Posts by Ranchette

5

Wanna Study?

by messenger in

jw
friends

from flordia international university.

jehovah's witnesses campus bible study.

president: tomas crespo jr. (305)255-8677. advisor: nydia johnson (305)348-2742. mission statement:.

MISSION STATEMENT:
The purpose of Jehovah's Witnesses Campus Bible Study is to provide an opportunity to participate in an organized, comprehensive study of the Bible. Our intent is to supply a weekly dose of Bible education to supplement our academic studies on campus. A topical approach will usually be used, but opportunity for in-depth research and discussion of current events in relation to the Bible will also be afforded. All interested persons are welcome to attend.

It should read something like this,

Mission Statement
The puorpose of Jehovah's Witnesess Campus Bible Study is to provide us with an opportunity to convert you to our religion.
This will be a controlled shallow study full of random scriptures provided to us in WT literature.Our intent is to supply a weekly dose of mind numbing, brain cell killing repitions to supplinent our worldly college education.
A topical aproach will usually be used but we choose the topics, which reasearch materal will be used and we reserve the right to refuse to discuss anything we don't want to.
Total control of study sessions remain with your JW conducter at all times.If you can't agree with these terms,
STUDY IS CANCELLED!
Thanks for your interest.

Ranchette

5

For the Lurkers: The Kindness of "Strange...

by Esmeralda in

jw
friends

if you've been reading and feeling badly about the posts of the last 2 days, don't let it damage your faith in the kindness of people, jw, "worldly" or "apostate".

there are good folks in all three catagories.. don't let it chase you away from asking questions, doing research, seeking support, doing whatever it takes to come to decisions that you can live with regarding your faith.

whether those conclusions are to stay in the organization or leave it.

Ranchette

If lurkers don't like what they are seeing at present they can also
do searches on topics of interest and go back through hundreds of pages full of great stuff.

Also you can click on the little piece of paper icon of your favorite posters contained in their profiles and see every thread they have written.
No matter what's going on,there's plenty of wonderful info at their fingertips.

Ranchette

49

What would a meeting be like if.....

by roybatty in

jw
friends

everyone on jw.com were jws and attended the same congregation.

now, i'm not saying that we'd follow brooklyn's rules (how boring).

instead what would it be like jw.com style.

Ranchette

If Fred Hall ever made it to the stage booing would definitly be allowed!

But it's doubtful he would ever make it to the stage because Alf would be chasing him all over the place.
Also if you let Fred handle mics they must be cordless for the very same reason as stated above!

We wouldn't want court cases from people being tripped so we may have to consider putting Fred and Alf in cages.

Ranchette

49

What would a meeting be like if.....

by roybatty in

jw
friends

everyone on jw.com were jws and attended the same congregation.

now, i'm not saying that we'd follow brooklyn's rules (how boring).

instead what would it be like jw.com style.

Ranchette

We would probably need to set up a second school for the easily offended.
It also can be used to put those who are party poopers!

Ranchette

49

What would a meeting be like if.....

by roybatty in

jw
friends

everyone on jw.com were jws and attended the same congregation.

now, i'm not saying that we'd follow brooklyn's rules (how boring).

instead what would it be like jw.com style.

Ranchette

Roy,
LOL,
Well let’s just put it this way, no one would fall asleep of boredom because it would be a real life free-for-all complete with Agnostics, Pagans, Fundies, Christians,
Orgies, sex, drugs, alchohol, music, dancing, and much more!

Ranchette

19

Giving liberals the 'boot'

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

see no evil.

bill o'reily--------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

berkeley, calif. america's most liberal city has come through again.

Ranchette

I understand that the slogan "God Bless America" is said to be mainly a patriotic statement and not really meant to be taken that Americans think they deserve Gods blessing more than any other country.But that's what it sounds like to other countries.

The statement I believe is meant to help the country pull together and feel more like a family. Comforted and secure.

But I still don't feel comfortable with it personally.
First I don't believe in an interactive God and second even If I did it sounds selfish to ask God to bless my country when it would be just as easy to ask him to bless and protect the entire planet.

I think we should have learned along time ago that our welfare and security is dependent on the stability of the whole world.

Just my opinions though.

Ranchette

28

Why atheism?

by Skimmer in

jw
friends

on varieties of atheism:.

can we even speak of clear and distinct ideological borders among atheists, agnostics, and theists?

absent any commonly accepted scientific proof of the existence of god (or gods), we must consider that the labeling is based on an individual's personal interpretation.

Ranchette

Hi Comf!

Nice to hear from you again.
You said,

Amen, alleluyou, sister! Tell it, tell it! Dass right, mm-hmm, dass sho right!

Were you dancing when you said that?

Anyway glad you've had the same experience as I have on this.

Ranchette

21

Reasons for Leaving JWs/Fatal Flaw

by patio34 in

jw
friends

i ran across this in "river out of eden" by richard dawkins (pgs 131-132) yesterday and it accurately sums up why i left jws 9 months ago and, essentially, belief in a creator:.

re dna survivial: 'when the utility function-that which is being maximized--is dna survival, this is not a recipe for happiness.

so long as dna is passed on, it does not matter who or what gets hurt in the process.

Ranchette

Eyebrow,
That sounds familiar to me too. I do know that is what they taught about man but I'm not sure about animals.
But I think they taught that about animals too because that would explain why they taught us that the meat eating animals would eat straw in the new world,implying that things would go back to God's original pourpose.

Pat,
Very interesting thread.

Ranchette

4

WTS Labs

by cyrano in

jw
friends

watch tower bible & tract society clinical laboratory of brooklyn.

21 clark street brooklyn ny 11201 .

watch tower bible & tract society clinical laboratory of patterson 100 watchtower drive patterson ny 12563-9204 .

Ranchette

Anthrax?

Ranchette

28

Why atheism?

by Skimmer in

jw
friends

on varieties of atheism:.

can we even speak of clear and distinct ideological borders among atheists, agnostics, and theists?

absent any commonly accepted scientific proof of the existence of god (or gods), we must consider that the labeling is based on an individual's personal interpretation.

Ranchette

Skimmer,

I’m really not crazy about labels because like others have pointed out they are up for different interpretations but I will try to describe where I am at now.

If I understand this correctly an Atheist just flat out denies the existence of God or a creator.
That’s not comfortable for me because I don’t have proof that God exists anymore than I do that he doesn’t.

I think Agnostic would be closer to where I’m at. If there is a God I see absolutely no evidence of him being involved in our lives.
At best he set things in motion and lets nature take it’s course.

To imply that he is involved would make him a very partial, prejudiced, and unloving God in my opinion.

Most religions teach that God has the power to solve mans problems and end suffering.
Many also teach that the reason he hasn’t done any thing yet is because Satan caused Adam and Eve to sin, then Adam, Eve, lost their everlasting life and all their offspring suffer terrible things to this day because of their mistake. Meanwhile Satan who caused the whole mess in the first place gets a six thousand year or more party!
That is not the work of an all powerful, loving and just God.

Here is a recent example why I cringe at the thought of an almighty God.
When the WTCs fell thousands perished. Then we have people who escaped or were late to work or decided not to go that day saying that it was God that saved them.
Well I’m glad they are alive but what makes then so much more f*****g important than the thousands that died!
God had nothing to do with it.
God and religion is a fantasy to me, just a warm fuzzy feeling because of mans fear of death.

I didn’t choose to believe this way. In fact it would be so much easier for me to go with the flow since I live in the “Bible Belt”.
Here non- belief is considered non patriotic as well as a one-way ticket to Hell!

How did I get here? Tons of time, research, experience, logic, thought and evidence or rather a lack of it.
We were taught that we must have God, Jesus, and religion in our lives in order to be persons with strength of character, morals, and values. I believe this to be false.

Without the crutch of God and religion I found a feeling of intense responsibility and appreciation of life. I also love others and myself so much more now that I don’t have guilt, fear, and the constant message that I’m not living up to his expectations.

I was a JW all my life and when I lost trust and respect for the organization I started my journey, looking for answers.

I started by reading the Bible from cover to cover and comparing between several translations. That alone was enough to convince me that it is not divinely inspired book. The war God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are not the same.
I did much more research and I could go on and on but this is getting long so I’ll close for now.

Ranchette