Posts by GrreatTeacher

5

From Our Archives (10 years ago)

by berrygerry in

wt - may 15, 2006 - p. 31. the worldwide preaching of the established kingdom of god done by jehovah’s witnesses has become just such a threat to the nations.

after all, the messianic kingdom of god in the hands of jesus christ is going to “crush and put an end to all [man-made] kingdoms.” (daniel 2:44) the message of judgment included in our preaching work is sending out a tremor among the nations.

(isaiah 61:2) .

GrreatTeacher

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

GrreatTeacher

" I get upset when, first, people think they are not animals, and second, that they are better or superior to all the other animals. "

That is the actual quote. Nowhere did I say that I can't stand people who don't believe they are animals.

I don't have a problem with the people! I'm on this site to support other people. And, if I haven't said so yet, "Welcome!"

It's the belief that bothers me; the belief, not the person.

This inability to separate the belief from the person frustrates me to no end. It often leads to people misrepresenting others.

As to why I'm here: to sharpen my critical thinking skills and to support others who are going through the misery of exiting.

I had no one when I left and it was tough. So, I think it's really important to be the help that I didn't have.

240

Introduction - Any Believers?

by Believer in

i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

GrreatTeacher

" I get upset when, first, people think they are not animals, and second, that they are better or superior to all the other animals. "

That is the actual quote. Nowhere did I say that I can't stand people who don't believe they are animals.

I don't have a problem with the people! I'm on this site to support other people. And, if I haven't said so yet, "Welcome!"

It's the belief that bothers me; the belief, not the person.

This inability to separate the belief from the person frustrates me to no end. It often leads to people misrepresenting others.

As to why I'm here: to sharpen my critical thinking skills and to support others who are going through the misery of exiting.

I had no one when I left and it was tough. So, I think it's really important to be the help that I didn't have.

39

"how awful it must be to be dying as an apostate!"

by purrpurr in

jw
friends

i heard today about a former jw/now apostate who is dying in hospital.

this information was accompanied by the comment of "wouldn't be awful to be lying there in hospital,dying as an apostate!

knowing that you have no hope!?

GrreatTeacher

Yeah, Priority #1 for all living things is Survival.

It's harder, especially, when you're young.

It gets easier to think about as you get older, at least in my experience.

But, the JWs kind of keep you in a suspended childhood in that respect. Lots of magical thinking. So it's understandable that JWs would have trouble with the thought of dying when they leave, even older folks.

11

People named after Jesus ? / people named after Jehovah /Yahweh ?

by smiddy in

jw
friends

in catholic dominated countries many people are named after the messiah jesus , are their any that are named after his god jehovah / or yahweh ?

anywhere in the world ?.

i have only come across one , in america of all places.. his name was yahweh ben yahweh , and i don`t think he would be used as an example by the wt society.. google him.. has their been anybody else ?

GrreatTeacher

A lot of Latino kids here (on the east coast) anglicize the pronunciation of their names. So Angel, which would normally be pronounced "An hell" in Spanish is often pronounced "Ain jell," the English pronunciation.

I guess it's their way of fitting in.

36

Warwick, Queensland, Australia: Elders covered up rape of young girl

by wifibandit in

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/church-elders-covered-rape-young-girl/3047470/.

and archived forever via the wayback machine.

.

GrreatTeacher

Thanks for that additional info.

I hope he's just trying to avoid an appeal, but 8 months seems ridiculously short.

I wonder if there are sentencing guidelines in Australia.

17

Father's Day is tomorrow (in the US). Why is it wrong?

by leaving_quietly in

i did an examination of the one single article ever to address father's day since it's tomorrow here in the us.

the article covers both mother's day and father's day.

hope it's informative.. examination of “mother and father worship unscriptural”, the only article ever to address father’s day in any publication printed by the watchtower bible and tract society.

GrreatTeacher

Hubby, son and I are going kayaking for Father's Day tomorrow.

Enjoy it, everyone!

51

My son is not sure about what he has been taught about the common ancestor

by KateWild in

this week my son expressed he is agnostic as he is not sure what to believe about evolution and the common ancestor.. i thought any jw hang ups were gone.

i told him that what they teach in school is trustworthy and he can be rest assured that there is evidence to support that the common ancestor was the real link to the evolution of humans.. he has got critical thinking skills.

and responded with "for hundreds of years schools have been teaching things and have changed their thoughts".

GrreatTeacher

Maryland State Biology Curriculum Grade 7

Expectation 3.4 Evolution

Indicator 2 Estimate degrees of relatedness.

Assessment Limits:

Classification: distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

_____________________________________________________________________________

I could not get a link for some reason. This is in the US and I'm not sure if it's different in the UK, but, yes, I would expect a 7th grader (13 year old) to know the difference between a prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.

Also in science education it is important to know how to research other things / vocabulary that is currently unknown. So, with a little diligence, Cofty's posting should be accessible.

____________________________________________________________________________

The Link is below. It was a PDF and it was translated into plain text. Sorry about the formatting.

_____________________________________________________

State Curriculum - Biology April 19, 2007 Page 41 of 48 Pre-requisites Summarized from State Biology State Curriculum (SC) Curriculum Life Science Grades 3 – 8 Expectation 3.4 Evolution: Explain the mechanism of evolutionary change. Supplemental Topics D. Evolution 1. Recognize and describe that evolutionary change in species over time occurs as a result of natural variation in organisms and environmental changes. a. Recognize and describe that gradual (climatic) and sudden (floods and fires) changes in environmental conditions affect the survival of organisms and populations. b. Recognize that adaptations may include variations in structures, behaviors, or physiology, such as spiny leaves on a cactus, birdcalls, and antibiotic resistant bacteria. c. Recognize and describe that adaptation and speciation involve the selection of natural variations in a population. d. Recognize and describe that extinction occurs when the adaptive traits of a population do not support its survival. e. Recognize that evolution accounts for the diversity of species. Indicator 2. Estimate degrees of relatedness among organisms or species. Assessment Limits: classification (recognize relationships among organisms; distinguish between prokaryotes and eukaryotes) anatomical similarities (evolutionary relationships; homologous structures) similarities of DNA base sequence and/or amino acid sequence including results from gel electrophoresis) Objectives ¾ Recognize and explain that the DNA code is virtually the same for all life forms. ¾ Integrate scientific information from a variety of disciplines to provide evidence for the relatedness of species on Earth, such as: • Geology, including fossils, radiometric dating • Comparative anatomy, including studies of homologous structures and anatomical similarities • Biochemistry, including studies of DNA base and/or amino acid sequences • Taxonomic systems based on biochemical and anatomical similarities ¾ Explain that the millions of different species that live on earth today are related by common ancestry. ¾ Classify and identify prokaryotes and eukaryotes based on their cell structures. ¾ Identify, explain, and demonstrate how technology can be used to determine evolutionary relationships among species. • Gel electrophoresis • Similarities of DNA base sequences and/or amino acid sequences Relatedness Among Organisms Species can be classified into large groups called domains and kingdoms, which are comprised of organisms with general similarities. Classification of prokaryotes and eukaryotes is based on their evolutionary relationships. Dichotomous keys and are tools that can be used to show relatedness among organisms. Cladograms are tools that can be used to suggest relatedness through ancestry.

________________________________________________________________________________

Despite the curriculum, my issue was with not having "the interest or desire."

I find that sad as an educator.

Please don't give up. Please.

51

My son is not sure about what he has been taught about the common ancestor

by KateWild in

this week my son expressed he is agnostic as he is not sure what to believe about evolution and the common ancestor.. i thought any jw hang ups were gone.

i told him that what they teach in school is trustworthy and he can be rest assured that there is evidence to support that the common ancestor was the real link to the evolution of humans.. he has got critical thinking skills.

and responded with "for hundreds of years schools have been teaching things and have changed their thoughts".

GrreatTeacher

You are correct; there is no shame in admitting what you don't know.

I know precious little about chemistry.

But, if my son was having difficulty with it, I'd begin teaching myself about it in a heartbeat so I could help him.

I don't have an issue with people who can't learn things. I have students like that all the time.

But, choosing not to learn about things because you have "no interest or desire" is quite a different thing, and quite unacceptable, in my opinion. And, I can't believe that you can't learn it since you have a university degree.

I just cannot understand it. You have quite a difficult situation with your son. If he needs you to understand biology and evolutionary theory, why wouldn't you do everything in your power to learn it and teach it to him?

51

My son is not sure about what he has been taught about the common ancestor

by KateWild in

this week my son expressed he is agnostic as he is not sure what to believe about evolution and the common ancestor.. i thought any jw hang ups were gone.

i told him that what they teach in school is trustworthy and he can be rest assured that there is evidence to support that the common ancestor was the real link to the evolution of humans.. he has got critical thinking skills.

and responded with "for hundreds of years schools have been teaching things and have changed their thoughts".

GrreatTeacher

Maybe not having the interest or desire to understand biology is part of the problem.

Ask your son what an amoeba or cytoplasm is. He likely knows.

This is middle school biology, at least in the US. Then it gets taught again in high school, and then to get a degree you need university level Biology 101.

It's not difficult and to shut down a line of reasoning just because you have neither the "interest nor the desire" seems puzzling to me.