Utopian Reformist

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Posts by Utopian Reformist

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  50

  Ten Commandments in Courthouse

  by rem in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh, yeah, your god's law... as if your religion and god is the only one out there.

  good advice, but it's pretty obvious.

  10. you shall not covet your neighbor's house; you .

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  Utopian Reformist

  In my personal opinion, all references to a deity should be removed from government buildings, publications, currency, etc.
  
  The purpose of the government is purely administrative. But, if we are going to be forced to fund the idea of religion, then equal representation of all concepts of God, or none at all.
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  43

  I passed my exam ! (... but 4 more to go)

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm now officially certifiable ... erm, i mean certified having passed my first exam:.

  070-315 developing and implementing web applications with microsoft visual c# .net and microsoft visual studio .net.

  i now have 2 more to do to get mcad status (ms certified application developer) and 4 more for mcsd (ms certified soution developer).

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  Utopian Reformist

  Wow REM!
  
  CCIE is like having a pass to the IT Valhalla! Sorry you didn't make it this time. I know that having instructors destroy a lab network and then having a short time to find the errors and make repairs must be extremely difficult.
  
  CCNA was pretty easy since most of it was a review. But, I would need a year off to be satisfied in my pursuit of a CCIE.
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  11

  The Enormity of It All

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  occasionally the enormity of it all just comes flooding back in on me.

  at times it just seems so overwhelming.

  at times it seems so incredibly fantastic so as to be unbelievable.

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  Utopian Reformist

  I was secretly relieved to find out the truth. I felt a great burden that I always secretly resented in the deepest parts of me was finally removed once and for all.
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  28

  "Sins of Sodom" What were they guilty of?

  by Frank75 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am new to posting here and thought i would get the ball rolling with .

  a new thread.

  lamentations 4:6 says the following (nwt):.

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  Utopian Reformist

  I will visit your site and read the texts again for clarity. But, I am skeptical. Basically, I have found that scripture is so pliable and ambiguous that almost anything can be justified.
  
  I don't think scripture is the best source to answer my questions. I will consult it again slowly and in a new light.
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  28

  "Sins of Sodom" What were they guilty of?

  by Frank75 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am new to posting here and thought i would get the ball rolling with .

  a new thread.

  lamentations 4:6 says the following (nwt):.

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  Utopian Reformist

  How would some of you respond to Romans Chapter 1 where Paul mentions the male and female leaving the natural use of one another for one contrary to nature, male with male receving full recompense for their error?
  
  Many fundamentalists deploy these texts to oppose tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality. These texts do make the writer's position clear. Other texts may leave room for speculation, but this chapter appears decisively postured against alternative sexual practices.
  
  I need more information from sources other than scripture to draw temporary conclusions on this matter.
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  3

  Hello to some 'oldies' but goodies!

  by LDH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ur, how are you?!?!

  nice to see you hanging around again, drop me an email about the election results, k?.

  and i'm so happy to have mav back on board.

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  Utopian Reformist

  Lisa:
  
  I have a million things to talk to you about since the last time we chatted. My new e-mail address is:
  
  [email protected]
  
  I am excited to be back in circulation.
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  43

  I passed my exam ! (... but 4 more to go)

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm now officially certifiable ... erm, i mean certified having passed my first exam:.

  070-315 developing and implementing web applications with microsoft visual c# .net and microsoft visual studio .net.

  i now have 2 more to do to get mcad status (ms certified application developer) and 4 more for mcsd (ms certified soution developer).

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  Utopian Reformist

  Simon will tell you that these certifications can become very expensive. Between classroom costs, materials and exams, you could feasibly spend 20% of the "high tech" salary on the process of re-training.
  
  I have joined computer book clubs to save 20% - 30% in costs. I have purchased classroom training vouchers. I have shared/borrowed materials when necessary to complete exam requirements. It can easily turn into an 800 pound gorilla.
  
  The vendors in the industry are always competing and trying to diversify their technology with an air of exclusivity. Sometimes, it is like a club of overgrown boy scouts touting badges and medals for attention, approval and assignments.
  
  It's funny, I used to hate that about the Marine Corps. I hated it in the Borg, and now once again, I need acronyms and initials to flaunt credentials, or I have no credibility.
  
  It never ends. It is a lot of fun in the beginning, but years later the pressure to upgrade and maintain the initials can be relentless. I receive a free subscription to Certification Magazine every month, and last month's issue featured a man who is applying to the Guiness Book of Records for having the most current IT certifications. He had 43 of them, mostly Compaq, HP and Microsoft. But he did have a few Cisco, Novell, and RedHat. I don't know how he is able to keep all of those programs up to date.
  
  At the rate that materials and exams change, it is frustrating when you spend a few hundred dollars on training materials, and then the vendor makes impromptu changes.
  
  I purchased the entire library from TestOut to update my MCSE, A+, Net+ and a few others. I am supposed to receive the WIN2003 MCSE free of charge in November. We'll see how it goes.
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  18

  Younger generation lnot reaching out and quitting the truth

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was recently reading some old posts, when i came acoss one of maximus' posts about children leaving the truth.. link is here for anyone who wants to read it... http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/10417/1.ashx .

  it has been roughly two years since the last post on this.

  any ideas as to the percentage of children/young adults leaving?

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  Utopian Reformist

  I find any evidence of any trend which reveals a decrease in any of the WTBS's activities to be a very positive sign!
  
  I hope the trends continue and accelerate as much as possible. I also hope these trends spread to all mainstream religions, especially the judeo-christians.
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  151

  Christianity promotes a helpless victim mentality...

  by logansrun in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i'm going to be a man of few words here.

  christianity, in it's truest, fundamentalist form, promotes an unhealthy and non-productive victim mentality.

  the christian feels helpless on his own -- condemned by sin and absolutely unworthy.

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  Utopian Reformist

  Personally, there is just as much evidence that the "periods and movements of enlightenment" were born out of oppression from Christianity.
  
  More progress has been made when individuals have bravely questioned religion and searched for truth elsewhere. Had Columbus obeyed church doctrine he would not have made his voyages. For that matter, the list of adventurous explorers, thinkers, artists, and others who propelled humanity forward is long, and the common thread is they all rebelled against closed religious thinking.
  
  Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and on and on and on....
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  17

  Minumus YOU DA MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  by JT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  woo-hoo a phone number.

  .can i call you too jt .

  anytime - smile.

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  Utopian Reformist

  Good point JT!
  
  I too have returned to review some older posts I made in haste and while I was still "under the influence". I am very thankful to all of the researchers, writers and opponents whose information was made available to us so that WE could lear to think for OURSELVES and rescue ourselves without having to lean on anyone but courage.
  
  I thank Ray Franz, Simon, AlanF, Maximus, AF, Hillary_Step, Amazing, LDH, JDubLA, Kent, JanH, and so many others that I can't remember them all. They are quiet unsung heroes who have no idea how much their work is still helping people every day!