Posts by Kingpawn

38

Should America Start Closing the Borders?

by pettygrudger in

jw
friends

.

my hubby & i had a debate tonight, so i'm kinda taking a poll..... my hubby says we should stop immigrations and start closing up the borders - except in cases of political asylum or a family member.

.

Kingpawn

MrMoe makes a good point that America wouldn't be where it is without immigration.

Many times immigrants have "taken" jobs that were there all along but many Americans considered beneath their dignity apparently, because they went unfilled for a long time. Also, some industries (NOT just farming) are arguing for looser immigration rules because they need highly trained/skilled workers they can't find here. High-tech is probably the best example. Is it merely a coincidence that the vast majority of teens and college students here admit to personally cheating or holding a "who cares?" attitude about it when US student scores in math and science are so far behind the world's?

As far as Mexico...the way to stop immigration from there is to help their government fix their economy. Make it more profitable for the average citizen to stay there. If I can make in half a day what I can in Mexico for a full day, why should I stay there? And if I get caught? I can be deported (and try again) or go to jail (benefits before being repatriated home) (and try again).

Besides, many of the comments here make it sound like they're taking advantage of us. I'd like to know one race/nationality/ethnic group that hasn't been cheated, abused, treated unjustly, or in some other way screwed by the American Dream after coming here.

Every person wanting to come here is one more vote in favor of the idea that America is the place to be. If a person trades jobs for one with better pay and benefits do we say he's wrong? Then why should we say that for the person who trades countries?

It's easy to criticize someone leaving their homeland and not staying to fight their country's problems. But some of those problems aren't solvable by one person's sole efforts. Or they may not have the resources there. Or they may not be attracted to the idea of arrest, torture, and hard labor for two decades or death for speaking out. And what support they get from us, the mouthpeice for the oppressed! After all, after the Chinese ran over the Tianeman Square protestors in 1989, OUR PRESIDENT George the First went to China and (to my knowledge) didn't say a word about those killed or imprisoned. Yep, we believe in human rights all right.

Yeah Granny, Crystal...easy to say what you did here. Try it when one of your own family could turn you in to the secret police. Maybe you're not afraid of rubber hoses being used on your feet's soles, or being kept awake for a week straight, put in a 14" by 14" cell 24/7 so you can't sit for a week--you sleep leaning your knees against the stone wall, or having "salt water douches" as they're known forced down your throat again and again until you're racked with thirst...and these are the mild "entertainments"! I left off describing some of the more "stimulating" things they do to men and women in prisons.

I can cut some slack for someone afraid of that. Who's going to work with them? Who can they trust to talk about this with? If they get in a jam, will they sell you out to save their skin?

Pain just isn't me, or a lot of others living in the real world either.

45

" We Saw his Star in the East"

by Robdar in

jw
friends

a question from realist on another thread prompted me to want to ask the board if our members believe in astrology.

here is my response on the subject and your comments are welcome, as always.. robdar, .

plaese tell me you don't believe in astrology!

Kingpawn

I'm skeptical about it personally. For it to work I'd have to believe that something about the relative position of the planets and our Moon has a physical effect on people. If, say, some type of radiation that entered our solar system from the outside was modified in some way, so that each planet adds or detracts from this radiation in some way, and that intermix affects the just-born individual, then I could buy it. And that's not to say science won't be able to verify that. It could happen, so they (believers) could be right.

I agree with Robdar that if someone's beliefs don't make them a danger to me, my loved ones, or anything else I value, and any harm done is to the believer alone, then it doesn't matter to me what they believe. This is my interpretation of what she was saying in her post.

I haven't made a habit of reading my horoscope. And it could be argued they're written so vaguely that almost anything could be read into them. I'm beginning a study of Tarot cards to decide for myself whether or not there's anything to it. Looking forward to it.

Just my pre-tax $.02.

11

Wasted Time

by JH in

jw
friends

do you feel as if you spend too much time on the computer.

only 10 years old, and it changed the life style of many.

spending so much time on the computer surfing here and there, do you feel as if your actually are wasting your precious time?

Kingpawn

Prisca, 7:30 PM is too late? I've taken walks around my town anywhere from one to six in the morning at times.

OTOH, at times I do spend too much time on the PC, mainly here. Information overload but you're bound to find something interesting. Sometimes though it's pushed back meals, medicines, and sleep from when they should be.

Edited by - Kingpawn on 17 November 2002 3:9:39

6

NT vs. OT

by Lin in

i've been wondering why so many bibles don't contain both the ot and the nt, why some only have the nt?

why do some churches/ministers only teach from the nt and disregard the ot, when even jesus quoted the ot?

from what i've been reading in various posts about scriptures in daniel pointing towards things yet to happen (unless i misunderstood the post)it would appear that continuing to use and teach from the ot and the nt should continue.

Kingpawn

Apart from the freedom given from the Mosaic Law, there's practical wisdom to be found in Proverbs, religious devotions in Psalms, and a lyrical book on love called the Song of Solomon. But they don't get the air time "the law and the prophets" do.

12

Exjws..or not

by Brummie in

jw
friends

are you an exjw or not an exjw anymore...?

3 statements i heard people make: .

i am not an exjw anymore.

Kingpawn

Brummie,

I am not an exjw anymore

Possibly the person who says this was an ex-jw and has found another path or belief system since then. But until they did they were an ex-JW, nothing more.

I am not an exjw I am now a Christian

Sounds like as both a JW and an ex-JW they don't figure they were a Christian. The difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

I am not an exjw I am a NONE JW

An attempt to distance themselves a step farther from having been an ex (or, possibly to them, a fool conned into an elaborate hoax disguised as a religion and too embarrassing to think about).

All three sound to me like they have issues with ever having been in the cult. Or like a gay person saying they're bi when deep down they know differently.

17

The Watchtower Plot Against Us

by Sirona in

jw
friends

the watchtower organisation has been guilty of major coverups and blatant lies.. it does not want ex jws telling others what they know.. does it ever occur to you that the watchtower have people who post on this board, gathering information about us?

they could use it against us at any time....they could keep a record of what we say on our posts and establish who we really are.. e.g.

people who i hardly ever speak to on this board suddenly seem to know details about me.

Kingpawn

I feel sorry for anyone here who has to live in fear of the borg for the reasons mentioned. I wish all of you peace of mind in dealing with the stress of this until you can get the monkey off your back, if ever. I'm one of the very lucky ones. The only JW (now ex-JW) in my family, not real close to those in the cong., I had nothing to lose when I got kicked out.

Several posts have been made by people who regret having steered their children into the borg because of the aftereffects. At the time you truly thought you were acting in their best interests. Do your children hold it against you? If they do, I'd hope they would take that philosophy to heart and cut you some slack. And that you the hurting children (now adults posting here) can likewise cut your parents some for the same reason. Maybe this weekend can be an opportunity to clear the air with them over this.

Only those who knew it was wrong and still put their children at the mercy of the WBTS have anything to apologize for, imo.

In Brave New World, the foreword starts out by saying that chronic remorse is a waste of energy. If you've erred, acknowledge it, do your best to make amends, and go on (something along those lines). Here it's the same thing.

48

Have you joined another religion?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i don't think i will never join another organized religion.

that being said however, i have enjoyed going on occasion to non-denominational churches, watching the band play music, and the speaker.

if you did or would attend another church regularly, which one would you go to and why?

Kingpawn

I'm a nonpracticing Baptist. I left unofficially when I was called a "hardhead" for asking questions and the pastor said he was an alcoholic. Since then I've done a little studying on the Religious Society of Friends and more intensive study of Wicca.

Shera's right about no need for a formal structure to worship in. Otherwise God turned a deaf ear to everyone on the sinking Titanic or anyone else who wasn't in a church when the end came. Abraham didn't have a church building. Or Noah. Or probably not the Ethiopian eunuch. Didn't matter.

46

Where Have All The Pretty Women Gone?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

to explain: i recall in the 60's and 70's driving down portsmouths commercial road during a lunch time.

in the summer, there would be dozens of pretty girls strolling along, enjoying their lunch breaks.. high-heeled, well groomed and shapely of leg and well turned ankle, these delightful creatures smelled as good as they looked and were a real tonic to an over worked young man such as me.. so where are all the pretty women now?

all i see these days are skinny women with their boobies pushed up to their chins and half a pound of shrapnel punched through their noses and ears.

Kingpawn

17

Will U Cry For the Babies

by Farkel in

forgot about this one i did about two years ago.

found it on kent's site.

thanks kent!

Kingpawn

Remember the back of an Awake! showing a guy being held up at knifepoint by four teens, and he starts witnessing to them, his stuff's returned, and he goes on his way?

there were certain areas that the JW's did not go to like the South Bronx because of the danger there. I was always told that even the most remote places in the Amazon would hear the JW crap about the good news of the kingdom. After visiting Bethel and finding out that there are parts of New York that are just a few miles from their world headquarters that would not get the message I knew then the story about the Amazon was complete bullshit.

Doesn't this refusal to go in the South Bronx show they don't believe Jehovah will protect them? `Cause after all, if they're going to make it into the "new system," why should they be afraid? They ought to be just like the guys who pulled off 9/11.

25

been away from organization for a while now, yet?.

by intellecta in

i found this site accidently i guess.

i have been away from the truth for a while now...6 years... yet it always permeates my mind somehow and i fear the events happening in the world, and wonder.... i guess my problem was that i hated going out door to door as a child.. somehow i hated invading other people's privacy and felt wrong somehow, or embarrased, or just plain hated it period.

i think that is the biggest thing that keeps me away from ever returning.. somehow i, in my small mind cannot understand why small children should do such a thing until they are old enough to at least have a say in it.. like an opinion??

Kingpawn

If old age was natural then, tell me this?? why is society so obsessed with youth? media purpetuates it, and we all strive for it,,try to hold on to it.... as old age is not the norm... do you see commercials with older people representing mainstream society, trying to sell products, etc, ??????..not really.........

Like you said, the media perpetuate it. Remember ads for "the Pepsi generation?" Senior citizen groups had to LOBBY Pepsi-Cola to allow older people in the spots.

Youth represents the lack of everything we want to forget about our futures, like slack skin, gray(ing) hair (I'm proud of mine--took me long enough to get it--and not out of a bottle either. Mine's the real thing! ), arthritis, slower movement and thinking, sagging...well, anyway, you know what I mean. Youth sells "young" products. You see an older man selling Cadillacs because it's a status symbol of wealth that takes time to accumulate. Twentysomethings sell sports cars. Teens sell Mountain Dew, senior citizens push Medigap insurance. And the ones that do don't look like they'll need it.

Indulge that desire for spirituality. There are many paths. Go at your own pace exploring the varieties of belief systems available. Welcome.