i hold in my hand a typical awake magazine (jan. 8, 2005) - entitled "can planet earth be.
saved?".
of course, it trots out the usual formula of half truths that has brought the watchtower.
Can Planet Earth Be Saved?
No. The sun, like any other star has a limited lifespan. Eventually the earth will be scorched, then melted by a growing sun. This is what astrophysics says, if their theory is true this is that is going to happen. Just a sarcastic post. ;)
Yes Awake is too boring.
_heianderen_
I agree with you JW religion has more to do with Rutherford than Russel. JW growing in the Russell's soil (apocaliptic), has the authoritarian "theocratic" structure of Rutherford , working like a company "a la" Knor and tinted with the crazy ideas of F. Franz.
_heianderen_
it has been a long time since i opened a bible but these questions keep coming up in my head so i thought i would ask our all knowing here.
according to the bible adam & eve ate the forbidden fruit and became embarrassed of their bodies so they covered up.
this makes no sense since they had been naked and where having sex so why were they embarrassed?
If it is not taken literally, you enter in the realm of interpretation, and then the text can say anything, I have a book about the different interpretations of this kind of bible's myths along history, very interesting, now I'm at work, maybe later I will post some paragraphs of this book.
I don't particularly like the absolute skepticism of some post-modernist, but this opinion maybe fall in the post-modernist mindset.
_heianderen_
i was just wondering.
since college was (still is?
) discouraged, have any of you known persons of higher education to be in the organization, either by completing it while in or became jw afterwards?
Yes, I know several professionals in the JW comunity, and some of them got their educational level while being JW. I good friend (or ex-friend) of mine, a woman, has a lawyer degree. I know also a Doctor (but he was already a Doctor before converting to Jwism) There is also a very famous man in the JW comunity who is a lawyer, Ricote and serves to WT in legal matters. I know his daughter that is also studying to became one. I know another one that works at Bethel that is an engineer, and got the degree while being JW.
In my congregation there was an extremely inteligent man, that left the "truth" and became an scholar in Arabic, biblical hewrew, acadic, etc.. and then rejoined the "truth", now is living in USA working as a college profesor. He has a rather excentrical personality and while he was in Spain had a very limited social contact with others, he was always studying.
Education, I think, more than intelligence, is something that make a difference in opening the eyes to the truth about the "truth". I know several very or extremelly intelligent people (including my mother, sister and brother) that are very loyal to the WT. My family members, even being more open-minded, non fanatical (they treat me as well as always), are loyal to WT, to my sisters is the very foundation of their lifes. I don't understand why my sister being such a gifted individual, with an outstanding cultural level (he self-taught hersefl to read at an early age, and she have read the entire library of her school and high shool, now only read WT literatura and Newsweek) is ultra-commited to JW, she is very inteligent but also has a very low self-steem (I think this has something to do with her attachtment to JW). . My brother is also very intelligent, inclined to logical thinking (but not in order to analyze JW), but is pasive, and my mother was a decepcionated Catholic, an JW offered her an aparent "intelectual" religion...
Me... I'm thinking to go to college. To study physics. But only as a personal pursuit, not to work as one. Most of my "culture" or "knowledge" comes from my faith crisis and the consecuent investigacion of science, philosophy, etc...
_heianderen_
hi friends..... .
maybe you've read awake!
july 8, 2004.... the article about blainville, a place where the freedom for the preaching work was restricted, but the court finally took a positive decision for the wt interest.
The WT is faithfully imitating the Orwelian's society "hate sesions". They expose their folowers to all the acusations that the critics make ("fundamentalism", "big brother", "false prophets", etc..) and then apply them to others, this way they transfer the blame to others and insensibilice their folowers. I don't know if is premeditated but if is not, is simply that they also have mastered double-think.
_heianderen_
Hi all,
I would like to compile a comprehensive list about the actual things that JWs are not allowed to do.
First I going to review the big bans according to "PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK" book: (pag 92 to 96) (comments in red)
- Manslaughter. Being a professional boxer may be viewed in a similar way.
JW are also not alowed to learn any kind of self-defense system or any kind of martial art or combat sport.
- Sexual misconduct, including; adultery, fornication, and other forms of "por.ne'a.."
Reality: Any kind of sexual conduct is absolutely forbidden (only some practices are alowed to married people)
-Apostasy Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment; it involves teaching false doctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and its holidays or interfaith activities.
Celebrating a false religious holiday would be similar to
performing any other act of false worship.
The prohibition here is: JW are not alowed to think for themselves.
Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment; it involves teaching false doctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and its holidays or interfaith activities.
Drunkenness. (I Cor. 5:11; 6:9,10; it-l p. 656)
But they can drink without getting drunk, even when alcohol is a drug (legalized)
Stealing, thievery, fraud. (Lev. 6:2, 4; I Cor. 6:9, 10; Eph. 4:28; it-l p. 870)
Deliberate, malicious lying; bearing false witness. (Prov. 6: 16, 19; Col. 3:9; Rev. 22:15; it-2 pp. 244-5)
But they can use Theocratic Warfare techniques.
Reviling; slander . (Lev. 19:16; I Cor. 6:10; it-l pp. 989-91; it-2 pp. 801-2)
Obscene speech . (Eph. 5:3-5; Col. 3:8)
Failure to abstain from blood . (Gen. 9:4; Acts 15:20, 28, 29)
But they can use some blood fractions.
Greed?gambling, extortion . (I Cor. 5:10, 11; 6:10; I Tim. 3:8; it-l pp. 1005-6)
Adamant refusal to provide materially for one's ovn family?leaving wife and children destitute when having the means to provide. ( 1 Tim. 5:8; w 88 11/1 pp. 22-3; km 9/73 p. 8)
Nonneutral activitics. ( Isa. 2:4;John 6:15; 17:16)
Fits of anger, violence . (Prov. 22:24, 25; Mal. 2:16; Gal. 5:20)
Misuse of tobacco or addictive drugs (2 Cor. 7:1; Mark 15:23; Rev. 21:8, Int.; 22:15, Int. )
Any kind of use of recreative drugs is forbidden (alcohol is a an exception)
Ok. Now I want to compile the real list, the list of things that are OK for the regular human being, I would like to include the oficial bans and "red code" bans, I would like you to help me, and correct me, specialy my bad english: Fist I going to try to extract these not alowed practices from the contents of the elders book listed above:
JW are not alowed to:
-Learn any kind of combat sport, self defense techniques, martial art. Some forms of very competetive sports are also not alowed (football, rugby...) or at least not recomended.
-Own a weapon for self-defense (?¿? I don't know, here in Europe this is not an issue because we don't usually carry weapons)
-Sex is forbidden, you must avoid sexual fantasies, masturbation, caressing, touching, kissing "pasionately", of couse homosexuality is also not alowed, oral and anal sex. (only some practices can be perfomed by oficially married couples)
-To think for your self, to develop your own cosmovision, even "to taste" (and test) diferent philosophies and belief systems.
-Listen to critic views of their ideological system.
-Birhdays, religious or political holidays. Work in something in relation with religions.
-Drunkeness or any other kind of aletered conscience state (meditation, hypnosis, recreative drugs)
-Obscene speech, making jokes about sex (even those that are really ingenious) is included.
-Blood, eaten or transfused. (some fractions are alowed, even those small fractions that flow from a juicy steak, but you don't have to drain the blood of a fish, or a lobster)
-Gambling, (stock market included)
-Engage in any kind of idealistic endeavour (you can only serve to the WT), being vocal, active or a member of any "rights" movement, go on strike, to vote, being the representative of your classmates (only theocratic apointments alowed), go to war, talk about politics (only alowed if the politic system is baning them). Work in something in relation with the politic system.
-Certain forms of grooming: beards (not in every place) goatees,mini skirts, any kind of "urban tribe" grooming. Being sexy or really original not alowed, fashion trends also not recomended.
-Certain music styles: specialy rap, and heavy metal.
-R rated movies.
-Play violent or sexual videogames.
-Swear.
-Have no-JW friends.
-Read books that contradict JW dogma (science, philosophy, etc...)
-Arts, and sports careers not recomended.
-College not recomended.
-Have romatic relationships while you are a teenager.
Please write your comment here
Abandoned prohibitions:
-Organ transplants
-Alluminium cooking tools.
-Military service
-to have children, to marry (Rutherford era)
Please write your comment here
_Heianderen_
this subject has been gnawing at me for awhile now.. so many of you:.
1) were raised in "the truth?".
2) did you get baptized and at what age?.
1) Yes.
2) I was baptized at the age of 16.
3) I DA at the age of 25
_heianderen_
i haven't posted as much here as i've wanted these past few weeks, but i've spent most of my time lurking here, or in chat.
for the last few 2 months roughly, every meeting i attended became extremely painful to endure, such that i would come up with excuses to miss as many as possible.
but there are 2 events that really gave me a swift kick to wake me up and realize that things had to change.
My friends also felt that I was the one that betrayed them.But you eventually will fiend new friends, don't worry to much. Try to understand why they feel the way they do, and your bad feeling will be atenuated. It is possible that you are going to experience a lot of rage, if this happens is better to stop thinking about the things that you dislike about the WT for a while or you can lose your selfcontrol. Try to maintain now a healthy live style, making some physical exercises everyday, eating healthy thing, etc.. you are going to need a lot of strengh and being physically fit can help alot because your body are going (is already) to suffer a lot of stress. I've been there, and I still managing to readjust myself to my new life. I'm with you...
SwordofJah, you are still here!!!, it seems that you are just like the one in the classroom that pretend to be a clown, and likes to be beated by everyone to gain their attention. C'mon, your mere presence here demonstrate your hipocresy, its enough to endure the obstracism of former friends and we don't need you here to hear your senseless words.
_heianderen_
in the eye is the soul, what do your eyes say about the real you?
within the depths of your eyes, do they give away madness and anger, are they twinkly, fun and mischivious, do you have kind eyes and a gentle spirit, do your eyes say you have an inner wisdom, coupled with either joy or a great sadness?.
what do your eyes say about you?
Just take a look at my photo on the left. You can see one of my eyes and tell what do they say about me...
_Heianderen_
well, the day started okay.. sigh.
any one have a remedy for a twisted ankle?
it is swollen on the top and the arch is tender, as well as a few toes.
Th problem with recursive ankle sprain resides, not in lack of strengh of the strained ankle, but in the pro-prioceptive alteration of the joint because of the injury, the joint is altered in way it perceives itself, and is not able to "detect" when is reaching a "dangerous" angle of rotation. The key is to make some special exercices to "re-educate" the ankle and restore and correct this capacity.
_heianderen_
