Posts by Marvin Shilmer

556

The Watchtower are Right About Blood...

by cofty in

... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.

it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.

they take pride in obedience.

Marvin Shilmer

Watchtower's blood taboo stands or falls based on one thing: What is was required of the biblical Noah.

Humans in Noah's time had health needs like everyone else among ancients. The use of blood transplantation for medicinal remedy was widely practiced from antiquity. Hence if God did not want Noah to use blood for this purpose there was reason to tell Noah that as a matter of biblical record. But there is no biblical record of any such a thing. Based on the biblical record Noah was free to transplant blood (even from slaughtered animals!) for medicinal remedy.

- Ancient Blood Transplantation, and Noah

Watchtower's blood taboo could not be more wrong.

8

The Man with the Golden Arm

by Marvin Shilmer in

jw
friends

james harrison is australian and is known as the man with the golden arm.

i've neither researched nor inquired of his religious disposition, but i feel safe assuming he's not now and never has been associated formally with the watchtower organization.

this man is a national treasure and hero of the first order.

Marvin Shilmer

James Harrison is Australian and is known as The Man with the Golden Arm.

I've neither researched nor inquired of his religious disposition, but I feel safe assuming he's not now and never has been associated formally with the Watchtower organization.

This man is a national treasure and hero of the first order. I encourage readers here to spend a few moments and read this article about what he has done to help millions.

Here: This man's blood has saved the lives of two million babies

63

2015 Regional Convention Anthony Morris Governing Body encourages coerced baptism of unwilling children ...again

by Watchtower-Free in

this is from the last talk of the convention ......... clip 1:30 minutes longhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrej8tlyiso&feature=youtu.be.

Marvin Shilmer

That is beyond pathetic, and it should be criminal!!!

86

What are you gonna do when the existence of god is disproved?

by Doltologist in

in 1897, j.j. thomson discovered the electron.

this was the first constituent part of the atom which, for 2,000 years, was thought to be indivisible.

today, we know of 18 elemental particles following the recent discovery of the higgs boson, the so-called god particle.. back in 1897, most people believed in god because there weren't even any theories as to how the universe came into being.

Marvin Shilmer

But this is just a story and should not be considered anything more than that.

Thinking about our universe having an "end" along with concepts of what lay beyond that boundary only enforces in me how terribly ignorant we are of our own universe, not to mention whatever (if anything we can comprehend) is beyond. I'm not sure humans will ever have capacity to learn whatever is the engine of things like our universe.

But, of course, in our little human world that we do know something about it is better to strive to understand the greater universe than to just sit and wait for whatever comes along. On the other hand, it might not make much difference, if any, what we humans do or don't do.

86

What are you gonna do when the existence of god is disproved?

by Doltologist in

in 1897, j.j. thomson discovered the electron.

this was the first constituent part of the atom which, for 2,000 years, was thought to be indivisible.

today, we know of 18 elemental particles following the recent discovery of the higgs boson, the so-called god particle.. back in 1897, most people believed in god because there weren't even any theories as to how the universe came into being.

Marvin Shilmer

Humans and our knowledge base to-date are infinitesimally small in the universe. Whether humans will ever be able to see or understand things outside our universe and whether there is some extrauniverse being that controls our universe is yet to be seen.

At our current state of knowledge attempting to speak about whether there is such an influence is like two bacteria in our bowels debating whether their world is it or if maybe there is something beyond.

164

California Supreme Court Case - S226656

by Gayle in

jw
friends

http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/maincasescreen.cfm?dist=0&doc_id=2109889&doc_no=s226656&search=party&start=1&query_partylastnameororg=watchtower bible and tract.

started 5/27/2015.

Marvin Shilmer

... to divert attention...

My comment was toward another participant regarding your posting activity, which makes what I said on-point rather than off-point.

Regarding primary subject matter I've raised in this discussion, there's nothing to divert attention away from. What I wrote then remains the case, and despite your embarrassing responses.

Candance's purpose in filing her lawsuit was to affect positive change in an institutional policy regarding allegation of child victimization. She filed and persisted in this lawsuit because it was a legitimate and reachable tool at her disposal, with substantial help from an understanding lawyer. She has not spent any more time on Kendrick (her victimizer) than was necessary to help a court appointed jury make a finding about whether he victimized her, something her and her lawyer met with success. It is not mere opinion that Kendrick sexually battered Candace. It's a question that has been met with an answer by a duly seated court appointed jury. Apparently you don't like this. Too bad. It's done.

33

Teddy Hero Worship Continues -- Sept 15 Study Edition Bio on Melita Jaracz

by LostGeneration in

very weird article, you can read it here if you can tolerate such nonsense:.

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20150915/melita-jaracz-blessing-in-life/.

basically teddy was a super, duper spiritual giant who went undercover behind the iron curtain, sorta james bond like.

Marvin Shilmer

A few years back I spoke with a Bethelite who was readying to leave Bethel along with his wife. He had been at Bethel for decades and was rather high up the ladder.

As he and I talked I recalled him as a teenager and young adult and spoke about his many academic and personal accomplishments, and a specific award he had earned when he was 17 years old. He replied saying, "That was the last productive thing I have done with my life so far."

This man left Bethel for "family reasons". He came home with high recommendations from Bethel. He and his wife opted to pioneer for two years afterward. He would never accept appointment as an elder, though several attempts were made. Then he did the fade.

His wife was and remains very distraught over this. But I know this man. He has brains, and everything was finally sinking in for him. His wife will probably never wake up to what's going on inside Watchtower. But he has, and it's really taken a toll on him, which is not surprising news around here.

164

California Supreme Court Case - S226656

by Gayle in

jw
friends

http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/maincasescreen.cfm?dist=0&doc_id=2109889&doc_no=s226656&search=party&start=1&query_partylastnameororg=watchtower bible and tract.

started 5/27/2015.

Marvin Shilmer

He is just looking to...

Take a look at the graph on this page. It screams. Just what I'll keep to myself.

75

Our hall is asking for money...

by thedepressedsoul in

i guess the branch isn't happy with the amount being sent each month since we are way lower than our loan amount.

we now have to another financial survey to see the max amount that can be given.

it is "encouraged" for all to be in attendance and give much forethought and consideration to the amount you can donate each month.

Marvin Shilmer

Several years ago I was shown a note allegedly placed in a KH contribution box declaring the person (anonymous) had decided to up their donation but they had also decided to give their donation directly to orphans and widows in need because they'd become confused about just where all their money was going and for what. The note was typed but had a handwritten PS saying they had made a cash donation to support basic local needs like utilities.

The elder who showed me this document commented to me saying "I wish we'd get a lot more of these. It would make it a lot easier, and more powerful, to pass the message upstream."

6

What is your understanding of a christian Minister of God ?

by smiddy in

as i understand it ,a christian minister of god is someone who goes to school gets the opportunity to further their education at a higher level ,then studies greek hebrew , latin , and what is available in ancient manuscripts , and demonstrates they have a comprehension of all these issues.....and of course they would need to get a pass on these subjects.. i think this would be the minimum standard required in the mainstream christian churches ,greek orthodox , catholic, all branches ,church of england ,and most of the mainstream protestant religions.

then we come to jehovah `s witnesses , none of the above applies to them , all they have is , they have been baptized by water immersion into their religion with none of the above qualifications.. and this includes minors , some as young as ten , possibly even younger in some situations who are classed as ministers of god simply by their baptism by water immersion.. they are also on record as saying higher education is a waste of time.why ?

because the end is just around the corner , a phrase that has been repeated and repeated since the year 1914 till now.. what young child could possibly hold their own with a discussion in theology or even comprehend the complexities of christianity with their counterparts.?.

Marvin Shilmer

I thought a Christian minster was a person or persons who stood or sat idly sipping coffee, eating donuts and talking with their equally unoccupied partners while within sight of a cart loaded with propaganda without even bothering to engage browsers. Did I miss something?