Often in society we let every business and organization have there day. It seems that we do not want to stifle freedom with endless restrictions, so we let people go to a point that will either bring success or failure. The thing is, those are not always the results. Sometimes business and organization grow to a point that they become harmful to society. Take for example the current energy crisis. In which large corporations were going unchecked into business dealings that were punishing the general public. On the west coast of the United States we saw our energy bill double and sometimes triple, because the greed and power of a few men. The result of their actions, lead to lawsuits and more government oversight to prevent any further harm to the people who were victimized. Had these business just run things with the correct ethics and acceptable business practices, the restrictions and regulations would have never been needed. The same is with religion. For the most part our court system and government has tried their best not to interfere with religious beliefs. Because of this, the country was ripe for the growth of such secretive religions as Mormon's and Jehovah's Witnesses. Their growth was always based in this freedom, and no matter how far they grew into the world ... home base was always "the land of the free!" Which helped them to be and feel safe. All these religions needed to do was follow a few basic guidelines to insure that no one would get hurt. Well much like business, these religions like to push those boundaries a little. For the Witnesses, this has mainly been in the medical field with the "no blood" issue. Something the government and legal system has let go, unless it involved underage patients and then they have fought it. Yet, still they did not see this as enough of a threat to do anything. So what happens, something else grows in the religion to gain more attention. What was it? Well the covering up and improper handling of child molesters. This time they end up getting a little more public attention then they wanted. Suddenly it is becoming something known by the common people, and not just medical and legal staff. Their small black eye is suddenly a large infection they can not control. The government now considers stepping in to change laws to protect the people, and why? Because a organization has once again abused the freedom they were given. Why do they do this? Could it be arrogance or lack of intelligence? No, the answer to this is the same answer it is to the large CEO's that took advantage of the people with high energy rates. It is all about "Greed and Power." One organization wants more control of you money, and the other wants more control of your life. They want to put you like a puppet below them and pull the strings to make you dance the dance they dictate. So, what happened to all those power companies that did this? Did the people accept their behavior and move along with their actions? Let me see, Enron is bankrupt other power companies stocks are trading low, and the government is watching them like a hawk with arrest happening constantly. The actions of these power companies has even affected elections, with long time office-holders losing their bids for reelection. What then is happening to the Witnesses. Well recently I spoke to my in-laws about it. Want to know how they feel? "They are pissed off" ... not at the actions of their organization, but that people from all walks of life are asking them about it all the time. They are pissed that is comes up in service with householders, that people are making fun of them for it and they are seeing it on the news. Amazing how a black eye stands out in a crowd. So I wonder now with all this happening. We all know the history of the rise of the Jehovah's Witnesses, are we living the history of the fall? Only time will tell. Because just like the power scandals, the people know the real truth and they are doing something about it. There growth is slowing, their frustration is growing and soon they may have a bankruptcy of faith. My thought Dragon
kenpodragon
JoinedPosts by kenpodragon
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The rise and fall of the Jehovah's Witness faith
by kenpodragon inoften in society we let every business and organization have there day.
it seems that we do not want to stifle freedom with endless restrictions, so we let people go to a point that will either bring success or failure.
the thing is, those are not always the results.
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Who Makes the BEST Donut (Doughnut)?
by Funchback inmy vote goes to krispy kreme because they make one delicious glazed donut/doughnut!
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kenpodragon
Krispy Kreams all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Why is there growth in the Jehovah's Witness relig
by kenpodragon inone of the most amazing and disturbing events in human history, has got to be the time of the black plague.
in which people were dying so fast and in such numbers that the authorities were unable to bury them fast enough.
disease in general has been a terrible part of the human race, even today.
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kenpodragon
Kelsey
The devil makes me write all my post. To bad I did not believe in him any more. ;)
Take Care
Dragon
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Even a broken clock is right twice a day!
by kenpodragon ina few days back i was talking to the one friend i have that is still a jehovah's witnesses.
actually, i think he is in denial that he left, since he has not been regular to meetings for four years.
well we got in this discussion about prophesy.
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kenpodragon
What bother me most about the JW's is that they are now depending on there age to keep their followers ignorant. Meaning, because a lot of the old timers are passing away. They can now get away with looking like they are something, they are not, because fewer and fewer people are around that can call them on it. Thus, to the average new Witness, it would appear that their books of prophesies were told before the events of the 20th century and not after. Thus making them seem like they are in deed guided by God, instead of what is really just strategic placement of knowledge.
Just my added thought
Dragon
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Why is there growth in the Jehovah's Witness relig
by kenpodragon inone of the most amazing and disturbing events in human history, has got to be the time of the black plague.
in which people were dying so fast and in such numbers that the authorities were unable to bury them fast enough.
disease in general has been a terrible part of the human race, even today.
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kenpodragon
One of the most amazing and disturbing events in human history, has got to be the time of the black plague. In which people were dying so fast and in such numbers that the authorities were unable to bury them fast enough. Disease in general has been a terrible part of the human race, even today. In the 1970's we never heard of AIDS, yet today we almost all know or have met someone with it. Even recently we have seen the "West Nile Virus" go from something we only read about to something that has grown nearer to our own home town. Basically, we have learned that disease is something humans will always deal with, as it grows throughout our culture. So when I think of these diseases, I think about how they spread. Did a God promote their existence and power so that they would grow faster, and then slower at times? Or was the growth caused by natural encounters between people and animals? Why do I wonder this?
Well for one thing, when I was a Witness I was told that the only way a organization like the Watchtower could grow would be through the power of God. That Jehovah was directing his people and making sure the message got to all corners of the earth. Which is something I believed, as the organization went from only few hundred to millions by the time I left. Is that true though, does growth need God's hand to ignite it?
Well keep in mind the immune system. Some people have a natural immunity from certain aliments, while others do not. So when a virus enters a culture, those with the power to fight the virus live, while the rest succumb to the virus and die. Did that mean that God had some play in it?
Not likely, as science has now shown through mapping of the genes that not everyone is 100% a like. For example, some families are more susceptible to heart disease or cancer, where as another family may be more open to diabetes and other traits. So basically, it seems that it only natural then to expect that in this world there will always be a certain portion open to certain viruses.
Now on this planet is over 6 billion people, and of those only 6 million are Witnesses. So what that tells me, is that about 5,994,000,000 people have an immune system in their mind to what the Witnesses preach. The other people had something missing, and thus they succumbed to the message. It could have been birth (born into it), depression, insecurities about life, lack of education, or any number of things. The things is, what this tells me is this.
Anything can spread in our society, anything! It does not matter if it is a disease, religion, fashion trend, or philosophy. Some where out there a certain percentage of people who are going to lack the immune system to fight it, and thus they will ingest the virus. What makes us different?
Well much like those children of ours that got their immunity shots young to make them strong, we got our taste of the religion enough to make us strong. By natural means, we made our immune system mentally strong enough, so that we could truly see what was a disease growing on it's own and what was truly a life of happiness.
My thought -
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Even a broken clock is right twice a day!
by kenpodragon ina few days back i was talking to the one friend i have that is still a jehovah's witnesses.
actually, i think he is in denial that he left, since he has not been regular to meetings for four years.
well we got in this discussion about prophesy.
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kenpodragon
A few days back I was talking to the one friend I have that is still a Jehovah's Witnesses. Actually, I think he is in denial that he left, since he has not been regular to meetings for four years. Well we got in this discussion about prophesy. As you might expect this comes up a lot with almost all Witnesses. So what was it about?
Well he was trying to explain to me that he felt he needed to go to meetings more, because the way the economy is looking is like the prophesy of "money being worthless, and thrown into the streets." What I have noticed on here, and in my real life is that some of us do this. We see one thing coming true, in a sense, and it raises some concerns as to whether or not the Witness are correct. Not that it is wrong, as we were in that religion for years and it is only natural that something will surface from time to time that bothers us. There is a problem in this fear and logic though.
That problem is that you can not look at the small things a religion gets right, and ignore all the major things they got wrong. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and it only stands to reason that if you throw 100's of prophesies out there over a hundred years or more, a couple are going to match something. What few people realize about the organization, is that many of the publications on prophesy were written after the fact. What does that mean?
After the fact, meaning they took prophesies from the Bible and years later said that events in the past fit these. So they did not predict nothing, they just worked things that happened into events we all know. How much would you respect a scientist if he told you that he developed a machine that can tell you where a earthquake was, as long as you did not mind knowing until two days after it happened? I don't know about you, but I would think he is a quack!
Now I know, whether we admit it or not, a few out there get scared at times when they watch the news. They worry that this might be the end and some of that teaching put in their head, resurfaces as fear. Just remember when this happens, that you have to have a true north of logic. That logic being, "how can you trust people, who are wrong about so much, even if they get something right now and then." Basically, even a broken clock is right twice a day! ... but would that make it a reliable time piece? I don't think so, do you?
My thought -
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Why does there have to be one right religion?
by kenpodragon inwhen it comes to cars, i tend to like toyota's.
when it comes to food, i like chinese and italian.
when it comes to vacations, i like the mountains or tropical beaches.
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kenpodragon
Good point, and in addition there are trillions of numbers ... why only add up to
4 when there is so much more out there.
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Why does there have to be one right religion?
by kenpodragon inwhen it comes to cars, i tend to like toyota's.
when it comes to food, i like chinese and italian.
when it comes to vacations, i like the mountains or tropical beaches.
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kenpodragon
What is interesting about my point, is that despite how you answer ... it proves it. If you answer with scripture of JW BS, it shows you found what makes you happy ... if you agree, it shows you found what makes you happy ... and if you joke, it shows you are happy. Whether or not you accept that all religion is okay for some people, does not change that fact that it is. Thus, acceptance in the future to me, will not be based on culture and religion ... acceptance will be based on just that, accepting that everyone has the right to do what makes them happy and we can not dictate our reasons for happiness to them and expect them to follow.
Just my thought
Dragon
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Why does there have to be one right religion?
by kenpodragon inwhen it comes to cars, i tend to like toyota's.
when it comes to food, i like chinese and italian.
when it comes to vacations, i like the mountains or tropical beaches.
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kenpodragon
When it comes to cars, I tend to like Toyota's. When it comes to food, I like Chinese and Italian. When it comes to vacations, I like the mountains or tropical beaches.
So when I think about these things, I am happy that I live in a world that gives me so many options. I can do this one day, and something completely different the next. I have friends who like Fords, and Dodge ... so they buy those at the lot that sells them. When they eat, they like Mexican food, and they eat at the best Mexican food restaurants in town. So they too, get to enjoy the variety of life. Could you imagine a world that only had one car maker, one food type, and one region to vacation too. It would be hard to imagine that, as we live in a world that offers up things that fit our individual taste.
So I ask you then, why does there have to be one right religion? Why in a world that teaches variety and individual taste, would we accept that God wants things done only one way. The planet to me educates us through nature that what ever God there is out there, likes variety. Thus you have continents with different animals, plants, languages, climates and even people. All example of the universe showing us the spice of life.
When someone tells me that there is only one religion, like the Witnesses do. That there is only one God, like the Witnesses do. I think to myself, why then does that God send out such a different message in his/her creation. If God is really so boring, and so structured, wouldn't it make sense that he/she would be that way in all things?
So when I sit at night and realize my mom and sister our Christians, this other good friend is Wiccan, this other is Jewish, this other his Buddhist, and this other is Agnostic. Yet I think of them all as good people and friends. I realize, what I am seeing is what makes sense. There is no "one right religion" there is only the variety of life and religion that allows us to choose what is right for us. What brings us contentment and happiness, and the same balance and variety we see in the nature we live in.
What do you think?
Just my thought -
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Tell us about your Profile Pic
by Beck_Melbourne injust wondering about some of the profile pics...i think its nice to know a bit about the person you want us see, or the person you don't want us to see.
so what were you thinking when the pic was taken, how long ago, and where were you?
mine was taken last month, just after my 36th birthday.
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kenpodragon
Mine was taken in Cancun Mexico about 9 months ago. I was getting on to a tour bus to go to the Pyrimids and my wife took the picture. The background is something I designed.
Take Care
Dragon