88JM

Joined

• started 33 topics
• posted 861 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by 88JM

• 
  36

  Pope says Big bang and Evolution are correct !

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  from the u.k independent newspaper :.

  " the theories of evolution and the big bang are real and god is not a magician with a magic wand, pope francis has declared.. speaking at the pontifical academy of sciences, the pope made comments which experts said put an end to the pseudo theories of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, benedict xvi.. francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator arguing instead that they require it.. when we read about creation in genesis, we run the risk of imagining god was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything.

  but that is not so, francis said.. he added: he created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment.. the big bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.. evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.. the catholic church has long had a reputation for being anti-science most famously when galileo faced the inquisition and was forced to retract his heretic theory that the earth revolved around the sun.. but pope franciss comments were more in keeping with the progressive work of pope pius xii, who opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively welcomed the big bang theory.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  If evolution is real, in what sense could it be said that we were "made in god's image?"

  Maybe God is evolving too?

  I'm sorry - I'll get my hat...
• 
  27

  WT Study 26th Oct. '14

  by BluesBrother in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i could find another thread so i thought i might add a few comments here - not a full critique though.

  "hear jehovah's voice wherever you are".

  http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20140815/hear-jehovahs-voice/.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  I'm sure you'll forgive my taking a bit of poetic licence. He obviously hasn't progressed to a double-skinned instrument just yet.

  Of course I should have mentioned the girl next to him has a lovely set of bongos, and the chap on the right is checking his g-string.
• 
  27

  WT Study 26th Oct. '14

  by BluesBrother in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i could find another thread so i thought i might add a few comments here - not a full critique though.

  "hear jehovah's voice wherever you are".

  http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20140815/hear-jehovahs-voice/.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  Yes - because a night at home spent beating your bongos is so much better than a nice evening out with a good looking workmate who actually might be interested to get to know you personally.
• 
  9

  Studying for the meetings vs. going on Facebook

  by Coded Logic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  most people on this thread seem to agree that the internet is having a harmful effect on the wtbts ability to gain new recruits and retain jw children.

  my question is do you think this has to do with the fact that those who leave are learning ttatt?

  or is it that people are just spending more time of fb and instagram and don't really care much about studying and fs all the time?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  Apathy probably does kill more meeting attendances, but it's TTATT which stops people from going back.
• 
  13

  Does ANYONE use RSS anymore?

  by nicolaou in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  .

  just wondering .

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  I know as a web developer its a useful way of consuming feeds between and from other websites to use. It's often what's driving that sort of thing behind the scenes, even if end-users aren't directly consuming it. Agreed standards in markup languages are always a useful thing, and there are few as simple and universal as RSS.
• 
  48

  Service meeting video....what a non-event

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at our service meeting we saw the video of a jw explaining his beliefs about 1914.. it was.....well, "underwhelming" does not do it justice.

  what is below "underwhelming"?

  "boringly tepid"?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  It seems like they are subsconsciously saying: "don't bother trying to explain 1914, because we know you won't be able to - even we can't really."
• 
  10

  Watchtower Library CDROM That Goes Back The Furthest?

  by lambsbottom in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hi y'all,.

  .

  can anyone give me the download for the wtcdrom that goes back the furthest (i think i heard it was 1993)?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  I'm told the older versions don't work unless you are on a pre Windows 2000 system - I don't know if they tried compatability mode. Maybe there's virtual machines you can run as well, but it's a lot of effort to go to just for the few years extra info it will give you.
• 
  23

  What I really fear about JW.ORG

  by StarTrekAngel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  much has been written, twitted and youtubed about the extent to which the wtbts may go in order to keep its members from peeking out of the box.

  from name calling, constantly telling members about the dangers of apostasy, all the way to dfing anyone who dares to look outside.

  many tools and theories have been brought forward.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  I don't quite agree that they will go down the "snooping on your browsing" route - I don't think it's in their interest to kick people out who could be contributing money simply because they're looking at what they would consider questionable material on the web. DF'ing is mainly used as a fear tactic to keep people in. If they were so interested in finding dirt on and kicking out ones they would call "spiritually weak" then they could easily start going after "faders", which they aren't really doing to any great extent.

  I think while it is feasable, the infrastructure needed for such web snooping would outweigh any potential gains that would come from it. Unless they were going to start outright blackmailing people into donating. At the very very worst, they might snoop on those who they are considering inviting into the upper echelons to check they are legitimate, but they already have all that infrastructure at the branch offices which is well known to all there.

  The JW.ORG stuff is mostly playing catchup - I think the timing of doing it now is more to do with old GB members dying and it becoming more affordable to run a website.

  I do think you have a point about information control though - that's definitely on their agenda.
• 
  27

  Car accident

  by Clambake in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was in a car accident in a fatality.

  without going into detail i wasnt found in the wrong.

  alcohol and poor judgement were involved with the other party.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  Sorry to hear about that - I'm sure you must be pretty shaken up.

  As far as the JWs go, if you're an UBM and it wasn't your fault, then I personally don't think you'll see any action from elders or anything.

  I personally know of an incident in the congregation here a couple of years ago of an elder in a serious collision on the way to the meeting with an oncoming foreign motorcyclist who was on the wrong side of the road. The elder is still the congregation secretary here and takes the Watchtower.

  Something that is worth doing is getting yourself thoroughly checked out physically if you haven't already done so. The elder I mentioned did go to hospital and had what seemed like fairly superficial injuries at the time, but a couple of years down the line he now suffers with chronic back and knee pain and is unable to work.
• 
  24

  One Day Assembly Costs How Much, WTF?

  by NoMoreHustle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the recent circuit assembly day cost get this... $17,0000 in an assembly hall that they own!

  this was announced during the assmbly at the 3/4 mark of days activities.

  after he said how much the assembly cost, he then proceeded to say that we have recieved $6,000 in donations up to this point of the day.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  88JM

  Costs were just announced as over £9000 (GBP) for a one day assembly here in Dundee, Scotland at an old rented town hall with about 1000 in attendance. (Capacity would be around 1300)

  They apparently sent £1000 towards the new bethel project in Chelmsford out of the circuit funds.

  They spent £300 on a projector which had the sole purpose for the day of projecting 1 Pet. 3:11 on a screen - that's all.

  Donations for the day were apparently fell something like £2000 short of the "costs", so I think they must have already collected over £6000!

  Coincidentally, the visiting "bethel" speaker was one of the guys from the new million pound translation office in Bangor, Wales.