How much time do you stay at home? Do you tend to keep to yourself? The answers to those questions may help.
I would rather live somewhere that I can be active outside my place of dwelling. The more I am outdoors the happier I am.
truth_b_known
JoinedPosts by truth_b_known
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13
A little off topic... I'll be moving...
by Expanded-Mind ini'd appreciate getting some opinions about a decision i will shortly have to make.. i am moving soon and have the choice of two different apartments in two different towns.
i am hoping this move will be one of the last that i have to make - i have moved frequently in my life - at least for a long, long while.. the apartment i like the least is in a town and a location that i love due to my history with, and connection to the area.
the apartment i love is in a town and location i am not as crazy about, but it is still a really nice area.
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On the current migrant crisis
by LoveUniHateExams inthousands of migrants have come to england this year, already beating last year's total.. some may have fled syria and other war-torn countries; others are economic migrants.. let me try to get my head around this phenomenon: migrants are relatively safe in france and other countries.
they then leave the relative safety of continental europe and risk their lives and that of their children by crossing the english channel in rubber dinghies.
there's just no fixing stupid, is there .
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truth_b_known
Can you explain what this crisis is that you refer to? As Phizzy alluded to, during a worldwide pandemic inequality has widened, and jobs, housing, and even healthcare have become more insecure. Not to mention the extreme weather due to climate change. Are these not the most pressing crises we face?
Inequality of income is a concept used to cause division. It is not a matter of "haves and have nots" as it is a matter of "haves and have mores". We have been programmed to be consumers. We have been tricked into judging ourselves or others by the amount and quality of "stuff" we have. We have been lied to with the concept that happiness is found externally by possessing something.
The concept of healthcare and healthcare being a right is a set of blinders. If people in modern societies practices healthy eating habits (healthy food and less food) and daily exercise a tremendous amount of people would need to seek less healthcare. Instead people gorge on meat, processed carbohydrates, fat, sugar, and salt. Then they sit all day long looking at either a tiny screen (smart phone) or a giant screen (tv). COVID-19 isn't killing people - obesity is killing people. Being obese and contracting COVID-19 is a death sentence.
Climate change is real. About 15,000 years ago the planet Earth was covered in ice. There are areas of the planet that were frozen for centuries that are just now thawing out. What do we find? Perfectly preserved mammoth carcasses that were flash frozen while grazing. Should be care for the planet and nature? Absolutely! Should climate change be a tool for wealth redistribution? No. There is a word for that - stealing.
Poverty is not our problem. Our problem is what our concept of what poverty is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRk9WTRp_3Y
Do not let Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt divide us.
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Catholicism and Orthodoxy- 2000 yrs of experience
by Powermetal4ever inalright this has been in my brain lately: both catholic church and the orthodox church has been around for about 2000 years, shouldn't they know how to practice christendom correctly by now?
jw hasn't even been around for 200 years and yet they say they do it right.
so silly of them.
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truth_b_known
Saved by grace through faith. It just doesn't get any easier than that. Christianity is about doing less from your own volition, not more.
Martin Luther is the one that came up with this teaching. That is why Luther wanted books of the Bible to be removed. One of the books Luther wanted removed was the Book of James. Why?
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." - James 2:26 NIV
The Vatican removed 14 books from the Bible in 1648.
Luther made an attempt to remove the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation from the canon (notably, he perceived them to go against certain Protestant doctrines such as sola gratia and sola fide).
So, I do agree with the notion that Jesus taught that life - it's not about you. Life is about connecting and helping others. Salvation is a sticky subject. Salvation from what?
When it comes to the Bible never changing - it's changed several times over the centuries. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe the future of Christianity, if it is to have a future, is Integral Christianity. The mark of a person's advancement in a spiritual path is when their focus shifts from salvation to showing gratitude.
As I told a good friend - I am not a Christian. I am a follower of Christ and The Way (as Christianity was first known). What I find interesting now is that the phrase "The Way" translated into Mandarin is "Tao" as in Taoism. People who focus on salvation live a life full of fear and anxiety. People who focus on living in harmony with others and nature live a life of peace and happiness.
If the teachings of Jesus are your path, that is good! You have chosen a path. No one can choose your path for you. Now start on the path and don't stop. There are only 2 reasons people fail to reach the top of the mountain - they never start and the stop because it gets difficult.
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Don’t Trust the Courts! Splane’s Latest Anti-Apostate Talk
by StephaneLaliberte indavid splane’s talk “put up a hard fight for the faith” was that last talk presented on the saturday of the annual convention.
this talk was to largely address apostates and restated ideas and arguments often presented before.
however, this year, watchtower is spending more time in disqualifying negative findings originating from secular courts and here is the segment of interest here: .
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truth_b_known
"Court cases are often handled by a jury. Now who are on the jury? Ordinary citizens with no legal training."
A few points on this quote.
Not all cases are decided by juries. The petitioner (the Plaintiff) in a civil suit I believe has the right to have the case heard by a jury or by the court (the Judge is decider of both law and fact). It is the reverse for criminal cases.
Jurors are not allowed to use their legal training if they have any. This is by design. It is the Judge's responsibility to make legal decisions (what evidence can and cannot be heard). It is the juries' responsibility to be the decider of fact (is the evidence credible or not and what is the weight of the evidence).
If the parties elect for a jury trial the first step is sitting a jury. This is a lengthy process. The purpose is to make sure no one on a jury presents any conflict of interest or is ineligible. Jurors must be unbiased toward the suit being heard and have no connection to the parties of the case.
The attorneys representing the Watchtower would make sure that no juror on a case they are defending is -
- A current Jehovah's Witness
- A former Jehovah's Witness
- Related to a current or former Jehovah's Witness
- Knows the Plaintiff
- Knows about other cases involving the Watchtower
The attorneys are presented with a list of the jurors and their backgrounds. The Watchtower's attorney's could easily cross reference the list with publisher records to see if any of the perspective jurors are current or former Witnesses.
In addition, each side gets a number of "strikes". This allows an attorney to remove perspective jurors from the jury panel without cause. The attorney needs no legal argument. The person is just excused. No questions asked.
If the strikes from both sides and the persons struck for cause (there is a legal argument for the person not to be a juror) dwindles the pool down to less then the minimum number of jurors required this is called a "busted panel". A whole new jury panel has to be brought in. Keep in mind that jury panels range from 50 to 200 people in most cases.
The point I am getting at is Splane's accusation is highly misleading. In a sense Splane is saying that the Watchtower's attorneys are incompetent legal counsel as the are allowing people to serve on a jury that have no business doing the job.
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What’s Your Prediction For Covid & Its Consequences?
by minimus inwill we close down again?
will we be masked forever?
will we be required to get vaccinated over and over again?
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Splane`s war rhetoric
by inbetween09 inthe last talk o the saturday convention of jw was already often the centre of discussion, with all the name calling, logical fallacies and fear mongering.
however, it was interesting, not just what and how splane adressed the matter, also what he actually had to admit.
1) he had to admit, that the org is actually loosing court battles, left and right.
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truth_b_known
I had another thought come to me. The first step any trial by jury is to sit a jury. This is a process of elimination. A large panel of jurors is brought in and put under oath under penalty of perjury to answer questions honestly.
This process is to assure that the jury is fair and impartial to both side in a trial. I would imagine the Watchtower's attorney would ask questions such as -
- Are you currently or have you ever been one of Jehovah's Witnesses?
- Are you related to someone who is currently or has ever been one of Jehovah's Witnesses?
- How familiar are you with Jehovah's Witnesses and their beliefs?
In addition, attorneys are given information on all the perspective jurors. The Watchtower attorneys could research Watchtower publisher records to see if any of the jurors have ever been a Witness.
My point - I promise you the Watchtower attorneys would make sure that no one with any connection to their religion would be on the jury. That means not one of these juries had a single apostate on them.
Many attorneys wave a jury trial and have a trial by court. That means the Judge is the sole decider of fact. Likewise, a Watchtower attorney would ask a Judge who had any connection to their religion to recuse themselves and the case would be moved to a different court. Once again, no apostate connection.
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2021-08-August-S-147-Announcements And Reminders!
by Atlantis in2021-august-s-147-announcements and reminders.
in english and german.
see number 10.10. experienced attorneys and paralegals needed: .
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truth_b_known
Notice the request for litigation attorneys. That is another way of saying "trial attorneys". Most attorneys never see the inside of a courtroom let alone go to trial. This is a specific call for attorneys with trial experience.
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Catholicism and Orthodoxy- 2000 yrs of experience
by Powermetal4ever inalright this has been in my brain lately: both catholic church and the orthodox church has been around for about 2000 years, shouldn't they know how to practice christendom correctly by now?
jw hasn't even been around for 200 years and yet they say they do it right.
so silly of them.
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truth_b_known
Truth is eternal. Belief is dynamic. The Bible moves the goal posts of salvation. First, obey the law Moses gave and sacrifice animals for forgiveness of sin. Next, obey Jesus' teachings and accept Jesus' sacrifice as your savior or for forgiveness of your sins. From early Christian sects we eventually get the Roman Catholic Church. Then its the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Then we get untold number of sects as a result of the Reformation.
It is no longer even a matter of moving the goal posts on the football pitch. It is a game of chess. The pieces are constantly being moved and you have to move your pieces to stay in the game.
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Splane`s war rhetoric
by inbetween09 inthe last talk o the saturday convention of jw was already often the centre of discussion, with all the name calling, logical fallacies and fear mongering.
however, it was interesting, not just what and how splane adressed the matter, also what he actually had to admit.
1) he had to admit, that the org is actually loosing court battles, left and right.
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truth_b_known
Roadie - My wife only noted the apostate warning part. Told me they are really active.
I get the impression that the Governing Body could do a JW Broadcast in which they make a press release that the whole religion is a scam and it would go in one ear then right out the other of most Witnesses. Not even a video recorded confession would convince most Witnesses the religion is a scam.
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Catholicism and Orthodoxy- 2000 yrs of experience
by Powermetal4ever inalright this has been in my brain lately: both catholic church and the orthodox church has been around for about 2000 years, shouldn't they know how to practice christendom correctly by now?
jw hasn't even been around for 200 years and yet they say they do it right.
so silly of them.
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truth_b_known
Pick up a set on Ante Nicene Church Fathers if you want to check out what was going on directly after the apostles left the scene. This volume set lists the writings of church leaders until 325 AD. It's easy to read the writings of the leaders that the apostles trained, and who they trained and so forth.
This pretty much wraps it up and puts a bow on it.