The WTS has enough scale and presence to have some growth for many years. This does not change the underlying trends which show very poor performance. It's just like climate change, just because there might have been a wet summer or extra cold winter it does not mean the trends for climate change can be ignored. Weather is not the same as climate. Growth is not the same as progression.
konceptual99
JoinedPosts by konceptual99
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The uptake...
by Thisismein1972 inwith recent events pointing at watchtower growth, i felt compelled to say a few words.. if the figures turn out to be true, then we should not be discouraged.
after 9/11 there was a surge in, not only the watchtower, but other demonisation of organised religion.
whenever there is a a paradigm shifting event that puts fear into others, this tends to have a life changing affect on an individual.. now let us zoom to the present.
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Latest cherry picking: August 2015 Awake!First Life: Discovering the Connections between Stars, Cells, and How Life Began
by ILoveTTATT2 inthe august 2015 awake continues a cherished watchtower tradition: misquoting / cherry picking scientists.. it is clearly a selective use of information because when you read what they are saying, you know they are saying "life is complex, therefore, god.".
whereas the scientists, although they show admiration for life and how amazing it is, also recognize that we are getting closer and closer to understanding the origin of life.
it doesn't seem like it takes a supreme being to make life when you read the next paragraph in the actual quote.http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201508/dna-in-your-cells/.
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konceptual99
Oh... and if the Witness is a bit of a simpleton and can't grasp such content then you could point them to a really straight-forward summary of current research into abiogenesis linked to here:
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6348035359506432/great-bbc-article-on-abiogenesis
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Latest cherry picking: August 2015 Awake!First Life: Discovering the Connections between Stars, Cells, and How Life Began
by ILoveTTATT2 inthe august 2015 awake continues a cherished watchtower tradition: misquoting / cherry picking scientists.. it is clearly a selective use of information because when you read what they are saying, you know they are saying "life is complex, therefore, god.".
whereas the scientists, although they show admiration for life and how amazing it is, also recognize that we are getting closer and closer to understanding the origin of life.
it doesn't seem like it takes a supreme being to make life when you read the next paragraph in the actual quote.http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201508/dna-in-your-cells/.
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konceptual99
If faced with this attempt to put the onus on the questioner then you may tactfully shift the responsibility to him. You might ask him who this professor of chemistry is and what he really has had to say about abiogenesis and early evolutionary events.
When the Witness fails to be able to tell you this then you could respectfully inform him that you know the professor is David W. Deamer and the WTS is paraphrasing information he published some time ago in publications like "Evolution, Investigating the Evidence". You could also perhaps suggest in a kindly way that the Witness follow the suggestion in paragraph 7 of the September 16 WT article "Young Ones, Strengthen Your Faith" which states:
"Jehovah wants you to use “your power of reason” to prove the truth to yourself. He does not want you to believe just because others do. So use your thinking ability to gain accurate knowledge."
You could provide further assistance by suggestion they read the actual publications written by Professor Deamer. If they don't have easy access to these you could make good use of your tablet or smartphone and show them an online article such as http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/events/deamer1.html which provides free access to a section of the the aforementioned publication where Professor Deamer makes his opinions clear.
At this point you could ask the Witness for their contact details and arrange to revisit them once they have had a chance to read the references and find out if they think Professor Deamer's remarks really should be used to support an implication that the complexity of even single celled organisms can be used to conclude that they could not have emerged from processes of abiogenesis hypothesised by expert researchers in the field.
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2 elders just came to my door. I smiled and told them no.
by schnell innot playing their game, as i've learned here.
they came to my door to find me with a full beard and a nightmare before christmas hoody, playing a video game where the characters "do not act according to bible principles", and i happily answered the door.
i simply smiled and told them no when they asked if i have a minute.
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konceptual99
Yup - had a similar conversation with an elder the other day who tried to "encourage" me. I simply told him that I didn't actually care what anyone thought of my situation and attitude as we're all the same and no one is sitting in judgement of me.
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Great BBC Article on Abiogenesis
by konceptual99 inlong for a bbc item but worth the read.... http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161026-the-secret-of-how-life-on-earth-began.
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konceptual99
Long for a BBC item but worth the read...
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161026-the-secret-of-how-life-on-earth-began
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Millionaire Witnesses vs Apostle Matthew, John the Baptist, Jesus, etc.
by Alostpuppydog inso i know one should remove his own stick from his own eye before ones self judges another, but i noticed something.
it seems that the wealthy witnesses are the elders, the circuit overseers, the governing body... are they really different from any other 'worldly' religions or even organizations?
i mean look at the jewels the friggen pope wears.
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konceptual99
We've all been there lostpuppy!
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Millionaire Witnesses WTF lol?!
by Alostpuppydog inso i know one should remove his own stick from his own eye before ones self judges another, but i noticed something.
it seems that the wealthy witnesses are the elders, the circuit overseers, the governing body... are they really different from any other 'worldly' religions or even organizations?
i mean look at the jewels the friggen pope wears.
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konceptual99
Four threads with the same OP. Are you a troll?
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Millionaire Witnesses vs Apostle Matthew, John the Baptist, Jesus, etc.
by Alostpuppydog inso i know one should remove his own stick from his own eye before ones self judges another, but i noticed something.
it seems that the wealthy witnesses are the elders, the circuit overseers, the governing body... are they really different from any other 'worldly' religions or even organizations?
i mean look at the jewels the friggen pope wears.
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konceptual99
Just wondering why you have started this thread not just twice but three times now?
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Millionaire JW Elder hypocrite?!
by Alostpuppydog inso i know one should remove his own stick from his own eye before ones self judges another, but i noticed something.
it seems that the wealthy witnesses are the elders, the circuit overseers, the governing body... are they really different from any other 'worldly' religions or even organizations?
i mean look at the jewels the friggen pope wears.
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konceptual99
Yup puppy - there are more people than you might think out there who have escaped the chains of the organisation.
Don't get me wrong, I am not accusing you of being motivated by jealousy. There sure as hell are plenty of In hypocritical wealthy elders out there. The truth is, however, that when you consider the personality of the person then most of them would be hypocrites regardless. They might sneer at others but I bet they found a way of sneering at people before they were wealthy.
Sure, someone's wealth may amplify their opportunity to behave like a twat but few genuinely nice people turn into utter twats, most twats have always been like it.
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Millionaire JW Elder hypocrite?!
by Alostpuppydog inso i know one should remove his own stick from his own eye before ones self judges another, but i noticed something.
it seems that the wealthy witnesses are the elders, the circuit overseers, the governing body... are they really different from any other 'worldly' religions or even organizations?
i mean look at the jewels the friggen pope wears.
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konceptual99
So are you saying is it hypocritical for a Witness to be wealthy?
The whole "keeping your eye simple" thing is actually about what you as a Witness are seen to be doing. This is especially true if you are male and could be used within the congregation.
So... if you are educated, wealthy, run a business, live in a big house or whatever then it's all about how much you ministry you do, how your "spirituality" is perceived, what you do to be a proactive and reliable appointed man, how your wife and kids are perceived (note that perception and reality often differ), how useful you and/or business is to WTS goals, how well your face fits with the BoE, how wealthy the area and congregation you are in is and so on. The more boxes you tick the less attention is paid to your wealth.
On the other hand, if you are wealthy and couldn't care less about the meetings, ministry and so on then immediately it is your wealth that becomes equated with materialism and used as a stick to beat your perceived lack of spirituality with.
I agree that it's not uncommon for those with less wealth to look at those with it and find fault. Sometimes it's well deserved, other times I think it is simple jealousy. A so called "simple eye" and lack of materialism are not limited to those without wealth, it crosses all segments of society. Hypocrisy amongst prominent elders is also not restricted to the more wealthy ones.