This guy used to be a big poster on this forum a few years ago.
He used to tell us about his latest escapades at his kingdom hall. He seemed to like attention and fame.
He posted as RichieRich
THE GLADIATOR
JoinedPosts by THE GLADIATOR
-
12
Former Jehovah's Witness hanging on hooks! ..... Why would he do this?
by koolaid-man inwith his split tongue, a tattooed scalp and earlobe piercings the size of hockey pucks, it's easy to mistake richard ivey iii for a sinister character with angry, boiling insides - or a chap as peculiar as queequeg, the doomed polynesian whaler from "moby dick.
" ........... notice the word apostate tattooed on fingers.
read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/27/704975/nose-stud-controversy-draws-attention.html#ixzz11108dr1n.
-
-
-
100
What if God's existence was PROVEN TO BE TRUE?
by nicolaou inthis isn't a 'prove god exists' thread, it's a 'what if' thread .
what if god's existence could be proven beyond any doubt?
what if god were to actually show himself so that nobody could doubt his existence?.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
An interesting outlook. We live and learn.
It is good to see you have decided to contribute to the forum. Posters are able to express their own viewpoints regardless of whether or not they are supportive of JWs.
Look forward to hearing more from you.
-
100
What if God's existence was PROVEN TO BE TRUE?
by nicolaou inthis isn't a 'prove god exists' thread, it's a 'what if' thread .
what if god's existence could be proven beyond any doubt?
what if god were to actually show himself so that nobody could doubt his existence?.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
This is a sensible approach to belief in God. Before anyone can say whether God exists or not, they have to explain what their concept of God is. Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews and even JWs, to name but a few of the hundreds of takes on God. They all have their own idea what God means and how they are expected to please him.
It could just be that our tiny planet, and even smaller species, is of very little consequence in the scheme of things. Though there may be no scheme at work, just the uncharted adventure of the universe at work.
Although I don't subscribe to the notion of a personal God, I can see the evidence of intelligence at work in the universe. The word 'God' has been abused and applied to so many personalised concepts that it has been corrupted. Perhaps we need a different word for a non personal intelligence that pervades the universe.
"What if God's existence was PROVEN TO BE TRUE?"
My point is - Which particular concept of God are we referring to here?
-
4
Real View of Blood Fractions
by God_Delusion inhowdy guy's and gal's,.
both king agag and myself are attempting to write an article on blood fractions for our blog, jwb.
thing is, we would require scientific evidence (sources from journals, etc.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
Taken from the book Opening the Door to Jehovah's Witnesses - by Trevor Willis
On 1 December 2000, elders in the USA were informed in writing by the Society that in line with articles appearing in both 15 June 2000 and 15 October 2000 Watchtower magazines, the DPA forms had been amended to allow members to accept the previously forbidden fractionated blood parts.
Using the name Lee Elder, the founder of AJWRB, a group that has been set up to determine the feelings of Witnesses regarding the ban on blood, stated the following:
“ Even more significant is this further comment from the Watchtower Society: “only a small percentage of the brothers have filled out the Society’s DPA form.” This recent statement from the Watchtower Society is very important in that it shows that level of commitment to the Watchtower Society policy is very small. If a Jehovah's Witness is unconscious and exsanguinating and no DPA can be presented, I believe a very strong argument exists that the person is not committed to the Watchtower Society policy. Especially in light of this recent disclosure by the Watchtower Society, which reveals dwindling support for its partial blood policy. It is also noteworthy that nearly a year after ceasing its policy of disfellowshiping Jehovah's Witnesses who accept blood or the blood products that are still forbidden; the Watchtower Society has never informed the general membership of the change. Only the congregation elders have been informed to date.” (www.ajwrb.org)
One elder, writing under the pseudonym Mr Shilmer, to avoid disciplinary action has asked the Watchtower’s head office to justify this turn-around and clarify the position. A copy of his letter was sent to The Regional Ethics Council in Portland USA. A reply was received from Dr. Osamu Muramoto, which reads in part:
“I appreciate Mr. Shilmer’s comment as an active Witness elder. Compared with Mr. Bartlett's letter, the opinions of Mr.Shilmer and Mr. Elder testify how diverse the views are on this issue among Jehovah's Witnesses. Since Mr. Shilmer raised the question of partial abstinence from blood, I would like to add one example to show how the new WTS blood policy is NOT abstaining from blood.
As I stated in this paper, and as clearly stated in the new version of the Durable Power of Attorney form printed by the WTS and distributed to the JWs in the United States last week, the new policy allows JWs to accept “all fractions” of “any primary component.” The WTS has emphasized in its literature that those "fractions" are "small” and therefore acceptable.
When I ask JWs why those "fractions" are acceptable, most would reply, “because they are tiny fractions.” Under this new policy, the most important “fraction” JWs are now permitted to accept is hemoglobin-based blood substitutes, which had been prohibited until recently. How “small” is hemoglobin as a fraction of the blood? Let me quote a simple sentence from a college- level anatomy textbook: “Discounting its water content, an erythrocyte [red blood cells, which WTS determined unacceptable] is over 97% hemoglobin, the molecule that binds to and transports respiratory gasses.” (Reference 1. Marieb E. Human anatomy and physiology. 4th ed. Menlo Park, CA:Addison Wesley Longman Inc; 1998:630)
“If God commands to abstain from red blood cells, as the WTS teaches, why does the WTS also teach that accepting 97% of what God prohibits does not violate God's command?” (US spelling)
As the Society have changed their mind on so many other verses of scripture, and applied the scriptures on this matter in so many different ways, perhaps they will change their mind on this issue completely. If they do, it will be of no comfort to the relatives of those who have died as a result of their ruling.
More critically for the Society, these changes further undermine their claim that they have been appointed by holy spirit to dispense accurate knowledge which they insist the members eternal lives depend upon. By making the Bible’s comments on the use of animal blood into a law regarding the life-saving use of human blood, have they carried out their “duty of care” towards the present lives of their members?
-
98
Does anyone here still believe in the Devil?
by cantleave inif so what do you think he / she / it is?.
.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
braveheart
All I know is...I am a sinner, in need of a savior.
What ya doing that's so gross?
-
28
Essay: Beyond God and atheism: Why I am a 'possibilian'
by BurnTheShips inwe have many interesting debates and discussions on this board between members on both sides of the god/nogod divide.. most of us seem to be quite reasonable, and accept and respect differing points of views.. others, a small minority here, dismiss the opposite side as deluded or evil.
it strikes me that it takes a large amount of mental certainty to do this.. we all have reaped the fruits of such certainty in these matters during our sojourn in the jehovah's witnesses.. this essayist, neuroscientist and fiction writer david eagleman, takes a different view.
as you know, i am a believer in god.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
Thanks Tammy.
Terry - Your laser like mind is more than my feeble flesh and bones can assimilate.
From the thread essay:
As Voltaire put it, "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
This about sums up where I am.
Time allows for many possibilities but it takes more than a human life span to know all that can be known.
(I'm off out for the evening (UK). I didn't comment on the beer thread. Actions speak louder than words!)
-
15
One long hot and heavy Striptease by Jehovah
by Terry inif we are to believe scripture, jehovah has been performing one long striptease over the centuries.
his plan has hidden parts we all long to see.
little by little he has dropped a shoulder strap and flashed a peek with the cat and mouse of prophecy.. .
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
It could be that God is performing one long striptease.
On the other hand, the possibility exists that man found a stocking on the ground and imagined the rest!
-
28
Essay: Beyond God and atheism: Why I am a 'possibilian'
by BurnTheShips inwe have many interesting debates and discussions on this board between members on both sides of the god/nogod divide.. most of us seem to be quite reasonable, and accept and respect differing points of views.. others, a small minority here, dismiss the opposite side as deluded or evil.
it strikes me that it takes a large amount of mental certainty to do this.. we all have reaped the fruits of such certainty in these matters during our sojourn in the jehovah's witnesses.. this essayist, neuroscientist and fiction writer david eagleman, takes a different view.
as you know, i am a believer in god.
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
This is a most interesting article and encourages open minded debate. We are all at different points in our journey and however liberal we are, to someone who believes that God talks to them, the non-believer must appear deluded, and Vice Versa. Below are a few lines from an essay I wrote. I hope it is relevant to this discussion.
Knowledge is light and banishes darkness. Seekers of truth desire to be fully informed. The experience and opinions of those who have walked a path before us should not be seized upon as belief or a shortcut to understanding. At the same time it would be unwise to disregard their sincere testimony.
Truth is not a rigid set of beliefs. Once we think we possess the truth, we close our mind to other possibilities. In that moment, we have suddenly lost our connection with the infinite.
Truth never changes, only opinions change; letting go of the old, makes way for the new. Isn’t this the lesson that nature teaches us? The world was never flat – it is us that changed. Willingness to change allows room for growth.
-
139
Name Something Positive About Jehovah's Witnesses
by minimus ini'll start.. they are a happy joyful group..
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
Not one of them has lived forever yet!
-
22
I broke my collar bone
by poppers init turns out that my biking accident on july 6th resulted in a broken collar bone.
i didn't know this until the va took x-rays yesterday - it took until then to get an appointment; my request for x-rays was submitted on july 16. fortunately, i've been mending nicely despite my 300 mile bike ride the last week of july and a 120 mile ride two weeks later.
i still haven't had a decent night's sleep since it happened - i'm exhausted..
-
-
THE GLADIATOR
Glad to hear you are on the mend. Controlling pain through altering the minds focus is good practice.
Rightly or wrongly, I always think of you and James Thomas as being on a similar wavelength and enjoy your posts.