In my KH were several elderly who never married because they were told in the 1940's not to do so. I remember one woman who was probably the oldest person in the KH since interwar period (she talked a lot about WWII persecution) and she was single until her death at very old age in the 1990's. There are two women who were close friends with my mom, single and never married. One must be in her mid 80's, and the other even more. So many destroyed, lonely lives for publishing company.
Posts by kaik
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26Remember Those in Full-Time Service (1945 - 2015)
by jwleaks inthe saddest story ever told.
despite being childhood sweethearts, in the year 1941 they decided to postpone marriage and remain single and childless in this system so as to put the the theocracy first, albeit under the control of the watch tower society.. in the final pages of the children book john and eunice walk silently through the fields and stop by a great tree on the river bank where they had sometime before discussed their future plans.
the young lovers seat themselves down and look over the landscape.
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91
Your worst convention experience.
by zeb inby a split second rescuing our handicapped son from being pushed down the stairs by a flood of sisters rushing out to see as the drama had started.. the main offender being a special pioneer..
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kaik
My convention in Prague-Strahov in 1991. It was summer, in stadium pan where temperature was soaring to 36C and we were sitting on the sunny side. There was no sufficient refreshment to replenish I was dehydrated. We had constant argument with family between my mom and my siblings and relatives who accused us being spiritually weak because we were dripping with sweat and started to be nauseous by afternoon. My family being extremely fair complexion had a heat stroke. My mom turned into red lobster and I was afraid about her health, but fellow KH did not call anyone for medical care as it was non existent. My elder instead started to criticize everyone who was sweating and said that brothers in Africa have to sit in the convention during much higher temperature. When I completely sweated through my white shirt and tie, I decided to sit only in my T-top, which caused my elder to sent me home. There was very little care for families with children who supposed to get refreshments and care, but they suffered as the rest of us. I was glad that my niece who was a toddler was not there with us.
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39
NEW LIGHT FROM SLO CIRCUIT OVERSEER "Warning, Blood on Doorposts", "The Couple who Missed One Meeting Died With Their Kids, Don't Miss Any!
by Trailer Park Pioneer insorry, i messed up before i could put the right title on this new light from our circuit overseer, his visit show's a great desperation in the organization's mindset, adding more anxiety and guilt to jws who already feel they don't measure up!.
hi, i attended the circuit overseers visit and got really angry because our c.o.
gave information coming from the governing body's chief apologists regarding "meeting attendance" and "the couple who missed one meeting and lost their entire family because they did not get the "411" when armageddon was coming!
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kaik
Entertaining. This kind of talk brings me back to 1980-1985 where the Angel of Death was imminent and these who would not be warned by message from the elders will die. -
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Is The Borg going back to “Old School” thinking & getting more hardcore?
by thedepressedsoul inim still in and i cant help but feel nervous as more and more changes are coming forward.
i cant help but feel that they are starting to get more hardcore again.
let me explain.
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kaik
WT always was one step forward, one step back. I remember little melting and freezing, and this is nothing new. We had always a list of forbidden movies because they considered inappropriate. One movie stick me 30 years later, and it is Polish one Sexmission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexmission). I seen this movie after I left and realize that the movie was not about sex, but about totalitarian regime defiance. Maybe the Borg was afraid that JWs will see association between WT and totalitarian regime depicted in the movie. -
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Jewish Exegesis of the OT Scriptures in the days of Jesus
by fulltimestudent inthe sub-structure of the nt, as understood by new testament scholar, charles harold dodd, is based on,.
... passages of ot scripture with their application to the gospel facts ... it provided the starting point of the theological constructions of paul, (and) the author of to the hebrews, and the fourth evangelist.
it is the substructure of all christian theology and contains already its chief regulative ideas.
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kaik
FTS, thanks for your answer. When I studied at university and also under rabbi, both mentioned that majority of Jews lived outside Judea at the time of Jesus and small minority was in their homeland. Jews scattered across two empires-Persian and Roman- were not even aware of Jesus existence. I have read different demographic estimates, where 10% of the population in the Roman Empire had Jewish religion in the peak or Trajan, and only 2% of them lived in Jerusalem and vicinity. Alexandria was the biggest Jewish city, which had tremendous impact on Jewish philosophy, religion, culture; so did Persian and Parthian empire for Jews integrated in the society there. While there is not any indication that Jesus ever was in Babylonia, NT mentions Jesus living Egypt, where he would certainly encounter Jewish thoughts and education radiating from the biggest Jewish centers of learning at his time.
I love Midrash and I had a borrowed copy, but it was too extensive to read. Midrash is very interesting literature to read, as it add much of the information into the OT. For example explain who was father of Kain, how Serpent seduced Eve, why she is called mother of all living but the same is not said about Adam, what was Serpent seed, and so on. Midrash were written in span of 1400 centuries with increased interest outside Judaism. The stories were also popular in the 12/13th century monasteries and during Renaissance when they were translated into different languages like Polish, Czech, Italian, and German. Definitely, it is more interesting than Studies in the Scripture. -
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Is Watchtower's stance against education only for North American witnesses
by wannaexit ini was reading on a european ex jw forum where some feel that watchtower's railing against higher education is primarily for north america issue.
this is due that many in usa and canada leave home to leave on campus.
it was mentioned that many young european jw attend universities and its not frowned on.. i found this odd because i heard what morris and losch said about education in italy.
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kaik
In Eastern Europe WT was against higher education as far I remember. There were handful college educated people in my KH, but majority of the JWs are barely literate there, usually having only mandatory education to the age 16. During communist rule, many JWs were denied higher education by the government and were forced to work in the coal mining areas. This education deficit caused by repressive government is very visible in the group born before 1968.
Other refused to got to professional schools because they were discouraged by the elder. I had numerous talks about my higher education with my elders and I got my undergrad and postgrad after WT world. All my JW relatives have basic education. My mom got her education before she got involved with the cult. Various studies in Czech Republic and Slovakia had often put JWs as one the least literate demographic group out there, just bit better than gypsies. The Czech census from 2011 indicates that less than 7% of JWs have college education, while 13.5% of Catholics, 42% of Jews, 16% of 7DA, and 20% of Czech protestants.
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Je Suis Charlie
by Slidin Fast inthis incident in paris makes me feel absolutely furious.
yes i feel desperately sorry for the victims and their families no one should have to deal with that.
the thing that makes me feel absolutely incandescent though is the attack on freedom of speech and expression.
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kaik
I do not think the events in Paris will have lasting impact on European society as the liberal left will continue to silence any criticism of immigration from Muslim countries and Islam religion. Ten years ago, Muslim terrorist blew up metro in Madrid. Spanish government even lied about it and blamed it originally on the Basque groups. Also does anyone remember London bombing, and numerous incidents in France in past 12 months? Did it changed anything? Did any politicians or elected officials did anything? In Sweden, Denmark, Germany it is all the same, resigned population. Unfortunately, I do not see it as wake up call based on the past incidents. I think European Union is in the point of no return. -
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The "Lord Jesus" Descends Again?
by runForever inthis is a chart i created that charts the use of the term "lord jesus" in the watchtower magazine.. interesting to note that the term only broke the 60 count 4 times and those were close intervals of 7 years with the last count above 60 being an 8 year interval.. .
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kaik
When I was associated with JW and WT, I have barely knew anything about Jesus. JWs lacking deep knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they do not see him as a Savior as do other Christian denomination. Jesus in WT theology is moderator to the 144,000 whose number in my time in JW was around 8500, for the rest the salvation lies with the tit of the WT. Jehovah witnesses are often not even aware what Jesus had said and what order, and their entire system revolves on several selected chapters of the NT with his invisible return. So it does not surprises me to see this number chart. -
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Do you believe what the Bible teaches? If "yes", why? If "no", why?
by Tenacious inif you do believe in the bible's message, do you believe society has gotten better, worse, or has remained the same?.
if you don't believe in the bible's message, do you believe society has gotten better, worse, or has remained the same?.
on a personal note, there are many things that i can't help but notice that coincide with what the apostle paul wrote to timothy in his second letter chapter 3 regarding tough times:.
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kaik
Bible has a lot of nonsense, and tit was a reason why so many Christian denomination happened since the 100AD. There was also huge splits during late Antiquity and numerous heresies. Even Christian rulers realized that it is impossible to follow bible literally from Justinian to Charlemagne and developed own political, judicial, and economic laws to match some of the Christian interpretation.
The life during Roman era was not so great as people believe due Renaissance influence. Life expectancy in Roman times was around 33, bit higher than early medieval Europe or during 100 Years war, but still low. Rome experienced two centuries of stability, but eventually the economic and political system crippled after Marcomanni wars onward. Plagues of Cyprian, Justinian, and Antonius decimated millions. Skeletal bodies of the late antiquity shows deep problem with malnourishment. Except population of Rome and large cities, and the middle upper class, millions of Romans lived in poverty and were enslaved. They had much worse life survival prospect than free medieval peasant.
Since Renaissance, human population enjoyed continuous grow of living standard with some setbacks like 30 Years War, French Revolution, WWI & WWII or Great Recession. Nonetheless, the human race lives better with each subsequent generation. Even poor people today are better off than poor people in 1980. With present technology and social freedom, you would not last long during Great Depression or not to mention 19th century. Life is certainly not perfect nor fair, and we live somewhat in failed political and social systems; yet it is the best we had in the history of humanity.
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Jewish Exegesis of the OT Scriptures in the days of Jesus
by fulltimestudent inthe sub-structure of the nt, as understood by new testament scholar, charles harold dodd, is based on,.
... passages of ot scripture with their application to the gospel facts ... it provided the starting point of the theological constructions of paul, (and) the author of to the hebrews, and the fourth evangelist.
it is the substructure of all christian theology and contains already its chief regulative ideas.
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kaik
It is also important to mention FTS, that Jesus supposedly lived in Egypt in his childhood, where he may had obtain some education. Egypt in the Roman times was home to largest Jewish diaspora numbering about 1 million. Majority of Jews in the 1st century lived outside Judea (about 2/3), and their primary language in Egypt was Greek. Helenization of Jews is certainly factor especially considering Alexandria to be the center of the Jewish intellectual elite until Trajan, far more than Jerusalem. It is impossible to divide Judaism from province of Judea and Egypt under one common Roman administration at the time of Jesus. However, in the Judea, the Aramaic language was the language of the masses who were mostly illiterate peasants. Only educate elite could communicate in more than one language, dealing with Roman administration and with their holy books.