a three-page insert on visiting the sick?
" if the wts devoted half as much organization and attention to such a basic christian duty as it does to the cleaning of the kingdom hall, the organization would be a better place.. i know, nothing new.
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Panda
Just another quick thought --- if someone had taken us out for coffee, then I'd volunteer to clean all of the time
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16
Clean, Clean the Kingdom Hall
by Euphemism inthree pages of this month's insert are dedicated to the article "let us keep our place of worship in good repair.
" yes, that's 38 minutes of service meeting time devoted to instructions on cleaning and maintaining the kingdom hall.. aside from just the utter ridiculousness and infantilization of this, what really struck me was: "when was the last time that there was a three-page insert on visiting the sick?
" if the wts devoted half as much organization and attention to such a basic christian duty as it does to the cleaning of the kingdom hall, the organization would be a better place.. i know, nothing new.
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Panda
When I was borg it was always the "sisters" who cleaned the KH ... Often at the FS morning meeting of the tues thurs meetings. Cleaning offices then cleaning the KH ... The brothers got to mow the 6 sq ft of grass and trim bushes once a year --- no one vaccuumed the parking lot.
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8
Now I've seen everything....
by logansrun ini was at the health food store the other day and found conspicously on the bottom shelf -- organic tampons.
no, i am not making this up.
what's next...organic condoms?
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Panda
Organic tampons are probably cotton with no additives --- oh yuck --- what if the cotton just sticks inside yuck yuck yuck.
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8
an old guy I knew was disfellowshipped
by jwbot init was weird to hear it from my brother (an actual sibling brother, hehe) that an old man in their congregation, who was an elder as long as i knew him.
and a very kind, sweet, funny man, was disfellowshipped.
i am trying to figure out why.
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Panda
Herk, That is sooo typical of what happens in the borg. People don't have children so they can serve the WTS. Then w/o family to look after them, they are easily forgotten.
"Tin can at my feet, think I'll kick it down the street, that's the way to treat a friend."
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10
Is it legal to announce DA?
by izobcenec inok, if someone sends da letter to his elders, that is a confidential.
thing...personal information.
but what do the elders do?
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Panda
I wrote a DA letter, told them not to announce it, they announced I'd Da'd, but I found there wasn't anything I could do about it. And really the kind of justice I'd be looking for is not realistic. But that said, I'm glad I wrote that letter which they will keep and others will read. Sort of the Gospel According to Panda