Xanthippe

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Posts by Xanthippe

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  38

  Hysterically tragic - the west stuffs up in Syria

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a former lebanese (christian) terrorist once told me a story (meant to be funny) about west asian politics.. a turtle was swimming past the shoreline of the red sea.

  on the shore a scorpion calls out,"hey!

  give me a lift over to the other side.

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  Xanthippe

  My remark concerning "my solution" is not only over simplified, it's blatantly silly since it's so glaringly unrealistic. - SSC

  I appreciate that.

  Not just in Muslim countries either but in third world countries in general and wherever there is a huge disparity between rich and poor, the have and the have-nots, those in power and those under their rule... Many I have spoken to would love to live in the abroad where life is better, but I got the very clear impression that their mentality would come along as part of their immigration baggage. All that tells me is that the world may think we are ready for them to be amongst us but that would be like taking a wild animal you assume you have tamed into your home and later wonder why it mauled you.

  When you look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs it's obvious that before people can develop compassion and empathy for fellow humans they have to have their basic physiological needs met. Food, shelter, safety, medical care. Many third world countries are without this. Who knows what individuals would be like if they came to the west and their basic needs were met?

  One thing's for sure until all humans have enough to eat and no longer have to watch their children die from hunger and easily curable illnesses, none of us are safe. As long as religious leaders can point out that other countries have more of what the people need to sustain life they will be able to manipulate their politicians and radicalize individuals to fight and bomb and attack the west. It is in our interest to make sure all our neighbours have enough to sustain life, only then will we be safe.

  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
  

  
  

  
  
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  38

  Hysterically tragic - the west stuffs up in Syria

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a former lebanese (christian) terrorist once told me a story (meant to be funny) about west asian politics.. a turtle was swimming past the shoreline of the red sea.

  on the shore a scorpion calls out,"hey!

  give me a lift over to the other side.

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  3. 
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  Xanthippe

  When I did my history degree it became blatantly obvious that all wars and disputes have always been about land and wealth. Religion has been just an excuse every time. From when the first hunter gatherers settled down and started to develop agriculture and the first marauder bands decided they wanted a piece of that. It's always been about the haves and the have nots.
• 
  38

  Hysterically tragic - the west stuffs up in Syria

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a former lebanese (christian) terrorist once told me a story (meant to be funny) about west asian politics.. a turtle was swimming past the shoreline of the red sea.

  on the shore a scorpion calls out,"hey!

  give me a lift over to the other side.

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  2. 
  3. 
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  Xanthippe

  My solution would to grant them temporary asylum and as soon as it's deemed safe in their own countries, send them back again

  No offence SSC but which century are we talking about?
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  42

  Revelation 8:8 Is a comet / asteroid heading here soon?

  by FuzzyPaul in

  1. social
  2. current

  i have read a lot and watched some you-tube videos (some by marginally lunatic fringe christians - not necessarily invalidating) searching for asteroid september 2015 or comet september 2015.. there is some biblical evidence that, if one doesn't spiritualize / make literally invalid by symbolic exercise, that at the time of the end of the age there will be a uniquely severe, single great earthquake (isaiah 29:6, zecharia 4:7, haggia 2:6, revelation 6:12, revelation 16:18) and destructive objects described as hail, mountains falling from the sky, stars falling onto earth.

  i note that ancients would not recognize the vastness of outer space and meteroids, asteroids, comets, planets being what we know them as.. there is also the exact symbol of "then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea.

  one-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.

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  Xanthippe

  Are you bipolar?
• 
  42

  Revelation 8:8 Is a comet / asteroid heading here soon?

  by FuzzyPaul in

  1. social
  2. current

  i have read a lot and watched some you-tube videos (some by marginally lunatic fringe christians - not necessarily invalidating) searching for asteroid september 2015 or comet september 2015.. there is some biblical evidence that, if one doesn't spiritualize / make literally invalid by symbolic exercise, that at the time of the end of the age there will be a uniquely severe, single great earthquake (isaiah 29:6, zecharia 4:7, haggia 2:6, revelation 6:12, revelation 16:18) and destructive objects described as hail, mountains falling from the sky, stars falling onto earth.

  i note that ancients would not recognize the vastness of outer space and meteroids, asteroids, comets, planets being what we know them as.. there is also the exact symbol of "then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea.

  one-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.

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  Xanthippe

  Zanthippe,
  It was winter. Cold dry air in Florida is rare and viewing is easier without bugs buzzing in your ears.
  And there is a GOD and is a PERSON. Evolution is impossible.

  I don't know what the connection is between these two statements. We were talking about comets.
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  19

  Elder's Meeting about ARC? No. Really?

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as you may or may not know (or care), i live in the uk.

  a jw spy of mine told me that an elder had metioned that attendance at the kingdom hells had seemed to have dropped off after the australian royal comission expose of paedophilia within the watchtower organisation.. the elders were said to have had this as an item or the subject of a local elder's meeting.. i was surprised they'd even heard of the arc over here but at the same time was delighted.

  delighted that meeting attendance had dropped possibly....and i say possibly...as a result of the arc.. even an older dyed in the wool jw i know is getting sick of the gb worship within the organisation and had heard of the arc.. has anyone heard similar?.

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  Xanthippe

  Punky I am in the UK and I do care that congregations are talking about the ARC. It's important to me because I have 11 family member trapped in this cult, one is a small baby. Thank you so much for this information. I just hope my family know about this!
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  42

  Revelation 8:8 Is a comet / asteroid heading here soon?

  by FuzzyPaul in

  1. social
  2. current

  i have read a lot and watched some you-tube videos (some by marginally lunatic fringe christians - not necessarily invalidating) searching for asteroid september 2015 or comet september 2015.. there is some biblical evidence that, if one doesn't spiritualize / make literally invalid by symbolic exercise, that at the time of the end of the age there will be a uniquely severe, single great earthquake (isaiah 29:6, zecharia 4:7, haggia 2:6, revelation 6:12, revelation 16:18) and destructive objects described as hail, mountains falling from the sky, stars falling onto earth.

  i note that ancients would not recognize the vastness of outer space and meteroids, asteroids, comets, planets being what we know them as.. there is also the exact symbol of "then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea.

  one-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.

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  Xanthippe

  What we did see in 8 or ten sessions was four bolides between us. He saw one I missed and I saw one when he wasn't there. Bolides are meteor flashes visually as wide as your finger held out at arms length

  Was it August? I saw two 'Shooting stars' last month within half an hour. The Perseid meteor shower is every August. Deep meaning? It means we passed through that comet again.
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  4

  Riley is okay.

  by umbertoecho in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i went looking for riley last friday and i found out exactly what i wanted to know.

  i know it is not policy and all that.

  i just had this strong feeling that i would find the right "someone" to tell me.. it was a receptionist (they get locked in their stations when it gets crazy) those nice thick glass booths just shut down.

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  Xanthippe

  I'm really glad that Riley is ok and that you got to find out about her to put your mind at rest. Australia is so different from the UK it amazes me. Here they would have 'sectioned' her, detained her in a psychiatric ward for at least 28 days. Australia seems to be much more forward thinking that the UK as regards mental health. Thanks for sharing this story.
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  16

  The social institution of the Kingdom Hall.

  by The Rebel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it is a warm sunny day, blue skies and i am excited by the prospect this sunday holds.

  will i dismantle a motorbike?

  paint a picture?

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  Xanthippe

  Chicken and a beer sounds good. Gardening here, it's sunny! Going to have a large glass of Italian red in my garden this evening, if the weather holds.
• 
  11

  Does this ever happen to you?

  by stillin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not very often, something will come up that makes me get a sense of having lost something.

  maybe a television interview with a witness who does an exceptional job of explaining the kingdom preaching or something.

  maybe accolades from the medical community for their stand on blood, how that has helped some other, supposedly superior alternative to be developed.. or maybe it's just a particularly poignant meeting.

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  Xanthippe

  Perhaps it's the fantasy we miss stillin, the 'worldwide brotherhood', the instant friends, people who show love to one another in times of trouble. It's a lovely dream but in reality I know it just wasn't like that.

  When I was a child people gave us clothes which was a really big help with four children but it would have been better if my mother could have put her foot down and defied my father and the headship nonsense from the religion and have gone and got a job. She did that once and he told her to give it up, being one of these very old fashioned men and being a good JW wife she had to obey, which caused huge financial hardship.

  When I think of the congregation they did sometimes help one another but nobody outside the religion mattered. Last week, after the terrible sad pictures of drowned children in the press, a colleague at work suggested we send toiletries to the Red Cross for the refugees at Calais. Everyone is very keen to help strangers suffering because of desperately trying to get their kids out of a war zone.

  We've also sent money to disaster appeals by making cakes and selling them. It was fun, we enjoyed a lot of cake for two weeks and people in desperate need were helped.

  So I have managed to find a group of people who are nice to be around while I'm working, we support one another when we go through tough times and someone always pops up with a suggestion to help when there are people in desperate need in the world.

  I've found a good group but there is no paradise coming, we are far from perfect but we don't have to live our lives crippled by impossible rules - just remember to bring cakes when it's your birthday !😀😀