Posts by logansrun

28

Impressions of a Fest-goer...

by LittleToe in

jw
friends

i'll post a little later about my trip (beacuse i'm still exhausted) but meanwhile let me just post a few random thoughts about some of the folks i met (and apologies, in advance, for anyone that i may inadvertantly miss).. i really didn't get time to speak to any one person for anywhere near as long as i'd have liked, but then i get that the feeling that a lifetime wouldn't be long enough.... first, may i say, i missed the presence of concernedlawyer, czar, czarina, sheila, thunderrider, xw, onacruise and bikerchic (the latter two, of whom, had already intimated that they would be unable to attend).. .

arrowstar.

a real star, this one.

logansrun

I just wish I could have had some of those cookies.

Discuss.

14

BRCI Questions

by stephoness in

jw
friends

so i was reading through the website and i have a question... do they do any preaching or try to get people to join another religion?

i am considering possibly showing up to the convention but i won't go if they talk about god or jesus and make it into a big christian thing.

i'd love to go if it's more about meeting other xjws and sharing experiences but i do not like being preached at (for obvious reasons).

logansrun

I live in Chicago.

20

John Hick

by logansrun in

has anyone ever had opportunity to study the writings and ideas of christian theologian john hick?

i've been reading one of his books entitled "god has many names" which is a radical and thought-provoking work advocating the idea that all of the world's great religions (christianity, judaism, islam, hinduism, buddhism) are in some way "inspired" by god and lead to him/her/it (hick refers to this entity as the "eternal one").

hick was raised in a non-religious enviornment, was initially inclined towards theosophy but later became a conservative christian in the presbyterian church.

logansrun

LA BD,

Logan, you labeled him I called you on it.

I didn't "label" him but simply recapitulated the way Hick describes himself in his book. If you don't believe me, read the damn book.

Just because someone attands a church it doesn't neccessarily make them a Christian. Insomuch as living in a garage makes someone a car.

And your point is?

I think it is misleading to appeal to a higher authority, and then not explain why that authority believes what he/she believes.

Pray inform me what "higher authority" I appealed to?

B

55

Continuum, Consciousness, Being

by onacruse in

.

matter exists.. matter does not disappear from the universe; it transforms, at times, but in some form or other (energy) it continues to exist.. so what is "consciousness"?

it also exists (and we are individually proof of that fact).. can our personal "consciousness" cease to exist?

logansrun

I think conscious existence after death is possible, although all the evidence seems to indicate otherwise. Nonetheless, the universe is far weirder than we could possibly imagine. Much of quantum physics defies logic and can be seen as paradoxical. Newton would turn in his grave if he realised what mainstream science has thus shown to be the case.

As long as it remains a possibility, I cannot put anyone down for believing in it.

B.

25

The amateur speculations of Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses

by logansrun in

friends,.

there's a trend among us that i find disturbing, if not humerous.

that is the gullibility we sometimes have in believing that the society is close to putting out a "new date" for armageddon.

logansrun

Friends,

There's a trend among us that I find disturbing, if not humerous. That is the gullibility we sometimes have in believing that the Society is close to putting out a "new date" for Armageddon. The alarmist threads surrounding the rather benign comments about the 120 year period of Noah's day as pointing to 2034 for the end of the system is but one example. As much as we might secretly wish for the Society to make another prediction just to eventually say "I told you so", this is NOT going to happen. Consider:

The Society has a record of failure in prophecy that is notorious to just about everyone except Jehovah's Witnesses. As I see it, there have been only four Big Blunders when it comes to the Society's millenial madness; 1914,1925,1975 and the more nebulous "this generation." All these periods have been met with failure and the Society has had to use the Revisionist Department to spin the situation before it got out of control. Do you honestly believe the GB want another failure on their hands?

There is really no pressing reason why the Watchtower would come out with a new date, especially one that is three decades away (2034). The vast majority of JW's are locked in this religion and are not going to leave. With the war on terror and the apprehensive times we are living in, there is enough fear-mongering to keep the rank-and-file in line without an allusion to a precise date. There still is impressive growth going on in underdeveloped parts of the world to give the appearance of "incredible growth." In short, the Society is coasting along. Why fix what ain't broke?

Finally, the days of "deep thinking" are over at Bethel. With the death of Fred Franz the society lost the "mastermind" behind much of it's quirky prophetic nuttiness. Look at all the publications that have come out over the last decade or so; it's all re-hashed material from the "glory days." Nothing too deep, too big or too exciting. Just what is needed to keep coasting along.

The Society will continue to trumpet it's apocalyptic message ad nauseum. But to expect them to come out with a new date is, I believe, wishful thinking.

Yours in Buddha,

Bradley

25

RONALD REGAN IS DEAD

by Mary in

.

just heard this on the news...........he was 93.. i know what it's like to lose a family member to alzheimers.

it's strange, we wouldn't let our pets suffer like this, but it's expected that humans suffer right to the very end.

logansrun

Richie,

When you win 49 out of 50 states in your re-election bid, I would stick my neck out and say the America people thought he was brilliantly successful.

And when Bush lost the popular vote you were thinking...?

25

RONALD REGAN IS DEAD

by Mary in

.

just heard this on the news...........he was 93.. i know what it's like to lose a family member to alzheimers.

it's strange, we wouldn't let our pets suffer like this, but it's expected that humans suffer right to the very end.

logansrun

Richie,

How can you call yourself a Republican if you are from Canada?

B.

23

Interpreting the Bible in it's cultural context

by logansrun in

i have often engaged in debate on this forum in which i have taken the position that the only logical way of interpreting the bible -- and in being a genuine christian -- is to view it as being verbally inspired and binding in all it's details upon all christians down through the centuries.

this is, generally speaking, the way that fundamentalists and jehovahs witnesses view the scriptures; the bible "says what it means, and means what it says" case closed, no if's and's or but's!

i do not believe this and consider myself to be an agnostic, a point which i do not find necessary to elaborate on here.

logansrun

Sunygal,

I've thought of that. I think "agnostic" is apporpriate for me at this point because of what the word means: "without knowledge."

B.

25

RONALD REGAN IS DEAD

by Mary in

.

just heard this on the news...........he was 93.. i know what it's like to lose a family member to alzheimers.

it's strange, we wouldn't let our pets suffer like this, but it's expected that humans suffer right to the very end.

logansrun

Margeret Thatcher

23

Interpreting the Bible in it's cultural context

by logansrun in

i have often engaged in debate on this forum in which i have taken the position that the only logical way of interpreting the bible -- and in being a genuine christian -- is to view it as being verbally inspired and binding in all it's details upon all christians down through the centuries.

this is, generally speaking, the way that fundamentalists and jehovahs witnesses view the scriptures; the bible "says what it means, and means what it says" case closed, no if's and's or but's!

i do not believe this and consider myself to be an agnostic, a point which i do not find necessary to elaborate on here.

logansrun

My problem with "liberal" theologians is by what criterion do they establish what they can and should believe in?

B.