Oh I'll take a wild stab at it.
How about, something cannot come from nothing. At its most basic, any element, molecule, atom, has to come from something. So that something is God.
However you interpret God from then, whatever. Think Thomas Aquinas.
problemaddict
JoinedPosts by problemaddict
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544
FINALLY! Can you prove God exists? If you can I won't ask again!
by punkofnice ini have seen debates and shizzle about god or not god etc etc.. i was even confronted by an aggressive and trheatening muslim in the street, who was angry that i wanted proof that god existed.
he ranted on a load of old b0110cks about 'hell' and stuff.
finally he yelled at me: 'do you want god to write your name in the sky?
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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problemaddict
^^^^For full disclosure, I have a hard time taking my own advise. My family knows I'm "having a hard time with a few things", right now. While that is true, I don't think they have fully come to know my stance and how far gone I am. That being said, its kind of a nice thing for me. No shunning, we just don't discuss it. If they bring up their friends or the hall I went to as a kid, I show my sincere interest in the people I cared about or still do care about for many years. Its not like I can never listen to a person talk about their faith if i don't share it. That would make me.....oh I don't know....an active die hard JW. I just afford everyone, what i expect. I just don't expect the same in return.
Its defeatist, but I also can't be disappointed by people. Ha!
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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problemaddict
Hey tootired,
So there are two ways you can go and a plethora of possible outcomes from there. You can pull the trigger with loaded language you were warned of by Leaving WT. They may surprise you, but most likely will not.
Maybe something a little more easy to swallow would suffice. You could let them know before they come that you aren't going to any meeting right now, but if they planned on attending on their vacation, that you could get them to and from the meetings ok. This will inevitably leave alot of questions, but the ball is now in their court without you showing the apostate hand. They could decide not to come, but they probably care about you and are coming to see you guys for a reason. If they do come still, at least expectations are set, and when they try to engage you, you can deflect as desired, or go ahead and tell them you just plain don't believe in "it" anymore. At least there is a little warm up, and its not just a call out of nowhere.
Just a thought mind you based on absolutely ZERO knowledge of you, your family, and anything else that is probably actually important. :)
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My sister owes me 4000 dollars and wont pay up. Any ideas how I can get it back?
by usualusername ini dont need the cash but would love to hear your ideas.... .
uun .
*she is not a witness.
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problemaddict
How did she get 4K? Good Lord.
Yeah unless you have something in writing, court isn't an option. Even if you did, it would take more in time and energy than you probably would want to spend.
What you can do? Take it as a loss on your taxes and be done with it. You can write off bad debt after a certain point.
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WOW, just WOW!!! Mrs. Bibiyan Called JWs a CULT!!!
by Yan Bibiyan infolks, i am beside myself!.
mrs. called the jws a cult!
i, for certain, couldnt believe my ears at first.. quick background info first: mrs. is a second generation successfully faded jw.
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problemaddict
So here is my conundrum. What do you do when your wife feels like alot of it is nutburgers too, but can't imagine not having her family because they are that important to her?
Frustrating!
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Freddy Franz followed in this fellow's footsteps (A Study in HUBRIS)
by Terry inyour name is ussher....james ussher and you are the archbishop of all of ireland.
it is the 1600's and you are ocd when it comes to studying.
all things scholarly---especially speculative ideas!!.
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problemaddict
Hey Terry,
Interesting post as usual. I am a little more interested in finding out in what ways the biblical chronology regarding events taken for granted by the good Bishop, vary from the ancient texts, but not the Masoretic?
As far as tech is concerned, I think we are going to see the pendelum swing the other direction now because the practicality cannot be ignored. But what small amounts of video come out, will be so benign as to barely say anything at all. I think the aversion to television would be the fear of taking something seemingly out of context, or creating sound bites that hurt the cause. Words can get lost, shuffled and buried under more words. They can be accused to not fully tell the story. Video however, sets tone, context, and very clearly helps the person communicate in an almost personal way.
Probably were afraid of getting caught with the intellectual pants down so to speak. Even now, video at conventions can be looked at as "odd" at times.
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"There will be earthquakes..." Show this site to JW's and watch their faces
by Terry inhttp://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/.
http://earthquakes.tafoni.net/.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/epic/.
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problemaddict
Not trying to muddy the waters here, but I think the data needs to be the crux here, and not the translation of this greek word. not only is it clearly the root of the word "seismic", but when considering a concordance and the useage of the word scripturally, it seems to pretty much almost exclusively refer to an actual earthquake or storm.
I have a couple examples below. While it may be true the word COULD mean unrest, the actual use doesn't seem to suggest it, at least biblically and NT speaking. There are only 14 uses. One of the examples given by Strongs, is the actual scripture in question. So changing this word, although it would bolster our assertions regarding earthquakes, I don't think is rooted in fact.
Think of this. if there was an "unrest" politically for example, could it be seen during an event such as Jesus expiration on the stake?
And behold, there was a great earthquake ( seismos | σεισμ?ς | nom sg masc ); for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled away the stone and sat on it.
When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake ( seismon | σεισμ?ν | acc sg masc ) and what was happening, they were terrified, and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake ( seismos | σεισμ?ς | nom sg masc ), so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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problemaddict
Dario had a nice post as well. Good points.
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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problemaddict
Leaving WT is right.
Although considering your situation I would tweak some suggestions. Since you planned on an all out truth-fest, maybe this stuff will be easier than you think.
Ok so maybe just try a few of these. Ask them if they would like to pray. Nothing wrong with them doign that right? Of serve appetizers and the meal just keeps on going. I personally don't have a problem praying before meals, but if its a sticking point, there is a way around it.
If they ask when your meeting is, just tell them. Don't go, have another activity planned or something like that. if they ask how the convention was, tell them you dont know because you weren't there.
The trick is to be HONEST, but not FORTHCOMING. Don't let it turn into a conversation. If they really want a fight, you will get it, but don't do the phone/letter/carrier pigeon thing. If you must, talk to your parents face to face, try to let them remian with their dignity, and insist on yours in a respectful manner. Don't prove them RIGHT about ex-JW's by going nutso.
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If you are fader, how do you handle assignments etc.
by Slidin Fast in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:revision>0</o:revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:totaltime> <o:pages>1</o:pages> <o:words>108</o:words> <o:characters>617</o:characters> <o:company>shu</o:company> <o:lines>5</o:lines> <o:paragraphs>1</o:paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>724</o:characterswithspaces> <o:version>14.0</o:version> </o:documentproperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng /> </o:officedocumentsettings> </xml><!
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* style definitions */ table.msonormaltable {mso-style-name:"table normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]startfragment.
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problemaddict
^^^^^Also, I'm surprised dude hasn't been caught.