TonusOH

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Posts by TonusOH

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  14

  Narcissist challenges culture ingrained with the concept of “saving face” to perform humiliating retreat

  by slimboyfat in

  1. social
  2. current

  oh yeah, this is going to end well.

  hold on to your seats, folks, we’re on the front row of history for, as the chinese might say, “interesting times”.

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rgkkl7v8lo.

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  TonusOH

  I'm curious to see where it all goes. So far, there has been a pattern: Trump threatens tariffs, the target of the threat puffs up its chest and makes threats in return... and then steps back and asks to sit down and talk. China decided to raise the stakes, and Trump is holding his ground. It's basically a game of chicken, and it should tell us a lot about where each nation really believes that it stands economically.

  The USA is insanely wealthy and --in spite of our constant attempts to set fire to our own future-- still buys a heck of a lot of things from around the world, which helps other nations to keep money flowing in. It's no accident that there has been such an unbalance in tariffs all this time-- the default setting, as it were, heavily favors the US. Trump is seeking to upset that balance, which will happen one way or another with effects that won't be seen right away (aside from predictable stock market fluctuations).

  Thus, the question is... do the economists who are advising him know what they are doing, or are they in for a very painful lesson? They have a fairly short time to learn and --if necessary-- correct course, if they want to avoid a rebalancing of congressional control in 2026.
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  25

  Special Talk just prior to the Memorial

  by Acluetofindtheuser in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  is the sunday special talk prior to the memorial just an introduction of a new outline for the sunday public talks?.

  is it an attempt to get the faders back to the meetings?

  they present in a way like some new light is going to be presented at the special talk..

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  TonusOH

  The funny thing is that the WTS often turns to cranks and nutters for their "Bible is scientific" articles. There are organizations and sites that offer a more up-to-date take on that concept, but I doubt the WTS would want to associate itself with them. So they turn to "ceramics engineers" for guidance. LOL.
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  23

  3 Changes The Watchtower Made on Babylon The Great in the Last 6 Months

  by raymond frantz in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://youtu.be/vpws6ncqpla?si=dqnf7-hupfr4pdta.

  for decades, jehovah’s witnesses have been banging on about babylon the great—the so-called world empire of false religion—being on the brink of collapse.

  any day now, they assured us, churches would empty out, priests would be left twiddling their thumbs, and humanity would collectively bin organised religion.

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  TonusOH

  I was under the impression that the WTS taught that the war in heaven happened in 1914, with the banishment of Satan being directly responsible for World War I. Do they still teach that?
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  15

  What "message" does the J.W Org. have to offer that will attract new members ?

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the message they have been pushing for 150 years or so is "the end is near !"..

  in the educated, civilised world, people think " yea ?

  maybe because of economic meltdown exacerbated by climate change, but not from some intervention by a non-existent god".. "would you like a free bible study ?

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  TonusOH

  The JW message is a form of Pascal's Wager, which has a time-limit attached. They will explain that they are the only path to salvation and that the end is imminent, which creates a sense of urgency. Join now and submit, or risk losing out.

  Without the 'imminent end' part, the message is unappealing. Lately, they have been making changes so that being a JW doesn't feel so onerous, but that also must make you wonder why you are still a JW. The more mainstream the WTS becomes, the less reason there is to be a member, as opposed to joining a much more relaxed church that doesn't require such fine control of your life and provides a more human (and humane) social experience.
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  99

  What the new JW light position really is 👍

  by ElderBerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’m still an elder and i consider myself jw light.

  as my fellow elders are.

  we don’t throw our weight around like elders used to in the past, it’s all very easy going these days.

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  TonusOH

  ElderBerry: I Know for a fact that many if not most members of all belief systems including atheist and theists do not claim they know the entire truth without any doubts.

  That is not what you were saying before.

  And this is not a response to what I said, either. So I will repeat it: if you truly are agnostic about the origins of the universe, you should not belong to any religion. You don't have to be atheist, either. Not knowing means not knowing. Taking a stand by joining a religion is the opposite of claiming to be agnostic.

  ElderBerry: I can pick a lane and that’s exactly what I am doing

  I don't think you understand what I am saying. You continue to go on about the ultimate truths of the universe, when that is not what is being challenged by several posters here. And, once again, you gloss over the actual challenge. You can't join a religion and then shrug off the real concerns about its policies and doctrines. You are supporting those by remaining a member.
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  99

  What the new JW light position really is 👍

  by ElderBerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’m still an elder and i consider myself jw light.

  as my fellow elders are.

  we don’t throw our weight around like elders used to in the past, it’s all very easy going these days.

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  TonusOH

  ElderBerry: They don’t have the whole truth whatever your belief system whatever religion or non-religion.

  Two things:

  1- If this is your view, you should not belong to any religion. You cannot claim to be unsure and then remain in a group that follows a specific set of beliefs.

  2- This must be the fourth or fifth time that I have to point out that I am not talking about the ultimate truths of the origins of the universe. I am referring to specific doctrines and policies that you can absolutely make judgments about. Your continued avoidance of this part of the discussion makes me think that you don't have an answer for it and are deliberately ignoring it. But this flies in the face of your claims that you're just agnostic and no different from anyone else.

  You cannot not pick a lane.
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  225

  The point of existence and how it refutes the Trinity

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  rowan williams, the former archbishop of canterbury gave an interesting answer to the somewhat stark question, what’s the point of us existing?

  as a christian, my starting point is that we exist because the most fundamental form of activity, energy, call it what you like, that is there, is love.

  that is, it’s a willingness that the other should be.

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  TonusOH

  Twinkies don't taste as good as they used to.

  That is the single truest line written in this topic so far.
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  187

  Insight Book LIES - then tells the TRUTH!

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it-1 p. 493 communication - "when the circumcision issue was resolved by the governing body in jerusalem......".

  it-1 p. 881 galatians, letter to the - "by reason of a revelation, paul, with barnabas and titus, went to jerusalem regarding the circumcision issue; he learned nothing new from james, peter, and john, but they recognized that he had been empowered for an apostleship to the nations.

  " (galatians 2:1-10).

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  TonusOH

  "Actual scholars disagree on the minor specifics of certain data, therefore disproven WTS lunacy is legit" is about as dissonant as congnition can possibly get.
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  99

  What the new JW light position really is 👍

  by ElderBerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’m still an elder and i consider myself jw light.

  as my fellow elders are.

  we don’t throw our weight around like elders used to in the past, it’s all very easy going these days.

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  TonusOH

  ElderBerry: Most religious groups have large numbers of people who are agnostic if they are honest with themselves.

  There is no way to demonstrate this. I think you are stating it because it makes your stance seem more common and therefore the dishonesty is less of a problem.

  But that is still not my concern with it. Be agnostic if you want. But please do not try to hide behind "no one can know for sure" as if you can apply that to everything. By staying in, you tacitly approve of --and possibly help to maintain-- a set of bad and dangerous policies.
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  23

  1/2 of the Jehovah’s witnesses have gone

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are 1/2 of the jehovah’s witnesses that there were 30 years ago in my area.

  some have left but i think that many have died and none of their kids stayed being jehovah’s witnesses.

  7 congregations have been dissolved over the years.

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  TonusOH

  I'm curious at what the internal numbers look like after the changes to reporting time and door-to-door service. Are they finding more converts from the less-intrusive approach? Wouldn't that be ironic!