Don't spose the army took lessons from the OT when they were in Viet Nam? Seems the best way to liberate a village from Communism was to burn it to the ground and annialate everyone. Sure saved there poor asses!
some things never change
carmel
Posts by Carmel
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13The "Final solution" Watchtower style.
by Norm inthe final solution watchtower style.. we have been told on this board lately that the watchtower society preach the good news and that is one of the good things that set them apart from christendom.
people who call the watchtower society message good news has hopefully never really given much thought to what is going to happen if their good news should become reality.
let us investigate what these good news is all about.. the 22. may, 1999 issue of awake!
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Carmel
Seattle eh, RC. Heck, I grew up out on the Olympic Peninsula. Still have property in Sequim. My wife and I are moving back this summer, if you really want some spectators for your wedding, we'll likely be handy!
cheers,
carmel
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16
natural health
by rob ini'm a newbie to the forum and also manage a health food store.
be happy to help out with any health issues and/or dietary questions.
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Carmel
Thanks Rob,
While I was in the US last fall there were signs on healthfood stores advertising it as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Christy Alley was pushing it as the only way she could loose weight, yadda yadda ya!
When you say "digestive aide" that doesn't explain much. Do you know what its does chemically to "aide" digestion?
Thanks,
Carmel
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thinker's thoughts on the Bible...
by thinker inthomas jefferson said of jesus's teachings:.
"they have been still more disfigured by the corruptions of schismatizing followers, who have found an interest in sophisticating and perverting the simple doctrines he taught, by engrafting on them the mysticisms of a grecian sophist, frittering them into subtleties, and obscuring them with jargon, until they have caused good men to reject the whole in disgust, and to view jesus himself as an impostor.
" (from jefferson's syllabus of an estimate of the.
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Carmel
Thinker,
You mean the law of Parsimony applies to religion? Wow, what will all the egomaniacs do?
carmel
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4
Take pride in being organised?
by Drue intake pride in organisation?.
could it be that jehovah gave the law to the israelites not so much as a blessing but also as a curse to teach them that 'organised religion' is not so good after all?.
jws as an organisation take pride that they are organised, presumably, mirroring gods arrangement with israel (literal israel = fds, gentile supporters = "great crowd", the 'nephinim' and 'sons of the servants of solomon' = jw administration from the number of the other sheep [see wt april 15 1992], 3 yearly festivals = 3 yearly jw conventions and assemblies etc, jewish priestly mediatorship = wt borg (see, i used this word :)).
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Carmel
Drue,
One needs to stand back and take a look at the history of anti-organization rhetoric. It seems the organized church has always had its detractors over the history of religion, at least the Abrahamic/Judaic/Christian/Muslim traditions. Central to the argument is IMHO, the typical ins vs the outs. In other words a political argument, not one of whether or not "god endorses organization vs a chaotic mess".
More recently the Protestant break with Catholocism gave vent to a stong anti-orgainization sentiment again not so much because the protestants were convinced it was inheritantly invalid but that it had been used as a vehicle of abuse and intolerance. Clearly the reformation would have been successful if the "organization" was out of the way!
I would challenge you to consider how embedded the assumption is and how easy it is to fall back onto the mantra of blaming the presence of organization when a) there is a history of abuse supported by the "organized church' and b) you are coming out of an organization that emphasises the importance of the organization over the deity itself and c) you have no altrenatives with which to compare what would support a positive paradigm for organizing.
regards,
carmel
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Restrictions
by ozziepost inthere is a practice among jws of applying restrictions to individual members.
it forms part of the judicial process and, although having no scriptural basis, is applied automatically to erring ones who are judged to be repentant.. so, for a period of time, usually up to 12 months, the individual is not allowed to share in commenting at meetings, offering public prayer, appearing on the platform in congregation meetings, or in serving as an auxiliary pioneer.. as with any man-made law, difficulties arise from this practice.
although no announcement has been made to the congregation, individual congregation members can have their curiosity aroused.. for example, take the real-life situation where a sole parent has been placed on restrictions by a judicial committee.
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Carmel
Great topic! It reminds me of my experiance first as a student, then a teacher and finally as a parent and community member with public schools. Whenever a student skips school, and there are some very interesting reasons and excuses for doing so, what does the school policy require? Well of course, we have to expell said offender with a minimum three day suspension! Our collective egos are offended that someone thinks some other way of spending the day is superior to being in the hallowed halls of our "school". Rarely does the system stop to think about the stupidity of this approach. Why not take a look at why Johnny is motivated to take a day and do whatever he choses as an alternative? Anyway, in all my years, I have only had one highschool administrator or school board member agree with me that the suspension practice is counter-productive. He was a super who had the best educational philosophy of any educator I have met. He also reduced the amount of class cutting by 80 percent.
I say let the shunning continue, it's a self-limiting sociopathic disease.
carmel
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102
In there no good in the WTBTS??? or ourselves??
by jst2laws inwe hopefully all agree it is wrong to reject an entire race because we have found one of its member to be flawed, or to reject an entire concept an the basis of finding a flaw in its argument.
would not fair people look for a way to accept the good in the concept, modify the flawed portion and rejoice in what was gained from the refined concept?
it would also be wrong, as the wt does, to reject an entire institution because some of its precepts are flawed.
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Carmel
2laws,
Have you ever experianced a court-room drama where the prosecuting attorney makes the opening case against the defendent and when he/she is through, you are absolutely convinced the defendent is guilty?
The number of witnesses, the mass of circumstancial evidence, even human testimony piles up to where you don't even have to hear the defense because it's all over with? Think about it! This is exactually where you are in your life. The claims and evidence are so strong for the conclusions you have drawn from the skillfully crafted propaganda machine called WTBTS that you need not even listen or look at any other paradigm or conflicting testimony.Wouldn't our court systems be a joke if only the police and the prosecuting side were the only ones to have their case presented before the jury made its deliberations? This is what you suggest in your affirmation that "no one else out there is doing it"!
Permit me to share with you that many of us have moved out of that mindset and have weighed the evidence and found that what the WTBTS claims to be the "truth" is only one jaded and narrow perspective of reality. It has to use many types of control mechanisms to prevent its members from weighing the evidence. I need not go on about the details.
I urge you to look at the evidence from a fair and objective perspective and admit that you have chosen to a) limit your terms of reference to the bible, and b) to the party line that is drummed into you by the WBTS.
Best regards,
Carmel
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Carmel
Actually Roller,
I don't thing Jawhova gives a rats rear who you marry! Hear's hoping you and your new husband grow up into happy and productive adults who don't always have to look over their shoulders to see if they are making Jerhova happy!
Best to ya!
carmel, who would come for two reasons, a) to kiss the bride and b) get some free devils food cake!!!!
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God's will or free will?
by thinker ini've heard many people tell me about bible prophesy.
if the bible can predict future events then it stands to reason that those events are predetermined and man has no choices in this world.
think about all the choices you've made in your life and how different life for you would be if you had done things differently.
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Carmel
Tina,
I got your message at H20 and responded here since you said you were leaving there. You may not have recognized the mountain name "carmel".
still in my cave, mntzion, dba "carmel"
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Using or Abusing Thee Name
by Carmel injdubs claim to be gods sole reps on earth basically because the judge adopted the name and thus were "honoring" it.
the israelites were suposedly abandoned by god because they "dishonored his name".
yet we all know judiasm does not use or utter any "name", it is forbidden!
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Carmel
Jdubs claim to be Gods sole reps on earth basically because the Judge adopted the name and thus were "honoring" it. The Israelites were suposedly abandoned by God because they "dishonored His name". Yet we all know Judiasm does not use or utter any "name", it is forbidden! So is honoring or dishonoring a matter of using the name or is it making our deeds match our words? Just using the name Jehovah, even if it were the correct rendering is far from bringing honor to it let alone claiming it then acting the way many do. Growing up in the "truth" and seeing the hypocracy in every congregation I was involve with tells me the "honor" that is brought to the name has a few stains. The poor emporer has no clothes!
carmel