Posts by Seven

17

Let it RAINN

by Seven in

rape, abuse, & incest national network .

1-800-hope rainnoperates the nation's only toll-free hotline for survivors of sexual assault.

the hotline is operated 24 hours a day, and routes each call instantaneously to the rape crisis center nearest the caller by reading the area code and prefix of the caller's telephone number.

Seven

I'm just bringing this information back up to the top for lurkers who may need these services.

80

Why...

by Simon in

...is no one posting here?.

ok, i'll be the first !

Seven

Stephen, And this one makes three. Seven

80

Why...

by Simon in

...is no one posting here?.

ok, i'll be the first !

Hey Yoda! Congrats on finally becoming a knight(1000 post club). You too larc. I don't know what it's going to take to get posters out of the main forum-maybe a rebate or something. We've had some good discussions going on in other forums but maybe people just weren't interested in the topics. Maybe now that you've combined several of the forums posters won't be so reluctant and will take another look.

Seven

25

What now?

by agent2863 in

jw
friends

most of the people on this message board i've noticed are either ex-jw's or in the process.

good for you!

it is sad to see all the hurt & pain & confusion that the org has caused, and continues to cause.

Seven

Hello agent and a belated welcome to the board. My painful association
with the borganization can be described as one long exercise in joy deprivation. I am in no hurry to strap another oppressive monkey to my back without much investigation. I was born to fundie parents, so I know what you refer to with your comment of a "peace that passes understanding." I thought that's what I had while growing up. Who is God? Or is there a God? What is real and what is wishful thinking on our part? I've been researching the history, life and times of Jesus and this real christianity you speak of-leading to more and more questions. Until I find some definite answers I'm putting my hopes and beliefs in myself and the goodness I have found there.

Seven

8

No one has a PS2?!

by Jaxon in

i have had one since launch of the system, and actually have had 2 more since.. it's a long story.. but yeah i love the system.. so does my roommate because now he doesn't have to go out and buy a dvd player since his broke he just uses the playstation 2.. i'm a gamer.

i work for the largest video game retailer in the us as well.

if you have any questions on any video games just ask!.

Seven

Hi Jaxon, Welcome to the board. I played the original Playstation to death. But couldn't wait for PS2, bought a DC, mostly for Soul Calibur. I cancelled my preorder for PS2, not wanting yet another 128bit system. I've read many biased reviews(both ways)about the Xbox, but I think I'll give it a try. I'm tired of rehashes of games done over and over. I would love to see something truly unique for a change.

8

Another Cult Nightmare

by Seven in

jw
friends

march 29, 2001.

by the associated press.

filed at 2:52 a.m. et.

Seven

What misery these cult members have rained down upon these innocent children! These sick and depraved individuals must be held accountable for their behavior. This has got to stop. No more hiding behind the "freedom of religion." Like Michelle said, "those poor, poor babies."

Seven

Our mission is to promote humane principles, prevent cruelty, and alleviate fear, pain and suffering.-The American Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

14

A very bad day

by RedhorseWoman in

today i arrived at work thinking that this would be a day like any other.

has been a combination of joy, sorrow, and relief.. my niece in new mexico left me a message this morning.

my sister died yesterday.

Seven

Dear Red, I am so sorry for your loss and want you to know that you and your family will be in my thoughts this weekend. You have my deepest sympathy.

Love you,
Seven

8

Another Cult Nightmare

by Seven in

jw
friends

march 29, 2001.

by the associated press.

filed at 2:52 a.m. et.

Seven

March 29, 2001
41 Children Put in Foster Care After Church-Sponsored Beatings
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 2:52 a.m. ET

ATLANTA (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy covered in bloody welts and a 10-year-old with an open wound on his belly were among 41 children put into foster care while police investigate church-sponsored beatings and arranged marriages.

Juvenile Court Judge Sanford Jones on Wednesday ordered the children to be held for up to a year following a two-day hearing into practices at the 130-member nondenominational House of Prayer, led by the Rev. Arthur Allen Jr.

Allen, 68, is accused of presiding over sessions where children are held by their arms and legs and whipped by several adults with belts and switches. The preacher is also accused of forcing girls to wed after they turn 14, saying they must marry or risk becoming a burden to their family.

Parents of the children, who range in age from several months to 17 years, readily admitted to the beatings and arranged marriages, saying they were following Scripture and that the government had no business telling them how to discipline their offspring.

After seeing photos of a young boy's torso covered in welts, Jones disagreed.

``I hate to see these children jeopardized by what I consider to be a cult,'' Jones said, adding he wanted to reunite the families but couldn't expose the children to danger.

Jones asked one parent, David Duncan Sr., if he thought the beatings constituted abuse.

``The only way I can answer that, sir, is that we're going to raise our children according to the Bible,'' Duncan said.

``Well, the Good Lord isn't deciding whether you get your kids back here. I am,'' Jones replied.

Parents of nine of the children were told they could have custody if they agreed not to allow their children to be beaten at church or married before age 16. The parents refused to comply.

Allen has called the beatings simple discipline.

``The Bible says that if you spare the rod you're going to spoil the child,'' he said last week. ``I have the Scriptures that give me the right to do it.''

One former church member, 25-year-old Tanyaneeka Barnett, testified that Allen often called teen-age girls to the front of the church, lifted their skirts and touched their thighs or buttocks.

Another former church member told the court she was forced to marry at 15 and beaten for refusing to have sex with her 23-year-old husband. Georgia prohibits marriage before 16, but the church conducts the ceremonies in Alabama.

The state took the children two weeks ago after finding welts, bruises and at least one open wound on the two boys, 7 and 10. The boys said they were beaten for misbehaving.

Police charged Allen and six members of his church with inflicting or allowing excessive beatings. In 1993, Allen was jailed 30 days for child abuse for ordering a church member to beat her teen-age daughter.

Two of the children in custody are teen-age sisters who Allen says are married, one with a child who is also in foster care. The judge said he would consider releasing them at a hearing next week.

Allen led a prayer session at the church Tuesday night, telling parents that God would return their children.

His eyes welling up with tears, Allen waved an infant girl in the air and railed against the state for allowing abortion but taking children away from God-fearing people.

12

Demons & Possession--New Teaching?

by patio34 in

jw
friends

whilst reading the bible straight thru this last time (& probably is the last time) i noticed an odd thing.

i'll just throw it out on the table and see what it brings.. starting in the gospels, demons and demon-possession seem to be very common and no one seems shocked.

in fact, casting out demons is a definite part of the disciples'and jesus' work.. but, in the ot, there is nary a mention of demon possession, nor rarely a word about demons at all.

Seven

BA, The statement I was referring to is the one about the gods only existing in the minds of those who believed in them and the Jewish scholars referring to them as "demons." The more I research, the more I find this "infiltration into christianity of theologies and myths of
surrounding or dominating cultures" you speak of worth investigating. Some websites I've visited refer to christianity's flat out plagiarism
of ancient myths. Osiris, Quexalcote, Krshna and Mithra-all rose from the dead in three days time. The Buddah walked on water, calmed the sea and walked through walls. A hymn to Mithras-"Thou hast redeemed us
by shedding the eternal blood." Look at the comparison between the Code of Hammurabi, para.120 and Exodus 22-7-9:

If a seignior deposited his grain in another seignor's house for storage, and a loss
has then occurred at the granary, or the ownere of the house opened the storage room and took the grain, or has denied completelythe receipt of the grain which was stored in his house, the owner of the grain shall set forth the particularsin the presence of God and the owner of the house shall give to the owner of the grain double the amount which he took.-Code of Hammurabi

If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is stolen out the man's house, then, if the theif is found, he shall pay double. If the theif is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God,
to show whether or not he put his hand to his neighbor's goods. For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for ass, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, "this is it," the case of both parties shall come before good; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.-Exodus22:7-9

I found the examples given above at the following website: http://home.talkcity.com/librarydr/eztoamuse/webdoc16.htm
I don't know, BA. What started out as a search for material about demons and spirit creatures in the Bible has turned into(for me)a search for what is real. I like it.

See ya,
Seven

12

Demons & Possession--New Teaching?

by patio34 in

jw
friends

whilst reading the bible straight thru this last time (& probably is the last time) i noticed an odd thing.

i'll just throw it out on the table and see what it brings.. starting in the gospels, demons and demon-possession seem to be very common and no one seems shocked.

in fact, casting out demons is a definite part of the disciples'and jesus' work.. but, in the ot, there is nary a mention of demon possession, nor rarely a word about demons at all.

Seven

BA, I know what you mean, I kept returning to that one statement over and over again. So Jewish scholars were taught that any god but their own was a figment of an over active imagination-a destructive idea. hmmm.

waiting, I think the demons sought to discredit Jesus' ministry. The demons knew him by name and he was quick to silence them.

Seven
btw, a Persian god, Mithras(supposedly born on 12/25)was said to have created life when he slayed a bull whose blood provided life to all things. Type it into a search engine and it will give you links to other Persian demons.