truth_b_known

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Posts by truth_b_known

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  24

  Which Bible Translation.....

  by BoogerMan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ....is the best, in your opinion?.

  out of the numerous translations i've had/used, i can honestly state that the 2001 translation is head & shoulders above all the others i've ever consulted, imo.

  the publishers even invite suggestions/corrections to be submitted.

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  truth_b_known

  Which translation is best? Best for what?
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  3

  Any connoisseurs of anything out there?

  by Judgerussellford in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i'm not a heavy drinker.

  but in the last 8 years i've had over 200 different varieties of beer, liquor, and wine.

  160 of those goes to beer.

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  truth_b_known

  For me it was whiskey. Scotch and Bourbon in particular. I found single malt Scotch at least 25 years aged was a good starting point. I once bought a bottle of bourbon from an "orphan cask". It looked like real maple syrup when you swirled it in your glass as it slid down the side.
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  8

  First rule of book club: don't talk about book club

  by Judgerussellford in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i've never heard anyone else but ne say this but i've been saying it for years.

  if you agree and have also been saying this for years, that is hilariously greater.

  watchtower is just a cooperation that hides behind a religious title, that owns real-estate around the world, these buildings wich only have 1 purpose.

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  truth_b_known

  I believe you hit the nail on the head. The Watchtower is, was, and always will be nothing more than a business hiding the fact in plain sight as a religion. Things started to make sense after I was quit being a Witness.

  1. What other religion refers to its members as "publishers"? Answer - none!

  pub·lish·er

  /ˈpəbliSHər/

  noun
  

  a person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for sale. - Oxford Dictionary

  I grew up as a Witness in the days when we literally bought Watchtower publications at the Kingdom Hall to sell to the public in our public ministry. The magazine and literature counters in Kingdom Halls were cash only book stores.

  A publisher's monthly report was their sales records being sent back to headquarters. It was no different than the door-to-door salesmen of yesteryear. Then the change happened.

  In the 1990s a lot of tv evangelists in the U.S. were getting investigated by the IRS for tax evasion. This spooked the Watchtower. So they did what any business does during hard times - they changed their business model. It failed.

  The voluntary donation arrangement killed the Watchtower. A Watchtower magazine being produced by volunteer labor sold to the publishers for $0.25. In turn the publisher would sell it to the public or $0.25 and then donate that money back to the Watchtower. The Watchtower was getting $0.50 for a magazine that probably cost them $0.05 to produce.

  Once the voluntary donation arrangement went into effect I found that many publishers never donated at the Kingdom Hall for their magazines and it was rare to find a publisher who had the courage to ask a householder for a donation. So, do counter the falling profits the Watchtower did what any business does - skimp on the product.

  Magazines started to slim down in pages. Hardcover books were replaces with softcover books. Then the frequency of magazine publications diminished. However, this was not enough. So a new business plan had to be created and it was a real doozy.

  The Watchtower got out of the publishing business and into the real estate business. Publishers had to mortgage their Kingdom Halls with the Watchtower only to give ownership of the Kingdom Hall to the Watchtower. Suddenly the Watchtower had congregations building new Kingdom Halls left and right.

  Today, we see the big real estate selloff of Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls, and even Bethel facilities. Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring in to the Watchtower's coffers. All tax free.
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  117

  14 kids dead and one teacher at Texas school shooting.

  by jojorabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  another shooting, this time 14 kids dead more wounded and a teacher dead.

  i am all for the second amendment and this does not change my mind.

  but i do hate this kind of thing, makes my stomach turn.

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  truth_b_known

  The gunman crashed his car near the school at about 11:30 local time, Mr McCraw disclosed, and entered the school shortly after - but it was not until 12:51 that a tactical unit breached the door, entering and killing him.

  I work as a Texas Peace Officer. I have been to 2 different active shooter schools and I am SWAT certified. Here is what is taught to EVERY officer -

  1. An active shooter incident is not a SWAT incident.
  2. During an active shooter incident all officers are to -

  A. Get to the shooter's location as quickly as possible

  B. Immediately neutralize the threat

  C. Begin looking for secondary/unknown threats

  or in simplified terms - Get in there as quickly as possible and do the work that need doing!

  This isn't Ulvade PD's fault, but they failed to do their job.
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  117

  14 kids dead and one teacher at Texas school shooting.

  by jojorabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  another shooting, this time 14 kids dead more wounded and a teacher dead.

  i am all for the second amendment and this does not change my mind.

  but i do hate this kind of thing, makes my stomach turn.

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  truth_b_known

  Suggesting that the cause to mass murder with the use of a firearm was caused by access to said firearm is a logical fallacy know as Post hoc ergo propter hoc - after this, therefore because of this.

  The Clinton Era Assault Weapons ban was in full effect when the Columbine incident took place.

  https://bereketkelile.medium.com/gun-control-and-the-ad-ergo-propter-hoc-fallacy-9da5b2769d1d

  https://www.fallacyfiles.org/posthocf.html

  Even if an argument seems to make sense it cannot be valid unless the form is valid and that it does not exhibit one of the forms of logical fallacy such as Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc.
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  117

  14 kids dead and one teacher at Texas school shooting.

  by jojorabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  another shooting, this time 14 kids dead more wounded and a teacher dead.

  i am all for the second amendment and this does not change my mind.

  but i do hate this kind of thing, makes my stomach turn.

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  truth_b_known

  Some of it is likely them wanting to protect themselves, but another aspect is that the last few years must have surely make the police afraid to act and pull a trigger. It could end their life if they make a mistake.

  We need to go back to people having a personal responsibility for their own well being which involved not being a dick by doing something that could get you shot.

  I have been in law enforcement for nearly 30 years and I am ready to hang it up and walk away. Police officers in the U.S. are afraid to do their job for fear of being prosecuted by activist District Attorneys. I am not suggesting that is what happened in Uvalde, Texas. There are places where I live/work where officers are not allowed to go to in the performance of their duties because their police chief/sheriff is afraid their officers will be prosecuted if they have to use deadly force. As a result, criminals go apprehended.

  I am also tired of people in the U.S. and other places replacing their ancestors' deities with government. Whenever a tragedy like Uvalde happens there is a form of the Texas Two-Step - First, point fingers and blame and second, look to the government pass another law. It is as if laws are magical incantations that will generate a circle of protection.

  Advocating that only the state (police/military) have access to firearms gives government a monopoly on deadly force. Saying "Only police officers should have guns" is a logical fallacy. Police officers are only people. If you hire an assassin to murder someone for you, both you and the assassin are guilty of murder.

  If you call the police because an axe murderer is breaking through your front door to come kill you, and the police shoot and kill the axe murderer, you are just as responsible for the axe murderer's death as you would be if you pulled the trigger. To detach yourself from the axe murderer's death because the police officer you called to your house pulled the trigger is disingenuous at best. You certainly not on a higher moral ground.

  Police officers are just human beings. They are private citizens. Sir Robert Edmond Peel, founder of the first civilian police department in history (London Metropolitan Police Department), gave us the Nine Peelian Principles of Policing - #7

  • To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.

  "That's your job!" is the absolute most amoral statement I have every heard.
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  7

  "this is why we need gods kingdom!"

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  jdubs go to answer when we see terrible tragedies.

  tell them it's been 20 years since columbine and 10 years since sandy hook!

  still nothing!.

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  truth_b_known

  Ulvade, Texas - 19 children are Murdered by an 18 year old.

  Earth at Armageddon - 3 billion children are Murdered by a jealous, narcissistic, megalomaniac.

  We do NOT need God's Kingdom.
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  117

  14 kids dead and one teacher at Texas school shooting.

  by jojorabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  another shooting, this time 14 kids dead more wounded and a teacher dead.

  i am all for the second amendment and this does not change my mind.

  but i do hate this kind of thing, makes my stomach turn.

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  truth_b_known

  From the statistics I found the top 10 countries in the world with the highest Murder rate share something with the top 10 countries in the world with the lowest Murder rate - private citizens are legally prohibited from owning firearms. I can't tell, but the U.S. may actually be #4 on the list for top 10 countries with the highest Murder rate, but it could just be the Virgin Islands.

  In 2020 over 8,000 Murders in the U.S. were committed with a handgun. 455 with a rifle (this includes "Assault Weapons"). 662 with hands/fists/feet.

  https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/murder-rate-by-country

  https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used/

  There is something going on in the U.S. and it has more than just easy access to firearms. Mass Murder incidents have been going on in the U.S. and other countries for over a century. Something has happened in the past 20 years or so that caused the frequency of them.

  It is a multifaceted issue. What is sad is when events like this happen there seems to be a popular reaction to look to government as if the government were a god and demand to know why the incident was not prevented. It is as if the almighty government had the duty and the power to grant eternal life to all being.

  Then there is always a demand for new legislation. The U.S. is over legislated.

  In the U.S. there are criminal laws that determine who can purchase, own, or possess a firearm and who can't.

  • Possession of a firearm by a felon is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Selling a firearm to someone mentally ill is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Leaving a firearm where a minor can gain access to it is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Assisting a person prohibited by law in purchasing a firearm is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Bringing a firearm onto school property is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Possession of ammunition by a person prohibited from possessing a firearm is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Unlawfully discharging a firearm at a building inhabited by persons is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
    
  • Unlawfully displaying a firearm is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Using a firearm in the commission of a crime is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.
  • Unlawfully committing Murder is criminal offense often punishable by life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or state sanctioned execution.
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  2

  is The trial of Adam and Eve an evil? resulting in more evil?

  by waton in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for months, week by week, wt devotees have been hammered to use just one bible text in 'the ministry',.

  james 1:3 " - god does not try anyone with evil - ".

  to show on what shaky footing wt doctrine defenders are, ask the presenters these questions:.

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  truth_b_known

  Oh, boy!

  The philosophical debate you set up is similar to The Problem of Evil originated by Greek philosopher Epicurus -

  If God exists, then God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.

  • If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil.
  • If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists.
  • If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil.
  • Evil exists.
  • If evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn’t have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn’t know when evil exists, or doesn’t have the desire to eliminate all evil.
  • Therefore, God doesn’t exist.

  My issue with the line of thinking is that "good" and "evil" are concepts created by theology and western culture. This is as opposed to that which is beneficial and that which is harmful in eastern culture. Good and evil are binary concepts which are often trademarks of Abrahamic faith's influence.

  Also the idea of suffering. There is pain which is a beneficial function of the central nervous system. Then there is suffering which is a mental anguish generated by a combination of concepts, beliefs, and how one orients themselves to an event. In short - we create our own suffering.

  So, yes, the Genesis account makes absolutely no sense. There are many responses by Christian Apologists to this. However, those responses do not stand up to logic and reason.

  Here is an interesting video on the topic. The end of it has a line of questions to ask Apologists that shows the fallacy in their response.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0_pTSAzYZA
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  13

  Unpopular opinion

  by Judgerussellford in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i've asked this question to witnesses in the past (super no no question to ask by the way but hilarious responses) to bosses and coworkers, and random people of different faiths and i'm curious to know how mixed of a response this community will give.

  bible believers or not your oppinion is very welcome.

  technically according to scripture we are gods sons.

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  truth_b_known

  God takes his place in the divine assembly;*b
  In the middle of the gods* he judges:c
  2 “How long will you continue to judge with injusticed
  And show partiality to the wicked?e (Selah)
  3 Defend* the lowly and the fatherless.f
  Render justice to the helpless and destitute.g
  4 Rescue the lowly and the poor;
  Save them out of the hand of the wicked.”
  5 They do not know, nor do they understand;h
  They are walking about in darkness;
  All the foundations of the earth are being shaken.i
  6 “I have said, ‘You are gods,*j
  All of you are sons of the Most High. - Psalm 82:1-6 NWT
  31 Once again the Jews picked up stones to stone him. 32 Jesus replied to them: “I displayed to you many fine works from the Father. For which of those works are you stoning me?” 33 The Jews answered him: “We are stoning you, not for a fine work, but for blasphemy;+ for you, although being a man, make yourself a god.” 34 Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “You are gods”’?*+ 35 If he called ‘gods’+ those against whom the word of God came—and yet the scripture cannot be nullified— 36 do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? - John 10:31-36 NWT

  The above is your scriptural proof that all beings are not just sons of God, but gods themselves.

  What is forgiveness - a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.

  Forgiveness is not for the wrongdoer. It if for the one who was wronged. Resentment is a prison that traps us from happiness. You must be free to be happy. If you are resentful you are not free.

  Even a god cannot do be happy while being resentful. This holds true in both physical and spiritual realms. Being angry is being in hell.