bebu

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Posts by bebu

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  31

  This would be so sad if its true

  by IP_SEC in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you can check this out on snopes.comunder "the story of two houses".

  house #1a 20 room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by.

  natural gas.

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  bebu

  bebu
• 
  284

  NAME JUST ONE thing....ONE THING...revealed by God....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody is always insisting they have an invisible and mysterious source of divine information and selling it like hotcakes and syrup.

  but, why are you still buying?

  when will you ever learn that this is a scam among many scams.

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  bebu

  The arguments you make so passionately here are exactly what I'm referring to. Thanks!

  Leave aside your connection of God to the Bible; I am replying to how God, WhoeverHe is, reveals Himself to mankind, wherever they are, even if they don't have a name for him or don't believe He is there. The One who constantly brings our attention to the impact of everything we do, and makes us evaluate it (judge it). The resulting cognitive dissonance (which itself is evidence of our unusual wiring for morality/justice) often leads us to focus on other people's perceived wrongs...

  bebu
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  284

  NAME JUST ONE thing....ONE THING...revealed by God....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody is always insisting they have an invisible and mysterious source of divine information and selling it like hotcakes and syrup.

  but, why are you still buying?

  when will you ever learn that this is a scam among many scams.

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  bebu

  Sorry to butt in to the lineup. However, I thought of another thing or two which I believe to be "revealed" by God, and since I can't remember whether it was mentioned in any of these pages (and being too time-constrained to go back and double-check every post), I would like to submit certain characteristics of mankind which we often take for granted:

  The understanding of Justice

  The understanding of Ethics

  And the place where these get a workout in mankind, our conscience.

  I think the conscience is the light/intersection/revelation mankind has individually AND collectively. We all understand these intangible concepts. It is more than "instinct". Why we should be so driven (worldwide, throughout history) to establish ourselves to each other or to any G/god as being just and moral is very curious indeed. Reason and self-reflection are simply tools for us to arrive at the bigger goal of discernment of justice and morality, not simply to get food and shelter.

  Certainly we believe in justice and morality more intently than we could imagine: it's what are most interesting and passionate discussions are directly/indirectly about. Everyone, even atheists, believe in justice and morality. It seems that all of the physical world creates the forum in which we may individually wrestle with these issues. Think about this, think over your thoughts during this one day, and see how integral they are to your life and to our society.

  It is the conscience of each man wherein the revelation of God happens, IMO, and where we establish who we are by way of our individual responses in our unique situations.

  bebu
• 
  27

  I have been Inducted.....

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was officially installed as a member of kiwanis international last evening.

  one other member and i had been attending since spring as members but never had the ceremony.

  they finally got around to it this week.

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  bebu

  That is wonderful! I love the Kiwanis.

  If they are truly subscribing to higher values than material, then don't let their professional status put you off. If I were a lawyer and saw bluecollars joining because they wanted to do good in the community, I would be very pleased to have them with me.

  bebu

  (Jan 1980 Kiwanis club girl-of-the month in my hometown )
• 
  14

  My house is empty

  by mrsjones5 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well almost anyway cuz i'm still here.

  all the kids have left for school and hubby has gone to a doctor appointment.

  i think i have maybe an hour to myself.. this coffee is good.

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  bebu

  If you are drinking coffee, chances are you are not lounging about naked...

  bebu
• 
  38

  Any thoughts on "Secrets of Pedophilia in an American Religion"?

  by restrangled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i received my copy at noon today and have just now had to quit reading.

  i was appalled at the lengths the wtbs has gone to protect themselves in court.

  especially in their objections to handing over documentation.

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  bebu

  I have been sifting thru this since last night. It's not easy. I did find Jim Whitney's (Amazing) transcribed testimony/affadavit, which I have long been curious about. It made my blood boil.

  Could people suggest particular pages for the various subjects mentioned? It would cut down on the sifting time. (And Jim Whitney's testimony is page 248, as given in the Table of Contents, btw.)

  bebu
• 
  182

  My granddaughter 5 mos old passed away today...

  by Tatiana in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  she was beautiful.

  her name was aliyah.

  she would have been 5 mos tomorrow.

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  bebu

  My deepest, deepest sympathies to you and your family, Tatiana.

  

  The photos of Aliyah and your poem made me cry. Your poem is tender and perfect, like your sweet granddaughter.

  Your mom leaves me speechless. The pure callousness of those JWs stagger me.

  bebu
• 
  284

  NAME JUST ONE thing....ONE THING...revealed by God....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody is always insisting they have an invisible and mysterious source of divine information and selling it like hotcakes and syrup.

  but, why are you still buying?

  when will you ever learn that this is a scam among many scams.

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  bebu

  CCS, re-read my first post and my questions about parameters, and thus my response. I also point out that I am NOT the only one who has experienced such a thing. Revelation means that someone--a particular person or group--has had something revealed. I am a specific someone. There are other people whose unique experiences corroborate with mine on a basic level.

  Part of the problem is the expectation that God must behave only within the limits of science or reason (or theology), and answer the question to fit into the atheist's framework. If there is a God, we simply can't dictate anything, though I generally enjoy frameworks. We are stuck with trying to see what is the purpose or advantage is for His unorthodox methods.

  Turn the telescope around.

  Students could simply wish to be spoon-fed knowledge, for example; but a better teacher would provoke his students to wrestling with questions in order to become true learners. The method may make some students angry that they are not getting straight answers, but what a difference for those who accept the challenge. JWs are trained to be spoon-fed. JWD makes people into questioners--and so these threads like Terry's are good. An answer like mine seems like a cowlick, but it is an answer.

  BTW, AS gives a very interesting argument of a whole different kind (of cowlick).

  bebu
• 
  284

  NAME JUST ONE thing....ONE THING...revealed by God....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody is always insisting they have an invisible and mysterious source of divine information and selling it like hotcakes and syrup.

  but, why are you still buying?

  when will you ever learn that this is a scam among many scams.

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  bebu

  I completely understand what you are saying. Pity is that you don't.

  No, you haven't understood a single thing I wrote! But I understand why not, and I'm not surprised. You can only compare this to the most likely of what you know.

  If I could re-create it, I would. I've never been able to "make" such an encounter happen, either the first or the last time (over 20 years ago, btw), ever. BUT they left me left realizing that a) God truly sees me and is with me forever, and b) God loves me passionately. These are my backbone. I spot sly reminders of them from time to time, but not as bare as before. There is no simple reason for them then, nor their absence since. All I know is, God took hold of me then and the impression has endured.

  bebu
• 
  284

  NAME JUST ONE thing....ONE THING...revealed by God....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody is always insisting they have an invisible and mysterious source of divine information and selling it like hotcakes and syrup.

  but, why are you still buying?

  when will you ever learn that this is a scam among many scams.

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  bebu

  All I can say is that our Teddy Bear in the sky is probably no different.

  I recognize the difference between sentimentality, hopeful projection, zeal, religious ardor, burning bosoms, warm fuzzies, and so forth, which you bring up. I am trying to make a very sharp distinction between them. Emotions like those can be very unreliable. We can outgrow them. We can create them as well.

  I am not talking about an emotion, simple or even complex. I have hugged lots of stuffed animals as a child. I have hugged/been hugged by lots of people all my life. I have been married (sex!) for over 20 years. I have also encountered the love of God. These are allcompletelydifferent experiences, and the best by far is experiencing the embrace of God, hands down. The closest anything can come to it is sex, and even sex is (hopefully!) easy to distinguish from squeezing fluffy (stuffed!!) animals...

  bebu