Posts by Island Man

16

CHILD BAPTISM

by megabyte_vijay in

it is strange to read the last week watchtower that encouraging child/teenagers' baptism.

even jesus was baptised as his 30. jws encouraging marriages at an older age.

but why they are encouraging children to get baptised.

Island Man

I found it very funny that they used Ephesians 4:14 in a study article seeking to justify child baptism. The text says:

So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching+ by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes

Do you see it? The text likens immature, gullible christians to children. If the bible would use children as a metaphor for the spiritual immaturity that christians are to avoid then how could they be saying that children are mature enough to make such a responsible, life-shaping decision? How can they be saying that children are mature enough and are making the decision of baptism of their own full volition and aren't merely being 'tossed by waves and carried by the wind of influence' of their parents and other adults that they look up to?

They are utterly blind to use that text in their study article and not see the contrary implications of it.

5

What is the "Social Currency" for witnesses?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

while flying recently for work, i overheard a conversation about the "social currency" that people in the community or workplace have.. for example, a manager or boss yields more power (obviously) over those below him or her.. but one person observed that other factors have value.

for example a parent may have more value in some circles, while being childless may help in others.. looks or how someone carries themselves may also give value.. so it made me think, what is the social currency amongst witnesses?

what gives them power, status, validation or value?.

Island Man

Field service time.

12

Possible Names For New XJW Books...

by JW_Rogue in

just what it sounds like list some titles that you think would be good for an xjw memoir or book.

just for fun:.

-the real, real life.

Island Man

"Hello World!"

An autobiography chronicling the life of a JW struggling to balance his passion for his career as a programmer with the JW philosophy of putting kingdom interests first and not seeking great things in the world. "Hello World!" is the very cliche first programming project that every student of programming does. But "hello world!" is also what the ex-JW says in his heart as he finally discards the shackles of JW programming and reintegrates back into the "world" that he once vilified as a brainwashed JW.

150

I'm getting baptized

by BlackWolf in

jw
friends

i know i've started similar topics before but this time i'm serious.

my parents have been constantly pressuring me and after yesterday's watchtower study they asked me if i was going to be baptized this summer... and i said yes.

i probably should have thought about it more before making a final decision, but they're pretty much forcing me to do it anyway.

Island Man

Thank you all for your advice. I know you mean well but its too late to go back now, I've already told them I'm going to do it.

No, it's not too late. You have to go through questions with the elders. You can just flunk the questions so that the elders say you're not ready yet. Better yet, you can make it known to the elders that you're only getting baptized to please your parents because they're pressuring you. Then the elders will say you're not qualified and you'll be off the hook. Your parents can't blame you if you fail to qualify due to the fact that they are the ones pushing and pressuring you.

160

Beliefs About What Caused the Universe

by Perry in

the universe can be observed to be expanding.. an expanding universe must have had a beginning.

whatever begins to exist had a cause.

therefore the universe had a cause.

Island Man

Doesn't imply a Causer? What kind of a beginning doesn't have a cause?

Perry, the only beginnings you have experience with are beginnings within time and space. You have no experience with beginnings outside of time and space. So I'm not sure that it's logical to assume that beginnings outside of time and space require a cause the same as beginnings within time and space.

160

Beliefs About What Caused the Universe

by Perry in

the universe can be observed to be expanding.. an expanding universe must have had a beginning.

whatever begins to exist had a cause.

therefore the universe had a cause.

Island Man

A. Imagining things coming into existence without a cause
B. Imagining a first cause existing beyond our cause and effect (space/time) universe

It is actually more plausible to consider that the universe in some state, always existed. The expansion of space does not necessarily point to an origin of the existence of the universe. It only proves that the universe in its current state is expanding. It is possible that the singularity from which the universe expanded is eternal. Maybe the universe oscillates between expanding and contracting back to its singularity only to expand again.

It is far more plausible that the eternal source of the universe is a very natural and very simple entity than the complex, super-intelligent being that you are putting forward. So saying that there must be an eternally pre-existing first cause does not naturally and logically lead to the idea that that first cause is a complex, super-intelligent person. A very simple non-intelligent, non-conscious, inanimate entity is far more plausible. Have you heard of Occam's Razor?

171

RC 2016 Leaks & Releases

by wifibandit in

in an effort to reduce the number of posts, this year i will try to add links to this post.

now, on with the leaks & releases!

first up.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nzvwhflss4.

Island Man

Are there Zombies outside

Yeah its The Path meets The Walking Dead. LOL.

55

Here's a view on homosexuality for you...

by konceptual99 in

...right from a pro-jw site in response to a post about the relative seriousness of homosexuality.

all you can do is reason from the scriptures, which you appear to have done.

homosexuality is as serious as bestiality, or adultery and fornication.

Island Man

All you can do is reason from the scriptures, which you appear to have done. Homosexuality is as serious as bestiality, or adultery and fornication. Actually, the Bible describes homosexuality as a greater sin than adultery or fornication. The reasoning is that the desire for same-sex intercourse is one "contrary to nature" according to Romans 1:24. At least with heterosexual fornication the wrong doers are acting in harmony with the natural desire for the opposite sex.

Homosexuality is not comparable to bestiality because bestiality is a form of abuse since, unlike 2 consenting adult humans, animals aren't able to give consent to humans.

Saying that homosexuality is as serious as adultery, is like saying that heterosexuality is as serious as adultery. Adultery is the wrong of a married person (whether homosexual or heterosexual) having sex with someone other than their legally married spouse(s) (whether gay or straight).

Fornication is just sex outside of marriage - again it applies both to gays and straights.

Same-sex intercourse is only "contrary to nature" for heterosexuals - the same way that heterosexual intercourse is "contrary to nature" for homosexuals.

15

When will they start spying on tablets/iPads at meetings?

by purrpurr in

jw
friends

following on from a similar post, the use of tablets/ipads at the meetings is a life saver to many a bored or mentally out jw.

i'm sure the borg must know the potential for surfing the net or reading other books instead of reading the meeting material during the meeting?.

at what point are they going to start policing this?

Island Man

I agree with Divergent. It makes more sense that they would seek to limit WI-FI access in some way before resorting to spying. They would probably make it so that you can only access their official websites with the Kingdom Hall wifi.

44

Letter # 1 to the Governing Body of Jehovah's witnesses

by WITNESS-FOR-WATCHTOWER-REFORM in

here is my first letter i posted to the governing body.

i also hope that brothers on the writing committee who may be lurking on this site (and have some clout) read my letter and bring in change to this very flawed policy around confession of sins.. enjoy.

the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses.

Island Man

There's just one small problem with your letter: Its tone isn't submissive enough. It contains no GB ass-kissing. You write to them as if you think they're your brothers. You have to write to them as if you think they're your lords - that's the kind of tone your letter has to have. Anything short of that and you'll be seen as being tactless, impertinent and disregarding their authority, etc.