Rapunzel

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Posts by Rapunzel

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  39

  Do you feel reading through the bible in the past has benefited you at all?

  by Hope4Others in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  putting the doctrine aside do you feel it has given you any advantages?

  case in point my son posts on university sites and often the topic about the bible.

  and god come up.

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  Rapunzel

  The Bible is the foundational text of Western civilization and culture. As such, there are nearly countless allusions and references to the Bible in much of the world's litertature, in many languages. The problem is when people forget that the Bible is a human artifact; problems occur when people develop an exclusionist and dogmatic attitude with respect to the Bible. Problems occur when people come to view it as the " inerrant Word of God." The Bible is actually an anthology of many books; the English word "Bible" is derived from the Greek word meaning "books" [biblia]. The Bible contains a lot of sound moral principles which remain valid even today. It also contains a lot of curious, vulgar, and abhorrant nonsense. The Bible was written, edited and re-edited over at least a millenium by people living in various cultures and speaking various languages. These people held a pre-modern viewpoint very different from that of modern society.

  However - like it or,for good or for bad - the Bible is indeed the foundational text of Western culture. Ideally, everyone should have a knowledge of it. Moreover, I think that people should also have an awareness and knowledge of the foundational texts of other cultures, such as the Qur'an, the Vedas, and Buddhist texts. It's been estimated that Christians make up only from 20 to 25% of the world's population. Therefore, it becomes important for them to read and learn about other cultures and religious traditions by reading their foundational texts - their scriptures and wisdom literature.
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  11

  Future = Will we find "religion" on other planets! Will it survive on earth

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  if an alien visited earth in the 1600's he would find a culture deeply rooted in religion with little scientific knowledge.

  if we travelled to other planets in 2080 will we find jehoovers witnesses??

  or some other form of religion...or will they be scientific and logical....will we still be religious in 1,000 years due to scientific breakthroughs in the last 100 years?

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  Rapunzel

  This is a very interesting question that you bring up - the general question of whether there is life on other planets, and the specific question of what - if any - religion these extra-terrestrials might practice. The French author, Fontenelle, wrote Entretiens sur la pluralite des mondes, in which he dealt with this issue. And another author [I think it was Mark Twain, but I'm not suie] wondered if the whole Adam and Eve saga played itself out on other planets as it had on earth. Did God and the snake have a sort of "running bet" on whether the beings on other planets would fail or pass the test of obedience? Did they agree to make it the best out of 10, or the best out of 100,000,000?

  There's one thing that I intuitively know, and that is that religion on earth probably could not survive if ever there ever contact between humans and extra-terrestrials. If anyone studies the various historical encounters between technologically advanced societies and those that are less advanced, he or she will see that it always turns out badly for the less advanced society.
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  32

  Absurdity in the Bible

  by darth frosty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not to diss anyones beliefs, i thought this was humorous.. .

  absurdity in the bible .

  if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.--1 cor.14:38 .

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  Rapunzel

  It should be noted that in the account of Noah's Ark, it is chaos that gets the upper hand over cosmos, with the Creator's complicity in the matter. In the account, it speaks of how God allows for the "waters from above and below" to inundate the earth, God's creation. Water in general, and the sea in particular, are almost universally seen as symbolic of the forces of chaos. In the Bible, Leviathan represents the chaotic force of the sea and water. In the Bible, Leviathan is God's "enemy."
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  32

  Absurdity in the Bible

  by darth frosty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not to diss anyones beliefs, i thought this was humorous.. .

  absurdity in the bible .

  if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.--1 cor.14:38 .

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  Rapunzel

  The ancient Greeks distinguished between two fundamentally different "ways of knowing-" mythos and logos. The events narrated in Genesis fall definitely within the category of mythos.

  Mythos has ancient roots; this way of knowing relies on superstition, intuition and other non-rational ways of knowing. The language of mythos is symbolic and aesthetic. The Genesis account is not - and never was - intended to be scientific. It is, essetially, poetry. As such it cannot be judged or evaluated according to rational or scientific criteria, nor more so than can be the poetic phrase - "My love is a rose." It does no good to assert: "How can you establish a link between an emotion and a flower? That's absurd!" Poets often use simile and/or metaphor to connect an abstraction with something concrete and tangible. Of course, poets' language should be understood as figurative and not literal. It is the same with the Genesis account. As I interpret it, I think that the author(s) of the Genesis narrative was (were) making a distinction between another ancient Greek dichotomy - that of chaos as opposed to cosmos. The author was trying to point out that, in the act of creation, the Creator achieved victory over the forces of chaos by imposing cosmos, or a heavenly-mandated order.
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  16

  Anyone here collect foreign currency as a hobby?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. social
  2. physical

  i would like to begin a collection - but i am not sure the best resources so that i don't get ripped off.

  anyone know of a forum that discusses this hobby?

  i did a google and the category is so broad i don't know where to start.

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  Rapunzel

  Jeff - I do! I do! I collect foreign currencies, old and new. Psst! Have I got a deal for you! If you want, I'll exchange old Turkish lira for American dollars. If you give me $10,000 U.S., I'll give you 10,000 old Turkish lira. This is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But act now, the offer soon expires
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  9

  Promotional Watchtower stickers.

  by edmond dantes in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  suppose you are a witless and are really keen on putting "theocratic" logos and stickers onto your personal items ,where would you stick them for best effect and can you think of any kingdumb messages you would like to advertise on such items?.

  any thoughts?.

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  Rapunzel

  How about a tee shirt that says: "What hapened in 1975? I'll tell you what happened in 1975!!!!"

  Or how about: "Beth Sarim? Why, that was our dear uncle Joe's place!!!"

  Or maybe: "The end of the world did come!!! Except that it was invisible, like...you know...talking pink elephants with wings, and unicorns."
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  24

  Do You Find Anything "Logical" About Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is there such a thing??

  ?.

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  Rapunzel

  What aspect/facet of "religion" do you wish to focus on? "Religion" is a vast topic with an ancient history. Are you talking about doctrine? Are you talking about believers' psychology? Are you talking about relgious rites, rituals, and practices? Also, there's a point where "religion" blends in with "culture." I think it's no accident - it's by no means mere chance - that the word cult and the word culture are linked; the word culture has its first four letters in common with the word cult. I think it's no accident that the two words share the etymological root. [In using the word cult, I don't intend it in its negative, pejorative sense. I'm using the word basically in its sense of relgious worship in general, no negative connotation whatsoever]. And "culture" is found the world over, just as "religion" is.
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  23

  I got a jesus question

  by lancelink in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  with the memorial season behind now, there is a question i have that in over 30 years as a jw i never got a solid answer.

  jesus died for our sins; he was the perfect sacrifice, etc, etc.

  i always heard how tough it must have been for god to watch his only begotten son die the way he did.

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  Rapunzel

  Ugh, J.C., you mention the "widow's might," but I think you mean the "widow's mite." That's m-i-t-e. I do so hate to be so nit-picky, but in writing the "widow's might," you're talking about her power and majesty, neither of which she had. So, it sounds kind of absurd, since the whole point of the parable is that she had almost no money at all, and thus no power. Your mistake surprises me because, after all, given that you claim to be J(esus) C(hrist) Anon(ymous), this is [was] your parable!!! You disappoint me, J.C.

  Anyway, in Jesus' [your?] day, a mite was also known as a lepton. It was worth even less than a Roman quadrans. The mite was minted by a Judean king several decades before Jesus' [your?] birth. It was a bronze coin still in circulation when the gospel of Mark was written. The fact that Jesus [you?} should compare it with the Roman quadrans shows that the people listening to the parable were familiar with Roman customs and culture.

  J.C., you, of all people, should know his. After all, you were there. It was your parable.
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  25

  The greatest Witness supply shop in the world? Probably.........

  by chikikie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.servicesupplies.net/page04.html.

  words fail me.....

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  Rapunzel

  Yeah, I suppose that times do change. But then again, maybe not by that much. As it say in Ecclesiastes, "there is nothing new under the sun;" and hasn't the business of America always been business? Who was it that said Americans are basically a people who sit around and sell hamburgers to each other? Now, there are dubs who sit around and sell worthless stuff to each other. Is that any worse than "pet rocks" and chia pets?
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  25

  The greatest Witness supply shop in the world? Probably.........

  by chikikie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.servicesupplies.net/page04.html.

  words fail me.....

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  Rapunzel

  Hey kids, be the first on your block to get a "No Blood" key chain!!!! It's a real conversation starter!!!! Use it as an intro to "give a witness." And, maybe - if you're lucky, fortunate, blessed enough, you'll be able to sacrifice your life, all for a total misinterpretation of an ancient semitic dietary restriction!!!