In my opinion, there is a consistent movement within the WT to systemize everything for the sake of efficiency and productivity. In the mid-nineties there was a very nurturing atmosphere in NY sign language congregations, an atmosphere that was good for the hearing and the deaf. It was the meeting of two cultures that had all the trappings of patience, understanding, and tolerance . Slowly this comraderie was eroded by policy changes that excluded all hearing members except those proficient in ASL . For example, live audio interpretations ceased. The WT had been spoken through personal headphones by interpreters to the hearing. Very exciting and colorful! The absence of these headphones had the effect of smothering the excitement of many "hearing" who were willing to learn and who wanted to help. In my opinion a missionary spirit was discouraged for the sake of efficiency. So, what is the objective of the ASL WT video? Control, efficiency, productivity. If you are deaf and you cannot keep up, move out of the way, Jehovah's Chariot is on the move.
Siddhashunyata
JoinedPosts by Siddhashunyata
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Video Welcomed by the Deaf, 2004 Yearbook pg.9--11.
by Blueblades inin 1915 in the united states,a pilgrim,or traveling elder,named john a. gillespie signed songs to the small deaf audience attending a convention of the international bible students,as jehovah's witnesses were then known.now there are over 1,200 congregations and groups of deaf publishers and interested ones around the world.how are these being spiritually fed?.
at present,bible study aids are available in 18 sign languages,and the number continues to grow.those who use american sign language ( asl ) received a special treat in september 2002.starting that month,watchtower study articles became available on video as a monthly edition.this provision is helping deaf people in ways that others might easily take for granted.. consider:most witnesses who are not deaf can quote a variety of scriptures from memory.this because they hear or read exactly the same words each time.deaf publishers,though,do not always enjoy such consistent renderings.why not?because the bible is not available in asl,and those handling parts at congregation meetings do not always sign scripture text in precisely the same way.but this began to change with the introduction of asl video publications.and now ,with watchtower articles also available on video,deaf audiences can enjoy a consistent rendering of bible passages.. additionally,asl congregations and groups no longer have to assign interpreters as readers for the watchtower study.in hearing congregations,an assigned reader might spend an extra hour or so preparing his watchtower so that he can read well.but in a congregation of deaf publishers,those scheduled to sign an article would often spend many hours in preparation.now, that valuable time can be used in other spiritual activities.how do the brothers and sisters feel about this new provision?.
a group of deaf publishers in the state of rhode island,u.s.a.,wrote:"we were overcome with joy when it was announced that we would have the watchtower on video.in fact,some of our publishers were moved to tears.
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I'm back online! - and a letter to the elders
by dmouse insince the breakdown of my marriage i have been living round my mum's - .
hooray for mums everywhere, but especially mine!.
now, mum's not the most up to date person so no computer or internet.
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Siddhashunyata
Your experience is very reminiscent of my own and it confirms the errosive nature of the religion. Only those who live through it can appreciate fully the injustice. If the Watchtower had cultivated tolerance and respect for individual conscience, your wife and mine may have continued to respect us through our difficult period of disillusionment. Thank you for your letter and my respect to you for your fidelity throughout your marriage.
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Amor mortis
by Narkissos inone thing i am now pretty convinced of about religion or mystics is that it is often related to what freud called todestrieb (death drive, or drive to death?
): it is apparent in christianity from paul's "theology of the cross", which implies "dying to one's desire" (an exemplary expression of it could be galatians 5:24, "those who belong to christ jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires").
but it certainly has correspondence elsewhere (such as the "non-being" goal in taoism or buddhism).. in the jws' doctrine, despite all claims to the contrary, death is omnipresent from the penalty of sin in eden down to armaggedon (as "tipyfied" by the flood, the destruction of sodom and gomorrah, etc.
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Siddhashunyata
To a "seeker", disillusionment (with a belief system ie: Fundamentalism, JW) becomes liberation from belief itself. This opens the door to another way of seeking , the way of no belief and no thought. There being no thought, there is no guilt, no judgement, just observation and action.
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Amor mortis
by Narkissos inone thing i am now pretty convinced of about religion or mystics is that it is often related to what freud called todestrieb (death drive, or drive to death?
): it is apparent in christianity from paul's "theology of the cross", which implies "dying to one's desire" (an exemplary expression of it could be galatians 5:24, "those who belong to christ jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires").
but it certainly has correspondence elsewhere (such as the "non-being" goal in taoism or buddhism).. in the jws' doctrine, despite all claims to the contrary, death is omnipresent from the penalty of sin in eden down to armaggedon (as "tipyfied" by the flood, the destruction of sodom and gomorrah, etc.
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Siddhashunyata
Yes, I understand. From childhood on, the influences produce a reflex in the mind and without sacrifice there is anxiety. This helps explain why Jehovah's Witnesses were able to steal so many converts from guilt centered religions especially Catholicism. Not only did JW's reinforce guilt but they provided a long list of sacrificial antidotes. Buddhism (excluding all the sectarian leveraging that goes on) has, in my opinion, a more organic concern with death . That is, death is part of life and ,by dispelling ignorance within one's self, it can be understood. Works of sacrifice are useful only so far as they dispell ignorance. Once ignorance is dispelled , compassion motivates all works. It is my opinion that this teaching is the teaching of Jesus Christ and that it stands in conflict with the Judaic-Messianic teaching that has been recorded along side it in the Bible.
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Amor mortis
by Narkissos inone thing i am now pretty convinced of about religion or mystics is that it is often related to what freud called todestrieb (death drive, or drive to death?
): it is apparent in christianity from paul's "theology of the cross", which implies "dying to one's desire" (an exemplary expression of it could be galatians 5:24, "those who belong to christ jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires").
but it certainly has correspondence elsewhere (such as the "non-being" goal in taoism or buddhism).. in the jws' doctrine, despite all claims to the contrary, death is omnipresent from the penalty of sin in eden down to armaggedon (as "tipyfied" by the flood, the destruction of sodom and gomorrah, etc.
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Siddhashunyata
Please amplify the distinction between the "religious mind" and other minds?
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Are You Still SEARCHING For The "Truth"?
by minimus infor many of us, we are "all searched out".
i'm presently, not looking for all that much.
are you yearning for "truth"?
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Siddhashunyata
You can see from my earlier post that I recommend the teachings of Krishnamurti. I don't recommend him like a Guru but merely as someone who found something out and who tried to point the way to what he found. Interestingly he was always taking up the subject of Meditation and trying to point out that real meditation was when one observed the action of his own mind. By action he meant the process of thought itself. Very few of us have explored the possibility that we are slaves to this process instead of it being our slave. In other words we have not delved into the enslaving nature of our own minds. Consider, we are being moved around by an incessant flow of ideas or concepts that we either ignore or play on. The barrage is constant and unceasing. By merely observing the thoughts (and they are coming and going at lightning speed) one's awareness is strengthened. We are not used to being aware of what's going on in our heads to the point that nothing escapes our notice. Again one must be extremely alert because the action is swift. This is how we begin to "know " ourselves. This is also how we become free because after we become familiar with the action and practice, in this awareness we begin to experience periods of no thought and yet we are still aware. It is the condition of awareness without thought that is so misunderstood and often feared by many who never experience it. They believe the mind is blank or that one is in some kind of trance. Not so. What happens is that a natural intelligence comes forward and perceives. The living quality of that perception is what we have been seeking. It is timeless and cannot be found through thought, dogma, or other people. It is the real foundation of religion. So to "know thyself" means to know the nature of your own mind , the one that is blinding you and, the one that sees clearly.
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Are You Still SEARCHING For The "Truth"?
by minimus infor many of us, we are "all searched out".
i'm presently, not looking for all that much.
are you yearning for "truth"?
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Siddhashunyata
Since we are talking about "knowing ourselves", how would one begin ?
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Are You Still SEARCHING For The "Truth"?
by minimus infor many of us, we are "all searched out".
i'm presently, not looking for all that much.
are you yearning for "truth"?
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Siddhashunyata
Part ABD7501 - (Audio) K with Prof. Bohm in 1975: 1. Reality, Actuality, and Truth
What is the relationship between reality, actuality, and truth. Anything that thought thinks about is in the realm of reality. Reality has no effect on truth. The act of seeing is placing reality where it belongs. A rational, sane person -- one who does not distort -- is living in truth. (A series of twelve discussions were held during 1975, between Krishnamurti and David Bohm, which explored not only Krishnamurti's teachings but also aspects of Krishnamurti's life and whether an unconditioned life is possible for an ordinary human being. These discussions were recorded in audio only.)
Publisher -KFA
Author/Editor -KF AmericaKRISHNAMURTI FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
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My trip to the Bethel library....
by logansrun intowards the middle of my eighteen-month critical investigation of the jws and the bible i decided to pay a visit to my sister and brother-in-law at the patterson bethel complex in new york.
perhaps it was a last-ditch effort to salvage whatever faith i had in the organization, or maybe it was the realization that i would not be able to see my sister under semi-normal conditions again if i left; i don't know.
of course, the trip did not save my crumbling faith.
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Siddhashunyata
I found the same to be true at Bethel in Brooklyn. I was shocked to see some of the titles available to the casual reader. My impression was that the Brooklyn Administration did not get it, that is they had no depth of understanding. On the one hand they sounded the alarm but on the other hand they couldn't recognize disaster. The ideas in those books were far more threatning to WT faith than any church. But there they were. My conclusion was that it really didn't matter because JW,s were not serious about truth nor were they seekers. That insight was for me alone because in those days I could not share it with anyone.
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Favorite Quotations
by Lady Lee ini'm going to offer some of my favorite quotations.
- non wt related - what are yours?
"i learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.
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Siddhashunyata
" IN RELIGION nothing fails like success." Ralph Waldo Emerson