Posts by pseudoxristos

posted

168
The UN Posts Their Letter!
by jgnat in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
did our letter-writing campaign work?

http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/watchtower.pdf.

here are some lovely instructions drafted by syn, and hosted by valis, on how to navigate to the site yourself.. http://www.sassquatch.com/syn/un_ngo_letter/.
pseudoxristos

Has anyone seen this?
I was searching the Watchtower Media Site for references to the UN and found this:
"The necessity of voluntary commitment for fellow humans is deepened through Christian understanding. Religious service and civil commitment therefore are directly associated . . . [Jesus] Christ himself emphasized the unselfish giving that is to be expressed by not expecting any service in return."

More material on that subject is featured in a July 2001 issue of the internationally published magazine Awake! that deals with volunteerism, relevant to the United Nations proclaiming the International Year of Volunteers.

It is old (2001) pre-UN Scandel. A shameless promotion of their UN propaganda???
http://www.jw-media.org/region/europe/germany/english/releases/events/ger_e010704.htm
yeudo
"It is only the wisest and the stupidest that cannot change."
-- Confucius (c. 551-479? BC), Chinese sage
168
The UN Posts Their Letter!
by jgnat in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
did our letter-writing campaign work?

http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/watchtower.pdf.

here are some lovely instructions drafted by syn, and hosted by valis, on how to navigate to the site yourself.. http://www.sassquatch.com/syn/un_ngo_letter/.
pseudoxristos

You have to have Adobe Acrobat reader to view the document.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html#Readers
Here is the page on the UN website with the link to the letter.
168
The UN Posts Their Letter!
by jgnat in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
did our letter-writing campaign work?

http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/watchtower.pdf.

here are some lovely instructions drafted by syn, and hosted by valis, on how to navigate to the site yourself.. http://www.sassquatch.com/syn/un_ngo_letter/.
pseudoxristos

Awesome!!!
yeudo
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
--Albert Einstein (03/14/1879-1955)
46
United Nations Press Release!!! (???)
by Frannie Banannie in
1. social
2. current
anyone heard about this un press release???

is this for real?

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/1/emw100794.htm.
pseudoxristos
drlove,
CRITERIA FOR ASSOCIATION
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
a) The NGO must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; [see Articles 42-44 below]
b) The NGO must be of recognized national or international standing;
c) The NGO should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
d) The NGO must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities by publishing newsletters, bulletins and pamphlets; organizing conferences, seminars and round tables; or enlisting the attention of the media; [see my comments below]
e) The NGO should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
f) The NGO should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centres/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
g) The NGO should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified, independent accountant;
h) The NGO should have statutes/bylaws providing for a transparent process of taking decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.

Article 42
Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.

Article 43
All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call and in accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.

Such agreement or agreements shall govern the numbers and types of forces, their degree of readiness and general location, and the nature of the facilities and assistance to be provided.

The agreement or agreements shall be negotiated as soon as possible on the initiative of the Security Council. They shall be concluded between the Security Council and Members or between the Security Council and groups of Members and shall be subject to ratification by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes.

Article 44
When the Security Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling upon a Member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfilment of the obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that Member, if the Member so desires, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council concerning the employment of contingents of that Member's armed forces.

Criteria a) comments

Support for these principles should be a problem for any religion. Support and respect for the Charter means that they agree that military force should be used. Interestingly the UN attempts to use military force to bring about peace and security. A clear contradiction in the Watchtower principles.
Criteria c) comments

As an NGO, the Watchtower was required to advertise (?publishing newsletters, bulletins and pamphlets; organizing conferences, seminars and round tables; or enlisting the attention of the media?) for the UN. Given the Watchtower?s attitude toward the UN, it is extremely hypocritical for the Watchtower to promote the UN in this manner. To deny that the Watchtower crossed the line is somewhat unbelievable.

yeudo

"Advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his Kingdom!"
-Joseph Rutherford-
27
Good article about the NWT
by starfish422 in
1. watchtower
2. bible
http://www.freeminds.org/doctrine/nwt.htm

this is from the freeminds website.

i love reading quotes in their full context and realizing how much the "brothers" have chopped them up to suit their own purposes.
pseudoxristos

Scolder,
I took the liberty to correct your post.

The article quoted by you at Freeminds is an outstanding expose of the NWT. The NWT is indisputably the shoddiest and most inaccurate translation of the Bible ever made. It does not have the endorsement of any non-Witness scholar because the scholarly community is oblivious of the fact that the Witnesses idolize this translation and have resolved to make it a product to be sold to all peoples of the earth in their searching for the true God, Jehovah. This translation is a powerful demonstration of the activity of a Spirit medium in using unknowledgeable Cretans and others in producing a scholarly wreck that triumphantly exposes the doctrines of the Watchtower and Bible Trap Society. There is no translation within Christendom that can be placed alongside the NWT without much hysteria. Style and trans- lingual facilities are thrown to the wind. The Watch Tower Society has demonstrated a capacity for multiple orgasms from English into other tongues and so the NWT is the only multi-orgasmic Bible ever published. Smell that from Metzger, Rowley, Martin and others of their milk.
Scolder
BS MS Studs in Religion

Pseudo
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
--Albert Einstein (03/14/1879-1955)
7
Stumbling...
by astridkittie in
1. watchtower
2. medical
in another post, someone made a reference to e-watchman's sudden call to duty.

i went to the link provided and when reading the sample letter decided to check out the 11-22-98 issue of the awake mentioned as being "un propaganda".

now... the first time i read this, i was shocked that i had read it before without blinking an eye as a jw.
pseudoxristos

kittie,
You expressed many of the feelings that I went through. It seemed as if I were stuck in a vicious cycle of trying to figure out what was real. Eventually I was able to get through it.
If you feel that you cannot cope, please find a therapist.
Look into the term Cognitive Dissonance; it may help explain what you are going through.
Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation. It therefore occurs when there is a need to accommodate new ideas, and it may be necessary for it to develop so that we become "open" to them.
pseudo
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
--Albert Einstein (03/14/1879-1955)
67
What will you say to God in your defense?
by fearnotruth22 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
.

suppose god holds us accountable.

what will you say to him in your defense to plead you cause?
pseudoxristos

Where's the beef?
32
If you had to choose between Truth or Happiness
by dh in
1. jw
2. friends
if suddenly you were confronted by someone who could grant it, and offered these two choices, which would you choose (if either).. 1.

(truth) you can have the answers to all of your questions, know and understand the absolute truth about all things, who we are, where we came from and how it all happened, and most importantly, you will be able to comprehend why.

the price of this insight is not cheap... you must leave behind everything you know; family, friends, pets, property, all things you value, you do not get to say goodbye and you will never see any of them again.. or.. 2.
pseudoxristos

The ultimate answer to any question I might have sounds appealing at first. But then, I?m not sure I want to know everything. The intimate details of how those close to me eventually die is not something that I would like to know (not to mention knowledge of my own death). The details of all those who have suffered throughout Mankind?s existence would be far too much to bear.
Truth in small doses is great, but ultimate Truth would be too painful. Give me Happiness.
Pseudo
...Man is a stranger to his own research;
He knows not whence he comes, nor whither goes.
Tormented atoms in a bed of mud,
Devoured by death, a mockery of fate.
But thinking atoms, whose far-seeing eyes,
Guided by thought, have measured the faint stars,
Our being mingles with the infinite;
Ouselves we never see, or come to know... --Voltaire--
52
Why does anything exist at all?
by logansrun in
1. jw
2. friends
god or no god, why is there something rather than nothing?

why do elements have properties?

why does consciousness exist?
pseudoxristos

...Man is a stranger to his own research;
He knows not whence he comes, nor whither goes.
Tormented atoms in a bed of mud,
Devoured by death, a mockery of fate.
But thinking atoms, whose far-seeing eyes,
Guided by thought, have measured the faint stars,
Our being mingles with the infinite;
Ouselves we never see, or come to know...
--Voltaire--
78
Jesus and the two criminals dying beside him.....
by sandy in
1. watchtower
2. bible
i have been watching a couple of the movies retelling the life of christ and i was wondering about the words jesus said to the criminal who asked him to remember him.. the king james version reads: and jesus said unto him, "verily i say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise" luke 23:43. the new world translation reads: and he said to him "truly i tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.

" luke 23:43. the movie i was watching quoted or at least was closer to the king james version.

maybe i am wrong but the same scriptures seem to imply two different things.
pseudoxristos

Leolaia,
I finally had a chance to thoroughly examine your post.
Very Impressive!
Your writing style is also a very enjoyable.
You brought out many of the nuances that I should have included in my post. For instance, I was just too lazy to include a detailed explanation of the different Hebrew thoughts on the condition of the dead. I also should have mentioned that the views I presented were just one of many threads of thought in late Judaism and early Christianity.
I found the most interesting point to be that of Persian Influence. I had just begun to explore this possibility, with post in a different forum.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jehovahswitnessesgathering/message/9149
The post was very similar to my post in this thread with the addition of the following material.

ZOROASTRIANISM

...

3. Possible Theological Influence:

As a matter of fact, after Israel's contact with Persia the following elements, all known to Mazdeism, appear, and apparently for the first time: (1) a formal angelology, with six (or seven) archangels at the head of the developed hierarchy; (2) these angels not mere companions of God but His intermediaries, established (often) over special domains; (3) in the philosophical religion, a corresponding doctrine of hypostases; (4) as a result, a remoter conception of God; (5) a developed demonology; (6) the conception of a supreme head (Satan) over the powers of evil; (7) the doctrine of immortality; (8) rewards or punishments for the soul immediately after death; (9) a schematic eschatology especially as regards chronological systems; (10) a superhuman Messiah; (11) bodily resurrection; (12) a rationalized, legalistic conception of God's moral demands....
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ...
... The following deuterocannonical works should provide evidence of the Persian influence. I would also like to note that the Greek ideas of Hell were very similar to the Persian ideas. This had an added effect of influencing early Christians. The fact that early Christians spoke Greek indicates the extreme influence that the Greek culture had upon the Jews. ...

It's Interesting that we've both reached the same conclusions through different avenues.
yeudo
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
--Albert Einstein (03/14/1879-1955)--