Posts by TerryWalstrom

16

Thinking it through and not liking the result.

by donny in

today at work a co-worker of mine and i were having lunch at a nearby establishment.

he is what you would call a c&e christian in that he basically attends church only for the christmas and easter services, though he definitely says he believes in god.. he said that he just recently caught an episode of a crime/forensic show that featured a man from new jersey named john list who was also known locally as the "bogeyman of westfield.

" list became infamous for murdering his entire family consisting of his wife, three children and his mother on november 9, 1971. see below link for more data.. on the tv show the narrator commented there were a few reasons why he did it.

TerryWalstrom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnqJpYVY2ao

30

Introducing myself

by maksutov in

my name is russ, i'm 40 years old, from the uk, and i left the jws nearly 5 years ago.

i've been a member of the yuku board throughout that time, so there are probably some on here who know me already.

there seems to be more activity over here at the moment, so i thought i'd pop in and say hi.i was raised as a jw, started questioning it when i was 16, but there was no internet back then (well, no www anyway) so i got sucked right in and got baptized when i was 18. auxiliary pioneered on and off for a couple of years, then became a ministerial servant.

TerryWalstrom

Welcome from Texas!

Think of this place as a bus station. It is a hub with many travelers. We are all passing through on a life journey from X to Z. As we gather, we share our stories. We go our separate ways. Each day is both the same and different. That is, the hurt is the same, but the people are different.

You will probably go through the same phases we all have done and still do.

At first there is Denial, then astonishment and fear. Soon, it is fact-gathering and a million questions.

It's good to have an almost NEUTRAL ZONE where you are allowed to vent, question, complain, and suffer in public.

The folks here are a rag-tag motley crew of great people. Take everything with a grain of salt except our affection for you and empathy for the path you are treading.

One thing will serve you well--we are among the few people on earth who KNOW what you are going through without your having to explain.

Cheers!

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

______________________

If you asked JW's the same question about happiness under the banner of Watchtower society wouldn't you get the same glowing stories of 'happiness' and sense of security? I think you would.

As far as Capitalism vs Socialism?

You have to distinguish between Rand's precise definition of Capitalism and the textbook definition of state-controlled economy to have an honest discussion. Rand's Capitalism was NOT the mixed economy structure at all.

Rand was trying to champion the ownership of intellectual and tangible property by the INDIVIDUAL as opposed to STATE-CONTROLLED ownership.

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

Does anyone else think her unique ideologies were originally derived from the overly regulated communism which she experienced when she was living in Russia. ?

Living through the Russian Soviet Socialist reality post-revolutionary period certainly opened Rand's eyes to the contrast between speeches, slogans, and idealism vs. the brutality of a dictator state in pursuit of total control and nullification of the individual. She was in the crucible of testing Communist philosophy, you might say. Her philosophy was a direct reaction to it.

14

Is 1919 Important to the WT?

by Anon_SA1 in

does anyone know if the wt still claims they were appointed in 1919?

is there proof of this appointment?

any ideas where i can find out how they get to this date?

TerryWalstrom

Read this article in JWFACTS.com and take it a step at a time.

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1919-derived.php

Asking yourself a few plain-spoken, common-sense questions you can avoid getting sucked into a miasma of total confusion. Also, it is good to admit something quite obvious: even the WTS is confused!
What the Watchtower thinking entails is drawing a parallel between Jesus' ministry on earth in the 1st century and modern times. This is Ad Hoc thinking. Straight out of the alimentary canal of the FDS.
The article explains that since Jesus cleansed the temple twice, it shows an ongoing cleansing work between 1914 and 1919. However, this does nothing to clarify why 1919 has any Scriptural relevance, as no backing is given to support how long the cleansing would be for.
Watchtower 2014 Nov 15 conjoins the 1260 days with the 3 1/2 days to arrive at 1919.
"How long did this inspection and cleansing take place. It extended from 1914 to the early part of 1919. This period of time includes both the 1,260 days (42 months) and the symbolic three and a half days referred to in Revelation chapter 11."Watchtower 2014 Nov 15 p.30
This becomes nonsense, as the Watchtower presents the 1260 days as literal, but the 3 1/2 days as symbolic, yet adds them together to support the period of time from 1914 to 1919. The timeline graphically highlights the discrepancy by a multiple of 75 in the time frame of the figurative 3 1/2 days and literal 1,260 days.

"To settle that question, Jesus began to inspect the spiritual temple in 1914. That inspection and cleansing work involved a period of time—from 1914 to the early part of 1919. ... Footnote to Paragraph 6: This is an adjustment in understanding. Previously, we thought that Jesus’ inspection took place in 1918." (Watchtower2013 Jul 15 p.11)

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

That quotation is by a fellow named John Rogers. One of his claims to fame involved writing the script to the movie CATWOMAN. He's obviously marvellously well-qualified to criticize :)

Surely, Terry, you aren't going down the road of criticizing who said it rather than the substance of the argument itself, are you?

____________________

No need to lose your sense of humor, Viviane:)

It is simply an observation on the pot calling the kettle 'black.'

______________________

Opinions about authors, philosophies, and such can be interesting if they are backed up with particulars because actual conversations can arise on merits. But, snipes and catcalls from the bleachers are merely interruptions and often lead to bad manners.

So far, I've shared not only my personal evaluation, but I posted specific quotations and an interview with the subject of this Topic. I also posted material and particulars about the other philosopher, Mortimer J. Adler. This is was intended to generate civil discourse and to probe ideas, concepts and alternatives.

Now, in response what do we see? Is there discussion? Or, is there peremptory dismissal?

Yo momma is so ugly she . . .

You see, I think it is good to express yourself with alternatives and suggested options for others to consider. If you consider path A to be worthless, then suggested path B and tell why it is better. That sort of thing builds up a community of discourse. But frankly, there is no reason for us to all board an elevator and pass gas just because we can. Then, it becomes a question of whose gas smells the worst:)

___________________________

About 5 years ago I started a topic on Ayn Rand. Give it a glance and you'll see things haven't changed much.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/192080/what-if-anything-can-we-learn-from-ayn-rands-philosophy

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

That quotation is by a fellow named John Rogers. One of his claims to fame involved writing the script to the movie CATWOMAN. He's obviously marvellously well-qualified to criticize :)

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

What philosopher have you read who agrees with you, or you with him / her, Viviane?

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

Five Books to Read by Mortimer J. Adler:

Aristotle for Everybody – The best introduction to Aristotle (especially his ethics) that I know.
Ten Philosophical Mistakes: Basic Errors in Modern Thought—How They Came About, Their Consequences, and How to Avoid Them – Here is everything you need to know about what is wrong with modern philosophy, written in a way you can understand.
The Angels and Us – One of my personal favorites. Adler has fun using St. Thomas's treatise on angels to explain how the human mind works.
The Philosopher at Large: An Intellectual Autobiography – An important book to understand the course of American education, in addition to Adler's own life.
The Difference of Man and the Difference It Makes (with an introduction by yours truly) – This, I think, is one of Adler's most original contributions to philosophy: an argument for the immateriality of the intellect making human beings different in kind, not degree, from other animals.

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

TerryWalstrom

Viviane, how do you feel about Mortimer J. Adler's philosophy books such as 10 Philosophical Mistakes?

Both Rand and Adler are Aristotelians. Adler has been the most helpful philosopher to me in my life and Rand, the second.

Quotes by Adler:

“There are genuine mysteries in the world that mark the limits of human knowing and thinking. Wisdom is fortified, not destroyed, by understanding its limitations. Ignorance does not make a fool as surely as self-deception.”

“The truly great books are the few books that are over everybody's head all of the time.”

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

“To agree without understanding is inane. To disagree without understanding is impudent.”

“Is it too much to expect from the schools that they train their students not only to interpret but to criticize; that is, to discriminate what is sound from error and falsehood, to suspend judgement if they are not convinced, or to judge with reason if they agree or disagree?”