umbertoecho

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Posts by umbertoecho

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  4

  Call For Papers - The European Observatory of Religion and Secularism

  by OrphanCrow in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this may interest someone who has the background and maybe the resources to participate in some way.

  there is time to submit a paper and maybe attend for all you scholars out there!

  the jehovahs witnesses in scholarly perspective: what is new in the scientific study of jehovahs witnesses?.

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  umbertoecho

  I'll pay my own bloody way!! Got those addresses saved now. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what such a convention would be like and what language would dominate.

  Thanks OrphanCrow how are you going?
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  21

  Watchtower lack of empathy for victim children stunned Royal Commission

  by Esse quam videri in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the comments and facial expressions of judge peter mcclellan, the chair of the royal commission and angus stewart, though subdued, clearly showed their disbelief and disgust at the lack of compassion and empathy by the org and the elders and gb jackson when questioned.. this link, is a sobering look at the emotions people should feel at the abuse of their children.

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g7vpdfqs0q.

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  umbertoecho

  I don't know what to make of violence. God knows I've had enough in my life. I don't get any joy from seeing violence like this. I'm all for a nice clinical approach,........I small injection of something that would put an offender out of action perhaps.........forever? I can't stoop to this, but then again............I could have killed my father many times over......who am I kidding?

  I'm responding because I don't want to ignore what your post is saying. It seems you feel really outraged by sexual molestation. I do understand your feelings.....thinking out loud is all I'm doing..........................still thinking..............
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  11

  Why would Jesus have to ask God in the Lord's Prayer, to not lead us into Temptation, but deliver us from evil..?

  by Tater-T in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  ..... and then willingly be lead into temptation .

  he knows that's how a good god operates, so the first thing he does when installed as heavenly ruler... .

  he casts the ultimate tempter to the vicinity of the earth... so he can do it as much as possible.... has anyone ever noticed this flaw in the almighty ... he has to be told to do what is good , then doesn't do it ... man what a tool.. i guess he really does love us... lol.

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  umbertoecho

  Someone help me here. I recall reading the account of Moses and the burning bush........He asked rather politely as to what name he should give to them.... Exodus 3 v 14 Moses is told this............ " I shall prove to be, what I shall prove to be". Yet in verse 1 of chapter 3 Moses is a shepherd and has come to the mountain of the (true) God, to Horeb. There is no mention of gods name in this instance. I am confused by this.

  The fact that the word (true) is inserted by those who put out the NWT is evident. But the name of God was never known to be written. No text has the actual name of god according to scholars who have tried to find out the name or find some means of proving or disproving.

  At one stage of my personal bible reading I came to the conclusion that God or YHVH could assume any identity he wanted. This could explain why he ..god... chose to harden the heart of the Pharaoh. All to prove a point!!!!! Why?

  He even sent Saul, the king over who would eventually hunt David down, bad dreams and disturbance.

  I started to wonder if I was going mad at some stage. I thought that perhaps Satan was another aspect of God, an aspect sent to "try" us.....I know that sounds mad, but God said he is ALL things.

  Thoughts or guidance would be helpful here. Not just attacks but some references perhaps.
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  52

  Helen Keller is not a hero

  by StopTheTears in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  few realize just how wicked some of the most revered people in history were.

  helen keeler (1880 to 1968) was a wolf in sheep's clothing, no hero.

  keller was a communist.

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  umbertoecho

  There may be a fair difference between Socialism and Communism. Have you read the works of Upton Sinclaire?

  Good reading. Of course, like all good ideas, things tend to get skewed over time. He is such and interesting read. Profits of Religion was one good read.
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  52

  Helen Keller is not a hero

  by StopTheTears in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  few realize just how wicked some of the most revered people in history were.

  helen keeler (1880 to 1968) was a wolf in sheep's clothing, no hero.

  keller was a communist.

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  umbertoecho

  My mother said:

  "Communism! At least they tried it. Christianity? Never!"

  I don't know where she came up with statements like that, I know she was a well read person, if somewhat remote. Still, it was a thought. It stopped me from considering only one sort of angle........
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  13

  JW's Approach To Bible Interpretaion

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it will come as no surprise to many here that the jw approach to interpreting the bible is greatly flawed.

  the reason that it is so flawed is that before anything is examined there are already some false assumptions that are made.

  jws believe the following about the bible without evidence:.

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  umbertoecho

  even he states that the 2013 editions insertion of Jehovah in the NT has no merit.

  True, he does say that, but it is so buried in the text, as to be easily missed. He makes a few statements like this, but goes on to "defend" if you like, the "superiority" of the NWT, this is not a fair means of explaining an understanding. When he does say "no merit" he really embeds this in a string of rather more " supportive" declarations as to it's more accurate renderings.

  I think his book is only about 200 pages in all. Not such a long book in terms of supplying a deep explanation of why the how and so on ........of defending a bible that has now put the name of Jehovah in places where there is no indication it should ever have been there, from the earliest Greek manuscripts. I am no theologian, but I do respect that language is complex. I studied in Paris for the sake of getting the true sense of how French is spoken. When I went to Brittany, my French was considered "Parisien" and not approved of........not one little bit. For the ones in Brittany considered their language to be the pure form. This was only a few decades ago.

  I had hoped to continue on with linguistics, but could not cope with the work load and making a living.....I saw a huge and fascinating world there and do regret that I did not pursue it. This is a very difficult study and an never ending one. I do trust many of those who are in this field. for many of them are not the least interested in "religion" No. They are interested in the translations being accurate and in keeping with the times in which they were written.
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  28

  help me understand: My wife seems to be utterly detested by skelletons and skulls. Why?

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, here i am again....asking more questions to help me understand my wife.

  she was brought up in the cult in the 70's and 80's.

  so i can only imagine what kind of indoctrination she deals with.

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  umbertoecho

  Isn't bone china made from bones.........? Of course it is and very expensive too. I think the entire earth is one huge grave. We are just going back into the earth at the end, then something might grow out of us. I think a nice weed growing out of my dead bones would be nice. Or, just stick my skull on your' mantle piece
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  17

  Where's this going? American soldiers call on Jehovah

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the song is 'days of elijah,' and the bit i'm referring to is about half way through, as they sing, "there is no god like jehovah":.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjz_ilp9c5a.

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  umbertoecho

  Maybe they are singing to the Jehovah of the desert, you know....the genocidal bit of Him who must be obeyed. Ooops, I'm sounding terrible these days. What I mean is that, anyone justifying the genocidal killing of babies, women, men, young men, children, even bloody animals for god's sake, has to be a bit insane. Or.......is it a name that is so obscure that if there is a god, a loving one...We just keep getting the name all wrong....

  Better shut up, too much scotch..................
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  17

  The "mis-truths" said by brothers during the Royal Commission.

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  my sister said she heard several "mis truths" or dare we say, "lies" said by the brothers on the stand during the royal commission.. 1) vin toole lied when asked about the expression "theocratic warfare".

  he said he was unaware of the term.

  2) terry obrien lied when asked whether witnesses are free to research the organisation or free to leave without any negative consequences.. 3) geoff jackson lied when he said that the organisation doesn't run a 'police state' and doesn't criticise those who want to leave.

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  umbertoecho

  Terrence O Brien was also called out for lying when, in his bid to dissuade the RC from ordering Geoff Jackson to appear, he downplayed GJ's role in co-running the organization, by suggesting he was mainly involved in translation.

  That was such an awesome moment for me.!!!!! Not only did Stewart ignore his protestations, he continued with........' I further submit to you......" And went on to reconfirm more about the fact that the lies had been in various forms and had not been a mistake.....Justice McClellan then asked how long had Jackson been in Australia.....(O'Brien had said he wasn't sure, perhaps a week or so.....) To which Angus Stewart replied that ......" Mr Jackson had been in Australian since before the 14th of July....".

  By then I couldn't sit still and was shooting of emails of gratitude to the person who is assisting me. I really love these people. They have restored my faith in "people". I had never thought the day would come in my life time when such needed exposure would arrive....I wanted to shout all over this forum. I think I went a bit mental with moments of despair and delight.....I am very very keen for this not to die down. And will always update with any information that will keep those who have not spoken yet.....strong and possibly confident of a future chance to gain a much needed platform to tell the facts, the awfully ugly facts...
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  16

  Price for Child Abuse

  by vinman in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  how much money do you think the watchtower will have to dish out for this scandal in australia?

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  umbertoecho

  smiddy is quite right in some ways. I don't think there is a cash value that can reasonably apply to such abuse. However, I have discovered that when money is involved, it really ramps up the pressure on the organisation that is at risk of having to pay out.........Money causes attention to become focused on the religion that allowed such abuse to go on....it is tantamount to a nice big advertisement in the paper.....A warning. People pay attention to things like this.

  My daughter's were validated by compensation, not that it will cure the abuse. One of them said. " Well, it hit them where it hurt didn't it mum?" I was pleased at this practical approach. More redress, more exposure, more WT lawyers and their slimy bullshit ways, and Australia might ban the bastards............always room for hope hey?

  If this part of the redress is payout..........then good. The main one is the exposure that come's with this sort of exposure. Sadly, but truly, money does talk in such instances.