Brilliant - love the ideas in this email.
Eden
this is from a blog, "news from me" that i read fairly regularly.
mark evanier is, among other things, a comic book writer (co-writer for "groo-the wanderer), a television writer, a great raconteur, and was a close person friend of jack kirby, one of the world's greatest comic book artists.he got an email from a jw trying to explain why they come to his door.evanier's answer is well thought out, and should explain to even the densest j-dub why people really don't like being bothered.
maybe his correspondent will take it to heart, but probably not.
Brilliant - love the ideas in this email.
Eden
what is the most obvious thing you can think of about jehovah's witnesses from the standpoint of worldwide recognition?.
wouldn't it be 2 primary things: the name jehovah and secondly, the public testimony or witnessing?.
let's begin deconstructing those two things.. first, why would christians refer to themselves by any other name than christian?.
you also ask why one can be dis-fellowshipped for taking a blood transfusion but not for taking blood fractions.
while both may affect the life of an individual, the expression "life-sustaining" in connection with blood transfusions is synonymous with the idea of taking in food for nourishment.
in this regard both whole blood and major components of it carry nutrients, oxygen, and other nourishment to the body.
at 2014 conventions (regional?
) 14,039 baptized.
outstanding for 13,871 congs!
As far as I can remember the "40.000" DF'd or DA'd was a world-wide figure, not just US. But it's a very old one.
Eden
i think we've all noticed a ton of newbe's these past months.
one part of escaping or thinking about escaping the jw's is coming to terms with what you believe now and/or what direction you are leaning towards.. here is a site that has a quick quiz that may be of some worth or just for fun.
i took it when i first signed on here and the results surprised me because it was pretty accurate.. you don't have to sign up for anything and when you finish you will get a percentage answer on 20 major belief systems.
Cofty
It has "non theist"
Eden
who told you that the world should be free from suffering?.
do you find any value in suffering?.
do you think it is possible to experience all the beauty and goodness and pleasure the world offers without also experiencing the bad?
The only time suffering is aptly qualified as "evil" is when it's unecessarily inflicted by a human upon another human. Everything else is just random chance, even something as horrific as the Tsunami of 2004.
Eden
ok here's the situation i know of.. a women was in a situation where she was forced to reveal a hidden sin and was given a private reproof for it.
before this she had an other wise clean slate.
btw the reproof was for an unrelated matter and had nothing to do with apostasy.
Elders are too busy these days to waste much time with someone they perceive as not being worth the effort. If you're a female with no family "in" and no children that can be potential bible studies, then you're a VUP - Very Unimportant Person - and they'll leave you alone, at least until some zealous CO wanting to do a shepherding visit instead of door to door witnessing will force them to take a modicum of interest in you. Be thankful for your peace.
Eden
take a look at the linked ap photograph and tell me what you think:.
- miss black u.s., miss black georgia and miss black teen .
what would the likes of al sharpton say if the hallowed event this weekend at the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama had been attended by a miss white u.s., miss white georgia and miss white teen?
It's only "racism" when it's promoted by the dominant majority. Or didn't you get the memo? Turn it around and it will be called "empowerment" of minorities [previously oppressed or whatnot]. What most people don't get - it's UNFAIR, and it's the seed of a new fashion of racism. Because racism and segregation - promoted by a minority or a majority, it's still RACISM and SEGREGATION. Better call a spade a spade. If the Rwanda (and Burundi) history since the Belgians left the territory serves as a lesson, remember that Tutsis and Hutus took turns in mass-murdering each other since 1959, all based in racial-ethnical discrimination, which shifted as the minority became power or the majority took over power. Racism and segregation are still racism and segregation, even when they are promoted by the less favored minority - because it fuels the future aspiration that, once the minority is able to grab the power, they will have their revenge.
Eden
forgive me if this has been posted already but this was in my local paper today.. http://m.recordonline.com/article/20150307/news/150309486/0/wap&template=wapart.
if you have time to read, this is an interesting article talking about watchtowers property in ulster and orange county ny and how much the properties are worth.
it also goes on to show how the tax exempt stays is hurting the communities..
Each JW tourist visiting the local shops will benefit the community by placing a tract with each shop employee... the community is happyfied!
Eden
my study on the pillars that create and support the existence of the governing body: "144,000", little flock, great crowd, and other sheep.. http://www.jwstudies.com/the_tower_of_sand.pdf.
doug.
marked for later.
Thanks, Doug, look forward to reading it.
Eden