Oubliette

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Posts by Oubliette

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  32

  Assembly Assessment increased 300%

  by James Jack in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while at the assembly, when reading the financial statement, i noticed our expenses went from $2500 to almost $9500 so i questioned an elder and said that the assessment per publisher is at $10.50 for all in the us branch territory.. he added this helps the society know how much is coming in and helps them plan out future projects!.

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  Oubliette

  
  
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  20

  1st time in 30 years no one Baptized at our Assembly

  by James Jack in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  at our assembly in alabama, no one got baptized, even though we added 3 congregations to our side in the circuit.

  just looked at my wife and said wow.. yet ironically, the regular pioneer ranks have increased 45% in the last 5 years!.

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  Oubliette

  It happened her in SoCal a few years back. It was one of the last assemblies I attended before leaving. I remember quite a few of the R&F had a really hard time processing this embarrassing fact.

  Fortunately for them, cognitive dissonance kicked in and helped them keep their faith intact.
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  41

  Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

  by Oubliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

  was it designed?

  the inverted retina.

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  Oubliette

  Sir82, Bingo! Give the man a prize.
  
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  41

  Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

  by Oubliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

  was it designed?

  the inverted retina.

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  Oubliette

  Londo, it's the same guy. Check out his biography.

  Blondie, it's the Awake! of January 2011, p. 15. You could have clicked on the link.
  
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  41

  Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

  by Oubliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

  was it designed?

  the inverted retina.

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  Oubliette

  konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread:

  Was It Designed? The Inverted Retina
  

  What I thought was curiously odd was that the WTBTS quoted a notable ex-JW and apostate, Jerry Bergman!
  

  “If the pigment epithelium tissue were placed in front of the retina, sight would be seriously compromised,” wrote biologist Jerry Bergman and ophthalmologist Joseph Calkins. - Awake!, January 2011, p. 15
  

  Paul Grundy writes about Bergman on his JWFacts page about mental illness

  The following excerpts are summarized quotes from PARADISE POSTPONED ... AND POSTPONED: Why Jehovah's Witnesses Have a High Mental Illness Level. Jerry Bergman has researched and written extensively about Jehovah's Witnesses. As a former Witness his findings may be considered biased, however the reasoning he provides merits consideration.

  Strange! No?

  Why would they do that?

  (You can read Bergman's biography by clicking on the hyperlink on his name in the Awake! quote).
  
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  13

  Our Eyes Are Wired Backwards For a Good Reason

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  it is often said that our retinas are are an example of sub-optimal design.. a few years ago i was intrigued by a passing comment in one of nick lane's to the effect that this is not a good argument but he didn't go into much detail.. researchers at leipzig have revealed the role of glial cells in transmitting light from the surface of the retina to the cones, acting like fiber-optic cables.. erex ribak has built a model of the eye and demonstrated some fascinating details.... so, the question is - does this reflect good "design" or a retro-fitted repair like the hubble telescope's glasses?.

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  Oubliette

  konceptual99: A rare example of where the magazines have presented a direct rebuttal of an evolutionary scientific argument.

  In the konceptual99 referenced, the WTBTS quoted a notable apostate, Jerry Bergman!
  

  “If the pigment epithelium tissue were placed in front of the retina, sight would be seriously compromised,” wrote biologist Jerry Bergman and ophthalmologist Joseph Calkins."

  Paul Grundy writes about Bergman on his JWFacts page about mental illness

  The following excerpts are summarized quotes from PARADISE POSTPONED...AND POSTPONED: Why Jehovah's Witnesses Have a High Mental Illness Level. Jerry Bergman has researched and written extensively about Jehovah's Witnesses. As a former Witness his findings may be considered biased, however the reasoning he provides merits consideration.

  Strange! No?
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  13

  Our Eyes Are Wired Backwards For a Good Reason

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  it is often said that our retinas are are an example of sub-optimal design.. a few years ago i was intrigued by a passing comment in one of nick lane's to the effect that this is not a good argument but he didn't go into much detail.. researchers at leipzig have revealed the role of glial cells in transmitting light from the surface of the retina to the cones, acting like fiber-optic cables.. erex ribak has built a model of the eye and demonstrated some fascinating details.... so, the question is - does this reflect good "design" or a retro-fitted repair like the hubble telescope's glasses?.

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  Oubliette

  Cofty: So, the question is - does this reflect good "design" or a retro-fitted repair like the Hubble Telescope's glasses?

  In either instance, intelligence was involved.

  Interesting article, thanks for sharing!
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  13

  Our Eyes Are Wired Backwards For a Good Reason

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  it is often said that our retinas are are an example of sub-optimal design.. a few years ago i was intrigued by a passing comment in one of nick lane's to the effect that this is not a good argument but he didn't go into much detail.. researchers at leipzig have revealed the role of glial cells in transmitting light from the surface of the retina to the cones, acting like fiber-optic cables.. erex ribak has built a model of the eye and demonstrated some fascinating details.... so, the question is - does this reflect good "design" or a retro-fitted repair like the hubble telescope's glasses?.

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  Oubliette

  Cantleave, your comments seem to imply that since living organisms have "apparent design flaws" they are not designed.

  You then site the example of "the blood vessels positioned in front of the retina," stating that, "even a small hemorrhage can result in loss of sight."

  If by this you mean to imply that the structure of the eye could not be designed, then I must point out that your logic fails.

  This would be analogous to saying that since my radiator hose sprung a leak and my engine blew up, clearly none of it was designed.

  Am I reading into your statements something you did not intend? If so, what is your purpose in pointing out the obvious fact that complex living organisms often have parts break?

  
  
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  59

  what is the best line to say to a JW handing you an invite to the memorial

  by nonjwspouse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have some ideas, but want more to choose from..

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  Oubliette

  If you were born in Jerusalem in Jesus' day, would you follow Jesus or the Pharisees and Sadducees?
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  32

  Do JW Children Still Call Adults "Aunt" and "Uncle"?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was young we were taught to refer to other adult jws as aunt or uncle.. was this also the case in other countries and does it still happen?.

  was it just a custom or has the literature ever commented on it?.

  thanks.

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  Oubliette

  I'm a white boy in the southwest US. I never heard anyone in my neighborhood or among my schoolmates call a person their aunt or uncle unless that person really was their aunt or uncle.

  I did sometimes hear it among black (aka African-American) JWs, but that was the only place.