Posts by Utopian Reformist

42

Education idiot!

by FrightMare in

jw
friends

if most of you were jw's at one time, am i right in assuming that most of you are uneducated?

anyone here actually have a degree of some sort?

You are a pompous jackass of the most ridiculous and predictable sort.
Since you cannot inject JW propaganda at random according to your original desires when you joined this forum, and because you have met with scrutiny, you now seek to discredit open minded free thinking individuals.

What authority or expertise have you gained to become the inquisitor of education? List your credentials as others have in past threads, and after reviewing them, make your weak and teppid case, if you can!

Otherwise, step down from another of your three-legged soap boxes, and simply accept reality and do some investigative research of your own without jumping to conclusions and criticisms.

As far as actual education is concerned, nothing thus far reveals anything beyond high school or a junior college (definitely american) in your case.

Many here hold graduate degrees and are pursuing others. Also, I would wager that many here earned far more education after leaving the WTBS than while serving under the "theocratic thumbs" of tyranny.

I earned my bachelor's before the truth and my master's during, ONLY because I insisted on doing so and refused to look sad or dejected for missing meetings, which did not bother me in the least. I actually thrived due to lack of association. I now realize why many in the past had no problem with college and missing meetings and service.

Why settle for a miserable existence? Only a fool submits to that degree-no pun intended! The only real euphoria is constant education! GET SOME!

49

So, who REALLY were/are the "Nephilim"?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

may you all have peace!.

once again, i have received a 'writing' on my heart, which i am directed to share with any and all who will 'receive' it.. for many years, the wtbts and others have taught the "nephilim" to be the offspring of angels who had relations with the daughters of men, half-breed beings that wreaked havoc in a violent way in the earth during the days of noah, just prior to the flood.

that, dear ones... is an error... and a lie.. by the spirit of my father, the holy one of israel, jah of armies, that is in me by means of christ, i say to you that the "nephilim"... are spirit creatures, ancient beings... 'of old'... princes from the spirit realm, the 'wicked spirit forces'... that came to the earth to 'fell' earthling man in the days of noah.. these being are those that i saw standing to the left of my father's throne, shrouded in darkness, and 'egging' on the 'battle' between to the two brilliant cherubs on the ark, the 'arkangels', which i related to you previously on h20.

Utopian Reformist

I truly believe that "religion" in general, is the devil's number one weapon against humanity and against Almighty God.

It must be fun to watch from another dimension and see humans in desparation, confused, and brainwashed into fundamentalist automatons! I am sure the therapists out there get a kick out of it too!

Shelby proves it.

19

Martial arts training

by joelbear in

jw
friends

i have been considering taking some self defense training for some time and with recent events this has moved up on my priority scale.. any suggestions on which type of martial arts would be best for a complete beginner.

i have never been in a fight in my life, have always talked my way out of trouble in the past.

but think its time to prepare myself for more.. thanks.

Utopian Reformist

Hey JBEAR:

Naeblis is correct. He is pointing you in the right direction. I also believe in today's world, personal firearms deserve some consideration as well as martial arts.

Most young criminals are already carrying illegitimate weapons. Although the majority of use is against rivals and opponents, it is prudent to prepare for the eventual encounter involving firearms.

There are many styles that train one for "street fighting". The older more traditional martial arts (Karate, Kenpo, Tai-Chi; Tae-Kwon-Do, Kung-Fu) are probably not suited for today's urban environments.

Thanks to the scientific and philosophical innovations of Bruce Lee in the 60's and early 70's, many respected masters and scholars have realized the need to COMBINE the merits of multiple styles and DESIGN a self-defense/fighting system that is customized for your own personal needs; body type; genetics; fitness level; strength level; height; weight; etc.

I suggest you do some research and get some free advice. Along with any style or styles you choose, remember to include a good hearty fitness and strength program. You must be in good cardio-vascular shape to endure any length of physical combat. Also remember to consider investing in some equipment to augment your training at home, in private.

But, the most important point to remember, in order to be capable and confident enough to defend yourself, it is going to require the best methods and techniques assembled from MULTIPLE styles to create a "fighting system" for yourself. Any advice you receive that differs from this may contain a promotional or selfish angle.

If you need more help let me know!

74

Why can't we own Canadians?

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

laura schlessinger is a us radio personality who dispenses advice to.

i have tried asking, but most women take offense.. d) lev.

he violates lev.

Utopian Reformist

This is a great thread! I LOVE canadians! I visited Montreal for the first time in Spetember of 2000. I spent one week at the Marriott downtown on Rue Bonaventure and Rue St. Denis.

I could not get over the appearance of Montreal-ers. It was like being back in europe again. The faces of both men and women were so clean, unblemished, acne-free. I could not get over the physical features of the women, who in my opinion were absolutely gorgeous.

I saw so many who I considered "hollywood beauties" that it was incredible. The food was out of this world. I dined at Mediterraneo in the italian section (of course), and the main attraction advertised about this establishment was that actual canadian actors and actresses and models (I don't know their personal level of fame) provide all of the services to guests! Can you believe it?

Needless to say it was very pricey, but at that time the exchange rate was convenient, and everyone stateside knows if you want a gourmet meal, lavish surroundings and refined services, you have to spend at $300-500 on a meal. I thought the experience was well-worth it.

I also enjoyed the underground shopping mall and the outdoor carnival type entertainers that paraded around the downtown areas. My only complaint is I expected to receive a canadian gallon of gas (which I understood contained 5 quarts per gallon) and instead was shocked to see liter pricing, which was also expensive. So I was disappointed about the gasoline pricing. Everything else was SUPERB!

GO CANADA! I am off to Toronto in December.

21

My ribs hurt

by FrightMare in

jw
friends

question: why did god use adam's rib to make eve.

why not his ass, his toe, his appendix or his ear?

Utopian Reformist

The "secret" answer to the question about Adam's rib holds very little value in my personal opinion. It is an irrelevant topic that neither proves or disproves biblical authenticity, unless the origin of myths and fables is a concern.

However, in order to participate, I will offer my former opinion as an active JW, and that was early man (in whatever form you may accept) had fashioned many tools and possibly weapons from the ribs of different animals.

Therefore, the author of the Genesis account could have used knowledge about that aspect of early man's daily life during the compilation of the biblical creation story.

It is a rather convenient bone to fashion into a digging tool or handle or even some type of dagger, perhaps even a musical instrument of sorts to strike some type of drum? Who knows? One thing for sure, the verses that detail the creation of woman using the rib certainly have a "primtive or prehistoric" overtone in the underlying thoughts.

That's my two-cents.

14

Exercise--Is It For Christians?

by comment in

jw
friends

excerpted from a future issue of the watchtower:.

in modern times, great emphasis has been laid upon diet and exercise, particularly in western lands.

people are often impressed by the physiques of athletes and movie stars presented in the media.

Utopian Reformist

Since I have been an avid "weightlifter" since high-school, I will add my two pounds to this subject.

If in fact, this future article is to be published, then I can only wonder what will happen to all of the weight training equipment at Bethel and at the farm? Plenty of young brothers engage in weight training and exercise around the world in different branches.

They know this in advance, therefore I doubt the validity of the article. If it true, then it will be a serious blow to the morale, confidence and self-esteem of many young men in the borg.

My childhood idols were men like "The Immortal Steve Reeves" and "Peter Lupus" and other original pre-steroid men of iron. To me, if one accepts scripture as inspiration, then one can safely strive to improve every aspect of one's physical life without hinderance.

Gobbling up fat pills with pioneers and publishers who take two hour breaks and count the time while their arteries harden is not beneficial at all. I would rather have my strength and confidence and personal beliefs to guide me than communal support with a bunch of obese american diabetic greedy fanatical mongers!

82

Prevalence of JW Suicides - Real or Imagined?

by AMNESIAN in

jw
friends

in one or two recent threads i've seen reference to the possibility of a rising number of jw suicides being another of the organization's very dark realities about which it is vigilant in keeping concealed from its pub populace.

is there anyone reasonably informed regarding this?

is there reason to suppose the incidence ratio among jws is any higher than among any peoples/religion?

Utopian Reformist

Here are some brief suicide accounts that touched me PERSONALLY in the New England area:

I know of a young baptized sister who was an elder's daughter that committed suicide. The reason circulating through rumor control was that she had been struggling with another "inactive" young witness over the same "worldy boy". They were both in love with the same boy.

Apparently, the inactive teen won the boy's heart instead, and out of sadness, depression, despair and grief, the active teen killed herself. The inactive teen is now in her early twenties, no longer dating that boy and is a smoker and user of marijuana with a live-in boyfriend and three illegitimate children. The new boyfriend is also a drug dealer.

In another family from the same congregation, a young teen (whom I had spent time with on occasion playing sports or taking the boys out to the mall to play video games or eat pizza) hung himself in a public cemetary.

In another case, (believe it or not), my best friend (also a former prison inmate) who studied with the same conductor, committed suicide by overdosing on cocaine.

He had been using secretly over the years and throughout his prison terms. He left a recently married widow and 6 months later a son he did not see. He tried to control himself each time he was paroled from prison, but it never seemed to work out.

I know there is a fourth story, I just can't remember right now.

42

Islamic Violence not new.....

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

in response to norm norwig's usual wide brush of generalization,that sweeps in all religion as causing all the problems of the world....... a prophet finds honor at last.

by cal thomas.

syndicated columnist.

Utopian Reformist

It is amazing to me how sanctimonious fundamentalists become under scrutiny.

In order to falsely promote a so-called genuine spirit of christian love, many Americans are now embracing their domestic islamic neighbors. In a subliminal air of superiority, they seek to demonstrate the fine qualities of western christianity as it is now publicly practiced as never before, even by government officials.

This subtle movement to quietly elevate popular thinking through "God Bless America" as simple patriotism and comfort is not transparent to students of world history.

America, friend of the world, crusader of justice, defender of liberty and truth, will now rid the world of terrorist(islamic) evil!
Along with her traditional christian european allies, we will now embark on a clandestine modern-day digital and financial crusade to restrain islamic fundamentalist expanionism.

History repeats itself primarily due to the corrupt, superstitious, racial, avaristic and ravenous appetites of religious political leaders. There is no marked difference from one nation or from one particular religion to another, if humans are at the core, then the same desires and traits will surface and manifest themselves to the detriment of others.

3

You Knows Prophecies Pale Next To Mine..

by Englishman in

jw
friends

any bets on the likely score for the england v greece world cup qualifier on saturday next?.

i don't see greece being a push-over, so i'm going for england 4 - greece 2.. in fact, if you recall, when england played germany 4 weeks ago, i forecast a 4 - 2 result then.

ok i was slightly adrift, but the goal total was still 6, so i was not too far out.

Utopian Reformist

I predict England will rout the Greeks with a 3-0 victory, one of which will result from a penalty, another from a corner, and one more from outside the keeper's box.

By the end of the first half, I predict England will have dimsantled Greece's defensive strategy, or lack thereof.

The big questions are; how will the classical european football giants (Italy, England, Germany, Holland) fare in Asia next year--barring any cancellations due to WWIII?

I was disappointed with France 98 and I still believe the french "bought" their victories, especially the quarter final and semi-final matches. The victory over Brazil was definitely a sham and a scam of the worst type. Too obvious to be overlooked.

I did however enjoy England's victory over Argentina and the brilliant newcomer 17 year old *********, I couldn't remember his name, but he was electrifying!

49

So, who REALLY were/are the "Nephilim"?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

may you all have peace!.

once again, i have received a 'writing' on my heart, which i am directed to share with any and all who will 'receive' it.. for many years, the wtbts and others have taught the "nephilim" to be the offspring of angels who had relations with the daughters of men, half-breed beings that wreaked havoc in a violent way in the earth during the days of noah, just prior to the flood.

that, dear ones... is an error... and a lie.. by the spirit of my father, the holy one of israel, jah of armies, that is in me by means of christ, i say to you that the "nephilim"... are spirit creatures, ancient beings... 'of old'... princes from the spirit realm, the 'wicked spirit forces'... that came to the earth to 'fell' earthling man in the days of noah.. these being are those that i saw standing to the left of my father's throne, shrouded in darkness, and 'egging' on the 'battle' between to the two brilliant cherubs on the ark, the 'arkangels', which i related to you previously on h20.

Utopian Reformist

AGuest/Shelby:

Under intense restraint, I type the following words with the utmost sincerity and courtesy, despite the obvious pain and sacrifice involved in communicating with you after reading your "Nephilim" thesis.

If your goal is to attract attention, you have succeeded. If another goal is to irritate and annoy forum members, you have succeeded. If another goal is to spread outlandish evangelical fantasies, again you have succeeded.

Your ad hominem use of biblical hebrew terms and titles increases the level of irritation and decreases any level of interest in your attempts to evangelize. Save the born-again christian rhetoric, fantasizing, emotional acrobatics, biblical fiction, and most-of-all, the unending displays of theraputic love you desire to massage everyone with, all for yourself and for your friends.