i recently developed an interest in examining the origins of religion.
so what i've gathered so far is this.
the human mind needs to create an explanation and meaning.
There's a lot of financial security in joining moribund cults, just look at Father Divine. They don't have enough followers to take care of their real estate. I hope that's where the JWs are in 100 years.
Find a celibacy cult with lots of real estate and no chance of mass suicide. There are the Shakers, the House of David in Benton Harbor Michigan, can anyone name any others?
from so many posts and conversations on here, you'd think over 1/2 the posters here possess doctorates in theology, physics, biology, etc.
i'm curious aside from the books and research people have done here, what degrees they have.
to start, i just got an aa and going straight through full time to an mba.
Associates Degree in Liberal Arts with emphasis on Spanish and English
Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bourbonais Creole, Haitian Creole, Jamaican Creole, and Esperanto
Conversant in Amharic, Hebrew, Arabic, Maltese, Japanese, and Fijian
Can read Enough Greek to cross reference the New Testament.
I say my prayers in Gi'iz (Classical Ethiopic) so as not to offend my JW better half with the actual meaning.
Gave up on pursuing a Linguistics Degree after failing Statistics 3 times. Dropped out of Legal Interpreting school.
If I were single I would probably be teaching ESL in an unstable part of the world just for the stripes.
I think my wife at first thought she could bring me around to the Troof, because I was caught between two doctrines when we met, but I could see through the BS at first glance. I told her to bring me a brother who knew the Bible in its original languages and the had read the Bible and the Apocryphal books so that he could go over doctrine with me and refute the Apocryphal books on a book by book basis. Of course no one outside of the Bethel has the time or the resources to do something like that and I have been a thorn in her side ever since. Sorry for digressing.
Orphan Crow: Anyone can get a degree in Theology up to a Doctorate of Divinity from the University of South Africa, pay in Rands instead of dollars, and it is recognised worldwide as University of South Africa started out as a distance college of Cambridge University.
I remember my anthropology professor reluctantly informing us that Jane Goodall only had a foundation/associates degree in anthropology. That made me think about all the dying languages that need saving. I took a Certified Nurses' Aid course but failed the red cross exam. I would still like to perhaps work with elderly speakers of dying languages to record them before they are lost to humanity.
if you think the mormon church is off-the-scale crazy you probably don't know the half of it.. the historical information in this talk by david fitzgerald is fascinating.
the good news is that, just like the watchtower, their growth is being stunted by the internet.. grab a coffee and be amazed at just how gullible millions of people can be.. lucy harris has become my new heroine.
don't miss the section from 8:50.
" --only those in the kingdom covenant were served the bread & wine by jesus--" ---false!
this phrase switches from the forgiveness of sin part to the exclusive anointed club section of the memorial talk, and it is false because: the kingdom covenant was done after the passover was done.
and the promise of thrones and judging israel in math 19:28 was not a covenant but an assurance.
yes a big happy easter to all the ex j-dubs........and to all those that want to be ex j-dubs.
Christ is risen!
http://www.youtube/watch?v=gtxx6tGuX5A
if you think the mormon church is off-the-scale crazy you probably don't know the half of it.. the historical information in this talk by david fitzgerald is fascinating.
the good news is that, just like the watchtower, their growth is being stunted by the internet.. grab a coffee and be amazed at just how gullible millions of people can be.. lucy harris has become my new heroine.
don't miss the section from 8:50.
" --only those in the kingdom covenant were served the bread & wine by jesus--" ---false!
this phrase switches from the forgiveness of sin part to the exclusive anointed club section of the memorial talk, and it is false because: the kingdom covenant was done after the passover was done.
and the promise of thrones and judging israel in math 19:28 was not a covenant but an assurance.
Look at the moon you were born under
April-Reuben
May-Simeon
June-Levi
July-Judah
August-Issachar
September-Zebulon
October-Dan
November-Gad
December-Asher
January-Naphali
February-Joseph
March-Benjamin
Accept that and see yourself as Israel...No need for the eight empty suits just to belong to the Great Crowd. The Great Crowd are all people who love God of all religions.
when i was an elder we had a sister who was known for providing oral pleasures to some people in the congo.
i was on the committee.
this girl for some odd reason was put on public reproof 4 times for the same thing.
fyi, if you feel that scientology's tax-exempt status should be revoked, you can sign a white house petition to revoke its tax-exempt status at https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status.. i signed the petition even though i have mixed feelings about this petition.
i would prefer that dangerous cults like scientology be reformed by suspending its tax-exempt status until it makes needed changes and i do not like targeting a specific organization when the whole system should be changed.
on the other hand this type of action may help to promote debate about revising the tax codes in the us.. i do prefer revising the tax code like i wrote about in revise tax code to protect children from sexual abuse .. peace be with you and everyone, who you love,.
daniel 8:23 in the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise.
24 he will become very strong, but not by his own power.
he will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does.
