we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.
.
what do you think now?.
Mid-winter grazing of livestock in open fields is one thing (that happened all the time where I grew up.
However, sleeping out on the bare ground is quite another matter, when the ground temperature can often be 4 to 5 degrees Celsius less than the “standard” air temperature - and thus near to freezing.
Bloody hell - have you ever tried it!
we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.
.
what do you think now?.
According to the website www.weather-and-climate.com, average December temperatures in Bethlehem range between a daily high of 14 degrees C and an overnight low of 7. Also, its climate is influenced by the Mediterranean effect, which produces summer drought and winter rain. As a consequence, one fifth of its annual rainfall (111 mm) falls during December, resulting in an average of six rainy days for that month.
Latitude is not the only thing which determines climate. Other factors are also at play, including altitude. Bethlehem is 775 metres (2,543 feet) above sea level - something which needs to be considered when comparing it with other places of similar latitude. Reflecting its higher altitude, some of Bethlehem's precipitation falls as snow, and on average the month of December sees one day of snowfall.
While some may describe an overnight low of 7 Deg.C (44.6 Deg.F) as being "mild", it is hardly conducive to sleeping out under the stars - particularly if there is also a good chance of precipitation, whether in the form of rain or snow.
Furthermore, these "average" air temperatures are measured under standard conditions - inside an enclosure known as a "Stevenson Screen", which is mounted four feet above the ground. This temperature can be quite different from the ground - or "grass" - temperature, which is more applicable to anybody camping out in the open (as the shepherds of Jesus's time were described as doing).
In terms of both latitude and altitude, Bethlehem is similar to Australia's New England Plateau region. Around the towns of Glen Innes and Inverell, one does not willingly camp out in the open during the southern hemisphere's equivalent of December!
Although extremely distrustful of anything the JWs / WTS have ever said, on this particular matter, they way well have a point!
we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.
.
what do you think now?.
Who cares?
i've had a few medical procedures.
once, i had a massive loss of blood and needed 6 units of blood to replace the loss.
however, i'm curious as to what ex's state to be their religion when filling out the required paperwork when being admitted into a hospital.
Last time I was in hospital (2017), that question was not asked of me. Were I ever asked questions as to my religious affiliation, I reckon I would tell them “Bush Baptist”.
the watchtower said that reading their stuff would get you a college education.
can anyone recall that gem?
my parents sure bought into that crap.
Either that or a Diploma in Idiocy from Tasmania's University of Lower Crackpot.
i knew a few pretty intelligent elders .
sometimes i would wonder why they remained as elders or even witnesses because they were successful men who made a good living and were highly respected because of their qualities.. that is a rather small group.
most elders that i know of aren’t the brightest bulbs in the sky.
who walk around with a self entitled air of importance.
That reminds me of one whippersnapper who, after appointment as an elder, acted like he was the final authority on every possible subject there is. While admittedly a person of above average intelligence, his knowledge of many of the things he held forth about could have in fact been written on the back of a postage stamp.
actually no one does.. i know this is a concept that can be hard for some to grasp, considering all other forms of organizations like sole proprietorship, general partnership, an llc, or a for profit corporation.
these organizations are created legally for the simple purpose of making a profit.. but unlike a for profit corporation,---- a nonprofit corporation is formed to carry out-.
whether that be religious, educational, charitable, scientific or other qualifying purpose.
When I first starting reading WTS literature in the late 1960s, I can recall notices being issued in the Watchtower, which advised of an upcoming shareholders meeting. This meeting was for all those who held shares in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. (I seem to remember a figure of 500 shareholders being mentioned).
In a non-profit organisation, where would such shareholders fit into the scheme of things, then?
i've discussed this before but not in this context alone.. i remember being about 14 years old, 1994 and starting a study in the uk with a charming muslim from the congo.
he was a very pleasant middle aged guy with a big family, two wives, always the most hospitable.
at the time the watchtower had a book on many religions, a thick red book called 'mankind's search for god' so i would read and discuss the section on islam with him.. interestingly, but not surprising, many details they had were wrong about islam and he would explain how and correct me.
Just like the Chinese, they will take over the world one way or the other - either economically, by force of arms, or by reproductive means!
does anyone remember this ,i just recalled this morning , i knew the family and my daughter was friends with his brother.. i have left years ago and wondered if his murder was resolved and the story behind it as he worked at the bethel there..
I wouldn't read too much into this murder having been committed right outside the Bethel complex in Papua New Guinea.
The country's capital city, Port Moresby, has a very high rate of violent crime, together with an under-strength and totally ineffective police force. It is also surrounded by countless, sprawling illegal squatter settlements - in which criminals can easily shelter, and into which the police dare not pursue them.
Having just returned from a business trip to Port Moresby, the place is now even more heavily fortified than it was when I first visited it 30 years ago. All its major building, and almost all its private residences, are surrounded by high concrete walls and / or security fences made from sharpened tubular palings. (Gone are the barbed wire-topped chain mesh fences of yesteryear. It took the crims no time at all to learn how easily a pair of sidecutters can defeat chain mesh!)
This also applies to PNG's Bethel Complex. It is as heavily fortified as any other building in the city - and for good reason. Given the general state of lawlessness in Port Moresby, that murder could well have been committed by one of the many groups of street criminals (known in the Pidgin English as "rascals"). Many of those types are unbelievably vicious, and human life means very little to them. As an example, a payment of as little as 500 Kina (approx. USD $150) to the right people is sufficient to have somebody murdered. Typically, too, a person is most vulnerable when entering or leaving a fortified complex, such as PNG's Bethel.
What is perhaps remarkable is that murders of JWs in PNG are not more common. During my time there, JW missionaries and "pioneers" used to go into the squatter settlements, which the police wouldn't dare venture into. (Although I am told that this is no longer the case).
interesting report in a oxford university blog - the world is becoming less religious, (hurray!!!).
quote: "an analysis of religious trends from 1981 to 2007 in 49 countries containing 60% of the world’s population did not find a global resurgence of religion—most high-income countries were becoming less religious—however, it did show that in 33 of the 49 countries studied, people had become more religious (norris and inglehart, 2011).
but since 2007, things have changed with surprising speed.
This is the argument that the Watchtower uses on their view of military involvement. They reason that if everyone were like them and refused to join the military, there would be no wars
I do think you have somewhat gone off at a tangent there.
JWs maintain non-involvement with the military on the grounds of what they like to describe as "Christian" neutrality, not pacifism (how could you anyway, when the bible is full of blood and guts talk). Furthermore, they maintain all wars will be ended by "Christ's Kingdom Rule", not pacifism.
As to the role of any imagined "Hereafter", the Canadian poet Robert Service summed it up perfectly in his poem The Wage Slave - part of which reads:
"When the long, long shift is over, and the Big Boss gives me my pay,
I hope it's not to hellfire, as I heard the preacher say,
And I hope it's not to heaven, not with some of the preachers I've met."
If even half the twerps that reckon they are going to heaven end up there, then I certainly don't want to be among them!
(Read so much for religion promoting good behaviour!)
