Lots of PR.
And a church that figured out how to get secular authority.
Everything else is icing on the cake.
VoidEater
JoinedPosts by VoidEater
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40
Why do people look to the Bible for answers when it is obvious much OLDER works exist?
by sinis injust finished up reading the sumerian texts posted on a site, as well as the vedic books.
it is interesting to note that "fables" or works of antiquity, written down, that are much older than the bible, ot included, paint a different picture.
why, and i still cannot wrap my mind around this, do people let the bible be the answer for everything, when it is quite obvious that there are works pre-dating the bible?.
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64
DEMONS
by Band on the Run ingrowing up in the fifties and sixties, stories of demonic possession were prevalant in the watchtower and awake.
i was terrified.
we were told they would bother you if you were faithful, but also if you fell away.
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VoidEater
Who has actually seen a demon?
The same number that has actually seen an angel.
Demons and sex seem to be related. I'm wondering if this wanton sex is what scared me.
Since they were first talked about. It's supposed to scare you, and make you afraid of sex. Sex is bad, m'kay?
Enough bad things exist in this world without borrowing from an imaginary spirit world.
You said it.
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VoidEater
Newsflash: even if yer good, this happens...
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'Inception' raises some interesting thoughts/questions
by sd-7 ini know i am awfully late in having seen 'inception' for the first time on saturday night, but, i saw it.
for the first time.
on saturday night.
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VoidEater
The dream, to be believable, must let the kids age. The part of the mind generating the dream knows that kids age, so they do.
Watch the top at the end. Do you notice a recurring behavior, like the same bit of film played over and over? I'm not sure, but that may be a clue.
The key to inception is not implanting the idea - it is making the dreamer *think it is his own original thought*. From that perspective, making people believe they "chose to believe" gives a good corollary. In many cases, people are brainwashed or born in making the "choice" a rather blurry one.
But once it's there, it just...spreads like wildfire until it consumes you, if it's an idea that's powerful enough.
Only for an undisciplined mind (and most are that). I agree, though, that the mind is a fertile landscape for all manner of odd thoughts!
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Prince Dancing with Apostates
by Refriedtruth inprince dances with the (apostate) stars?o-kay take it from here posters am i reading too much into this or what?
?prince calls celebs on stage to party at nyc show.
access atlanta.
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VoidEater
There are many passages in the Bible as titillating as Prince's lyrics (perhaps jut not in today's vernacular) - and not always with a single interpretation. One could spin any of these lyrics in a positive light by saying it's about a married couple (not that you should do that without laughing or throwing up a little in your mouth). Even Erotic City (if we cannot make babies, maybe we could make some time) can be presented as an uplifting message of chastity <smirk>.
In the end, he's rich enough and enough of a celebrity that the WTS will mollycoddle him as long as they can. They've always made allowances for celebrity, as long as no one makes a big deal out of it to the wrong people. After all, just think of how many people Prince has brought The Truth to.
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my JW brother's reply on facebook? what should I say next
by Found Sheep inthis was my poststrong conviction does not make your belief true, people die for lies every daythis is his-you're spot on.
truth really matters:.
john 17:17 - god's word is truth.
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VoidEater
Leaving got it first round: Does truth change?
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Sticky Situation - What to do?
by I<3MYGod ini have posted about my experience with the cult....so now i find myself in a difficult position.
i have left it alone for many years but i wonder what you guys think.. i faded away from the cult and stopped going for quite a while.
my older sister took it upon herself to meet with my family and discuss all my sins and actions (they were active).
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VoidEater
Why do you care what the JWs think or do? Approve of or disapprove of? Does the WTS have that much hold over you?
If you have issues with how your family is treating you as opposed to have they treat your sister, take that up with them - ask them why they treat you poorly when they hold her in esteem.
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Open relationships, polyamory and swinging
by techdotcom inhas anyone else, after leaving the restrictive rules of the jw world, tried having an open marriage, joining the 'lifestyle' of the swinger comunity?
we've been doing that for about 4-5 months now and it's been an interesting experience, in fact it's been a major distraction from the hell of rebuilding our lives outside the religion and our base of friends.
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VoidEater
New ex Jw's are like a kid in a candy store with no parents around..they go wild and often end up with a tummy ache from all that "Candy"...
Some are. Some aren't. Not a one-size-fits-all world.
About those marriages that broke up: well, more than half of all marriages break up. With or without extracurricular activity. At that point or years after. You can't generalize. I'm sure it happens, but it's not a rule.
Open relationship: something like 7 of my 23 years together were open. They came in the middle of the relationship rather than the start or the end. For me impersonal sexuality outside of my primary relationship worked ok.
Polyamory did not work for me. My emotional make-up is such that I do not enjoy maintaining deep sensual connections with more than one person at a time. I am serially committed in this regard.
Swinging isn't for me at this stage in life, I have little time or energy to hop around or play within any particular rule set, which most of the swingers I've known seem to like to set up. Your mileage may vary.
In my experience, along with those I've known for decades, the only rule is to keep agreements clear and abide by them. There are no rules beyond what consenting adults consent to. Having agreements sets boundaries for physical and emotional safety; following those agreements allows trust.
Be safe...have fun...don't dream it, be it.
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Pale Blue Dot
by NomadSoul inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lm6pehykhsfrom this distant vantage point, the earth might not seem of particular interest.
look again at that dot.
that's here, that's home, that's us.
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VoidEater
Well, that was certainly a normalizing experience...
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Mom, why is the atheist angry? UN General Assembly votes to allow gays to be executed without cause.
by bohm inun general assembly votes to allow gays to be executed without causegay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people were once again subject to the whims of homophobia and religious and cultural extremism this week, thanks to a united nations vote that removed sexual orientation from a resolution that protects people from arbitrary executions.
in other words, the un general assembly this week voted to allow lgbt people to be executed without cause.. http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/un-general-assembly-votes-to-allow-gays-to-be-executed-without-cause/politics/2010/11/20/15449.
the world is apparently so full religious nutjobs who think arbitrary execution of gays and lesbians is such a valueable thing, that a resolution to ban it cant get passed in the un.
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VoidEater
Religion is a great excuse for the worst evil man can do.
Slap the label of "God said so" - despite his inivisibility and silence - justifies everything.
At least you can sue for slander, libel, defamation on the basis of what is true. Claim God says it and suddenly it's *all* true, and above the law.
Religion: a contradiction from God.