TerryWalstrom

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Posts by TerryWalstrom

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  11

  Jehovah's Witness core Doctrine has changed over time. Has Dogma changed?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  first things first!let us define our terms: doctrine and dogma.doctrine: a codification of beliefs, taught principles, or positions.

  dogma a set of principles laid down by an authority (in this case, the governing body, acting as the faithful slave of christ) as incontrovertibly true.

  _____in the catholic church, dogma never changes but doctrines have over time.this sets me to wondering.

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  TerryWalstrom

  Nice catch on that one!
  Yes. If anything is bedrock--it is that.
• 
  11

  Jehovah's Witness core Doctrine has changed over time. Has Dogma changed?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  first things first!let us define our terms: doctrine and dogma.doctrine: a codification of beliefs, taught principles, or positions.

  dogma a set of principles laid down by an authority (in this case, the governing body, acting as the faithful slave of christ) as incontrovertibly true.

  _____in the catholic church, dogma never changes but doctrines have over time.this sets me to wondering.

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  TerryWalstrom

  First things first!
  Let us define our terms: Doctrine and Dogma.
  
  Doctrine: a codification of beliefs, taught principles, or positions.
  Dogma a set of principles laid down by an authority (in this case, the Governing Body, acting as the Faithful Slave of Christ) as incontrovertibly true.
  _____
  
  In the Catholic Church, Dogma never changes but Doctrines have over time.
  
  This sets me to wondering. Would the Governing Body admit to holding any incontrovertible Dogma? Or is it all up for grabs?
  
  The Governing Body has often had to state the obvious but with a sense of discovery.
  "We are not infallible" is one such statement. It doesn't count as humility inasmuch as it is the most provable assertion in the world.
  
  The issue of Blood transfusion has been incrementally fuzzed into confusion over time and the loosey-goosey double talk might suggest personal conscience might one day be the bottom line.
  Voting, Conscientious objections, homosexuality, abortion, tight pants--you can put whatever you like on this list---is it Dogma or Doctrine?
  What do JW's hold to be incontrovertible?
  
  
• 
  6

  Salesmen working on commission (i.e. colporteurs, Pastor Russell's business)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "despite the millions of books and magazines sold by charles taze russell and his tower publishing company, and the hundreds of thousands of tracts and other literature distributed free by zwtts between the mid-1870s and 1900, only around 2600 persons bothered attending the watch tower society's local memorial celebrations in 1899. a significant percentage of those 2600 persons were russell's "colporteurs", who earned their livings selling russell's literature for a profit.

  charles taze russell was absolutely correct when he proclaimed for decades that zwtts was not a religion -- it was a business.

  "_____"zion's watch tower magazine was not owned by zion's watch tower tract society, but rather was a "for-profit" business owned personally by charles taze russell and his tower publishing company, and that the "growing debt" which was "burdening" the work of zwtts was owed to charles taze russell, himself.

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  TerryWalstrom

  Orphan Crow
  The link works fine for me. Your device may have some sort of filtering heuristic triggered by the address, however.
• 
  8

  What would we think about a person who lived alone in the dark for years and years on purpose?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the spookiest questions about god are profound when we take one step back and examine who/what such a god would be... j-u-s-t before creating the universe.... .

  before anything was created: god wouldn't have been "the creator".

  with nobody around wouldn't be supreme being (superior to who/ what?

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  TerryWalstrom

  "There is a shorthand we use when we teach evolution. What we say is, 'Evolution adapts creatures to their environment."
  That is NOT what it does. Evolution adapts creatures to the environment of their Ancestors."

  When whatever was true for the ancestors is no longer true for the Modern descendants, those inherited coping and adapting tendencies, intuitions, interior 'truths' become a mismatch, a dissonance, and our strongest instincts and gut feelings will work against us much to our chagrin.

  Eternal 'truths', mythologies, legends, and tradition got our ancestors through tough times enabled futures generations (us) to arrive.
  But the more modernity changes our landscape from our ancestors, the more misleading those gut instincts will be."

  The question becomes, "Should we treat our traditions and ancient wisdom that carry over into this day as God-given and learn from them?--NO! If ever there was a time not to do that--it is now."
  
  Quotes by evolutionary biologist, Bret Weinstein
• 
  8

  What would we think about a person who lived alone in the dark for years and years on purpose?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the spookiest questions about god are profound when we take one step back and examine who/what such a god would be... j-u-s-t before creating the universe.... .

  before anything was created: god wouldn't have been "the creator".

  with nobody around wouldn't be supreme being (superior to who/ what?

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  TerryWalstrom

  The spookiest questions about God are profound when we take one step back and examine who/what such a god would be... J-U-S-T before creating the Universe...

  
  

  Before anything was created: God wouldn't have been "the Creator". With nobody around wouldn't be Supreme being (Superior to who/ what?)

  
  

  What would fill the mind of God when "nothing" is there --except you?

  (What is the "you"?)

  If God were lonely, that would necessarily imply insufficiency.

  (An insufficient God?)

  There would be nothing to Love but yourself.

  There would be no need for Justice or Wisdom. (Wisdom? About what? Nothing exists) (Justice? Who for?)

  
  

  Without Light, this "God" was existing in darkness for eons--except--there were no 'events' by which to measure time--so, "God" would be like a lab specimen floating in a bottle on a shelf in a closet with the lights off for the eternity before creation.

  
  

  What would we think about any other person who lived alone in the dark for years and years on purpose?
  
  

  Creepy? Hermit? Mental?
  
  

  These are spooky questions but the most troubling one is a simple question. When God created humanity, they were unnecessarily inferior to angels and angels were unnecessarily inferior to God.
  
  I say "unnecessarily" because the INEQUALITY deliberately deprives the inferiors of equality of opportunity without permission.
  
  

  This craving (on the part of God) was for adulation, worship, subjection, endless gratitude, and it seems to me all these behaviors are demeaning acts required of inferior beings who can't possibly provide them flawlessly and consistently.
  
  The consequence for mankind consisted of thousands of years of animal slaughter and bloodletting to "appease" the angry deity. WTF?
  MENTAL DISORDER
  There is a disturbing mental disorder in which a parent deliberately poisons their own children for an outrageous purpose: the parent THEN becomes the Caretaker/rescuer; selfless and loving in the eyes of others. Munchausen by proxy syndrome, it is called.
  Question:
  Does this sound even a little like God?
  By creating humans inferior and presenting Himself as Superior--human aspirations for wanting to be like their Father (knowing good and bad) led them to disobey. That was their MOTIVE, mind you--not to hurt anybody or steal anything--only to BE LIKE GOD (their Father). For that, they must die?? For that, they must be rescued? ONE LAST POINT If Jehovah is a God of JUSTICE (you get from Him what you deserve)--then how can sinful humans "deserve" to be rescued through forgiveness?
  
  JUSTICE
  Grace is termed "underserved" kindness---right?
  How is it Justice if it is "underserved"?
  
  Remember John 3:16? For God SO LOVED THE WORLD... To love those who do not deserve love is a self-contradiction because it violates God's own standards of perfection. Why impose such standards in the first place?
  
  Conclusion?
  
  I asked: "What would we think about a person who lived alone in the dark for years and years on purpose?" I would think: INSANE
  
  The God who operates within the Old Testament and New is two kinds of crazy.
  I think to suffer a mental disorder from all that alone time in the dark is not unusual.
  
  What do you think?

  
  
• 
  6

  Salesmen working on commission (i.e. colporteurs, Pastor Russell's business)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "despite the millions of books and magazines sold by charles taze russell and his tower publishing company, and the hundreds of thousands of tracts and other literature distributed free by zwtts between the mid-1870s and 1900, only around 2600 persons bothered attending the watch tower society's local memorial celebrations in 1899. a significant percentage of those 2600 persons were russell's "colporteurs", who earned their livings selling russell's literature for a profit.

  charles taze russell was absolutely correct when he proclaimed for decades that zwtts was not a religion -- it was a business.

  "_____"zion's watch tower magazine was not owned by zion's watch tower tract society, but rather was a "for-profit" business owned personally by charles taze russell and his tower publishing company, and that the "growing debt" which was "burdening" the work of zwtts was owed to charles taze russell, himself.

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  TerryWalstrom

  "Despite the MILLIONS of books and magazines SOLD by Charles Taze Russell and his Tower Publishing Company, and the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of tracts and other literature distributed free by ZWTTS between the mid-1870s and 1900, only around 2600 persons bothered attending the Watch Tower Society's local Memorial celebrations in 1899. A significant percentage of those 2600 persons were Russell's "COLPORTEURS", who earned their livings selling Russell's literature for a PROFIT. Charles Taze Russell was ABSOLUTELY CORRECT when he proclaimed for decades that ZWTTS was NOT a religion -- it was a BUSINESS."
  _____
  "ZION'S WATCH TOWER magazine was not owned by ZION'S WATCH TOWER TRACT SOCIETY, but rather was a "For-Profit" Business owned personally by Charles Taze Russell and his TOWER PUBLISHING COMPANY, and that the "growing debt" which was "burdening" the work of ZWTTS was owed to Charles Taze Russell, himself."
  _______
  
  The above is copy and pasted from the website: http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/russell.html
  One of the most fascinating anti-JW sites I've ever visited.

  DOES ANYONE KNOW WHOSE SITE THIS IS?
• 
  72

  Did you know Banks create money out of thin air?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  banks create money “out of thin air.”empirical studies have been undertaken to prove this thesis and this is the conclusion:.

  in the 5,000 year history of banking, banks have been thought of as “deposit taking institutions which lend money”.. 1. what is the legal reality?

  banks don’t take deposits and don’t lend money.the public is under this false impression on purpose because the language of banks is not legal language.. so--what is a “deposit”?a deposit is not actually a deposit.

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  TerryWalstrom

  sparky1 says:
  1. In your scenario, a bank is not creating money 'out of thin air'.
  Reply: Okay, let's adjust the statement a wee bit and see if it passes the smell test. How about this.
  The Bank is creating present-day trust out of tomorrow's payments "out of thin air"?
  Agree?
  ______
  2.The lender is extending and expanding credit for a tangible asset (the widget) according to the current market value of the widget.
  Reply: A Credit Card will purchase non-tangible goods and services--so, a vacation in Hawaii isn't much of an asset to seize in case of default.
  Further, if it is a housing loan like Pre-2008 standards, the actual collateral (house) is not the point (in a down market crash) as much as the pretense of low-income buyers being able to make mortgage payments. The effect is "thin-air."
  _______
  3. All assets have intrinsic monetary value is a true statement.
  Reply: "The probe of more than 40 large and midsize banks concluded that the cause of those fake accounts included "short-term sales promotions without adequate risk controls," deficient procedures and other isolated instances of "employee misconduct."

  
  

  However, as mentioned above--Credit cards don't necessarily buy valuable assets and there is a notorious over-estimation of credit-worthiness to create accounts on the part of Banks.
  Note: Wells Fargo created fake accounts to accrue bonus money.
  Conclusion? Fake accounts = thin-air. Agree?

  
  Soooo?
  Fake accounts we can call...umm...how about "thin air"? :)
  
  
  "Wells Fargo uncovers up to 1.4 million more fake accounts"
  https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/31/investing/wells-fargo-fake-accounts/index.html
  "Wells Fargo isn't the only bank with fake accounts, regulators say"
  https://www.americanbanker.com/news/not-just-wells-fargo-occ-finds-sales-practice-abuses-at-other-banks

  _________
  
  
• 
  72

  Did you know Banks create money out of thin air?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  banks create money “out of thin air.”empirical studies have been undertaken to prove this thesis and this is the conclusion:.

  in the 5,000 year history of banking, banks have been thought of as “deposit taking institutions which lend money”.. 1. what is the legal reality?

  banks don’t take deposits and don’t lend money.the public is under this false impression on purpose because the language of banks is not legal language.. so--what is a “deposit”?a deposit is not actually a deposit.

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  TerryWalstrom

  
  Example 1
  Buyer A needs a widgit today.
  Seller B wants to sell a widgit today.
  
  So far, so good!
  
  Buyer A has no money today only an hourly wage job.
  Seller B is willing to come to credit terms = A will pay later for a higher amount.
  
  A Promise to pay (IOU) temporarily substitutes for $ until the debt is satisfied.
  
  Conclusion: Buyer A spent "money" out of thin air (the promise to pay).
  Would you agree?
  ___________
  
  Example 2
  If Buyer A offered a personal check post-dated (because the money isn't there until later)
  that personal check would bounce if an effort to cash it preceded the actual date.
  The check would bounce because there is no money; only thin air.
  
  Would you agree?
  ___________
  Example 3
  Buyer A enters into a contract with Banker C for a credit card.
  The terms consist of monthly payments.
  Each month of partial payment incurs an added interest charge.
  
  As long as monthly minimums are paid, Banker C comes out ahead and Buyer A is free to purchase things "as though" tomorrow's money existed today.
  Banker C regards the terms of the agreement as assets (accounts receivable).
  
  Conclusion: (Today's spent money is "thin air' money)
  
  Would you agree?
  _________
  
  Watch what happens next...
  _______
  
  Banker C has 1000 customers just like Buyer A.
  (Banker C's Virtual assets are huge.)
  Banker C uses the total "value" of IOU promises to create loans for local business start-ups.
  (Businesses enter into credit payment plans just like Buyer A)
  
  Note: (Banker C's loan fund is based on Buyer A's virtual promises).
  
  The local economy (for whatever external reason) now has a downturn.
  1,000 customers (just like Buyer A) default on payments.
  
  The IOU "assets" are now literally thin-air and so are Virtual assets of Banker C.
  Note: (Business loans default as well in a snowball effect)
  
  Conclusion: "Thin air"substitutes for actual today money just fine--until a downturn occurs.
  Would you agree?
  ________
  
  Big Banks have big "virtual assets" which are used just like "today cash".
  The "virtual assets" are thin-air until paid.
  Agree?
  
  Conclusion: It is not a silly exaggeration or conspiracy theory to say Banks create money out of thin air. Why not? Because it is Virtual Money.
  All parties agree to view it exactly like real money
  
  Game Over (economic crash) comes when customers want real cash today and the Banks only have cash on a tomorrow basis.
  
  ______
  What is the worst part of all this?
  The Bigger the Bank (too big to fail) the bigger the bailout needed.
  
  SPOILER ALERT....wait for it...wait for it...
  The Federal Government make the bailout out of future tax money it doesn't have today!!
  
  A snake swallows its own tail.
  
  
  
  
• 
  40

  Overcoming our Evolutionary purpose in order to save mankind (A most interesting discussion)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  recently bret weinstein and richard dawkins sat down for a debate.in the following video, weinstein talks about what can be done to address an error in dawkins'selfish gene theory in terms of the new atheism's error and regarding religion as a mind virus.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm8fksjljtm&t=1096s_____and a good follow up:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr5yn2g4h54&t=904s.

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  TerryWalstrom

  
  Religion is just one of the many behaviors which enable people to adapt to the pressures and dangers of this planet as a species which has survived so far by that very strategy.
  It took me about a dozen years to get the anger out of my system. I was sold a Bill of Goods which did NOT work! I was ready to burn it all down.
  
  To mend this world we need to be--not arsons--but firemen.
  How can we persuade others the religious mindset is only a temporary strategy with a high cost in time and effort to maintain a sense of security?
  
  Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.
  Kindness, empathy, listening.
  
  Let's face the fact our world has caught a really bad case of obsession with ideology.
  So many arguments and shut-down, name calling and each side know they are right.
  Kindness, empathy, listening is perhaps a better highway.
  
  Becoming some kind of example means we have to convert ourselves first.
  Alcoholics don't reform until they hit bottom.
  Addicts are trying to ease the internal pain but the means they use is destroying them.
  Until the religious person smashes into some kind of wall, some point of no return--they have no incentive to humble themselves.
  Arguing doesn't work.
  If a person who is religious is in a family and community of happiness--why would they change?
  It is corny to say this but I believe it is true:
  BECOME THE CHANGE you want to see in this world.

  
  
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  "Murder Your Darlings" (Advice to writers given by William Faulkner)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  murder your darlings(advice to writers attributed to william faulkner).

  come in and have a seat in that chair.

  i’m georgiana.

• 

  TerryWalstrom

  MURDER YOUR DARLINGS
  (Advice to writers attributed to William Faulkner)

  Come in and have a seat in that chair.
  I’m Georgiana. I know you by your reputation as an honest reporter.
  A professional writer. I’ll give you my story.
  
  All I ask is two things.
  First, please excuse my appearance. My dark glasses hide bruises.
  Second, quote me exactly--no insinuating tone. I am a lady despite rumors.
  Now, to begin…

  For all the women murdered by my husband, I was-- am the one he saved for last.
  Saving the best for last is quite rational you’ll agree?
  It bespeaks the obvious: I, Georgiana, am the best of all the victims.
  You find that amusing? Well, I don’t.
  I’m a very practical person--but I have my pride.
  Yes, I’m prideful enough to exult in such notoriety as the one he saved for last.
  If you knew Henry as a cold-blooded monster who held women in no particular esteem whatsoever--you’d discover my point of pride on this.
  I would have been murdered except...
  I turned Henry in and he has been arrested and held for murder.
  Correction, murders.
  So many. No one would imagine just how many!

  I only agreed to sit down with one journalist.
  You are that man because I wanted the very best. You understand?
  I exclude the sensation seekers, the liars and exaggerators.
  I’d prefer you say something like this in your interview copy:
  “Georgiana’s current reputation...is the work of small minds.”

  Suspicious and low-minded reporters--present company excepted, of course--have treated me as H. H. Holmes’ accomplice.
  This is preposterous and artful invention--I was completely fooled until the police arrived and apprised me of the extraordinary events surrounding Henry’s murderous trail of deceit and serial murder.
  He got away with all those dead partners, murdered wives, the swindles and embezzlements because news travels slowly and no photos of Henry have been published. He used so many phony names, alibis and quick-witted stories--such is his hideous genius.
  I only had one thing to go on in my appraisal of him as a man. He was shy, courteous, charming and found me fascinating.

  This may be the 1890’s, but modern telegraph and newspapers do a poor job in sounding an alarm throughout these United States, small towns, backwater villages.
  There is no heads up for rich widows who are lonely and susceptible to a fast-talking son-of-a-bitch who finds them fascinating.

  You see--I...
  I managed to convince myself we somehow bonded.
  He appealed to some protective, empathic disposition within me--can you imagine?
  I see you’re thinking what a fool she is.

  I tell you this extremely embarrassing personal gossip because certain reporters--not like yourself, have written and published in their newspapers of “Georgiana’s tendencies as ...adventurous…” which, these days, implies a woman of loose morals.

  My judgment is loose on its hinges, I’ll grant you.
  My morals are intact. Look how many hapless men Henry gulled and murdered--not all simpering lady folk--grown men! He is tricky and undetectable!
  You can quote me on this.
  
  I would be more than lucky to avoid my fate unless I acted immediately to secure an escape from his plans for my destruction.
  But I delayed turning him in once I began to suspect he was an abnormally prodigious liar.
  Yet--something was interfering with my natural survival instinct.
  Most curious!
  An intelligent, well-educated person--a journalist such as yourself has probably never been completely fooled by a charismatic criminal.
  I see the smile.
  You think you’re older, wiser and superior to Georgiana--the little fool.
  I laugh at you, then.
  That’s the sort of confidence all victims possess.
  Predators toy with their intended victims. The smarter the prey--the better the game.
  He delights in personal danger--it turns up his flame of inspiration.
  If he set his cap for you--it was only a matter of time.
  Henry took you in and distracted you before you knew what hit you.
  
  Worse still--what about intuition? Gut feeling?
  The tickle on the back of your neck screams a silent warning no one can hear?
  What would you do? One moment you trust the person in the room with you--and straightaway, that little cold tingle--and it’s too late.

  While you are pondering...I’ll say one more thing. If you found yourself alone in a room with Henry and he suspected you of suspecting him-- you’d never leave that room alone and alive.
  So, Fear? Um-hm. Of course. He ate your fear for his breakfast.

  But you’d never in a million years guess the next part.
  ADMIRATION!
  Sick, twisted admiration--I’ll concede.
  What did I admire? His scathingly brilliant mind! A criminal mastermind!
  You’ll want to write this down. Go ahead...it must all be printed exactly as I say it.

  He tried to convince me to dress up in clothes like his; Derby, mustache, becoming an imposter to divert the police while he made good his escape!
  What sort of woman would do that for a serial murderer IF SHE KNEW?

  I can see you’re baffled.
  You’ve stopped writing down what I’m saying.
  You’re thinking, Georgiana is talking out of both sides of her mouth.
  Georgiana claims to not be an accomplice and yet she admired the monster who’d planned to kill her.
  Why?
  Your face is very pale, Sir.
  I once read about a writer’s club called The Inklings.
  Do you belong? Do you have inklings?
  I apologize for my dark glasses.
  There is an abnormal largeness to my eyes. More than one physician has said it may well be a tumor behind them which has the effect of disconcerting people on the first encounter.
  I wanted to curry favor with you, not put you off.

  Henry, by contrast, has weird and unsettling eyes which never gazed directly at you. No no. You catch him out of the corner of your eye staring like some hideous and hungry demon.

  I am Georgiana and I speak wide-eyed and innocently.

  I can see by your face you caught my obvious joke.
  ____
  Whom do you think is telling this story?
  I’m such a spoilsport.
  Let me remove my glasses for you.
  _______
  To the Public:
  He was the best writer I could find and now he is a former one.
  I’m completing his little essay out of respect for talent.
  The expression of surprise on his face was delightful!
  My squinty eyes drank in his terror and my thirst was quenched.
  Georgiana will have been hanged by now--in my clothes.
  A volunteer--to honor my genius and her devotion to me.

  I’ve celebrated my freedom with this blade and a river of red ink.
  Georgiana, my darling, wherever your soul may be--this sacrifice I offer in your name--my one and only love.
  I too fancy myself a writer.
  The best advice a writer has ever given rings true.

  Have you heard it?
  “Murder your darlings.”
  _____
  A short story by T.E. Walstrom