rocketman

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Posts by rocketman

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  94

  Church is in session: NHL Playoffs

  by unshackled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  nhl playoffs start tonight.

  get your beer chilled and the wings in the oven.

  the next two months or so is my church - the grueling battle for the stanley cup.

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  rocketman

  Tampa Bay is getting hot at the right time...
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  68

  June 15th WT - WT Society Pressures JW Parents to Indoctrinate Children

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in a non-study article in the jw only watchtower is an article titled " should youths get baptized ?

  " the wt society is losing young people in very large numbers - so how else to try stemming the exodus than putting pressure on jw parents to indoctrinate and instill mind control into their children ?

  in one section here in this article it almost sounds like a version of " 20 questions " that the wt society asks parents to determine if their children are making " spiritual progress " as they phrase it.

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  rocketman

  So many of the generation of my child's age (mid-20s) have left the jws. Nearly all of that age from the congregation we associated with have left. The WTS is obviously desperatly trying to hold on to younger people by convincing parents to do the WTS's work of manipulation and intimidation in getting these kids baptized. It's a shame. But in any case, baptized or not, the next young generation will be making its exodus too.
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  22

  What if EVERTHING you believe to be true.....is a LIE?

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what if everything you thought was true turned out to be a lie?.

  what if some of the most important "facts" turned out to be false?.

  does seeing your strongly held convictions shattered, refuted, disproved hold out liberation for you or a sense of doom and embarassment?.

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  rocketman

  My "truth" is this: I go where the evidence takes me. If that means I have to change my thinking on something, then so be it. But I got to this notion only after leaving the jws and realizing that so many things that I thought were true turned out not to be so. It's a tough step that many here have also taken, as you state Terry. It's not easy.

  So now, I try not to hold on to any 'belief' too tightly. Evidence may come to my attention that will compel me to change my thinking.
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  114

  Anyone here have any experience with the "super-natural"?

  by Knowsnothing in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  and if so, would that prove an existence of evil-spirits (demons)?.

  i have heard of a couple of stories of possession, or of jw's talking to spiritists and the spiritists having seen 2 men following the jw, either dressed all in black, or all in white, and very strong looking.

  yet, i have never experienced any of it.. another experience that i heard is about a brother whose mom had super-natural strength, and tossed something really heavy.

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  rocketman

  I read The Ghost In The Machine paper, which was enlightening and backs up my personal feeling that, like UFOs, many "supernatural" occurances can be explained and attributed to very natural phenomenon.
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  23

  Pilate's wife

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this seems like a literary device by a later author added to the story of jesus.. matthew 27:19: while pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: "have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night, i suffered much on account of him.".

  how would any apostle or follower of jesus know the contents of a private letter written to pontius pilate by his wife?.

  how many followers of jesus were in the same room with jesus and pilate?

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  rocketman

  It was an early example of text messaging. Or maybe an IM. Pilate's account obviously was hacked by the Gospel writer.
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  175

  Does the Christian message fall apart without a literal interpretation of Genesis?

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  .

  what's the point of jesus if adam & eve did not 'fall' and condemn us all to sin?.

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  rocketman

  OnThe WayOut wrote: "Sin seems to be defined by religion. I understand evil, but if my daily actions are not evil, who decides that they still offend God?"

  I used to wonder the same thing as a jw. I was told to pray for forgivness of sin, on a daily basis. I could not square this with my daily experiences. On a typical day I go to work to provide for my family, which I am supposed to do. I go home. I eat dinner. I go to bed. Then, in bed, I'm supposed to ask for forgiveness of the sins I committed that day. Well, how did I sin? What did I do wrong? How did I offend God when all I did that day was to do my best to be a good family man?
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  65

  Do people generally like you?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in person, people tend to love me.

  i'm told how likeable i am.. on discussion boards i have unlikeable qualities which infuriate others.. .

  are you likeable in person and likeable on boards?

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  rocketman

  Terry, if people you know personally tend to like you, you're doing well! I think how you're perceived online doesn't much matter in comparison.
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  12

  Women Who Post Lots Of Photos Of Themselves On Facebook Value Appearance, Need Attention, Study Finds

  by Bangalore in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  women who post lots of photos of themselves on facebook value appearance, need attention, study finds.

  http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/10/news/la-heb-facebook-vanity-20110310.

  bangalore.

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  rocketman

  A "study" was needed to determine this? Isn't it pretty obvious?
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  28

  "Do NOT go beyond the things written (but we can)."

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was doing some research yesterday on this scripture: 1 corinthians 4:6!.

  "now, brothers, these things i have transferred so as to apply to myself and a?pollos for your good, that in our case you may learn the [rule]: do not go beyond the things that are written, in order that you may not be puffed up individually in favor of the one against the other.".

  read this from the watchtower 2008, april 15th, page 7:.

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  rocketman

  The obvious problem is that the publications delve into issues that the Bible does not. Like the Pharisees, the WTS adds to the Bible and creates its own "teachings of men". This is part of the problem I have with "Bible principles". To me, citing them opens up the possibility that the Bible will now be used to counsel on situations that it does not cover.

  In essence, the counsel to the Elders not to offer off-the-cuff answers is sound. The problem is that the elders are not limited to using the scriptures.
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  30

  How the Good work of Russell became the curse of the Watchtower today

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the greatest benefit to come from jehovah's witnesses was the introduction of honest investigation into the.

  claims of christianity based on the bible.. exposing error was the gimmick.. replacing doctrine or ritual with door to door activity was the greatest failure to follow truth where it leads.. .

  mainstream religion in pastor russell's day was set in stone.

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  rocketman

  Interesting post Terry, as usual. The religion was painted into a date-setting corner ever since its inception and has not been able to get out of that corner since. 1914 doctrine has become a noose by means of which the religion has hung itself.