Topics Started by King Solomon

8
Earthquake warning, as told by God!
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. bible
saw this earthquake warning in the classifieds section of the local newspaper in san luis obispo, ca this morning (8/17/12):.

obvious guy asks, if god knows it's coming, why doesn't he just cancel it?

i'm tempted to send an e-mail, asking [email protected] exactly that.... :).
28
Perhaps the cruelest lie of all: resurrection of your loved ones
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
of all the lies espoused by the wtbts, perhaps the most seductive, most cruel and downright evil, is to tell grieving people that their loved ones will be resurrected, and will rejoin them in a paradise earth, forever and ever.

of course, the easiest lie to be accepted is one that people want to believe.. but taking someone when they are at their weakest, their most vulnerable, and offering such a false hope is far more cruel than anything contained even in account of the first sin, with the serpent tempting eve with the forbidden fruit.

that was simply the serpent mucking up the divine plan by appealing to her ego: no harm, no foul.
54
If you are reading this title, everything you know needs to be questioned
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
the title of this thread is like one of those bumper stickers, "if you can read this, you are too close".

it's true: if you are reading this, you accepted certain assumptions in the past, or need to do so.. the jws deliver a well-honed message that is targeted to individuals who's prior experiences and psyche makes them pre-disposed to accept their version of reality; attending meetings is really just a way for individuals to correct their thinking so as to be more in accord with the beliefs of the group.

btw, the process of aligning one's thinking to a group is not inherent evil, eg doctors attend continuing education courses so they can stay abreast with their colleagues in new findings of research, thus enabling them to deliver the best possible care to their patients, not practicing using turn-of-the-century ideas (blood-sucking leeches, etc).. however, when it comes to religion and faith, accepting assumptions into one's world view without critically-analysis leads one to a conclusion that may be flawed.
5
The meaning of life, revealed
by King Solomon in
1. jw
2. friends
men have struggled with the same big questions since gaining self-awareness, millions of years ago, asking "what is the purpose of life?

" some have attempted to simply numb their brains to not feel the pain by turning to mythical and magical nepenthe-like substances; others have tried to fill in the uncomfortable gaps with religion, career, personal accomplishments, and so on.. i think no one has expressed the simple truth of the matter in words more eloquent, yet simple, than james taylor.

his song strikes me as a truth that is universal, honest, and more transcendent than any..... try not to try too hard.... .
56
Add your favorite JW prayer cliche'
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
you know what i'm talking about: the trite, often-repeated phrases that convey the person offering the prayer has drawn a mental blank, and utters these words while their brain desperately searches for the next cliche', so they can conclude the ritual with the required tag, "in jesus' name we pray".... (is that like the postage stamp?).

ok, i'll kick this one off, and take the most obvious:.

"forgive us where we fall short....".
5
The Truth That Leads To a BETTER Life
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
if you are reading this now, you are amongst the fortunate.

you haven't fallen for the lie any longer.

oh, it was a seductive message: "the truth that leads to eternal life".... wouldn't that be nice?.
12
And WHAT exactly did they "Witness"? How can JWs serve as "Witnesses"?
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i'm still trying to wrap my head around what jws think qualifies them to call themselves "witnesses": witnesses to what?.

here's the definition of "witness" (n):.

one who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced: a witness to the accident.b.
So, does Revelation 11 explain why JW's always go door-to-door in pairs?
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
after 40 yrs, i'm still trying to figure out why they call themselves "jehovah's witnesses" (which is another thread i'll start), but i ran across rev 11, which offers a stunning prophecy of "the two witnesses" :.

rev 11:.

3 and i will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for p1,260 days, qclothed in sackcloth.. .
18
Irish slaves: the forgotten history of slavery in the New World
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
the bible, ot & nt, certainty doesn't prohibit the most basic of human civil rights, freedom from slavery.

of course, the bible was used to justify the ownership of slaves in america, as in many other lands.. an often-forgotten footnote in the history of america is that there was a time when poor white irish were imported from ireland to be sold as slaves during the 17th and 18th century.

in fact, their worth was considered even lower than that of black slaves, who often fetched a price 10x that of an irish slave!
6
Recommended video on YouTube called, "The History of the Devil"
by King Solomon in
1. watchtower
2. bible
(copy and paste the link into your browser).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5myfj4irxm.

there's a very fascinating video on youtube called, "the history of the devil", which shows how the depiction of satan (and traits) has changed over the centuries; the satan character is a mirror, reflecting the current popular concept of evil that exists at any given time.