bebu

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Posts by bebu

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  40

  I shook Ted Jaracz's hand and saw his eyes turn to lizard eyes

  by Kudra in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  swear to god.

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  bebu

  Either you've been taking some powerful pills, or you need to start taking some powerful pills.

  Now I know a new line to sound like a REAL smart aleck. Thanks, Else!

  bebu
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  20

  A question about justice...

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this question is not "do you believe in justice".

  the question is, do you prefer its existence?

  -- iow, do you want it to exist, even if you don't think it does?

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  bebu

  On a purely exegetical level, I'm pretty sure Paul would actually oppose "desire" ( epithumia ) and "hope" ( elpis ), somewhat along the line of "flesh vs. spirit". Fleshly/natural/individual "desire" he does point to as the root of sin and death (and there he is not far from Buddhism), cf. Romans 7:7f -- which most translations water down with the use of "covet(ousness)".

  "Hope" to him is a highly paradoxical notion (cf. Romans 4:18, "hoping against hope"). It's actually God/the Spirit hoping within the Christian (Romans 5:4f; 15:13), against the desire of the flesh.

  I'm not so sure we are talking about the same thing--or perhaps we are... but I don't think that Paul would consider the hope/desire I'm referring to as paradoxical, or just the Spirit working against the desire of the flesh. Surely he saw it as something more than the negation of evil.

  For example, Jesus said that where our hearts (desires) are, there are hearts would be. Prov. 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desire of your heart." Paul even writes about desiring Christ above all other things (Phil 3:8); that "Christ in you" was the hope of glory (Col 1:27) (which I take to mean, the longing in our hearts to be like God is not misplaced).

  Btw, even though "hope" ranks in the top three in 1 Corinthians 13, it is explicitly superseded by love -- love being the only one which fulfillment does not abolish , cf. Romans 8:24 (what is said there of hope is equally valid for faith, cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7).

  Yes, I think so too.

  But I don't think "justice" is the real object of the Pauline hope -- only perhaps his rhetorical definition of justice as grace, which blatantly reverses the plain meaning of the word.

  I readily agree that justice is ultimately not the object of Pauline hope. Mostly, I am just noticing the way hope and justice intersect a lot. I think that justice is a major concept for which humanity hopes--or, at least people do make decisions as to whether it is or not.

  In spite of many a vindictive comment in the NT, I doubt the main thrust of Christian hope is longing for "justice" in the sense of retribution. After all, when the Christian gets to love and imitate God as the one who "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous," would s/he be satisfied with the final revelation of God as a mere moral judge?

  No--I also cannot see that (personally) as an endpoint. Love includes a finite justice (positive and negative), but love is greater than justice--it includes grace. What positives grace allows/grants could be infinite.

  Against the classical (and scriptural) representation of final judgement, I believe the religious leap beyond morality (as Kierkegaard construes it) is a one-way ticket.

  I think that the Bible does hint frequently at getting "past" morality and final judgment, but I have to say I don't know what you mean by one-way ticket. We have to work thru judgment somehow, imo, to go beyond it. And to complicate this little conversation just a bit more, I often muse about how forgiveness and trust are like two sides of the same coin. IOW, we usually feel our sense of justice piqued when we are wronged by men, or allowed miseries by God. Forgiveness and trust are both, at times, thoroughly irrational and simply "mad" decisions we may make to deal with a situation where our natural desire for justice (or even restitution) is apparently being denied. Justice is an intriguing concept. bebu
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  14

  Nanosolution Halts Bleeding (Medical Break Through)

  by hawkaw in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  nanosolution halts bleeding .

  a biodegradable liquid developed at mit and the university of hong kong offers a new way to quickly treat wounds and promote healing.

  by jenn director knudsen .

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  bebu

  Thanks hawkaw.

  I wonder if how long until this stuff becomes available. I emailed it to my husband. I don't know how many JWs they do surgery on, but this could help them (and everyone else) I'm sure.

  bebu
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  40

  HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY KARL

  by unclebruce in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  happy 18th birthday karl.

  you're like the son i avoided having .

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  bebu

  a toast to you!

  Keep being such a great kid young man.

  bebu
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  46

  Encouragement for Codeblue

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone,.

  codeblue is needing some major cheering up.

  she's been hit very hard by some very difficult news recently, and i know it's been very hard for her these days.

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  bebu

  bttt

  And thanks, everyone, for rallying for her support. It's amazing how much a difference it can make, isn't it?

  bebu
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  20

  A question about justice...

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this question is not "do you believe in justice".

  the question is, do you prefer its existence?

  -- iow, do you want it to exist, even if you don't think it does?

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  bebu

  Thanks for the link. I read The Brothers Karamazov about 20 years back, and that chapter is haunting (as well as the one following it--The Grand Inquisitor). Ivan brings up the struggle with justice so very well. He destroys the simple arguments for justice very quickly: the tears of children are unatoned for because what 'good' can hell do if innocent people have already suffered? Declaring that the price for forgiveness and harmony is higher than should ever be paid. (etc.)

  For justice to be even remotely real, it will have to satisfy Ivan's (and our!) objections at the very least.

  HEB 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what wehope for and certain of what we do not see (e.g., justice).

  Other (somewhat random) thoughts here... 1 Cor 13 says that the three greatest things are faith, hope, and love. I'd always been able to nod with the faith and love part, but struggled with 'hope'. Why should desire be so important if this verse is really true? Why would our wills be included in such a short list of what 'remains'? Besides, as mentioned earlier, some people (such as Buddhists) trace the source of our misery to desire/hope. Hope always seemed like something so ho-hum... is it something important I was overlooking?

  bebu
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  6

  Great news Re:violent abusive jw family

  by ania in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm ecstatic have received great news regarding my father: 1) it seems the information that he had been approved as a caregiver for barnardos was actualy incorrect he has never worked for them (sorry for that mis-information) .

  however he had been working for cypf (newzealand children, young persons and their families service) and did have one boy in his care for more than a year.

  2) my post regarding the abuse he inflicted on myself and family here: (http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/120383/1.ashx) has been noted by the authorities and they now have a copy of this in thier records (under his name) .

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  bebu

  What a relief to hear! Thank you for doing the right thing and never giving up!

  bebu
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  46

  Encouragement for Codeblue

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone,.

  codeblue is needing some major cheering up.

  she's been hit very hard by some very difficult news recently, and i know it's been very hard for her these days.

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  bebu

  

  (Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com)
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  46

  Encouragement for Codeblue

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone,.

  codeblue is needing some major cheering up.

  she's been hit very hard by some very difficult news recently, and i know it's been very hard for her these days.

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  bebu

  CB,

  Here's a funny survival story for you...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d72ubjZZ6HA

  bebu

  

  (Wow, CB, you even got the czar to duck in to encourage you. )
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  46

  Encouragement for Codeblue

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone,.

  codeblue is needing some major cheering up.

  she's been hit very hard by some very difficult news recently, and i know it's been very hard for her these days.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  bebu

  Hey Everyone,

  Codeblue is needing some MAJOR cheering up. She's been hit very hard by some very difficult news recently, and I know it's been very hard for her these days. Can you post some encouragement, flowers, cartoons, hugs, and so forth?

  She's a kind-hearted person who works very hard, too. She is an enjoyable person to talk with! I hope all of you could get a chance to meet her someday.

  

  Big hugs to you, girl. You know we all loves ya. I hope your skies all turn blue very soon.

  bebu