TrueTomHarley

1 hour ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

*coff*

Yes! No wonder you are coughing when you see the amazing accomplishment of those eight dear men you have pictured! 

Look at the witness they have given! And all of our brothers worldwide who wrote in have a share! And, of course, our 175K brothers in Russia are the real heroes. 

Note the two pronounced and permanent spikes in web traffic to jw.org following the April 20th verdict and the July 17th appeal! You have good reason to praise these men, @James Thomas Rook Jr. I understand why you would do it. Millions of people check to see if jw.org is truly extremist as reported. Of course, they see it is not. What an amazing service they have rendered to Jehovah - almost as much as certain ones who go online and do nothing but bitch!

However, James,, you should remember that they are but men, who give all glory to Jehovah. You should not be worshiping these guys.

4 hours ago, Noble Berean said:

If the organization's policies were effective, would we be seeing repeated sexual abuse in congregations?

You are asking the wrong question. Would you agree that it is a very common news event for molesters to be caught by authorities these days?

How often is the religious affiliation of the person reported?

Why? Or why not?

5 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

But i would like to say this too. It is very shameful that progress in this, child molestation issue, was began to happen because "Worldly Court" initiative, investigations, judging.

This is a classic example of getting slammed for doing the right thing and should not be spun any other way.

The way you (as a faith) avoid such problems is to take no interest in the conduct of your members. Preach to them on Sunday  and let that be the end of it. If they apply it, they apply it. If they don't, they don't. It's no concern of yours as the pastor. That way, should any turn out to be molesters, you can never be made to look bad for investigating it because you never even learn of it.

God gets shortchanged that way because he expects a clean people, but who cares? He's God. Tell him to suck it up.

Witnesses alone investigate wrong conduct so as to keep the congregation clean, which God expects them to do. In the case of pedophiles, they investigate also to make sure one does not simply slip out of one congregation and into another. That is the sole purpose of any records kept.

If they have ever erred in any investigations, this should not be spun as a negative, for no one else even attempts it, though they all should.

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

which contradicts the fact that the parousia comes as a thief, and a thief does not give a sign before he robs a house.

Unfortunately, after my experience, a thief could break down my door, yell "Peace and Security," and I would roll over and go back to sleep.

There's too many ways things can be spun. I leave it to others and focus on the work that is engrossing in its own right. i take the party line without fuss, but always tentatively, for maybe it will change someday.

Meanwhile....oops...sorry - just had to dodge a missile from RocketMan

12 minutes ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

that alone DISPROVES THE TRINITY,   If you have any common sense at all

I ever think the key fact is that the Trinity violates common sense. Everyone knows that, but not always the implication.

It means that the burden of proof will always be upon them, not us - as it is with anyone trying to sell someone any bill of goods that flies in the face of reason. Sometimes a thing that goes against common sense turns out to be true. But the threshold of proof required is always high.

At most, they can come up with a handful of verses which, in any other context but the Bible, would be instantly dismissed as 'figure of speech.' They read 'crocodile tears' in a book or magazine, and instantly catch the meaning. They read it in the Bible, and it is proof we are talking crocodiles.

They are firmly convinced but it is not from Scripture. Therefore, it must be from something else - who can say what? But it is not Scripture.

In my experience, if you don't make headway with them in ten minutes, you will make none in ten years.

There are some who, if they came to my door merely as themselves, I would run in terror.

Ford had just pardoned Nixon. After a bruising several months of the Nixon Presidency under assault, people ate up Ford's promise of better times ahead and the words he used to describe them.

At a convention I attended, the speaker worked his way through end-time themes, before holding aloft that morning's paper with the huge headline:  "Peace and Security." 

"Have you seen today's headlines?" he cried.

It was irresistible. I would have done it, too.

It will absolutely happen. But there have been false positives along the way.

5 hours ago, Cos said:

On the issue of 1 John 5:7, I once, long ago, studied this gloss, which is considered by scholars to have been a marginal note that found its way into the text , which is easy enough to happen, without any ill intent as some try to claim. People have always made notes in their Bibles just as most people do today.

The difference in whether the star witness is a liar or merely incompetent lies solely in whether he will do jail time or not.

Imagine: The only direct mention of a Trinity is either fraudulent or inept.

3 hours ago, Cos said:

20 hours ago, Gone Fishing said:

Many "practicing "Roman Catholics (and other religious adherents for that matter) do not grasp their systems.

Gone fishing,

 

That is quite a broad statement, one that I do not share.

You would challenge that? Do you know what a broad statement is?

"All practicing Roman Catholics do not grasp their systems" would be a broad statement. But "many?" You have a problem with that? Would you concede that some do not understand their systems? 

27 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

when you see these things, lift your heads up because you know that your deliverance is getting near

Or get someone to help you lift it up in case you are getting up there.

Well - heavy things are afoot these days in the news. Maybe they will make all other points moot.

30 minutes ago, Gone Fishing said:

finding out it was a spurious insertion led me to reject previously held Trinitatarian concepts, (school-sourced), and to accept Jesus teachings on the matter

Why would such a verse be inserted into Scripture anyway? 

Could it be anything other than a scribe reading and getting madder and madder and madder that his favorite doctrine is nowhere taught in Scripture, save by taking obvious figures of speech literally?

1 hour ago, Otto said:

If you listen to the video with the society explanation shows you the scripture they reasoned it out on...why is it wrong in your opinion?

 

You seem to want scripturpal proof of what a generation was in the bible...where is yours to show what jesus thought a generation was?

Exactly. Otto is right on. There is an explanation offered and it makes sense.

If you don't believe it, you don't believe it. But don't carry on as though it were never offered.

Oh YEAH??!!!!

It was originally done with an AMC Javelin, and yes, there was a lot of math.

Some are calling this the greatest filmed car stunt ever. I had no idea.

https://jalopnik.com/the-james-bond-corkscrew-jump-was-the-first-computer-mo-1711459704

47 minutes ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Interesting fact about this scene... It was CALCULATED to work, and only attempted once.   It worked exactly as per the math said it would.

Nah, there's a pile of 105 wrecked Hornets behind the trees.

In fact, rather than dribble it out slowly, I'll shoot the wad right here:

http://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2010/11/american-motors.html

28 minutes ago, Anna said:

The windows are all broken, the door boarded up...well you get the picture. ...So guess what, the other night, after our extensive discussions of spirits and demon possession, I go and take the dog for his nightly walk as usual , but I never went near the house this time because I was spooked! ...And yet I felt scared and weird about going there that night. I swear I could have seen Norman’s mother peeking out of the window, lol. Talk about mental suggestion! .... If you think I am wrong then go and watch a horror film (I am not really suggesting you do that) and then go and walk down a dark alley or visit an old grave yard in the middle of the night.

BOO!!!!

Sure, I'll talk cars for a while. I really will, for who doesn't like cars?

Moreover, few know more about American Motors than me.

James Bond jumps a river in his AMC Hornet X, all the while spiraling a complete 360 degrees around. An Astro Spiral Jump! None of those pampered pricey “pretty boy” cars came close to such a stunt. Could a Tesla do it? Don't make me laugh.

It was plain ol bread n butter American Motors what done the deed. 

 

I see you also posted about AMC and some movie deals.

AMC means something very different to me. Some of whatever mental agility I have stems from having to defend our family's choice of vehicles. AMC built some of the most hideous looking cars on earth. And also some of the coolest.

We favored the hideous.

Not to mention Amazon, which was roundly condemned for showing little profitability, plowing proceeds back into the business for the longest time for the sake of long-term growth. Many an activist investor would have thwarted this.

(these two posts might sound like I am being antagonistic. I am not. Just trying to contribute to the thread. I appreciate all you do here to bring up new topics.)

1 minute ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Soon enough ... in about a year, we will ALL KNOW.

"Just you wait, Henry Higgins, just you wait!"...

OH HO HO! Henry Higgins, down you'll go, Henry Higgins!!!"

Just you wait!"

"Wake up, dogs, wake up! At such an hour you are sleeping and taking your rest? @James Thomas Rook Jr.Is ridiculing God's organization again. You may have to do more than rearrange his furniture this time."    ...   TopCat O'Malighan

8 hours ago, Michael Krewson said:

An activist investor is an individual or company that invests money in another company it believes could be performing better

'Performing better' is the key phrase. It is performing better by whose standards? Long-term growth, short term raiding the piggy bank, or gouging? 

Martin Shkreli's company purchased purchased some pharmaceuticals (including Rochester's Bauch & Lomb) and raised the price of epipen six-fold. That helped it perform better. 

We better catch some shuteye, Otis. JTR is at it again. Something tells me we're going to get a call from TopCat O'Malighan tomorrow 

Next time it may not be just your furniture, @James Thomas Rook Jr.