fulltimestudent

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Posts by fulltimestudent

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  23

  CO Rose UK

  by jookbeard in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does anyone know this guy, where he came from?

  how he climbed the jw ladder, i have to say i know nothing about him but he seems to be kicking ass with the problems in the north of england..

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  fulltimestudent

  konceptual99: He is vengeful, spiteful, without mercy and simply a nasty piece of work.

  Yup, just the right tool in the hands of YHWH/Jesus.
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  93

  Higher Education

  by Brian J in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just spent 8 hours in a 1 day elders school last weekend.

  clarification given: "moving forward any elder, ms, or pioneer who themselves or someone under their roof enrolls in higher education, may no longer qualify for privileges in the congregation.

  their qualifications will have to be reviewed by their boe.".

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  fulltimestudent

  Interpretation: Only the dumb stay faithful to YHWH/Jesus
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  9

  Do we need spirituality or religion to be good socially responsible people ?

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  religion is declining in many countries around the world and hardly exists in some countries.. it would fair to say that scientifically acquired knowledge has taken a bite of religious practice over the years.

  the premising suggestion that there is a god looking at everything mankind does or should do is vanishing out the human consciousness.. should we emulate the social directives written in ancient manuscripts established by those ancients for their civilization ?

  is it possible that mankind can control and guide itself now with all the acquired knowledge we have attained, toward the ending betterment of humanity ?

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  fulltimestudent

  Finkelstein: "s it possible that mankind can control and guide itself now with all the acquired knowledge we have attained, toward the ending betterment of humanity ?
  I think yes we can it is possible and I also think it would be advantageous as well over rigidly devised religious doctrines derived inherently from ancient civilizations."

  Since Buddhism is not about obeying a god who tells us what to do, but about human self-improvement until one reaches 'Buddahood,' I would agree that humans can learn to control and guide themselves, and that for 2500 years, humans have been advancing down that path.

  And, it may be noted, ancient philosophies like Stoicism, have also taught that humans can self-improve.

  What a pity that Jesus was neither a stoic or a Buddhist.
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  20

  Does anyone like Steampunk?

  by days of future passed in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i love people's being creative with this genre.

  i stumbled on this video which is a lot of fun.

  past the end credits is out takes and how it was made.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=211lnk5vnjm.

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  fulltimestudent

  Jeez, and I thought this thread was about an American make of commercial coffee makers:

  
  
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  32

  A Korean Tragedy

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the modern history is full of deep, dark tragedies.

  and, my intention, as i sat down to write of those tragedies for a fb page i look after for a macquarie university student society, was to tell the story of these very dark contemporary events.

  but east asia history is complex and i think its helpful to try to have an overview of that history to understand what has happened in the recent past.

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  fulltimestudent

  There seems little doubt that Kim Il-sung as head of the DPRK actually ordered the invasion of the south on June 25, 1950, and we should attempt to understand the factors that led him and his colleagues to make that decision.

  The USA’s government is reasonably open, it may not always seem transparent, but in time most archival information is released to the public and is available to scholars. That was not the case with either the DPRK not the PRC at that time, not the USSR of the time period, But since the collapse of the USSR, much more archival information has become available from the extant Soviet Archives in contemporary Russia. It is possible to trace the conversations that discussed the DPRK’s belief that they could invade the spout, and most importantly why Kim Il-sung believed he would win and so re-unite all of Korea.

  By early 1950 the north had a reasonably well equipped army, mostly supplied by the USSR, probably from the large pool of Soviet equipment left over after the Soviet’s successful (and very short) war against Japan. Moreover in late 1949, tens of thousands of well-trained and experienced Koreans, who had been fighting in the Chinese civil war between the GMD and the CPC, were able to return to Korea. Naturally, and irrespective of their original home area in Korea, they chose to return to the DPRK. Their leadership were likely to be gung-ho about the chances of victory over the south.

  We should balance the DPRK’s attitude with that of Syngman Rhee’s administration and his generals. Both Rhee and his generals spoke openly about re-taking the north by force. Most of the south’s army leadership had been trained in the Japanese Army and were likely quite confident in their ability to win a war with the north. And, many of the brief military conflicts (incursions into the north) that had been occurring along the border are believed to have been initiated by the south In that kind of atmosphere both sides likely believed that one day, the other side, would make a genuine invasion attempt.

  But, perhaps an overlooked, but very likely important factor, is the fact that between the end of 1948 and June 1950 South Korea itself had experienced a violent and bloody guerilla revolt/war by native south Korean leftists on Cheju Island and in Yosu-Sunch’on in South Cholla. The revolt was unsuccessful, but we can consider that the DPRK government could have easily believed that in the ROK, there were large numbers of leftist thinking Koreans that would rise up in revolt once and invasion commenced.

  So irrespective of whether or not either the USSR or the PRC actually approved the invasion, (although it seems certain that neither Stalin or the CPC would have said No!), Kim Il-sung seems to have believed he could win and that he should make the first move, rather than letting the south make the first move.

  And, Kim was likely feeling he’d made the right decision as the north’ blitzkrieg attack overwhelmed the ROK army, and in three days took Seoul, and by early August had the ROK military confined to a small pocket of land around Busan.

  Any elation was however short-lived. America’s MacArthur and his quite brilliant decision to make an amphibious assault on Inchon (near Seoul) would have ended the north’s hopes of an early and total victory. By the end of September the combined western and ROK armies were once again in control of Seoul, and, because of (I think) MacArthur’s quite understandable decision to continue heading north saw his forces coming close to the border with China, which in turn was likely to have been causing some late nights in Beijing, where the leadership would have been pondering American intentions.
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  6

  The Blood Soaked Savagery of the YHWH/Jesus Creation

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you remember being with a group of witnesses looking at some cute little animal and everyone saying, "oooh!

  isn't jehovah sooo wooooonderful!!!

  " of course, most other christians are just as prone to utter such insipid, sugary and idiotic expressions.. the cats and dogs that we often dote on are the result of hundreds of years of breeding out undesirable traits, but their original ancestors survived by catching and tearing to pieces cute, cuddly little animals who are stricken with terror as they are hunted.

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  fulltimestudent

  Do you remember being with a group of witnesses looking at some cute little animal and everyone saying, "Oooh! Isn't Jehovah sooo wooooonderful!!!" Of course, most other Christians are just as prone to utter such insipid, sugary and idiotic expressions.

  The cats and dogs that we often dote on are the result of hundreds of years of breeding out undesirable traits, but their original ancestors survived by catching and tearing to pieces cute, cuddly little animals who are stricken with terror as they are hunted. Even our domestic cats, if uncontrolled, are responsible for wiping out entire species of cute cuddly little animals, who themselves are often carnivores and who exist by catching and eating other terror-stricken cute cuddly little animals.

  I was thinking of this the other day when I had occasion to read Psalm 104, particularly verse 21:

  "The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God."

  So, according to YHWH's inspired word, YHWH gives them their food, the cute, cuddly animals that christians coo about, and tell each other "Isn't YHWH (or Jesus, depending on the Christians's particular brand loyalty.

  And, btw, the "inspired" record is in error in the reason it gives for lions roaring. They are not roaring after their prey. They roar as a way of marking their territory.

  Quote: "Lions roar to tell other lions where they are, to show how big they are and to warn lions from other prides to keep away from their home territory. They do this mostly just before sunrise and sunset when they are most active."
  African Lion and Environmental Research:

  If ever you want to think that Psalm 104 reflects anything wonderful about YHWH or his little mate, Jesus, then just recall how he gives 'food' to lions

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXiW187HBVY
  

  and even to the ancestors of you faithful fido, who is usually (but not always) friendly to humans, because their innate savagery has been bred out of them over thousands of years.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0vqLD5bQhc

  So why does anyone give any credence to this stupid book.
  
  
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  32

  A Korean Tragedy

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the modern history is full of deep, dark tragedies.

  and, my intention, as i sat down to write of those tragedies for a fb page i look after for a macquarie university student society, was to tell the story of these very dark contemporary events.

  but east asia history is complex and i think its helpful to try to have an overview of that history to understand what has happened in the recent past.

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  fulltimestudent

  For those to whom the subject is compelling, you may be interested in this book that will be published early next year:

  

  If you wonder just how the situation in the Korean Peninsula has degenerated to where it is today, with both sides wasting words calling each other names, you may find the book to be interesting (when released in early 2018).
  

  Whether or not you like Noam Chomsky, it is hard to disagree with his recommendation for the book.

  Quote: "The failed invasion of North Korea by US-led forces in late 1950 and the unrelenting three-year long bombing campaign of North Korean cities, towns and villages – ‘every thing that moved [and] every brick standing on top of another’ – help explain why the Pyongyang regime is, and always has been, determined to develop a credible nuclear deterrent. As Alistair Horne once said so wisely ‘How different world history would have been if MacArthur had had the good sense to stop on the 38th parallel.
  The first Korean War became the first of America’s failed modern wars; and its first modern war with China. It established the pattern for the next sixty years and marked the true beginning of the American century – opening the door to ever-increasing military expenditure; launching the long era of expanding American global force projection; and creating the dangerous and festering geopolitical sore that exists in Northeast Asia today. Washington has not learned the lessons of history and we are reaping the consequences.
  ‘Perceptive and compelling – often heart-rending, sometimes downright terrifying – this is a richly informed study…The lessons are all too pertinent in today’s toxic political climate, with Korea once again a centerpiece and victim.’
  Noam Chomsky"

  The author, Michael Pembroke, is a judge in the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Australia) and has travelled extensively through Asia. His father was an Army platoon leader in the Korean war, who was awarded a Military Cross for a singular military action.

  In 2016 he travelled through North Korea from the Yalu River on the Manchurian border to the demilitarised zone in the south. His research has taken him to Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, Washington DC and Cambridge. Later this year, he will take up a position as a Director’s Visitor at the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey.
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  32

  A Korean Tragedy

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the modern history is full of deep, dark tragedies.

  and, my intention, as i sat down to write of those tragedies for a fb page i look after for a macquarie university student society, was to tell the story of these very dark contemporary events.

  but east asia history is complex and i think its helpful to try to have an overview of that history to understand what has happened in the recent past.

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  fulltimestudent

  Even before the election of the Workers Party to government in the North, th Soviet administration had permittee a number of reforms (by the short-lived Korean Peoples Republic). Any Korean who had collaborated with the Japanese was thrown out of office. In March 1946, a \land reform program had been implemented. The large tracts of land owned by the traditional Korean aristocracy (about 5000 landlords) and any land acquired by Japanese individuals or companies was confiscated ( individuals were allowed to keep approximately 12 acres) and redistributed to peasant families.Most landowners had already fled to the American occupied south, so the land re-distribution was accomplished without much violence. Major industries were confiscated by the state. Labour reforms (an 8 hour day, social security insurance, pay increases, equal pay for men and women) were also implemented. Generally, Korea, Old and New: A History notes that the reforms were carried out by Koreans and reflected the spirit of the Korean People's Republic.

  A Soviet-US Joint Commission (established to work toward a single provisional Korean government first met in 1946 and also in 1947 but it was soon clear that little progress was going to be made, because of the differing views of the north and south. In the north Kim Il-sung had emerged as a potential leader and it seems he set about establishing control of both the Workers Party and a Soviet backed 'Interim People's Committee' set-up in February 1946. Later in 1946 a military corp was initiated that would eventually become the DPRK's Army.

  In the south, the American Military Government brought Syngman Rhee (who had spent many years in the USA) to Korea. Rhee had a reputation as a patriot (and you may recall had been tapped as the head of the Korean People's Republic and was also a fervent anti-communist and was soon denouncing anyone who wanted to work with the Korean People's Republic, and any Korean communist group (in the south or the north).

  The American Military Government made an effort to establish a moderate 'centrist' political group, but in the fast polarising political situation, there was little support.

  Given all those developments it soon became impossible for any UN sponsored move to establish an independent Korean government.

  The North reflected the leftist spirit of many Koreans, who had long dreamed and fought for a socialist state, while in the South an alliance between those opposed to such a move, wealthy business men, southern landowners, northern landowners who had lost their landed estates, and former collaborators with the Japanese Colonial Administration was soon seeking control of the south's political aspirations.

  Both groups claimed to represent all Koreans. Both groups were soon talking about using force to achieve a 'unified' Korea, a situation developed is precisely what we still see on the Korean Peninsula.

  In May 1948, elections were held in the south, the new National Assembly adopted a constitution and on August 15 of that year, the 'Republic of Korea' ( i.e. South Korea) was proclaimed, Syngman Rhee became President.

  The north's reaction was to hold their own elections on August 25, and proclaimed the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' with Kim Il Sung as premier in September. Both of these governments adopted an attitude that there were the only legitimate government of Korea.

  A little later in 1948 the USSR occupation army withdrew from north Korea, and in June 1949 the USA withdrew their military forces. Both states began to talk of a forced reunification with increasingly violent rhetoric, (somewhat like the Kim Jong-u - Donal Trump exchanges of late).

  What can we say now after all these events, was the fate of that one opportunity for a unified Korea that existed in 1945 - the Korean People's Republic? Its fair to say that in the north, it was subverted by the USSR and the combined Korean Communist Party/Korean Worker's Party and Kim Song I.

  In the south, it was ignored by the American Military government and atrophied away.

  But just how did the war that started in 1945 develop?
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  20

  Congrats Australia votes yes gay marriage! Awesome!

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well done aussie's 60% voted yes.

  i really did not think this would happen here there is alot of gay phobia.

  i saw men on the streets holding signs "vote no.

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  fulltimestudent

  Thnx shepherdess for wanting to make sure that basic facts are correct. I'll respond to your criticism of my post by taking the most serious first.

  shepherdess: "
  I have not previously read any suggestion to that effect. The criticism of Pell is that, in his role, he must have known there was a problem and he didn’t act, or he acted to cover it up.

  and having come under some unwelcome suspicion as having had a specific liking for younger boys

  
  My response: Your statement is correct, in that the original complaint about Pell is that (like many others in various catholic hierarchies) he ignored information about priestly child abusers. But the charges against this man (claimed to be number 3 in the world hierarchy) is specifically one of historic child abuse.

  According to a Sydney Morning Herald report on October 6, 2017:
  

  Up to 50 witnesses could be called and a "voluminous" amount of evidence discussed when Cardinal George Pell, Australia's highest-ranking Catholic official, faces a committal hearing next year on charges of historical sex abuse. ...
  Reference: http://www.smh.com.au/national/cardinal-george-pell-due-back-in-court-on-historical-sex-offence-charges-20171005-gyvds0.html
  
  

  ---------------------------

  Second, is there any evidence for my statement:

  Now Tony, who in his student days gained a reputation for slamming opponents in student politics, against walls and threatening them with worse, was also once a novice priest and is still very much a supporter of the church.
  

  You are correct that there were no other witnesses to the female students allegation against Abbott. Except that a male student, who is now a Sydney Barrister has made this statement:

  David Patch

  Sept 13, 2012

  "I did not see the incident, but I was nearby. The count had just finished. Barbara found me. She is a small woman, and Tony Abbott was (and is) a strong man. She was very shaken, scared and angry. She told me that Tony Abbott had come up to her, put his face in her face, and punched the wall on either side of her head. So, I am a witness. Barbara's immediate complaint to me about what Abbott had just done had the absolute ring of truth about it. I believed Barbara at the time, and still do."

  - Sydney barrister and former Labor candidate David Patch backs Ms Ramjan's story.

  Quoted from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/tony-abbott-barbara-ramjan-david-marr-university-days/4261254

  Which lists a number of statements for and against Ramjan's claim.

  Attempting to observe Abbott's character from afar, I see a strongly opinionated man who is intense in the way he approaches the causes in his life. Would you call his attitude pugilistic? I would, and could believe the above incident. You may not - but there are times when there is only one witness to an event.

  -----------------------------

  And third, my statements that (a) Tony A is a bit like D.Trump, and (b) that Abbott is a supporter of his church.

  You state categorically that, "D Trump and T Abbott are not alike." And further that, "Abbot is a career politician and an ideologically conservative one. Trump is not a real conservative. He is a populist who says things that appeal to a conservative base."

  Here we approach a problem with definitions. What is a 'conservative?' I see similarities, you don't. OK! I think that Trump's approach to politics is 'conservative,' you think he is a populist that only pretends to be 'conservative.' We can agree to disagree.

  But how deeply are Abbott's religious beliefs involved in his political agenda? I'll let the Jesuit publication, Eureka Street,(which I subscribe to) answer:

  "Tony Abbott is the most prominent current Australian political leader with ties to the Labor Split of the 1950s, through his personal association with B. A. Santamaria, the leader of the Catholic Social Studies Movement.
  ... Other current politicians have connections through their parents and through its residue in party and union politics. But no one else has ties as deep as Abbott, who stresses the closeness of his association with Santamaria, his personal inspiration and mentor from school days onwards.
  Abbott joined the Sydney University Democratic Club, supported by Santamaria's National Civic Council, before he moved on to the Liberals. Abbott often reflects on the consequences of this period, including the rise of Catholic Liberals. He has been known to observe enigmatically that the DLP is alive and well within his party.
  Abbott has personified church ties with politics through his relationship with the man he has called his confessor, Cardinal George Pell. In the past the relationship of Catholics with their church authorities has contributed to Protestant distrust."
  From an article entitled: " Abbott, Santamaria and Catholic Liberals." by a John Warhurst.
  Link: https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=20247

  May I add that i originally wrote my post in a rather light-hearted mood, but I always like to have a good level of 'truthiness' in things I say. With some regret, I feel I have left that 'light-heartedness' in this response.
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  20

  Congrats Australia votes yes gay marriage! Awesome!

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well done aussie's 60% voted yes.

  i really did not think this would happen here there is alot of gay phobia.

  i saw men on the streets holding signs "vote no.

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  fulltimestudent

  Just a sidelight - but I need to background it, for all you 'non-Aussies.'

  First we have,Tony Abbott. A former (very) conservative Prime Minister ( a bit like one D.Trump), who was dumped by his own party when surveys started showing voters were starting to think he was a dickhead. Tony does have a gay sister, but was probably the highest profile campaigner for a 'NO vote', even though his own daughter publically announced she would vote YES!!

  Now Tony, who in his student days gained a reputation for slamming opponents in student politics, against walls and threatening them with worse, was also once a novice priest and is still very much a supporter of the church.

  Tony, in his younger days also gained a reputation for liking to be photographed in his swimming briefs (that Aussies often refer to as "budgie smugglers," as in this pik:

  

  What did that particular peculiarity really mean? Sorry I just don't get it.

  Now the second man. Here we have a man who was once Australia's highest profile catholic, and having come under some unwelcome suspicion as having had a specific liking for younger boys, found himself promoted to be the catholic church's top money man at the vatican. This is Cardinal George Pell in all his glorious finery.

  

  and ....

  

  I don't know if Georgie boy did anything to any kid, but certainly it seems that he likely knew of priests who did, and did nothing to prevent it. I guess the current court hearing will decide the validity of any police information.

  

  Georgie boy and Tony were good friends. Tony took a lot of notice of what George thought and said, and recently dismissed the allegations of possible child abuse, telling us that George was a really fine man. Some people saw the relationship differently as the satirical image explains:

  

  So to come (at last) to the point, after the successful YES vote announcement on wednesday, an artist painted this picture on a wall, at Newtown's ( a gay locality) Botany View Hotel.

  
  

  Within hours some (apparently) Christian Terrorists arrived and white-washed the Cardinal Pell caricature in the painting, but leaving the Tony A image untouched.

  Apparently, some Christians are sore losers, but I guess most of us learnt that quite some time ago.