Posts by inkling

This video is by far my favorite explanation of my stance on this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI Starting at the 7:25 mark specifically, but the whole thing is excellent and relevant. It's not so much an issue of an open mind VS skepticism, or about finding middle ground between gullibility and closemindedness. That is actually quite missing the point. The key is an open mind with a properly installed, maintained, and updateable evidence filter.

[inkling]

27

JWs and piracy (digital kind)

by teel in

i'd like to hear of other people's experience regarding the jws inclination to pirating software, music, films.. this of course is relative to your country.

because i live in a relatively poor country, the rate of piracy is extremely high, individuals practically never buy software, music and films are bought now and then.

this of course is against the law here too.. so what do jws do?

inkling

("broadcast" into your home or purchased makes you the owner)

hmm... really? I though the only "fair use" allowed is for the purpose of "time shifting": watching the original broadcast at a more conveinent time. I am guessing any alterations (including removing of ads) would be illegal.

and who you are giving it to ("fair use" allows a degree to sharing).

This I would have to see in writing somewhere. Obviously lending a friend a legal DVD is fine, but I can't see any circumstance where making a COPY of a dvd and lending/giving it to a friend is anything other than copyright violation.

Anonymous giving or selling is not fair use sharing.

Right, but I don't see what anonymity has to do with it... any copying and giving to someone else strikes me as "redistribution", wether it's to your neighbor Bob or some random kids computer 2000 miles away.

[inkling] <--- is prepared to stand corrected

27

JWs and piracy (digital kind)

by teel in

i'd like to hear of other people's experience regarding the jws inclination to pirating software, music, films.. this of course is relative to your country.

because i live in a relatively poor country, the rate of piracy is extremely high, individuals practically never buy software, music and films are bought now and then.

this of course is against the law here too.. so what do jws do?

inkling

My old congregation had a local needs part on software/music piracy and the elder came right out and called it stealing. I think he went too far, though, when he said that making a mixtape/CD and giving it away was also stealing.

Not to start a fight... (well, maybe a little)

I don't see how these things are intrinsically different. I think current laws DO in fact criminalize mix tapes exactly the same as pirated albums, and that is part of the absurdity of the stoneage mindset of record companies.

The reason they didn't care about this in the 80's was because it was pain in the ass to make copies, and the quality was low. People today are doing the exact same thing as making a Tears For Fears mix tape for your girlfriend, and giving a friend (or hell, even MAKING*) a taped-from-tv VHS of last nights episode of Knight Rider... now people are just better at it, thanks to technology.

[inkling]

*VHS collection of every televised episode of Star Trek with the ads removed? meh. Your friends MOM did this. Downloading those same episodes via torrent? EVIL no-good teenage pirate! See the absurdity? The sins or OUR generation are forgivable, the sins of the next are evil.

28

"Jesus is Lord". Every hear a JW say that?

by Chalam in

romans 10:9 (new international version)9that if you confess with your mouth, "jesus is lord," and believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved.. ever hear a jw utter this statement?.

ever seen a jw live like jesus their lord?.

here's a couple of verses on this theme.

inkling

I felt the need to look this up in the NWT, just becuase I didn't remember ever reading that phrase in the "Witness" Bible:

"For if you publicly declare that ‘word in your own mouth,’ that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation."

How could I have read that verse so many times and never seen how clear it says that?

[inkling]

28

"Jesus is Lord". Every hear a JW say that?

by Chalam in

romans 10:9 (new international version)9that if you confess with your mouth, "jesus is lord," and believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved.. ever hear a jw utter this statement?.

ever seen a jw live like jesus their lord?.

here's a couple of verses on this theme.

inkling

In case it wasn't clear, I was joking, implying that is something a witness would say in reaction to this discussion.
(I am agnostic on the issue of Jesus being A or The Lord.)

[inkling]

28

"Jesus is Lord". Every hear a JW say that?

by Chalam in

romans 10:9 (new international version)9that if you confess with your mouth, "jesus is lord," and believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved.. ever hear a jw utter this statement?.

ever seen a jw live like jesus their lord?.

here's a couple of verses on this theme.

inkling

"Jesus is A Lord, but not The Lord"

[inkling]

28

Agnostics/Atheists, To Whom Do They Give Thanks?

by african GB Member in

jw
friends

christians thank god/jesus when things go well for them,.

muslims thank allah,.

jws thank jehovah,.

inkling

Bhudists thank Bhudda

Really?

I'm pretty sure Buddhists are in the same boat as atheists
when it comes to lack of a personal superhero to feel thankful
towards.

I was under the impression meaning is found in simply offering
thanks into the endless velvet night.

(or in person, when possible)

[inkling]

15

Did the Nazi colonel from "Inglourious Basterds" remind anyone else of...

by inkling in

jw
friends

... a circuit overseer?.

that first scene, with the searingly tense, sinister, faux-friendly visit and "conversation" over the glass of milk... the loaded-gun smile, and ominous bookbag... something about his manner made think of some just horrific shepherding call.. (and no, i am not literally equating cos/elders with nazis... i am just saying the tone was reminisent, to me, of such meetings.).

[inkling].

inkling

... a Circuit Overseer?

That first scene, with the searingly tense, sinister, faux-friendly visit and "conversation" over the glass of milk... the loaded-gun smile, and ominous bookbag... Something about his manner made think of some just horrific shepherding call.

(and no, I am not literally equating COs/Elders with Nazis... I am just saying the tone was reminisent, to me, of such meetings.)

[inkling]