Posts by Xanthippe

Stopped eating red meat about 12 years ago because it's contraindicated in arthritis and my family get really bad arthritis. My aunt had seven hip replacement operations, first one at 47.

So far hardly a twinge and I'm 61. Not vegetarian, I eat fish and very occasionally chicken.

20

Museums growing at the branches especially Warwick

by benny in

i am not sure if this has been discussed but last night mid week meeting about organisational accomplishments really got my goat as the example of the temple was used.

people contributed to the building of the jewish temple and now the museum and bethel in warwick.

this supposed .be evidence of god s guidance.

Xanthippe

museum and Bethel in Warwick. This supposed .be evidence of God s guidance.

It's so easy to lie to ignorant people who've never been anywhere. WTS is always holding up beautiful buildings as evidence of God's blessings.

By these criteria the RC must be the true religion because of the Vatican. Or the Russian Orthodox church because of St Basil's Cathedral. Or Hinduism, they have amazing carved temples a thousand years old.

What a stupid assertion. How about we have the truth because all our members are happy, healthy, mentally well adjusted people who are making a difference in the world?

34

What’s Your Favorite Breakfast??

by minimus in

jw
friends

to me, breakfast can be served at any time of the day.

a local bar in my area serves breakfast all day long.

for 5 bucks you get 2 eggs any way you like, bacon sausage or ham with home fries and toast!!

Xanthippe

Greek yogurt with honey, blueberries and raspberries. Followed by a slice of sourdough rye toast and butter.

11

Friends! (A pain in the ...?)

by Terry in

jw
friends

friends?

some friends are like a holiday a favorite pair of shoes the scratching post for kitten fingers to caress some friends can really wear you out with their whinging and their blues yet more or less - not worse than all the rest.

some friends are chatty cherubim and others?

Xanthippe

I like your poem Terry. I've learnt a lot about friends the last few years. One friend who latched onto me when I was in dire straits and was admittedly wonderfull.

After things got better I bought her thank you presents and invited her family out for a meal with me and my daughter for my birthday.

I thought we were going halves but she took so long looking at the bill I got fed up and paid the whole lot. I later realised she wanted me to do that for her for the rest of her life!

I make friends very slowly now and I'm not terrified of 'me time' but I get what you mean Terry so many loved one have gone and I literally don't have anyone to reminisce with, no one to say do you remember when. Like you I miss that.

19

Head Coverings for Women

by Diogenesister in

watchtower's ignorance around the historical background to many biblical directives has had a very negative effect on the lives of witnesses.. for instance paul said women should cover their heads because in corinth prostitutes walked the streets plying for business with their heads uncovered.

hence head coverings were never a symbol of headship but a directive very specific to that period, as was the blood directive!!.

watchtower leaders have been lawyers, businessmen, civil servants and door-to-door book salesmen, never, ever historians or biblical scholars.

Xanthippe

When I was in India I was interested to see that women wearing saris would use the veil to protect their heads when it got really hot.

I realised that Hindu women have used the veil either with the sari or chemise and trousers for protection from the hot Indian sun centuries before Islam arrived on the scene and made it mandatory for women to cover their heads.

Perhaps it was like this in the middle East and Asia minor too. Why then did it become a rule?

30

If You Could Live In Any Era or Decade What Would It Be?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i kind of like the 50’s and early 60’s because of the innocence and “happy days” outlook by that generation.

it seems most people were pretty innocent and real.. would you rather be living in a different era or is this century working for you?

?.

Xanthippe

About 200 years in the future. Don't get me wrong I studied history I know how far we've come, how wonderful life is now for many of us compared to two hundred years ago.

I just think, apart from the obvious, that I'd like to see everyone having enough to eat, access to medicine and clean water, other things are missing.

We've lost our way somewhat in the West. I can't work out if it's the need to replace religion with something meaningful. That atheism just isn't doing it for many people. ( I am an atheist). People seem rudderless, without meaningful direction.

I don't know the answer but I hope we find it. I hope we don't destroy our home or our souls through mindless pursuit of materialism and status symbols.

'If man is still alive' in two hundred years as the song goes and we've found our way again I kinda envy those people.

16

Who else provides all this spiritual food?

by StephaneLaliberte in

two days ago, i experienced a spiritual epiphany while visiting the library of a catholic university: i was shocked to find thousands of religious literatures produced by the catholics and protestants in the last few hundred years.

someone could easily spend a secluded lifetime trying to read them all.

for years, i was told by my religious leaders (jws) that the catholics and other religions did not provide spiritual food to their members.

Xanthippe

Good thread Stephane. I realised after leaving that the JWs have taken the Catholic and Protestant beliefs and simply called them different names.

So the doctrine of Redemption became the Ransom, Easter became the Memorial. They knocked a bit of wood off and the teaching of the Crucifixion became the torture stake.

Original Sin became Imperfection and a stupid allegory about an electric fan!

The clergy laity divide which they deny exists is obviously the elders and the r+f. We know who the pope, cardinals, archbishops are!

They copied Christendom who they criticise and then made themselves stand out by dropping holidays and refusing blood transfusions.

14

This week's Watchtower study - Really, really, really?

by eyeslice2 in

jw
friends

interesting to see how they home in doctrines that are impossible to defend, even solely from a bible point of view, and state them as facts that only satan would question.. no same sex marriages - really?.

don't celebrate christmas and birthdays - really?.

refuse a life-saving blood transfusion - really?

Xanthippe

All smoke and mirrors as usual. The point they really want to make is don't talk to your disfellowshipped loved ones in case they tell you the truth.