Posts by TonusOH

66

Trump wins

by gavindlt in

i am non political and have never voted but nonetheless i have been keenly watching to see how the trump presidential race unfolds.

i believe that his involvement in propelling or influencing a leaning toward bible prophecy will unfold.

how, i can’t say but something tells me that this anomaly and outlier being trump is highly signifiant!

See, this is why I ignore the hysteria of how Trump is going to 'take over.' Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, which isn't as big as it might seem when three senators are not Trump supporters. At 50-50, they still have the VP's vote to break ties, but it is much easier for Democrats when they really only need to find one or two dissenting votes, instead of five or six.

Similarly, the House margin is thin. Trump can still use executive orders. I think that US Presidents have been absuing executive orders for decades now, and I doubt it is going to stop. Each sides wrings its hands when the other side is using them, but they don't want to restrict their use because one day they will win back the White House and they want to be able to abuse them as well. So, if Trump does turn the USA into a fascist dictatorship, you can blame the voters if you want, but I think fault would lie in the people who could have taken away this dangerous tool but didn't, because they didn't want to.

19

Did Tony Morris Get Sideways with His Bros.?

by Sea Breeze in

interesting video connects the dots.

.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ff1ibybfe4&t=205s&pp=2ahnazacaq%3d%3d.

TonusOH

Oof, that picture. I didn't realize Tony Morris had let himself go...

I agree that they now have an issue where they cannot go back without confusing the rank-and-file. Remember that all of these changes and 'clarifications' are usually accompanied by breathless expressions of how the change is a clear example of Jehovah's loving guidance towards those that he does not wish to see perish. The pronouncements are usually followed by the joyful expression of "how wonderful it is that Jehovah provides perfect and thoughtful guidance as we march towards the end," etc etc.

At some point, if you are laying it on that thick, it's not easy to roll it back without leaving people wondering what just happened. The GB may get away with claiming fallibility, but that doesn't mean they can always get away with yanking the rug out from under everyone's feet.

2908

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

TonusOH

I don't know if that is Dijana in the photo.

As for Evans's income, I assume he is providing for the girls, at the very least. I might be giving him too much credit, but just for appearances (which matter massively to him) I would expect him to be sending them something each month. Still, he should be making enough to get by. But no one wants to simply get by. And 'getting by' doesn't include indulgences like buying sex.

He doesn't want to make enough to get by. I think he feels he was on the way to some level of stardom, of being somebody. Making a relatively comfortable living must feel like a slap in the face. The mind-boggling thing, after all this time, is that success is still ultimately in his hands, but he simply isn't capable of humbling himself and putting in the necessary work. On the other hand, the idea that he is the architect of his own humiliation and downfall is very fitting.

11

Parliamentary question on paedophilia among JWs in Italy

by Achille in

(google translation).

question to the chamber by m5s mp stefania ascari to the ministry of the interior on paedophilia among jehovah's witnesses in italy, starting from the recent case in florence, with references to the various cases that have broken out around the world.. i sense a certain creaking at the italian bethel in rome at via della bufalotta 1281, the italian branch of the watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania.

will this have future implications for the italian jehovah's witnesses exponential body, the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses and for its branch committee, which represents the interests of the governing body in our country?https://aic.camera.it/aic/scheda.html?numero=4/03795&ramo=camera&leg=19.

TonusOH

"with a press release the religious denomination announced that it was unaware of the matter and that it had expelled the member in 2018;"

"We didn't know it was going on! Also, we removed the offender from our religion..."

13

What would it like to see

by JohnR1975 in

what i would like to see and maybe will get there in about another ten years is being a jw is a rewarding thing that enriches your life.. just like other religions out there you may not know the entire truth and maybe not quite right many of the beliefs but to have to idea of a belief centres and stabilises you.. i would like jws to be able to celebrate birthdays and maybe even other holidays if they choose to and not be judged by those who choose not to.. i would like jws to be allowed to have different interpretations of scripture and everyone is happy to agree to disagree and be able to say to each other yes maybe that interpretation is nearer the truth.

we just don’t know.. i would like new members of the gb to issue an apology for previous members getting so many things wrong.. they need to come out and say they were wrong about 1914 this date has no scriptural significance and the same is true of 1919. jws were not chosen in 1919 as the one and only true religion.. we just don’t know about so many things and it takes humility to admit we were wrong.. i would like to see even more lightening up on stupid restrictions like young people being allowed to have a varied friends and activities that are not with jws only..

TonusOH

They could become more mainstream and still have different interpretations. There are many offshoots of the Miller and Russell-led denominations that are more mainstream than the JWs.

The biggest hurdle would be letting go of the "no part of this world" interpretation where they use that phrase to limit birthdays, holidays, and (most importantly) basic daily social interaction. The WTS has frequently promoted the idea that JWs cannot have friendships with 'wordly' people, and that they should even be circumspect around non-believing family members. Reversing that would be terrific, but might also be a bit of a shock to many rank-and-file members.

Still, I think it's the best path forward.

2908

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

TonusOH

"Hmmm... put out a useful video, or beg for scraps? Decisions, decisions..."

As for the math, that is just wishful thinking. Look, if each of his 115,000 YT subscribers paid him $25, he'd have a windfall of almost $3 million! And $25 is such a small amount! Imagine if they donated $50 instead? Well, if they're in for that much, why not $500??? It's just a one-time donation!!! Come on, guys! Can you say... ONE ~~THOUSAND~~ HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS?!?!?!?

I think he is just trying to pad the numbers before the end of the year. Now that his subscriber base has stabilized around 300, he figures he might have an easier time building it back up. He just needs to produce one begging video every couple of months, and before long he'll be riding the wave back up to 350. And then... and then...

...and then he'll need to produce actual content, and his subs will drop back down to 300...

I agree with his fan on one point- we don't even need to bother anymore. He has just about reached bottom.

22

Netflix Live Boxing Event

by moomanchu in

jw
friends

when i was in the org it seemed most brothers were very much into football and other sports.

which looking back makes no sense and makes me wonder why?

it felt like an overcompensating to be masculine.. shouldn't football be deemed unchristian?

TonusOH

I didn't get interested in sports until I was around 9 or 10, then I dove in. I don't think a JW should watch violent sports when the religion is so anti-violence, but I was hooked on almost all sports. Maybe not jai-alai. But almost everything else. I don't even think I rationalized it. Saturday was the weekend meeting, Sunday morning was preaching, and Sunday afternoon Jehovah took a backseat to the goddamned NFL! So, yeah... I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to violent sports.

As for Tyson/Paul, that's just a money grab, and a hugely successful one. Should Tyson have been fighting at 58? NO ONE should be fighting at 58, especially against a 27-year-old in good physical shape, and especially not after a long career in boxing with its attendant head trauma and brain issues. That said, I'd be tempted to step into the ring myself for $20 million, if not for the very real risk of a bad brain injury. Gotta protect whatever's left.

36

The sky is falling- maybe

by joey jojo in

i am actually not a 'sky is falling' guy, but i wanted to comment on the australian bushfires.. you may or may not believe the science behind global warming, however i personally put more faith in verified, scientific data than the words of fat cat, self-serving politicians.

climate science has predicted, based on data, that we will see more prolonged, extreme weather events, higher average temperatures, rising sea levels due to ocean expansion and glacial melting.

and this is exactly whats happening.

TonusOH

The problem is that it has been a politicized issue for decades, now. As I understand it, the scientific consensus is that the planet is getting warmer and that human activity is contributing to that warming to some degree.

This has been used to promote ideas like there being only ten years before we enter an irreversible loop that will end all life on the planet, and other over-the-top warnings meant to force climate legislation through. Not suprisingly, this has lead to a pushback from people who are suspicious of any explanation of how humans are affecting the climate. Extremism begets extremism, basically.

Aside from a possible increase in severe weather events and a slight rising of sea levels, I am not sure what the potential outcomes are, per actual scientific research, because there is so much crap being flung all around. Demanding that nations implement 'climate plans' (that will cause problems with energy production and increase costs while providing less power) when there isn't a clear explanation of the What, Why and How is a sure way to prevent actual progress, which we are seeing as nations fall short of climate goals, or simply ignore them.

Angry teenagers shouting slogans isn't how you deal with a problem like this.

8

Sacred Days

by Riley in

yesterday was remembrance day/veterans days in canada.

we had a couple younger half wits in the cong in field service yesterday.

both are trying to climb the ladder with the entire elder body ready to die in the next 10 years.. i just of thought it was a dick move to go door to door about the merits of fighting for freedom or not fighting on such a sacred day.

TonusOH

The JW approach is that Jehovah will fix everything one day (very very VERY soon!). Thus, they do not need to try and fix this world, as much as they need to inform everyone of how to get to the next one.

If everyone took the JW approach, the world would devolve into relatively small and isolated groups, and the population would decrease significantly. There's just no reason to try and keep things running on even a national level, and there's no reason to keep doing important scientific and medical research-- Jehovah will take care of that so soon that it would be a waste of time.

The world would be run by mail clerks, basically.

66

Trump wins

by gavindlt in

i am non political and have never voted but nonetheless i have been keenly watching to see how the trump presidential race unfolds.

i believe that his involvement in propelling or influencing a leaning toward bible prophecy will unfold.

how, i can’t say but something tells me that this anomaly and outlier being trump is highly signifiant!

TonusOH

MeanMrMustard: They "render services" for the campaign, and invoice millions.

...and try to keep it as quiet as possible, so that it appears that they were supporting Harris with their time, instead of being bought as a political campaign prop. The cringiest may have been Oprah, who tried to split hairs by claiming that she was not paid personally. Her production company was paid $1 million to produce what amounted to a political ad dressed up as an interview-slash-party.

It's a bad look, when millionaires are taking additional millions to endorse a candidate. The sadder thing is that it probably would have been seen as a good investment if she had won. The crime here, in many people's eyes, is not that she wasted so much money; it's that she spent so much and lost.