Anders Andersen

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Posts by Anders Andersen

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  9

  Papal Bulla - Latest Metal Detecting Find

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. physical

  i was out detecting this evening for an hour after work and found this amazing bit of history.. it is a lead seal that originated on a document from pope martin v at some time between 1417 and 1431. these official documents were called papal bulls and were dispatched to all the parishes in the medieval empire.

  this example has later been made into a spindle whorl which is why it has a hole through the centre.

  lead whorls were used before spinning wheels were invented to make yarn of sheep's wool.. the inscription "spaspe" stands for "sanctus paulus sanctus petrus" and the two busts are of paul and peter.. the reverse has "martinus pp.

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  Anders Andersen

  Nice find!
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  21

  I need your opinions and recommendations please.

  by bola in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  after my exit from the watchtower shunning cult, i have received tons of invitations from different churches.

  but because i am aware of religious cults, i need recommendations of churches that are not cults at all.

  after exiting the watchtower cult, i don't want to fall into another religious cults.

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  Anders Andersen

  Religion may not even be for you. Take some time to just breathe. Armageddon isn't coming. You don't need to be saved because you're a sinner. You don't have to believe in God. It's okay to just be you.

  I am an atheist and I approve of this message ;-)

  Seriously though, David_Jay you never cease to amaze me with your well thought out answers, balanced viewpoints and in-depth knowledge. If only all humans would display the tolerance you spread here...

  It's even more amazing considering the shallow, judgmental and black-and-white fire-and-brimstone type of thinking our former cult bestowed upon us.

  How did you manage to shed all the narrow thinking? Were you always as wise as I perceive you to be?

  Anyways glad to have you (back) on board...

  More on-topic: if I were ever to seek out an other religion, it would probably some godless (as in without deity), non-controlling, do-good-to-everbody type of thing. Maybe Buddhism? Or Atheistic or Rationalistic Satanism (not devil worship!)? Or maybe even Unitarian Universialism? But for now I'm just fine without any god, religious creed, church or whatever. If I ever need the company of such a group, I'll contact the Sunday Assembly in my area
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  19

  Russian BOE - congregations told to stop using the New World Translation

  by OrphanCrow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it appears like the wt's bible is no longer to be used in russia.

  king james version only.

  from this forum: .

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  Anders Andersen

  My Russian isn't very good but from the original forum I'm quite sure this is an April fool's joke...
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  13

  Elder doesn't know difference between new moon and full moon

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today at the service group the elder leading couldn't figure out which was which.

  he was trying to convince us that the memorial was at the new moon.

  .

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  Anders Andersen

  Yeah well I dunno bout it either.

  At one place Bible says the moon will be forever (you know, because it's made of diamonds or something?)

  At another place Bible says new heaven will come. Probably new moon included?

  New covenant. New heavens. New moon. Makes sense, right?
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  205

  Mathematically Measuring Evolution.

  by towerwatchman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mathematically measuring evolution.. when judging relationships in terms of morphological characteristics we will always be bound by the subjective.

  morphologically one cannot exactly measure the distance between two organisms strictly in mathematical terms.

  using the standard method of taxonomy we cannot quantify the difference between a horse and a mouse, or know which is closer mouse to cat, or mouse to fish.

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  Anders Andersen

  For those who want a quick impression of the 'Evolution in crisis' book:

  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution%3A_A_Theory_in_Crisis?wprov=sfla1
  
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  19

  Are people free to leaving the Witnesses, and shunning.

  by ThomasCovenant in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  is it true, as bro jackson testified to the australian royal commission, that people can leave the religion freely?.

  in my own case, yes.

  i just stopped going and was never announced as ''no longer one of jw's''.

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  Anders Andersen

  Is it true, as Bro Jackson testified to the Australian Royal Commission, that people can leave the religion freely?

  No, absolutely not!

  Jackson led his audience to believe that JW members are 'free to leave', but what he actually said was 'you're free to become inactive, and you'll still have to obey our rules for some years or we'll take away your friends and family.

  
  

  'Free to leave' includes:

  • Free from fear of repercussions
  • Free to officialy resign from the religion without punishment
  • Free to do as you will after leaving, without having someone tell your family they can't have any contact with you.

  With fading, none of these conditions are met.

  Are you really free to leave if you can't openly celebrate you birthday or Christmas a year after leaving?

  Of course it depends; someone who has no JW family and friends anyway after leaving is more likely to be left alone. But those who maintain a close relationship with their JW family or friends after leaving will be held to JW rules.

  
  

  JW is like Hotel California...you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave (unharmed).

  
  

  
  
  
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  205

  Mathematically Measuring Evolution.

  by towerwatchman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mathematically measuring evolution.. when judging relationships in terms of morphological characteristics we will always be bound by the subjective.

  morphologically one cannot exactly measure the distance between two organisms strictly in mathematical terms.

  using the standard method of taxonomy we cannot quantify the difference between a horse and a mouse, or know which is closer mouse to cat, or mouse to fish.

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  Anders Andersen

  Following the evidence, this disproves common ancestry

  I'm sure you can point us to at least one peer-reviewed article, written by an expert in a relevant field, and published in a reputable scientific journal, that supports this claim?

  
  

  Or is it just wishful thinking by people who don't really know what they're talking about?

  
  

  
  
  
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  22

  Those married to "still in" JWs

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  kind of got into it with my jw wife last night for the first time in a long time.. i try to not engage in conversations about doctrinal matters unless she asks me which she did.. anyway, i wont go into details but of course i am "not going to change her mind" and "why is it that you can't see when very smart people can?

  " yada yada yada.

  you probably can imagine.. it makes me so depressed.

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  Anders Andersen

  A male UBM needs to understand his wife's need for emotional security. That means 15 - 20 hours a week of quality time together. (Depending upon what you read)

  One of the most odious thing about the JW faith (IMHO) is that it sabotages marriages by robbing couples of that time. It's like withholding water from a plant.

  A JW woman's desire to have her husband with her at the meetings is far more about watering the plant than it is about religion.

  I heartily agree that couples need to spend quality time together. The spouses do need the reassurance that us 'leaving Jehovah' doesn't mean we're going to leave them too (this seems especially true when it's the man finding TTATT).

  But sitting next to your wife, grinding your teeth, watching her being fed lies by a cult isn't quality time in my book.

  An alternative to dragging yourself to meetings is making yourself very available outside meeting times. Plan the things you do alone at meeting times, do things together at the other evenings.

  My wife and I do a language course together, we dance together, and on Saturdays we go for longs walks. When she is at a meeting, I go for a run, watch a TV series she doesn't like, or do computer stuff. This way our quality time together is maximized and I don't have to sit through cult meetings.

  And even with all that there's always the wedge between us that Watchtower crafted artfully...
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  22

  Those married to "still in" JWs

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  kind of got into it with my jw wife last night for the first time in a long time.. i try to not engage in conversations about doctrinal matters unless she asks me which she did.. anyway, i wont go into details but of course i am "not going to change her mind" and "why is it that you can't see when very smart people can?

  " yada yada yada.

  you probably can imagine.. it makes me so depressed.

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  Anders Andersen

  Another one here....wife still in and we're in a sort of a truce too...we don't ever talk religion, but soon we'll have to discuss how to raise our child when issues like birthdays etc. come up.

  Anyway right after I dropped my TTATT bomb (yes, I blurted it out all at once) I haven't been to a single meeting. I envisioned going with my wife for a couple of weeks just to get her used to the idea of me not being a JW anymore. But she insisted I didn't come, as she thinks that would be hypocritical.

  I went for years not going to meetings but she had a nervous breakdown a few years ago and basically begged me to go with her.

  The KH: the happiest place on earth with the best people in the world around her, and the most powerful force in the universe to support her.....and she can't go alone???

  Maybe it's time for her to follow her religion by herself? Or would she come with you to an apostate meet up to support you?

  I'm not saying people shouldn't support their spouse, but this is something she could do alone (or quit). There no need to enable people to continue self destructive behavior like being addicted to alcohol, drugs, or being in a cult.

  A disadvantage is that you also have no idea how the local dubs are trying to influence her if you're not around.
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  19

  Should Blood Transfusions be forced?

  by Fisherman in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  1.there are times when a doctor decides that the only life saving medical treatment -short of a miracle- is a blood transfusion.

  in such a case, what should be done when a person refuses treatment on religious grounds and why?.

  2. should a person be allowed to "mutilate" his body and why?.

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  Anders Andersen

  People should be allowed to make their own informed decisions.

  Unfortunately some people (JW) have been force fed with misinformation.

  JW also seem to (be coached to) decide long before any medical professional has properly informed them on the specifics of their situation.