Society & Culture - 14 October 2007

how do you say in spanisht...

I am a member of student council
I love being an active member of key club
During the spring i play volleyball with my sister

thanks :)

2007-10-14 17:01:27 · 4 answers · asked by horses4life 1 in Languages

regularly or at all? I only want serious answers please. Thanks in advance!

2007-10-14 17:00:39 · 39 answers · asked by Ashley 1 in Religion & Spirituality

...the staff of Moses?

...the mantle of Elijah?

...an Urim and Thumin?

...the snake on a stick?

2007-10-14 17:00:02 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I have seen several atheists simply state that nothing happens when you die; you are just dead...you no longer exist, etc. Those atheists state these things as if they are fact. Don't you guys know that this cannot be proven as a fact because no one who is alive could know for sure what happens after we die? Why do many atheists claim to know *for a fact* that nothing exists for us after death?

2007-10-14 17:00:00 · 32 answers · asked by Alexandria 2 in Religion & Spirituality

Is it even implied anywhere from Genesis to Revelation? There seems to be so much discourse in here about this topic, yet the obvious is overlooked that being that God told Adam and Eve NOT to eat from the "Tree" of Knowledge of Good and Evil. How does anyone get free-will from that?

Your thoughts, please.

2007-10-14 16:59:06 · 12 answers · asked by Wired 5 in Religion & Spirituality

In year 1750 the world population was 791 million. In year 1000 it was 310 million. This gives an average growth rate of 0.12% per year. This average takes into account all the effects of war, plagues, natural catastrophes, and negative growth periods. It also avoids recent technology and medicine. It is much less than the 0.8% growth rate over the past 250 years in primitive Africa. (en.wikipedia.org)

At this conservative rate, if we start with 2 people 20,000 years ago, the world population would grow to 52 billions. If we start 40,000 years ago, the world population would grow to 1*10**21. That's a density of 850,000 people per square foot of earth land area! If we start 1 million years ago, the world population would grow to 1*10**521.

Even science-fiction writers couldn't dream of such a large number. Yet, "evolution scientists" firmly believe in their 1-3 million years theory.

2007-10-14 16:59:01 · 12 answers · asked by brandlet 2 in Religion & Spirituality

...Their beliefs on Jesus.

They worship Jesus as God?

They don't believe he is God?

Which one is it?



They believe Jesus is God: Then what about the concept of the trinity which they oppose (I think?). If Jesus and God are completely separate entities... Well, just how many Gods DO you worship?

Jesus is not God: Well, then how can JW's claim to be Christian? Isn't a Christian a person who believes Christ is God?

Sorry, its just confusing me...

Enlighten me.

2007-10-14 16:58:51 · 10 answers · asked by CanadianFundamentalist 6 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-10-14 16:58:24 · 6 answers · asked by Prof Fruitcake 6 in Religion & Spirituality

Anyone want to adopt me as their student? I'd be a very good one for this kind of thing!

2007-10-14 16:57:24 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

This question has been asked before, but I just want to get the input of the current regulars on R&S.

2007-10-14 16:57:19 · 31 answers · asked by frenzy-CIB- Jim's with Jesus 4 in Religion & Spirituality

If so...doesn't that take away the entire "free will" thing Christians advocate?

2007-10-14 16:55:09 · 15 answers · asked by Love Yahoo!!! is a prince 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Would u pray for them?
Would u talk to them?
Would u yell and scream at them?
Or would u not care?

Believe it or not, alot of parents dont care about what their kids do. Mine does, but my step dad and my mother parents didnt. My step dad even did drugs and stuff when he was younger. Im not a drug user, but im sure there are teens out there who do, thinkin that nobody cares or just gettin with the wrong crowd.

What do u think?

2007-10-14 16:54:23 · 20 answers · asked by Smart Ash 2 in Religion & Spirituality

how are you supposed to pronounce violin in spanish? i think its something like vee-oh-leen but im not sure.

2007-10-14 16:54:05 · 6 answers · asked by boreddddtodeath 2 in Languages

Failed prophecies

The Watchtower Society has a long history of making prophecies and then changing them after they proved false. Dozens of references could be quoted and documented, but a few will suffice to prove the point.

For example, the 1920 booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, declares,

...we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected... Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old. -- pages 89-90
This failed to come true, of course.

Starting in the mid-1960's numerous discussions in the Society's publications pointed to the year 1975:
This seventh day, God's rest day, has progressed nearly 6,000 years, and there is still the 1,000-year reign of Christ to go before its end. (Rev. 20:3, 7) This seventh 1,000-year period of human existence could well be likened to a great sabbath day. . . . In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of God's rest day come to an end? The year 1975. -- Awake! October 8, 1966, page 19

The August 15, 1968 Watchtower indicates that there might be a slight delay between the end of humanity's first six thousand years in autumn 1975 and the end of the world -- corresponding to the interval of time between Adam's creation and Eve's -- but assures that the delay will be only a few weeks or months, not years:
Are we to assume from this study that the battle of Armageddon will be all over by the autumn of 1975, and the long-looked-for thousand-year reign of Christ will begin by then? Possibly, but we wait to see how closely the seventh thousand-year period of man's existence coincides with the sabbathlike thousand-year reign of Christ. If these two periods run parallel with each other as to the calendar year, it will not be by mere chance or accident but will be according to Jehovah's loving and timely purposes....It may involve only a difference of weeks or months, not years." -- page 499

Such predictions led Jehovah's Witnesses to believe that the end would come toward the end of 1975 or early in 1976.

The most recent prophetic failure is likely to have the greatest impact on JWs: 'New truths' in the November 1, 1995 Watchtower magazine changed the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses concerning "the generation that saw the events of 1914," and the November 8, 1995 Awake! drops that magazine's long-standing prophecy.

Ever since the late 1940's Awake! magazine had been promising the "sure hope for the establishment of a righteous New World" on page 2 of each issue. Then in 1964 it added the thought that this would happen "in this generation" -- "...reflecting sure hope for the establishment of God's righteous new order in this generation."

In 1975 it was no longer Awake! magazine's promise but now became the Creator's promise: "...the Creator's promise of a new order of lasting peace and true security within our generation." -- January 8, 1975

It was a very serious step to add this expression, "the Creator's promise," since it meant that the Watchtower Society (the magazine's publisher) was now prophesying in the Creator's name -- in God's name. The Creator warns in the Bible against doing this without receiving a command from Him to do so:
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. -- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NIV

Did the Creator really command the Society to say that He promised the new order would come "within our generation"? Elsewhere, the Society specified more precisely what it meant by "our generation":
"Jesus was obviously speaking about those who were old enough to witness with understanding what took place when the 'last days' began....Even if we presume that youngsters 15 years of age would be perceptive enough to realize the import of what happened in 1914, it would still make the youngest of 'this generation' nearly 70 years old today....Jesus said that the end of this wicked world would come before that generation passed away in death." -- Awake! October 8, 1968, pages 13-14
In 1982 the Watchtower Society changed the prophecy on page 2 of each Awake! issue to include the same thought about 1914. It was no longer a vague "our generation" that would see the world's end, but the generation that saw the events of 1914: "...the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new order before the generation that saw the events of 1914 C.E. passes away." (January 8, 1982)

Nearly identical wording repeated the same prophecy in each issue until January 8, 1987, when Awake! magazine's statement of purpose was moved to page 4 in a redesigned format. Starting with that issue, the 1914 generation prophecy was dropped entirely. Then it was restored on page 4 of the March 8, 1988 issue -- "...the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away" -- wording that continued to appear through October, 1995.

By then, however, the generation that saw the events of 1914 had largely passed away. All that remained were a relatively few surviving individuals in their late 90's -- people nearly a hundred years old.

Obviously, the prophecy had failed. Continuing to print it as spiritual food for Jehovah's Witnesses was like serving meat or milk long after the "sell before" date stamped on the package. Like spoiled food, the expired prophecy began to stink.

JW leaders in Brooklyn finally replaced it in the November 8, 1995 Awake! by returning to language similar to that used prior to 1964. Awake! now declares "...the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things."

Actually the prophecy on page 4 of each Awake! is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. It is the most prominent part of a whole chronological system of Bible interpretation that has proved false.

This is the most noticeable revision, so far, in a process of changing beliefs that has only just begun. The October 15, 1995 Watchtower (pages 22-23) changes the Watchtower Society's interpretation of when Christ sits down to separate sheep from goats at Matthew 25:31-33.

It transforms this from a process that began when Christ allegedly returned invisibly and became king in 1914 to a future event associated with his judging mankind at the Battle of Armageddon.

The old teaching is presented clearly in the Society's 1982 book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth (page 183 original edition):
Yes, since Christ returned and sat down on his heavenly throne, all humankind has been on judgment...During the present judgment people are being separated as "goats" to Christ's left hand or as "sheep" to his right.
The October 15, 1995 Watchtower (pages 22-23) rejects this interpretation and substitutes a new one:
Does this parable apply when Jesus sat down in kingly power in 1914, as we have long understood?... ...the parable points to the future when the Son of man will come in his glory. He will sit down to judge... Understanding the parable of the sheep and the goats in this way indicates that the rendering of judgment on the sheep and the goats is future. It will take place after "the tribulation" mentioned at Matthew 24:29, 30 breaks out and the Son of man 'arrives in his glory.'

The change introduced here is two-fold. The Society re-interprets Matthew 25:31-32 so that
(1) Christ's sitting down on his throne does not refer to his becoming king in 1914, as the Society has long taught. Instead, it refers to his sitting as judge during the future great tribulation.
(2) The separating of the sheep from the goats is also a future event -- even though JWs had long been taught that their preaching work was accomplishing that separation right now and throughout much of this century.

Even more significant is the 'new truth' introduced in the November 1, 1995 issue of The Watchtower. On pages 17-19 it changes the Society's interpretation of Jesus' words at Matthew 24:34, "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." (NIV)

On page 17 it admits that "Jehovah's people have at times speculated about the time when the 'great tribulation' would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914." Now it says, instead (page 17):
Rather than providing a rule for measuring time, the term "generation" as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.
Then it goes on to identify the generation that Jesus supposedly pointed to at Matthew 24:34-35 in this way (page 19):
Therefore, in the final fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy today, "this generation" apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ's presence but fail to mend their ways.
This new interpretation drops the thought that the world will end during the lifetime of the people who were alive to see the events of 1914. Instead, it has Jesus speaking of the "wicked generation" -- people who see the sign of his invisible presence but fail to become JWs -- with no time period attached.

BORED TO DEATH?
Yes, the info needed to reach JWs can be tedious. Think of it as comparable to learning Chinese to share the Gospel in China.

Was the recently abandoned teaching about the 1914 generation really a false prophecy spoken by a false prophet? Or was it merely an instance of faithful Christians manifesting eagerness for Christ's return?

Deuteronomy 18:20-22, quoted earlier, supplies the basis for determining the answer. It states that its words of condemnation apply when what a "prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true."

Obviously, the prediction did not come true, and so the Watchtower Society has now stopped making that prediction.

Was the prediction spoken "in the name of the LORD"? Yes, because it was introduced as "the Creator's promise."

The Watchtower has said elsewhere:
Those who are convinced that The Watchtower is publishing the opinion or expression of a man should not waste time in looking at it at all... Those who believe that God uses The Watchtower as a means of communicating to his people, or of calling attention to his prophecies, should study The Watchtower..." -- The Watchtower January 1, 1942, page 5
More recently, the Watchtower Society has tried to escape the "false prophet" label by saying Jehovah's Witnesses have not made prophecies in God's name. "Never did they say, 'These are the words of Jehovah.'" (Awake! March 22, 1993, p. 4)

But the Watchtower Society actually did describe its prediction that the 1914 generation would live to see 'the end' as Jehovah's prophetic word through Jesus Christ.
"Jehovah's prophetic word through Jesus Christ is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment...
...
"Just as Jesus' prophecies regarding Jerusalem were fulfilled within the life span of the generation of the year 33 C.E., so his prophecies regarding 'the time of the end' will be fulfilled within the life span of the generation of 1914. ...
"...Yes, you may live to see this promised New Order, along with survivors of the generation of 1914 -- the generation that will not pass away." -- The Watchtower May 15, 1984, pages 6-7 (The bracketed expression "[of 1914]" is in the original.)

So, the Watchtower Society fits the description of a false prophet found at Deuteronomy 18:20-22. The Society made the prediction in God's name, and the prediction failed to come true.

Was this false prophecy simply a one-time offense? No, because the prediction was published repeatedly over the years, not only in Awake! magazine's masthead, but also in other places -- sometimes even with minor variations which indicate that thought was given to the matter on a number of occasions:
"...the generation alive in 1914, some will see the major fulfilment of Christ Jesus' prophecy and the destruction..." -- Awake! October 8, 1973, page 19

"Which generation is this, and how long is it?... "Thus, when it comes to the application in our time, the 'generation' logically would not apply to babies born during World War I. It applies to Christ's followers and others who were able to observe that war and the other things that have occurred in fulfillment of Jesus' composite 'sign.' Some of such persons 'will by no means pass away until' all of what Christ prophesied occurs, including the end of the present wicked system." --The Watchtower Oct. 1, 1978, p. 31

"What, then, is the 'generation' that 'will by no means pass away until all these things occur"? It does not refer to a period of time, which some have tried to interpret as 30, 40, 70 or even 120 years, but, rather, it refers to people, the people living at the 'beginning of pangs of distress' for this condemned world system. It is the generation of people who saw the catastrophic events that broke forth in connection with World War I from 1914 onward. ...
"And if the wicked system of this world survived until the turn of the century, which is highly improbable in view of world trends and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there would still be survivors of the World War I generation. However, the fact that their number is dwindling is one more indication that the 'conclusion of the system of things' is moving fast toward its end. ...
"Yes, there was a generation of people that was living in 1914, and that saw the major historical changes...We can be happy, therefore, for Jesus' assurance that there will be survivors of 'the generation of 1914' -- that this generation will not have completely passed away -- when the 'great tribulation' rings down the curtain on this wicked world system." -- The Watchtower October 15, 1980, page 31

"Jesus used the word 'generation' many times in different settings and with various meanings. But what did he mean when he spoke of a "generation that would not pass away"? ...a generation is really related to people and events, rather than to a fixed number of years.
...
...the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. And others alive in 1914 are in their 80's or 90's, a few even having reached a hundred. There are still many millions of that generation alive. Some of them 'will by no means pass away until all things occur.'" -- The Watchtower May 15, 1984, page 5

Thus judgment would be executed sometime during the life span of people seeing the first evidence of the time period foretold by Jesus. ...this time period began in 1914. Thus before the 1914 generation completely dies out, God's judgment must be executed. -- The Watchtower May 1, 1985, page 4

"a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away" ... "The Hebrews...reckon seventy-five years as one generation...".
"...today, most of the generation of 1914 has passed away. ...Jesus' words will come true, 'this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.' This is yet another reason for believing that Jehovah's thieflike day is imminent." -- Awake! April 8, 1988, pages 4 and 14

In fact, this episode of making predictions concerning "the generation of 1914" was not the first time the Watchtower Society made such prophecies. Years before 1914, it published volume 4 of Studies in the Scriptures, in which it calculated a hundred-year "generation" stretching "from 1780, the date of the first sign" and including the
gathering time beginning October 1874; the organization of the Kingdom and the taking by our Lord of his great power as the King in April 1878, and the time of trouble or "day of wrath" which began October 1874 and will end October 1914 -- 1908 edition, page 604

Alternatively, it calculated the generation of Matthew 24:34 as spanning 36 1/2 years, "the 'generation' from 1878 to 1914." (page 605) Interestingly, the Society encountered similar problems back then as time limits ran out and prophecies proved false. The length of the "generation" was adjusted to accommodate later reinterpretations, in a manner similar to the recent adjustments during the 1970's-1990's. Thus, later editions of the same Studies in the Scriptures volume were reprinted with alterations in the dates. In the reference quoted above from page 604, for example, the words "will end October 1914" were changed to "will cease about 1915" in certain later editions.

2007-10-14 16:47:59 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-10-14 16:47:14 · 18 answers · asked by sja2891 1 in Religion & Spirituality

Who you think you are now or want to become is an idea.
It was taught to you by your peers, also an idea.
You choose what ideas you like based on other ideas you were taught.
This also includes any religious ideas you may have.
Kinda gets crazy after a while doesn't it?
Welcome to my world. ~ : )
HooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooowl

2007-10-14 16:47:03 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-10-14 16:46:38 · 19 answers · asked by Love Yahoo!!! is a prince 3 in Religion & Spirituality

I don't believe so, because any person with enough intelligence to challenge us would be on our side In the first place.

I always wondered why I had such an easy time debating with Christians, actually I didn’t wonder... I knew!

Same could be said about us but I think its obvious who is more logic, at least if they themselves are intelligent witch again is all opinion.

Sigh, I guess that’s why we still have so many Christians in this world.

2007-10-14 16:46:32 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

Where can I find DNA Proof that Jesus is the Lord? or His own Father and His own son and His Own Holy Ghost?

The Bible tells me nothing about this!!!

2007-10-14 16:44:52 · 5 answers · asked by ASE Master 3 in Religion & Spirituality

If you follow the devil will you still go to hell & suffer or will you be by his side & share his paradise called hell?

2007-10-14 16:44:11 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-10-14 16:43:36 · 7 answers · asked by ♫ Bubastes, Cat Goddess♥ 7 in Halloween

You quote the creed of Nicea, That God and Jesus are all one personage. That he is everywhere and nowhere, without body or limb etc etc etc...

Well if you are a Christian, then you absolutely must believe in the resurrection and if you do, then explain why it was so important for Jesus to be resurrected?
And if He was resurrected then HE MUST have a Body. And if he has a Body, How can he be anywhere and no where without form or limb?

Now... open up your bible to show me. and then I want DNA Proof that you are right... Because I won't believe anything that you have to say without DNA Proof!

2007-10-14 16:41:07 · 48 answers · asked by ASE Master 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Is being "dead" for over 4 hours total enough? Or does it have to be all at once? If it's the permanent variety, then where is the fun in that?

2007-10-14 16:38:51 · 8 answers · asked by Enigma®Ragnarökin' 7 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-10-14 16:37:19 · 34 answers · asked by Prof Fruitcake 6 in Religion & Spirituality

I am looking for an R2D2 costume for my son. All I can find online is a baby version. I did see a popup R2 on a photo (http://www.r2-d2.de/others/Bilderseiten/popup1.htm) but I can't track down the product.

Does anyone have an idea of how to either (a) make an R2D2 costume or (b) find one that is not make for an infant or (c) find that popup one linked above?

Help! Thanks!

2007-10-14 16:36:07 · 5 answers · asked by lkbwitched 1 in Halloween

Black women make up 34% of abortions, and if this current trent continues, we will not have a political voice because there won't be any more of us around

2007-10-14 16:34:13 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Other - Cultures & Groups

who decides which sins causes us to lose salvation and why do these decisions get made?

2007-10-14 16:33:14 · 23 answers · asked by harry killwater 4 in Religion & Spirituality

Is it more important to:

a) Follow tradition and listen to what people tell you to make them happy and foster inter-family harmony?

-or-

b) Break tradition and do what you want to to make yourself happy?

This question applies exclusively to issues of keeping one's religion.

thanks

2007-10-14 16:33:12 · 9 answers · asked by Angad 1 in Religion & Spirituality

Using the concept of Taqiya, lying to avoid persecution? Maybe joining the Catholics, using the Catholic nuns' habit as an explanation why they still wear the veil? Ever heard of this?

2007-10-14 16:32:22 · 2 answers · asked by The First Dragon 7 in Religion & Spirituality

how many times can we be reborn?..(according to the scripture)

2007-10-14 16:32:09 · 14 answers · asked by harry killwater 4 in Religion & Spirituality