the speaker said tonight (yes i went to the memorial to appease my worried family .
well he said its very simple....the scripture talks about the lamb and the 144,000. it doesn't say lambs as in more than one....no, it says lamb referring to the "literal number of one lamb".. so thats how we know that the 144,000 is a literal number and not symbolic like all the rest of revelation.. ok....now am i going bonkers...or has anyone else every heard that explanation before?
i know i never have and that doesn't make any sense to me at all.. had enough
Well he said its very simple....the scripture talks about the Lamb and the 144,000. It doesn't say Lambs as in more than one....No, it says Lamb referring to the "literal number of one Lamb".
Hence, the 144,000 is a literal number!
That is a reason?
The audience should be insulted to have to listen to stuff like this!
--VM44
i know a lot of folks are like me and probably had to get their education mostly from experience due to the watchtower's stand on education.
i wanted to share some things i found which were helpful to me, and might also be to others thinking of going back.
this all refers to distance education, as i travel a great deal and don't have time to go to a regular college.. excelsior college (run by the new york board of regents), has a special system set up where you can "credit bank" previous experience, credits taken from other colleges, corporate training, etc towards a degree.
Non-resident Bachelor of Science in 10 months for $2,665
More than 400,000 copies of Bears' Guide have been sold, and we do get a lot of mail, but rarely a communication as thorough and as gratifying (and helpful) as that received from Roger Habeck, a 58-year-old high school drop-out,
self-employed all his life, describing how he went about earning his degree. Some people have written articles and books and do workshops based on the theme of earning a degree in four months. That is, I think, a bit
disingenuous. But Roger's approach is one that really is accessible to many people:
"In 1997, I bought John's book, posted a few questions to the alt.education.distance news group, sent John Bear several emails and decided that I would see how I could do by testing out a degree. I signed up with a
local college to take two CLEP general exams. I took Humanities and Soc. Sciences and history in October of 1997. I did not study for them although I did buy the CLEP study guide. After considering Regents, Thomas Edison, and
Charter Oak, I chose the latter, really liking their attitude and helpfulness in advising me exactly what tests to take and which order to take them in so one would not "step" on the other. This was before I matriculated
as they required that I have 30 credits to enroll.I took two more 6 credit CLEPs in November of 1997, Accounting and Humanities. At this point I started looking into Dantes exams and started scouting out
GRE Subject exams. I found out that I had missed the GRE dates for 1997 and I would have to drive over 100 miles to take Dantes exams and I would only be allowed to take one at a time and then only 6 times per year. Bummer.I found another college 40 miles away that would let me take CLEPS at my convenience, Rock n' roll. January 98 two more CLEPS (Intro. Business law, Principals of Marketing). Piece of cake, only study so far
flip through a standard text and refresh on words and phrases.February slump, no tests, can't figure out how to get DANTES exams and can't get straight answer on signing up for GRE subject exams, local
college blowing smoke. Shazam !! Good friend is president of local Jr. college, he says if I get the information he will have their testing center apply to administer DANTES exams. I call ETS, they tell me what to do. I pass
information on to Jr. College. Nothing happens.March 1998, energized again. Took 4 CLEPs: two at local college, two at 40 mile-away school (American Lit, English Lit., Intro Microeconomics, Intro
Macroeconomics); almost fried my brain. Found out that GRE will be administered in April and I am too late. Asked for stand by status and sent more money.April - Enrolled at Charter Oak, Took GRE History,
almost did me in. Got word Jr College set up for DANTES, OK !!May - First two DANTES Exams (Intro to Business, Money and Banking) different, no time limit, otherwise about as hard as CLEPS. Much close
coaching from Charter Oak, order is critical on some of these tests. If I take the hard one first the easy one won't count.June - Test month from Hell: 2 CLEPS (Info systems/computer apps, English Comp.
w/Essay) 2 DANTES (Organizational Behavior, Pers/Hum Resource Management) 15 credits total. Got grade on GRE, 18 more credits. Smokin!July- I had so much misery taking four in June I took four again
in July: 2 CLEPS (Analysis Interp of Lit, American Government), 2 DANTES (Intro. to Modern Middle East, Intro. to World Religions). Getting close, running out of tests, much discussion with Charter Oak, the GRE was great but killed
a bunch of possible tests. Final plan approved.August- Junk and weirdness plus I am getting pretty weird too. 2 CLEPS (Principals of Management, intro Psych) 2 DANTES (Here's to your health?, Criminal
Justice). Only one to go. I need to take the Charter Oak Statistics test to meet my math requirement. Sent for test, found out I needed Proctor, worked out arrangement with local librarian, No Charge. Sent for test again.September - Test arrives, I take it and send it back. 123 credits If I passed everything. Got word that my concentration proposal was accepted and my essay was OK. Good thing since I am
finished. Totals: 16 CLEPs, 9 DANTES, 1 GRE subject (History), 1COSC Statistics. 13 of the DANTES CLEPs were awarded letter grades by Charter Oak 10 A's 3 B's the rest are Pass, Fail. 7 CLEPs were worth 6 credits
each, the rest and all the Dantes were worth 3. The GRE was worth 18, I got a 540 for 72 percentile. the COSC Statistics was worth 6.I took the tests much too fast to study for them, I am not sure how
you would even begin to study for some of the General Exams like English literature, I mean where would you start? I ran into a bizarre snarl on the English composition with essay because of a minor physical disability. Thanks to
Charter Oak it worked out fine: the BS in ten months for well under three thousand bucks.About me, I am a high school dropout, I was pitched out of one college and flunked out of another. I am 58 and have
been self employed all my life. I am currently a publisher and journalist. I am looking into several Masters programs, including the new one at Regents. I am preparing myself for my post retirement career - I intend to teach."
You can email Roger at EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED.
http://web.archive.org/web/20001006211148/www.degree.net/news2.html
about twice a year, the kingdom ministry features an announcement about registering with the us selective service system.. in the march km, the announcement reads like this.... u.s. selective service regulations require that all men register at the post office within 30 days after reaching 18 years of age.
a male noncitizen under the age of 26 who takes up residency in the united states must also register with the selective service within 30 days of becoming a resident.
from the time he registers until the year he turns 26, a brother must notify selective service of any change of address within ten days of the change.
Again I am going to quote:
About twice a year, the Kingdom Ministry features an announcement about registering with the US Selective Service system
There is only one reason I can think of for this, LEGAL PROTECTION for the Watchtower!
The Watchtower lawyers are concerned about the actions of the individual JW. So, if a JW decides not to register with Selective Service because it goes against his "Bible Trained" conscience, the WATCHTOWER wants to make sure that there 100% NO DOUBT they did not encouraged that decision!
The WT defence would be "See, we publish TWICE a year that brothers have a responsibility to register with Selective Service!, The decision not to register is the individual's alone, we had nothing to do with it!"
The reason for the obsessive KM announcements to register with Selective Service is as simple as that!
--VM44
P.S. I would guess that at some time in the past, a legal confrontation occurred between the Selective Service, and someone who refused to register, into which the Watchtower became involved. Something like that WOULD result in the WT constantly reminding brothers to register!
Maybe someone could check the KMs on the WT-CD-ROM Library to see when the emphasis on registration started.
about twice a year, the kingdom ministry features an announcement about registering with the us selective service system.. in the march km, the announcement reads like this.... u.s. selective service regulations require that all men register at the post office within 30 days after reaching 18 years of age.
a male noncitizen under the age of 26 who takes up residency in the united states must also register with the selective service within 30 days of becoming a resident.
from the time he registers until the year he turns 26, a brother must notify selective service of any change of address within ten days of the change.
About twice a year, the Kingdom Ministry features an announcement about registering with the US Selective Service system
Why does the Watchtower think it is their responsibility to continually remind young brothers about Selective Service registration? Once in a while OK, but TWICE a year? AND, making sure the elders also get involved as well?
The WT appears to have obsession with this law!
Is the Watchtower working for the US Selelective Service system? Obeying some directive?
There are many laws to obey in the US, why is the WT so sensitive about this one?
--VM44
.
bidding closes at 17:57 pst on april 1, 2004.. pay attention book on e-bay.
love, scully
Hi Quotes,
Good thing I have the scanned, OCR'ed, PDF version.
I want to get a pdf version of the book, but I only have found HTML versions of it on the web.
--VM44
.
does anyone know of some free graphing or plotting software that one can download?
one use would be to make some plots of earthquake activity from the year 1914.. --vm44
Does anyone know of some free graphing or plotting software that one can download?
One use would be to make some plots of earthquake activity from the year 1914.
--VM44
does anyone know why charles rusell put the "winged egyptian sun disc" symbol on the covers of his studies in the scriptures?.
particularly, did russell ever explain in writing the reason for his using it?.
this is a good article, but does not indicate if russell wrote anything in print specifically about the symbol's use on the book covers.. http://www.premier1.net/~raines/disc.html
Nathan wrote:
"If anyone here knows the answer to that, it would be RR..."
Well, RR had posted a resonse to Celtic in the thread, Divine Plan of the Ages - Sundisk? - CT Russell Roessel???
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/64393/1.ashx
In that thread, RR wrote:
As to the wingsun symbol. Russell stated that it reminded him of the scriptures in proverbs shich describes Jesus as the "sun with healing in his wings."
What I would like to know is where Russell made that statement.
--VM44
P.S. I want to add this. Found the scripture, it is:
... the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. -- Malachi 4:2 (NKJ)
does anyone know why charles rusell put the "winged egyptian sun disc" symbol on the covers of his studies in the scriptures?.
particularly, did russell ever explain in writing the reason for his using it?.
this is a good article, but does not indicate if russell wrote anything in print specifically about the symbol's use on the book covers.. http://www.premier1.net/~raines/disc.html
Does anyone know why Charles Rusell put the "Winged Egyptian Sun Disc" symbol on the covers of his Studies in the Scriptures?
Particularly, did Russell ever explain in writing the reason for his using it?
This is something I would really like to know.
--VM44
P.S. This is a good article, but does not indicate if Russell wrote anything in print specifically about the symbol's use on the book covers.
remember the tacoma dome parking scandal?.
it was reported a few years ago that the wt would charge witnesses for parking at the tacoma dome even though the contract with the dome stated that no parking charges were to be made.
of course the people in the kingdom halls were not told that, only reminded to be sure to pay for their parking!.
Two links about the parking scam found using Google:
"No Free Parking for Jehovah's Witnesses"
http://www.pfo.org/freepark.htm
"Stealing The Collection Plate", the newspaper article revealing the scam
http://www.watchtowernews.org/tacomapark.htm
--VM44
remember the tacoma dome parking scandal?.
it was reported a few years ago that the wt would charge witnesses for parking at the tacoma dome even though the contract with the dome stated that no parking charges were to be made.
of course the people in the kingdom halls were not told that, only reminded to be sure to pay for their parking!.
Remember the Tacoma Dome Parking Scandal?
It was reported a few years ago that the WT would charge witnesses for parking at the Tacoma Dome even though the contract with the Dome stated that no parking charges were to be made. Of course the people in the Kingdom Halls were not told that, only reminded to be sure to pay for their Parking!
A local paper exposed the whole thing.
This deception shows that the WT really does not think much of its people!
Did anything come from this scandal? I hope it is not another in a long line of incidents that will be swepted under the rug!
--VM44
P.S. I believe the person DF'd over this is the Dad of a poster to JWD!
From http://www.macgregorministries.org/nvweb/oct00.html
Tacoma Parking Scandal
Tacoma citizens found out the Jehovah's Witnesses were ripping them off for parking fees.
Apparently, the Watchtower Society's contract with Tacoma Dome specifically states that the Watchtower Society cannot charge for parking. Not only were Jehovah's Witnesses told at their assembly halls that to not pay a parking "contribution" would be a sin, they went on to make a "per-day suggested parking contribution". A ticket could be acquired in advance for all three days. Pardon?? A ticket for a voluntary contribution? What gives?
Parking volunteers were given a letter which stated in part, "...Parking Department attendants should be on hand in full force when the lots open each morning. Otherwise delegates park and do not contribute, which is unfair to those who come later and make a contribution".
With over 10,000 attending, the Watchtower Society collects over $120,000 in "donations" from parking. This is all money that would have gone into the local economy had the parking been handled by the City as usual. Score one for the dishonest WT Society who once again skimmed off money on their phony "donation" scheme and didn't pay one cent in tax! When will the governments wise up to them? The JW whose conscience prompted him to question this dishonest practice has been disfellowshipped and his family will no longer speak to him.
A Watchtower devotee who gave 50% of his stock to the WT Society put them in the embarrassing position of partly owing a "Bomb" parts Factory! Greedy is as greedy does! The WT Society is really all about money! Bye for now,
