for many, religion is the root of terrorism and war.
since the beggining of creation or evolution, mankind is at war not only for religious reasons, but economical ones too.
oil is a good example.
They would do it gradually through propaganda, disinformation, information, introducing a secular knowledge/science/materialist religion, socialism, capitalism, professional debunkers, destruction of moral standards, teaching tolerance, ...
Hey, that already happening, isn't it?
Ummm... only in the blue states.... the advancements of western civilisation haven't got to the rest of the country yet.
chief rabbi leon ashkenazi said: "the difference between an atheist christian and an atheist jew is that an atheist christian does not believe that god exists, while an atheist jew believes that god does not exist.".
i'm not so sure about the jewish-christian borderline, but i love the nuance.. so which sentence suits you better?.
"i don't believe that god exists.".
I thought 'I don't believe in god' = agnostic and 'I beleive there's no god' = athiest. Probably the rabbi is saying Jews are more positive in their beliefs what those wishy-washy Christians.
Judy Davis (a Catholic) played a cheating wife in a Woody Allen movie years ago (can't remember which one) and was playing the part as a guilt ridden adultress... Woody was getting madder and madder with Judy playing the part wrong, he had to explain to her that a cheating Jewess would be pleased and happy, not ashamed and coy... mmm... which religion is better for your mental health?
In the JW context I'm athiest, in the broard 'spiritual' context I'm an agnostic who sometimes likes to think he's an athiest...
hey guys,.
" you say, "no you don't, you mind-controlled idiot.
tell 'em to fark off.
Get real, it's her choice to visit the baby or not, there's nothing to stop her visiting DF fleshly family ... it's 'nessasary family business' for gwards sake...
Trying to go thru all that to meet her death bed wish (your death bed) is unrealistic and silly... you're doing your thing, she can choose what she wants to do too...
Could you just talk to the elders and try and make a deal? They make the baby bit easier for you, you save them the hassle of bogus appeals...
this is not the first time that this has been reported.
i have thought it was possible that a non-christian nation might be the first.
to disclose ufo reality.
If we had a court case to judge a mans innocence regarding murder and there were 400 high ranking and well respected witnesses that came forward to testify against him, he'd be convicted and dead fast.
No, you're describing heresay evidence. No one can be (properly) convicted of anything on heresay evidence and noone should believe anything on heresay evidence alone either.
At best, you can say 'Mmm... maybe somthing's going on here but without more evidence I can't really say what". That's where we're at with aliens, ghosts, & god.
Max
since i stopped being a jw i haven't prayed.
so the other day i went to supper at my parent's house who are still jw's, and they prayed before we ate.
it was a very strange feeling, and it stirred up alot of weird feelings.
As a JW I ended up with a couple of basic prayers that just rolled out when I had to pray for others - like at metings. Sometimes I meant them, but only when I wanted to express somthing to the people I was in front of - usually making up with nicness what the other bastards took away with their meaness.
My wife would get cranky if I tried not to do it at meal time, I frequently 'forgot' and had to be 'reminded'... I didn't really believe in a God (although I pretended to myself that I did) so it was no more than a physical activity to me and a pretty silly one at that!! It was the first thing to go.
I did get a bit emotional and offer a general prayer to whatever/whomever might be listening after GWB gave his divisive 'you're with us or against us' speach as it brought back all the JW persecution complexes (being that I prefer liberal democracy and progressive social policy over half-hearted totalitarianism). But I've never felt the need before or since, and felt a bit silly after the event.
Regards, Max
as it now stands, the australian government has pledged $810 million to the tsunami relief effort.. germany is next with $674 million.. japan--$500 million.. u.s. trails in fourth place with $350 million.
http://news.yahoo.com/asiadisaster click on "leaders tour tsunami areas, up donations".
while the u.s. government could do a lot better, the private sector is not doing too badly.
Australia has the balance of power role in south east Asia and the south Pacific betwen secular liberal democracy and the "alternatives", so the aid is probably a mainifestation of that. It's a difficult part of the world.
I think it would be intersting to see how much $$$ the Muslim countries of the Earth contribute to their "brothers", compared to the "infidel" nations, that they disdain so.
As at 5 Jan, Bahrain, Brunai, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE had given a grand total of US$68m to their Muslim brothers. "Stingy indifference" the Islamic leader in Aust called it.
There are a lot of things we need to get done here at home too. I am sure that sounds cold, but I don't want the US to promise more money than it can deliver, or end up taking money away from necessary programs here because they over extend.The US has spent it's capital on Iraq and stuff... most countries invest capital, but (by his own admission) GWB spends it so that there's nothing left for anything else... it shows.
By my math that's over 1.687 Billion SO FAR. Divide that up amongst the 150,000 poor souls and their families.
No... the 150,000 are dead and don't get money, nor do the families get any cash. The money is for immediate relief and rebuilding civil infrastructure (roads, houses, cities) for the tens or hundreds of millions of survivors in the region and those who will be born in the next thirty or so years.
What can you build in the US for $1.687b? Stuff all, but that has to rebuild the coastlines of a dozen countries.
I'm curious (and I don't know) do all of these $$ figures include charitable orgs, or is it just what the government sends?
In Australia's case, it's what the Govt sends in cash. If the US sent the same as Australia on a per capita basis, it'd be about $20 billion in green paper from the Fed, PLUS military, private, corporate and charity efforts.
Max
came across this from one of the "faithfull".... now just watch out now you inactive ones there's a tsunami looking for you, so just be sure you "keep you eyes on the prize ocean".
just spoke to [some bethalite at a bethhell near you] last night.. she was telling us of the news regarding our brothers and sisters in the tsunami region.
in one area all the brothers were at the meeting when it struck, except for one sister who was home sick and a 6 member family of inactive ones who were caught up in it because they hadn't gone to the meeting.
Howdy Uncle!! Great to see you around again!!
...skeptical enough now to believe that these types of "Bethel-sourced" stories are sheer fabrications?
Actually, I think the WTS is more dishonest than that... they collect all the scant and weak evidence that supports their position, selkectivly ignore/discredit all the contrary facts/evidence, and then say and write things that are technically not totally false but according to any objective standard are false and deceptive. They do it all the time.
I think that's MUCH more dishonest that just telling lies because it's cunning, calculated, systematic deception that's hard for believers to spot.
it happened at 7:30 AM .... All this talk about JWs at the KHs kinda makes me wonder what time they START their meetings!
I think that's becuase of different time zones. A clock in Indonesia was shown when the water stopped it at 9.30 Sunday morning, so it's the inactive and the latecomers who were outside Jah's loving protection!
Remember children, be at the KH half an hour early so as to rejoice in the blessings and safety that comes from being in the middle of the congregation...
Cheers, Max
came across this from one of the "faithfull".... now just watch out now you inactive ones there's a tsunami looking for you, so just be sure you "keep you eyes on the prize ocean".
just spoke to [some bethalite at a bethhell near you] last night.. she was telling us of the news regarding our brothers and sisters in the tsunami region.
in one area all the brothers were at the meeting when it struck, except for one sister who was home sick and a 6 member family of inactive ones who were caught up in it because they hadn't gone to the meeting.
Came across this from one of the "faithfull".... now just watch out now you inactive ones there's a Tsunami looking for you, so just be sure you "Keep you eyes on the prize ocean"
Just spoke to [some bethalite at a bethhell near you] last night.. she was telling us of the news regarding our brothers and sisters in the Tsunami region. In one area all the brothers were at the meeting when it struck, except for one sister who was home sick and a 6 member family of inactive ones who were caught up in it because they hadn't gone to the meeting. In another area all the brothers were at a district convention so they were safe and in Aceh the worst hit area all the brothers were in the hills where they had been for a while after having been driven out after all the recent religious persecution in the area over the recent past! Some Kingdom Halls throught the Tsunami affected areas have been destroyed which is to be expected.
So, salvation from Satan, God, natural disasters and kryptonite are all brought to you by "The Truth" (TM) and local affiliates at your local Kligon Hall or District Jamboree...
Good lord...
Max - of the "buggered if there's a big wave" class
And the deepest of sympathy for the peoples of the region and visitors, whatever their race, creed or religion. We've been to many of the affected areas more than once and always enjoyed the hospitality and generosity of the locals who've been so terribly hurt by such a massive disaster in such a vulnerable region
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20041217/valleynews/112170011 .
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20041217/valleynews/112170011 .
overcast 29. .
They just ignore the regular community accepted meaning of words... so, 'not required' is true in the sense that noone puts the proverbial gun to a person's head saying 'I require you to accompany me in the D2D work...'
...but they do say things liker 'if you don't go on the D2D work, you are putting a figurative gun to your own head by displeasing God and denying the obligation Jesus put on you to for forth and preach'...
I think the community would take that as 'required', but the JW can say it with a straight face and almost believe it themselves... all they do is redefine words to suit their version of truth.
GIVE ME FREEDOM FROM RELIGION
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[ previous week | recent columns index | following week ]have great britain's restrictive gun laws contributed to the rise in violent crime?.
dear cecil:.
>>But the UK has some of the strictest gun-control laws in the world. How could gun crime possibly be on the rise?
Because the guns are imported and distributed illegally - like drugs. They're quite common there as I understand it. I think the idea in America is that is the public are armed legally, then criinals are less likely to risk being shot by committing crime.
Personaly, I think social and economic issues are more of an issue than fear of getting shot.
