if someone comes to you with a knife or a gun, would you defend yourself if you could?
if someone tried to beat you up , would you physically engage, run away or just try to talk the person out of beating you up or robbing you?
if you did have a gun to defend yourself would you shoot to kill or would you simply aim for the ankle to incapacitate the person?
Interesting letter, reply, and snippet from the WT article.
Gotta love the weasel wording "spiritually mature Christians choose not keep a firearm" - rather than coming right and saying "you, Brother Gunsmith, are a spiritually immature dolt".
Just like when people say "any reasonable and intelligent person would agree that...[insert personal opinion here]" which implies that anyone and everyone who holds a different opinion than yours is a stubborn buffoon.
i was just watching an old episode of criminal minds and there was this description of cults:.
"cults commonly have their own language.
they invent or redefine certain words only the cult members understand.
Pioneer, publisher, LDC, RBC, and all the related jargon.
"Spiritual" = eagerly willing to do mundane chores for the advancement of the JW religion
"Kingdom Interests" = Assets of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Corporation
"Spiritually mature" = Blindly and unquestioningly obedient to every whim of the elders, CO, and/or governing body
"Apostasy" = any idea even faintly critical of the WTS regardless of its source
"Privilege" = a menial drudgery performed with no tangible benefit returned to the doer (carrying a microphone, scrubbing a toilet, creating a schedule, etc.)
"Thrilling, encouraging, rewarding, satisfying" = exact 180-degree antonyms of how every non-JW in the universe understands those words
Need I go on?
i had seen a video evens did where he said that jws now say if you gambling for entertainment its ok. anyone have any link to the cult actually in print or video saying this?.
maybe the watchtower management have realised that relaxing / rescinding all these petty rules and regulations or making them matters of conscience will eventually make the cult a bit more popular.
Far more likely: certain Bethel "heavies" have a regular card game every weekend, that is well-known throughout the halls of Bethel. So saying that "petty" gambling is allowed creates the loophole to allow them to continue without interference.
Maybe I'm too cynical, but I always think that any softening of rules is done to allow for the heavies' to "get away" with stuff they want to do themselves.
i had seen a video evens did where he said that jws now say if you gambling for entertainment its ok. anyone have any link to the cult actually in print or video saying this?.
I would guess the elder's manual is probably referring to JWs playing poker with each other and the like, so long as they are not "high stakes". Maybe a "loser buys the beer" arrangement for golf, or small bets on football games.
Traveling to Las Vegas for the primary reason of gambling thousands of dollars would probably, in the viewpoint of most elders reflect a "course of greediness" (where on earth do they come up with these tortured, awkward phrasings???).
But as always, the key is "stumbling others". If Sister Blue-Hair catches wind of your Friday night card game and runs to the elders in a self-righteous snit, well, that's the end of that.
how long did people worship zeus?
was it longer than christianity's 2000 years?.
most answers say this but they do vary..
I mean, people can only wait for so long-----a few thousands years perhaps----but not millions of years before they realize-----I guess we were wrong and he's not coming.
I have it on good authority that the Great Prophet Zarquon will not be late!
some call it reverse discrimination.
whatever you want to refer to as, in your opinion, are white people being unfairly picked on?
it seems acceptable that if you are white you are viewed with disdain.
Minimus:
American
Guy
Aggrieved
i am in need of the current copy of the newest dpa blood card as some of the jw's in my mothers congregation are asking about if she signed the latest copy after she passed today.
i am curious as to why they are asking about this specifically and not offering condolences on the loss of my mother.
there has been some shady interactions leading to my mother requesting me to talk to certain elders to request that certain people not interact with her further.
If you are in the US, keep in mind that each state's DPA has slightly different language.
Also, keep in mind that the "official" cards are kept locked away, typically only a congregation secretary would have access to them.
something i've noticed is that marriage was the thing for those born before 2010. but today's culture of divorce laws slanted to favor women has forced men to think carefully before signing the marriage certificate.
most of my friends have no intentions of getting married.
all of them have gotten vasectomies, so there is no chance of being blamed for a pregnancy.
if I was worth £1 million and got divorced, my ex-wife could get £500,000. That would be one high-class escort
I dunno, if your wife were worth 1 million, you'd get 500,000.
What would that make you?
i can't believe william shatner is 90 years old but doesn't look like other 90 year olds that i've met.
is it genetic?
is it lifestyle.
There's been some serious, serious surgery, I would say.
Of course, given the way that many look after such surgery(ies), he does look well. He'd make a mint advertising for whoever did the work on himself.
for lurkers, this past week's wt study.
women, obedient to headship.
wt message to wt ladies: do like abigail, ignore your husband's initiative, who might have had his own strategy to rid the country of the marauding outlaws for good, and instead kowtow to "the anointed" aka us, the gb and elders.
Quite a demotion for poor old Jesus...busted all the way down to "submissive woman".
