Posts by King Solomon

36

Rescuing a God who is blind to Evil

by Terry in

have you ever gone shopping in a department store for shoes or clothes?.

do you just walk over to the rack or shelf and select what you want without trying anything on to see if it fits?.

no.. what good would that do?

King Solomon

Designs said:

Yetzer-tob and Yetzer ha-Rah, a little like Yin and Yang in Oriental philosophy

That's also a function that is associated with the kidneys, considered as the "decision-making" organs of the torso (of course, ancient Hebrews believed ALL cognition and thought took place in the organs of the torso, and NOT the brain (as indicated in Gen 8:21, YHWH talks about "thoughts in the HEARTS of men"; that's no figure of speech: the Hebrews literally believed that the heart played the role we know in modern times is carried out by the brain).

But back to kidneys: early Hebrews knew them to be paired organs, thinking one was one good and one, evil, which are consulted whenever one makes a decision (think of the classic "angel standing on one shoulder, the devil standing on the other" device still used in cartoons, etc). This explains why the kidneys and the associated fats were highly prized as a guilt-offering to YHWH, who considered the animal's kidneys as a good proxy for the penitant's own after making a poor decision.

This role of the 'kilyah' (kidneys, KJV reins) also explains why the Psalmist rhapsodizes in 139:13, " For thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my mother's womb ?????? ". Was he suggesting YHWH wanted to be a perinatal nephrologist, examining the fetus' urine-excreting organs, the kidneys, even before they functioned? Of course not: the Psalmist INTENDED to suggest that YHWH knew the decision-making capabilities of the fetus, i.e. his ability to exercise wisdom and good judgment later in life.

BTW, it's important to remember that Jews don't see the serpent in the Torahaic story as Satan: that's an interpretation inserted much later, to fit into the Messianic prophecies (eg Gen 3:15).

BTW, God's capacity for reading mens hearts is questionable, based on the justification given for the flood. This video points out God's flaw in judging characters, based on the Flood incident:

Terry, it takes exactly your approach, with a couple of product liability lawyers who try to place the blame solely with the manufacturer, God Almighty (video made by your's truly):

GOD ALMIGHTY

418

Why do people pretend good things about Jesus ?

by mP in

ive had a few discussions both here and in real life and often find people excuse the ot with all its vile, violence and only concentrate on jesus because he was good.

i try and assk them to show me an example and they of course they quickly tell us about the miracles, and thats fine.

however when you ask them about slavery, violence, women and so on they make excuses.

King Solomon

Tam said:

Now what makes you think they weren't free to leave anytime they wanted? Neither God nor Christ makes anyone serve them. Choose... or do not choose.

Your ignorance of the practices of slavery in 30CE is absolutely no excuse, esp if you CHOOSE to remain ignorant.

Get a clue, and then get back. You're arguing just to hear yourself speak.

418

Why do people pretend good things about Jesus ?

by mP in

ive had a few discussions both here and in real life and often find people excuse the ot with all its vile, violence and only concentrate on jesus because he was good.

i try and assk them to show me an example and they of course they quickly tell us about the miracles, and thats fine.

however when you ask them about slavery, violence, women and so on they make excuses.

King Solomon

the Book of Tamothy

ROFL

Yeah, I think Tams thinks she was there.... The 13th disciple (maybe she thinks she was the GF of Philip, the quiet, shy one with the Ringo haircut).

418

Why do people pretend good things about Jesus ?

by mP in

ive had a few discussions both here and in real life and often find people excuse the ot with all its vile, violence and only concentrate on jesus because he was good.

i try and assk them to show me an example and they of course they quickly tell us about the miracles, and thats fine.

however when you ask them about slavery, violence, women and so on they make excuses.

King Solomon

Tam said:

You mean the slave that begins to beat and abuse his fellow slaves? Who is deemed a hypocrite, and assigned a place with them (as opposed to being assigned a place in his master's kingdom)... where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

What principle is being shown there?

Here's an idea: the owner of the slaves should've released them BEFORE he left on his trip, citing the Gospel according to Tamothy 1:1:

1:1 "If you don't want to be enslaved, then do not enslave anyone else. If you want to be free, then grant others their freedom."

Then no one would beat anyone, and they could all live happily ever after!

Yeah, unfortunately the Book of Tamothy didn't make the cut in the canonization process.... Sorry, but you're stuck with Jesus, issuing threats of physical violence to slaves who don't listen to their masters! What a champion of human rights Jesus is!

418

Why do people pretend good things about Jesus ?

by mP in

ive had a few discussions both here and in real life and often find people excuse the ot with all its vile, violence and only concentrate on jesus because he was good.

i try and assk them to show me an example and they of course they quickly tell us about the miracles, and thats fine.

however when you ask them about slavery, violence, women and so on they make excuses.

King Solomon

Tammy said:

Christ used parables that includes slaves as people... so not an excuse.

Hmmm, you mean like the real people slaves found in the parable of the "Faithful and Wise Slave", which was actually a warning to the slave who actually abused the master's assets (the other slaves), and hence could expect to be disciplined within an inch of death at the end of his master's punishing rod, being "cut into pieces"?

Like that one?

Here ya go, Tams: it's a lovely little story, fit for small children:

Matthew 24

45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

47 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,

51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Notice Jesus used slavery as kind of a given, accepting slavery as a "just the way it is" kind of device. He didn't begin by denounciating slavery, or anything like THAT.

So Tams, I'm dying to know: how exactly does "turn the other cheek" fit into that one? That sounds an awful lot like "eye for an eye" to me, as well an endorsement of the practice of "kind, gentle" slavery.

Tams said:

If you don't want to be enslaved, then do not enslave anyone else.

If you want to be free, then grant others their freedom.

Yeah, he didn't exactly say to "release" the head slave after beating him, did he? Nope...

You're well past arguing the absurd.... It's tune-out time.

418

Why do people pretend good things about Jesus ?

by mP in

ive had a few discussions both here and in real life and often find people excuse the ot with all its vile, violence and only concentrate on jesus because he was good.

i try and assk them to show me an example and they of course they quickly tell us about the miracles, and thats fine.

however when you ask them about slavery, violence, women and so on they make excuses.

King Solomon

Tams says:

The waiting... is a mercy. So that none who belong to him are lost.

Except for those that are lost while He's waiting. Waiting for WHAT again, exactly?

My God, when will the incessant, mind-numbingly wretched use of circular logic cease? How do you get off this ride?

I feel like I'm trapped inside Tammy's vortex of Xian reasoning Merry-Go-Round! :)

69

I left the Witnesses over 10 years ago, but finally went back

by JakeMarley in

jw
friends

the entire time i was gone it was nagging at me.

i hadn't been previously baptized, so leaving wasn't that big a deal.

now i'm back in the swing of it, going to all meetings and field service.

King Solomon

Black sheep said:

"I'm 60 years old and never been baptised and never regretted it. It means I can come and go as I please without it being a big deal ... without being shunned by all of the family and friends I have made over the decades .... and all of the time frames for Armageddon that the WT gave us in my youth are now passed their use by dates."

You DO realize that you can be shunned for being an apostate, even though you were never baptized? If you are posting here, and it were found out (namely by you saying it), you'd be shunned (or at least, thats how it should go, if your family is following orders).

20

The perfect storm...time to exit the JW's

by Giordano in

is this the perfect time to tell family that are still in that you are so upset/devastated/embarassed over the candace conti revelations and trial and what happened to her as a 9 year old witness that you need to step away from field service and the meetings and do a lot of private praying.

you've been stumbled badly and don't know what to think at this time.

King Solomon

Kojack said:

"It would behoove any elder that is active as a Jehovah's witness to get the HELL out now. Otherwise when the hammer comes down the G.B. will not show any sympathy and you will deserve what you get."

Statute of limitations on a crime doesnt care if you're in or out: they can run, but they can't hide...

But you do have a point of not being involved in a future criminal conspiracy, just because being an elder provides some ego-gratification now...

Btw, if there were a child molester case being dealt with, elders should consider that one of the other elders MAY become an informant for the State, in order to do a bit of house-cleaning. Shame if elders meetings had to start with elders strip-searching each other, to look for wires/bugs/spy cams, etc.

69

I left the Witnesses over 10 years ago, but finally went back

by JakeMarley in

jw
friends

the entire time i was gone it was nagging at me.

i hadn't been previously baptized, so leaving wasn't that big a deal.

now i'm back in the swing of it, going to all meetings and field service.

King Solomon

Scotoma said:

"The only rational possibility for improvement is that there are extraterrestials of some sort that care about our destiny. God is not a possibility."

Ive always thought it would be hilarious if extraterrestrials showed up in a space-craft more primitive than the Space Shuttle, and asked us to teach them a thing or two, being impressed by nuclear power, internal combustion engines, etc.

26

The Way Things are, Not How You'd Like Them To Be

by AllTimeJeff in

jw
friends

at 37 years of age, i'm much to young for feeling this damn old, so apologies for sounding less than idealistic, but...... we need people who will be honest and true to themselves.

having offered jws the entire decade of my 20's while they tried to suck out my soul, i have come to appreciate how little of a desire these days i have to change the world.

which was sad at first.

King Solomon

Sauerkraut said:

AllTimeJeff, sorry for the hijack, I hope it's okay with you.

I doubt AllTimeJeff is going to be upset: Sauerkraut, you're the living embodiment of what Jeff is talking about...

More power to you for having the courage to stand up for your convictions in the face of persecution (ironic, isn't it? In doing what you're doing, you are living up to the principles the JWs espouse, some of whom "can't wait" for persecution....)