Posts by fulltimestudent

29

Death's in Noah's flood

by Are you serious in

has the wt ever come out with an article that indicates how many people died during the mythical flood?

i searched on their site but couldn't find anything.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

No-one has yet stated the obvious, that whatever scribe sat down and summarised the Jewish folk-tales, (that have become the christian accepted version of the flood story). was using the original flood story as a template.

How do we know that?

Simply from the existence of an older written history!

If any Christian is willing to challenge his/her beliefs, they will find this older flood story insightful and informative.

You have all the plot devices that the Jewish scribe used in his Genesis account.

A god bent on destruction, but willing to save some. A life-saving vessel, animals going in two by two**.

This earlier version is discussed in this post from Bible History Daily, published by the Biblical Archaeological Society, read more at:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/the-animals-went-in-two-by-two-according-to-babylonian-ark-tablet/?mqsc=E3965710&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHD+Daily%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=ZE8A6TZ72

Of course, in the end we realise that both versions are the work of human imagination, just as much as any space flick which imagines alien monsters threatening humans.

11

How did Christianity Achieve its Position as the World's Largest Religious Grouping?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

there is little evidence to indicate that there were many christians in the first 2 or 3 centuries of its existence.

but after the conversion of constantine (or, at least his toleration of christianity) things changed.

with one notable exception all future emperors promoted christianity.

fulltimestudent

There is little evidence to indicate that there were many Christians in the first 2 or 3 centuries of its existence. But after the conversion of Constantine (or, at least his toleration of Christianity) things changed. With one notable exception all future Emperors promoted Christianity. Imperial money was used fund the building of large meeting/worship building and more.

In a new book, published by Oxford University Press, Peter Heather, who is Professor of Medieval History at King's College London, and author of previous books,The Fall of the Roman Empire, Empires and Barbarians, and The Restoration of Rome' links early Christianity and Roman aggression.

And as an aside, its a link that continued into more recent times. When Great Britain fought the two wars with Imperial China in the first half of the Nineteenth century, the treaties which ended those wars, specifically allowed Gt Britain to sell opium into China, but also contained provisions that allowed Christian missionaries into China. And in more recent times our loving brothers in Brooklyn also decided (on occasion) to use the power of the current world hegemon to faciltate the entry of missionaries to some resistant nations.

Hence, its possible to argue that Christianity achieved its position by the power of the sword as much as anything else. So it may also be argued did its Abrahamic twin, Islam.

The book referred to, if the topic interests you is: Rome Resurgent: War and Empire in the Age of Justinian

And for an expanded discussion of what I've referred to above, see this entry in the OUP blog:

https://blog.oup.com/2018/06/divine-victory-christianity-rome/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=oupblog

3

John Caister; A Personal Story

by mrquik in

i met john when i was nine.

my mother had me enroll in the ministry school at the webster, ny hall back in 1958.

"hall" was an upstairs apartment gutted to make a gathering place.

fulltimestudent

mrquik: All those I knew, all so sure they were going to live forever are gone. All personal stories, all lost like "tears in rain".

What bloody fools we were, believing in and holding onto this forlorn hope of "living forever in the restored paradise."

I'm in much the same boat, only difference is that I lost my family when I was chucked out, At that point more than 40 years of my life went down the sewer - but that is ;likely where it belonged.

(Anyway the next 30 years have been an improvement)

9

blood

by zeb in

over heard other day.

if you take blood you are taking in some ones elses dna.?.

i eat meat and vegetables drink milk so what about the dna in them...

fulltimestudent

The abysmal ignorance continues to amaze me,

1

China's New Public Security Camera Network and the US Invented Camera that enables It.

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

china is not alone in having security cameras in its cities, but what is special about the chinese system is that it is linked to a facial recognition system that can identify people in a few seconds.

china, again like some other nations, has personal identity cards with a photographic image on it .

(australia has not, but drivers licences do have an image and such licences are used as de facto identity cards).

fulltimestudent

China is not alone in having Security cameras in its cities, but what is special about the Chinese system is that it is linked to a facial recognition system that can identify people in a few seconds. China, again like some other nations, has Personal Identity Cards with a photographic image on it . (Australia has not, but drivers licences do have an image and such licences are used as de facto identity cards). That makes it possible to make that fast identification. At a test a couple of months ago at busy Rail station, police picked up 50 wanted suspects in one morning.

But there's an interesting story about the camera that powers China's security network. Invented at Duke University, the inventors failed to interest the US government in the camera, so the inventor moved to China ....

This Wall Street Journal Video tells the story:

ttps://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-powerful-spy-camera-invented-at-duke-ended-up-in-chinas-hands-1528714895?aid=190131336&sc_src=email_2264229&sc_llid=4565&sc_lid=152369935&sc_uid=jLHz3FHtZ8&utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email

8

Japan Is Building The Worlds Fastest Computer

by Brokeback Watchtower in

jw
friends

ai technology in a 1,000,000 times faster than your pc.

this super intelligence will make solfware, analyze data and chrunch the number to find new cures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkw6q0o_zoy.

fulltimestudent

A couple of days ago my Chinese News sources stated that the USA has regained the 'fastest computer' title, with a computer that is (as I remember the story) nearly twice as fast as the top Chinese computer.

And while the two Chinese computers have been very fast, some say that computer speed is only one aspect of the contest. Software is also important and the suggestion has been that the software used by the Chinese units is not as good as the American software.

36

I've graduated at last

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

after a bit of a kerfuffle over a procedural matter, my university has awarded me a degree.

(the procedural problem was caused by my independent selection of what i wanted to study).

award : bachelor of arts.

fulltimestudent

Vanderhoven7: "I wouldn't give up that dream. If you can't find a teaching position in the USA you can always send your CV to colleges in Canada. My son has what he called a useless masters in English. He has now been teaching at one of Montreal's highest ranking Colleges for the past 3 years."

Thnx for being thoughtful and suggesting this solution, sadly, its a long,long way from Sydney Aust.

And thnx also for your good wishes.

36

I've graduated at last

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

after a bit of a kerfuffle over a procedural matter, my university has awarded me a degree.

(the procedural problem was caused by my independent selection of what i wanted to study).

award : bachelor of arts.

fulltimestudent

Listener : I see that you did some studies on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I was wondering, since the KJV was written before these were discovered, what affect, if any they have on that version?

I'm not aware of any influence(s) that the DDS may have had on the KJV. But I can say that reading the DDS will expand your understanding of what the Jews were thinking about (interested in) in the time period in which Jesus taught.

And you may wonder, (if you read some of the DDS) whether dear brother Freddy (as the guru of the JWs) also read some of the scrolls.

The basic text used in that study unit was Geza Vermes' translation of the DDS. I'll refer to sections in that publication. The page numbers I refer to are for the Penguin Revised edition of 2004. In his introduction (p. 11) " ... we note fundamental similarities of language (e.g both in the scrolls and in the New Testament, the faithful are called 'sons of light'). Also Vermes remarks that both communities (i.e. the Qumram and the Jesus communities) considered themselves to be the true Israel, governed by twelve leaders and expected the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God). Both communities considered their own history as a fulfillment of the words of the prophets.

Vermes does not claim that there was any direct influence between the two communities, as those similarities may have been due to the general religious atmosphere of the time.

However, Vermes thinks there are other similarities may suggest a more direct influence, for example - the monarchic administration of both communities, with single congregation leaders - overseers at Qumram and bishops in the Christian communities. and some other points. all suggesting that the early church may have modelled itself on the (by then) more experienced Essenes.

I'll try to get time to list some other points.

36

I've graduated at last

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

after a bit of a kerfuffle over a procedural matter, my university has awarded me a degree.

(the procedural problem was caused by my independent selection of what i wanted to study).

award : bachelor of arts.

fulltimestudent

My appreciation to all my well-wishers, thank you all for your kind thoughts - And on balance I will likely enroll for that Master of Research degree.

After I completed the last study unit, the head of the Japanese department emailed me offering to be my supervisor. If I accept that offer, my research project will likely be something like, 'How to get rich and hang onto your money in early Tokugawan Japan.'

And, in response to Vanderhoven 7, who said:

"Why not go for a masters in history focusing on specific areas of interest?
College teaching positions would then open up to you to share your knowledge."

I'd love to do exactly that, but the sad truth is that I wasted my bloody life in an effort to be a footstep follower of the dead Jesus. And now, I'm too close to the end of my life to start climbing the academic ladder.

I had hoped when I started that degree to maybe teach at a community college level, but these seem to be declining due to the developments in web education in the last few years.

36

I've graduated at last

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

after a bit of a kerfuffle over a procedural matter, my university has awarded me a degree.

(the procedural problem was caused by my independent selection of what i wanted to study).

award : bachelor of arts.

fulltimestudent

So in spite of the kerfuffle, caused by my NOT following a recognised stream, I think I achieved my goal. I've criss-crossed Asia, from east to west and back again. From south to north and from past to present.

There are blank (weak) areas, such as South East Asia, but at least I now have the cognitive skills to sstudy those areas by myself.

So I'm now debating with myself, will I sign up next year to do a 2 year Master of Research degree?