perhaps you recall the instance in the bible where samson made a wager with the philistines that they couldnt guess his riddle.
as it turned out they wheedled the answer out of him by his fiancee, but the point is that they had a wager.
since the underlying assumption of the apostasy is that we are not living in the last days of this system of things, and that this world is not facing anything remotely like the biblical apocalypse, at least not any time soon, in the spirit of such antagonism, i would like to propose a similar wager.
You Know,
November already? No, just joking, good to see you back.
Sorry I can't take you up on the wager offer but I only bet on racehorses. (Alteiro will win.)
But YK, come on. You know we all want to hear your latest slant on the events that tragically happened so close to Brooklyn last week and the consequences for all of us please.
Uncanny
'infinite justice'.. that's quite a title for a crusade against terrorism.. i would have thought that only a god has the power to administer infinite justice.. so i kinda wish president george w. bush would make up his mind about being either a texan cowboy sherriff - 'dead or alive'- or a god.. i also hope military action taken against people living in afghanistan - if it comes to that - will be ordered by the united nations and not just the pentagon.
.
we are all in this crisis together now.. uncanny
'Infinite Justice'.
That's quite a title for a crusade against terrorism.
I would have thought that only a God has the power to administer infinite justice.
So I kinda wish President George W. Bush would make up his mind about being either a Texan cowboy sherriff - 'Dead or Alive'- or a God.
I also hope military action taken against people living in Afghanistan - if it comes to that - will be ordered by the United Nations and not just the Pentagon.
We are all in this crisis together now.
Uncanny
well they have finally done it.
they finally took our towers down.. the towers that i used to visit so much as a kid and adult.
my twin towers.. i was mobilized yesterday as part of the nypd as the city went into it's highest security alert.
Patriot,
I want to commend your willingness to help New York City, your city in need. You and your colleagues in NYPD and other Emergency Departments have my great admiration and moral support for your efforts to try and find some more life among the ruins.
RIP
And to all the members of the families of the heroes and heroines from the Fire Departments and the Police Deprtments who never made it out, my sincerest sympathy and condolences.
I personally don't think this is the time to argue about religion.
The World Trade Towers tragedy is being called "the largest single disaster in the history of mankind." Not religion. It's a shame how religion - true, false or indifferent - and racism are still the core reasons why this planet remains unable to live united.
Where was our God last night?
Uncanny
i have just tv-watched two very famous and very rich fleshly sisters, venus and serena williams, play out the final of the 2001 us open tennis championship for women.. venus, the older girl, won the match as expected after two regulation, rather ho hum sets of 'grand slam' tennis.
(maybe their dad had already done a deal with them on who was going to be the winner today.
) anyway, the big new york crowd seemed to get their money's worth, more maybe from the novelty value of sibling rivalry rather than high standard court play.
Rational Witness
Apologies from me. Not being a US citizen myself, and living Down Under, I got the Star Spangled Banner mixed up with God Bless America.
(Should have given it more thought. Irving Berlin wrote this morning's "anthem" from the tennis, I believe.) So you are right again no national "anthem" was broadcast. But have you ever heard the legal term 'to lead by intent'?
Your comment made me think that maybe the Williams girls cut a deal with the US Open to not have the authentic "änthem" played and all US flags kept on the far side of the net. They've got the power, baby.
COMF
Quite, right, too. It's great to see "a loosening of the rigid standards" and the girls being "quite public about what they are doing." But surely you are over defending Sr Venus and Sr Serena a little too much by not seeing "hypocrisy on the part of the girls."
Being an out of touch apostate worldling again, maybe I have missed out on the new light instruction that would condone brothers and sisters pursuit of fame and fortune as a sports professional. If that's the case, Serena and Venus will always have a busy teaching career ahead of them, working on the serve and volley games of so many JW kids on the same trail.
Show Me The Money! Indeed.
Uncanny
i have just tv-watched two very famous and very rich fleshly sisters, venus and serena williams, play out the final of the 2001 us open tennis championship for women.. venus, the older girl, won the match as expected after two regulation, rather ho hum sets of 'grand slam' tennis.
(maybe their dad had already done a deal with them on who was going to be the winner today.
) anyway, the big new york crowd seemed to get their money's worth, more maybe from the novelty value of sibling rivalry rather than high standard court play.
I have just TV-watched two very famous and very rich fleshly sisters, Venus and Serena Williams, play out the final of the 2001 US Open Tennis Championship for Women.
Venus, the older girl, won the match as expected after two regulation, rather ho hum sets of 'Grand Slam' tennis. (Maybe their Dad had already done a deal with them on who was going to be the winner today.) Anyway, the big New York crowd seemed to get their money's worth, more maybe from the novelty value of sibling rivalry rather than high standard court play. And between them, the two girls - apparently both dedicated and baptised Jehovah's Witnesses - won around $US 1.5 million dollars in prizemoney as their JW mom looked on with much pride and pleasure from the grandstand.
As JW 'sisters', the double standards shown by both Williams girls - and indeed, their religion, the Watchtower Society - for even participating in such professional sports events has been well documented on JW Internet sites over the past couple of years. Such eye winking hypocrisy makes a sham of the Society's long held policy of shunning such feircely competitive pursuits of the flesh; having their henchmen elders virtually ban young rank and file JWs from even competing in inter school sports carnivals, let alone professional tournaments.
But if Venus and Serena want to fight out the US Tennis final in between behaving like Beverly Hills pop stars, then that's all right. Why is tbat so? Could it be that maye a nice percentage of today's gigantic cash pay out will end up in the coffers at Brooklyn? Perhaps.
I know one thing is for sure though; my sympathy goes out to all sports minded Jehovah's Witnesses who once again must be shaking their heads with confusion how there seems to be one law for the Society's rich and famous and another law for them.
It was interesting to watch the post match presentation, framed as it was from behind the net by a multitude of American flags flying brightly in the breeze. So much for anti-nationalism and not giving recognition - doing obeisance? - to the modern day kings of the world. (At least Venus didn't wrap herself in Old Glory at the end.)
The only thing missing for me today to complete this shameless display of fakery and token worship was having Diana Ross sing the National Anthem prior to the match being played out. What a kicker it would have been to have the artist formerly known as Prince - now a budding JW himself - doing the honours all around. Maybe next year.
Uncanny
on tuesday, august 4, 2001 at 3:42.a.m.
mst, duane floyd checketts, 77 died in his sleep due to complications from pneumonia.
he is survived by his wife bette and two children, douglas checketts, patty smith, and 8 grandchildren.. duane, who was fondly called duke by everyone who knew him was born in farmington, utah on march 8, 1924. his father floyd, was one of 10 children raised in a tiny house built by his own mormon father who immigrated in the early 1860's from birmingham, england.
Farkel,
My sincere condolences to you and other family members for the death of your father.
Thank you for sharing your frank, but heartfelt eulogy with us.
Unlike others, including myself, you have enjoyed many decades of being the son to a father who was obviously a generous and upright man.
Treasure the memories and keep playing his song.
Uncanny
hi folks!.
the ones who didn't see the august km 2001 can read it here:.
http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?site=wo&date=20010826&category=secretbooks&artno=10826004&ref=ar.
Yes, thank you, Kent, for posting the August KM here. I would like this feature to keep happening, if you feel motivated enough, or when time is available. It's amazing how a glimpse of one's past can vindicate so strongly one's decision to start a new life away from Jehovah's Witnesses.
As this was the first Kingdom Ministry I have seen since outting myself 18 months ago, it struck me immediately how nothing's changed.
I suppose it never does with the poor ole Watchtower $ociety and its hamstrung followers. There was the usual hammering for disciples to keep doing more 'in Jehovah's service'. And another tired old nag about showing manners and wiping your shoes before entering the book study. Life is so hard and complicated in JWdom, isn't it?
That piece about managing 'leisure pursuits properly' would have been an interesting sit-in for the first week in August. Just watching the ridiculous, half-cooked role playing that goes on within these 'demonstrations' used to alwaysd secretly amuse me. I used to passively enjoy the way an elder used to 'lovingly' inquire of the deliquent Witness couple why they are not making all the meetings and/or getting out in Field Service enough
"You've been too busy with summer activities": no doubt, enjoying yourselves too much. But there hasn't been much summer down here in the Southern Hemisphere these past few months of winter. Oh well, I guess time zone fluctuations gives those Bethel boys in Sydney something to do in the "writing dept" by having to doctor the seasons to suit the location.
Why don't they publish some real news for a change?
Uncanny
what song do you want playing at your funeral?.
i'll be having "going underground" by the jam.
i was too far out... and not waving but drowning - stevie smith
'So Many Stars' by Tony Bennett.
Uncanny
today i noticed on television via 'entertainment tonight' how that supposed, self-proclaiming jehovah's witness 'sister' and top rating professional tennis player, venus williams, is back in the news again.. this time she was shown cuddling up to her italian bodyguard.
she had quite a loving expression on her face, while he had a glint in his eyes which seemed to say he'd like to do more things with venus' well toned body than just protect it from intruders or perceived danger.. last year, i posted on h 20 how appalled i was on viewing sr venus running around courtside with an american flag after she won wimbledon in england.
then there were those stationary tv close-ups while she stood reverently at attention as they played the u.s. national anthem.. my gripe in all this blatant display of double standards not so much concerns ms. williams' antics, but rather how they continue to be tolerated by her religion's governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
Today I noticed on Television via 'Entertainment Tonight' how that supposed, self-proclaiming Jehovah's Witness 'sister' and top rating professional tennis player, Venus Williams, is back in the news again.
This time she was shown cuddling up to her Italian bodyguard. She had quite a loving expression on her face, while he had a glint in his eyes which seemed to say he'd like to do more things with Venus' well toned body than just protect it from intruders or perceived danger.
Last year, I posted on H 20 how appalled I was on viewing Sr Venus running around courtside with an American flag after she won Wimbledon in England. Then there were those stationary TV close-ups while she stood reverently at attention as they played the U.S. national anthem.
My gripe in all this blatant display of double standards not so much concerns Ms. Williams' antics, but rather how they continue to be tolerated by her religion's Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yet again, these out of touch old fogeys continue to prove how there is one law for their rich and famous members, and another for rank and file JayDubs. Or do the powers that be continue to look the other way as long as the Williams girls keep pumping some of their multi-million dollar earnings into the bulging coffers at Brooklyn?
The real tragedy here concerns those faithful JW youngsters who still toe the line - often under much sufferance - to this incredibly outdated form of a Christian religion. Just think of all the potential sport champions who never were, simply because they were denied even their basic rights for participation in so called competitive sports at school. Once again, I offer my sympathy for how let down, ripped off and disappointed many Witness kids must feel in seeing this latest example of a baptised Witness living a life which is in direct contradiction to what they have been taught.
And yet, I refuse to condemn Venus Williams for such playful actions which are considered highly normal out here in the real world. But what next, Venus? A drug bust? Or maybe you'll be seen dining with Prince William next year at Wimbledon. (I hope so.)
No, Venus Williams is not the new whore of Babylon.
It is this world's number one instrument of Christian hypocrisy - the Watchtower Society itself - which continues to commit fornication in the Holy Place.
Bring on Dateline, NBC. As soon as possible.
Uncanny
just got some great news over the television via the excellent australian current affairs gig 'foreign correspondent' - wouldn't ya know it's not a commercial channel.
the word is out that there is so much litigation being fired at the wishy washy bs old religion i unfortunately got born into, the anglican church, they are going broke directly in canada - now.. one down and one to go indeed.
so it's time for 'dateline'!.
Just got some great news over the Television via the excellent Australian current affairs gig 'Foreign Correspondent' - wouldn't ya know it's not a commercial channel. The word is out that there is so much litigation being fired at the wishy washy BS old religion I unfortunately got born into, the Anglican Church, they are going broke directly in Canada - NOW.
One down and one to go indeed. So it's time for 'Dateline'!
After 19 years of Júbdom via Brooklyn thankfully now lived out, it got me thinking that what's to stop damaged, 'silent lambs witnesses' from sueing the grand ole Watchtower Society to death as well? Not only in Canada, USA, Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, but in Australia, Africa, Europe, Russia, Asia and Oceania; Now there would be a reason to yell Hallelujah!
Uncanny
