"Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (Full Version)

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TreSwank -> "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 1:55:54 PM)

   Despite it's reputation as canonical propanganda disseminated by those  liturgical minded, door-to-door, Bible thumpin' zealots (Jehova's Witnesses), verily, I say unto you, that AWAKE! magazine is the ne plus ultra of pulp religious publications.  I mean, in comparison to the backwoods, Catholic bashing, "whore of Babylon" booklets Yours Truly used to pick up in Carolina greasy spoons, AWAKE! magazine is chock-full of relevant information, and family-friendly fun facts!!!!!!!!

  Today, whilst going about my super-exhilirating, (heavy sarcasm) bi-weekly laundry run,  I learned about the nuances of silk production, AND the life of the late, great, cutting edge scientist/ photography pioneer, William Fox Talbot, all without the help of the ever-indispensable, WIKIPEDIA.

   Now, I've never been one to wax giddily about God and such, but this magazine possesses more nutritional value and good, sound, common sense than, say, Time Magazine or Newsweek.  Despite my lack of faith in any benevolent, personified deities as mentioned in popularized holy texts,  I DO BELIEVE that the King James Bible, does contain priceless morsels of wisdom, that could clear up a butt-ton of dissolution in this rotten world.......and I give AWAKE magazine my full TreSwank endorsement.

    What are your thoughts on AWAKE! magazine and the Jehova's Witnesses?




Najakcharmer -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 1:59:52 PM)

They make good small animal cage lining.  I always appreciate having some left at the doorstep for that purpose.  




Aileen68 -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:02:15 PM)

The woman that brings those little magazines to my house every month is very nice.
As soon as she drives away I throw them out.




TreSwank -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:06:31 PM)

I read EVERYTHING that religious propagandists hand over to the Swankster.

The popular conception is that the world is a primitive daguerrotype, represented by shades of black, and solid white.  MY believe, is that gems of wisdom can ultimately survive, even in loads of superannuated dog poopie.  Hitler may have been a ruthless, incorrigible despot, but he did like kittens.




MstrssPassion -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:15:51 PM)

I haven't seen this publication in a very long time.

Years ago they stopped visiting me when I went ahead & welcomed them in while I was cleaning all sorts of toys from my toy bag. [sm=lol.gif]

These days, they don't come around because the Rottie greets everyone at the gate.





maridem -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:16:00 PM)

The Witnesses are good people and going door to door is a difficult thing for many of them to do.  One good thing is that you always have options.  Take the magazine, don't take it, talk to them or don't answer the door.  They are going door to door for those who wish to talk with them.  Try to be patient with them and know that they are sincere people who are giving up their time.  It may be annoying to get the knock on the door, but know that they do mean well.  And yes, the magazines can be quite informative if you give them a chance.  (Or not... it's your choice)  : )




KatyLied -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:24:32 PM)

I throw that crap in the trash.  Some of those cults are required to spread the word (2 by 2).  Ugh.




TreSwank -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:32:52 PM)

 

As faux-hip as it might be to voice disdain for any religion other than the ever-trendy, dork-infested, pretentious, Goddess-oriented paganism, I have alot of respect for men and women who have cleansed their lives of alcholism, drug-addiction, existential despair, and various other psychic ailments through biblical teachings.  I don't believe in a patriarchial super-man that resides in the supernal heights and plays favorites with a Tinker-Toy-esque humanity, but I do believe in the spirit of compassion, discernment, and love stressed by a dubious messianic figure, supposedly tortured and executed as a political prisoner for his freethinkin', ways and grandiose claims to glory.

Marx may have thought that religion was a soporific palliative, meant to lull the masses into becoming complaisant little doggies.........but the Jesus archetype seems pretty ROCK STAR to me, man.

I'm not going to sit here and argue the merits of religion to a group that congratulates itself way too much on being uber-transgressive, but you guys should really be more friendly to Jehova's Witnesses.  If somebody asked us to walk door-to-door and hand out BDSM pamphlets to a public that saw us as objects of derision, I bet we wouldn't do half as well as those dedicated S.O.B's.




Bearlee -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:36:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: maridem

The Witnesses are good people and going door to door is a difficult thing for many of them to do.  One good thing is that you always have options.  Take the magazine, don't take it, talk to them or don't answer the door.  They are going door to door for those who wish to talk with them.  Try to be patient with them and know that they are sincere people who are giving up their time.  It may be annoying to get the knock on the door, but know that they do mean well.  And yes, the magazines can be quite informative if you give them a chance.  (Or not... it's your choice)  : ) 



Hang on there!  "Going door to door for those who wish to talk to them'???  I don't buy it.  If we want to talk to anybody ELSE...we go to their store or place of business (or worship) and talk to them there.  They're pushing their wares, same as any other profit-making outfit. 

If I could catch 'em in the act, I'd berate them for their littering ...on MY property.   grrrrrrrr...even junk mail doesn't come close; and if they let my dog out trying to get to my front door I'm really gonna be mad!

hmmmmmmmmm...perhaps the threads here are starting to get to me?   LOL
beverly <takes a deep breath>





Bearlee -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:44:15 PM)

awwwwwww, Tre...what makes you think they've "...cleansed their lives of alcholism, drug-addiction, existential despair, and various other psychic ailments through biblical teachings." ???   Just read the papers or join a church and listen to the gossip to find out just how well religion is doing making bible-thumpers rightous...

I say a boiling pot just boils over when ya put a lid on it...

beverly




Sinergy -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:47:34 PM)

Hello A/all,

I have a friend I work with who gave me one of those Awake magazines.

So I read it.  Made a few notes.  Researched a few of the points made.  Threw it away.

Ran into him a week or so later, he asked me what I thought.  I told him that it was historically and scripturally inaccurate, and I provided references, and I said the general tone was overly histrionic.

We are still friends, but he has never tried to get me to read another one.

Sinergy




Sinergy -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 2:54:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bearlee

awwwwwww, Tre...what makes you think they've "...cleansed their lives of alcholism, drug-addiction, existential despair, and various other psychic ailments through biblical teachings." ???   Just read the papers or join a church and listen to the gossip to find out just how well religion is doing making bible-thumpers rightous...

I say a boiling pot just boils over when ya put a lid on it...

beverly



I read a study once, when I was doing a research project on soldiers emotional problems reintegrating into society after serving in Vietnam, about spiritual or psychological healing.  I wish I could remember the source, but in men the mind is the second thing to go as we age.

Basically, the article talked about curative powers of religion, 12-step programs, counseling, etc.  The article made a really great point that if you have a group of people, say 20, with emotional upset.  A percentage of these will spontaneously improve, while a percentage of these will not.

I tend to agree with the researchers point that the reason a lot of these things work to cure depression and the like is because people who spontaneously improve may turn around and give credit for their recovery to whatever they were doing at the time.

Which is not to say that I think any of it is necessarily bad or wrong, but when people bring it to me as an absolute (this will cure what ails you) a little voice in my head (not the one that says "God told me to skin you alive," the nice one that doesnt sound like Jello Biafra) starts whispering "snake oil" since no reputable psychological organization will give 100% guarantees, and programs like Lifesprings, EST, Scientology, etc., want you to pay them money to fix you.

Just me, could be wrong, but there you go.

Sinergy




Bearlee -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:01:53 PM)

hmmmmmmm... you forgot to mention the catholic church, LDS church...... heck, don't ALL churches expect you to 'tithe'?   Saying churches don’t expect you to PAY for their services seems a lot like ProDoms who say what they’re given are merely tributes.

beverly





juliaoceania -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:03:52 PM)

I studied with the Witnesses for a year off and on. I appreciate their brand of Christianity more than the average brand, but still found it lacking.

I used to read the AWAKE!  on occasion, and you are right, they do have topical informative pieces that report both scientific and bibical perspectives backed with scripture (surprise, even thise heathen appreciates a religion that will source its arguments[:D])




TreSwank -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:06:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sinergy

Hello A/all,

I have a friend I work with who gave me one of those Awake magazines.

So I read it.  Made a few notes.  Researched a few of the points made.  Threw it away.

Ran into him a week or so later, he asked me what I thought.  I told him that it was historically and scripturally inaccurate, and I provided references, and I said the general tone was overly histrionic.

We are still friends, but he has never tried to get me to read another one.

Sinergy


Apparently our concepts of "histrionic" must differ in quite a few ways.  I've read several of these publications since I've doing my laundry at Granny Smith's Cleaners, and my favorite issue thus far was the "What To Do About Terrorism" volume.  To make a long story short, the AWAKE solution to terrorism advocated biblical teachings on - YOU GUESSED IT- peace and love!!!!!!  Most of the other AWAKE! magazines possessed the same message, with a little bit of "Witness" propaganda thrown in there for good measure.

The problem with most people in general, is that they take one undesirable portion  of a whole, and hold it under a critical microscope, before tossing EVERYTHING in the trash-bin, while haphazardly accepting the COMMONLY held view.  For instance, the much-lauded philosopher Plato CLEARLY advocated the use of eugenics, selective breeding, and the purging of artistic works not conducive to lifting the national spirit in his pivotal work THE REPUBLIC, much like an infamous Nazi totalitarian named Adolf Hitler...... but popular culture doesn't make the differentiation between the dude who created the concept, and guy who carried it out.  Clearly the Jehova's Witnesses are suffering the same kind of pillary treatment at the hands of a biased public.

P.S. -  I'm not quite sure why I've already mentioned Hitler twice in this post.  It must be national "Mention a Nazi in a BDSM Forum" day.

PPS.- Sinergy; can you even mention the name of that DK song on this site?  (I really dug the Kennedys in my teenage years)




LordODiscipline -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:12:01 PM)

I am the same way - I will read anythig someone gives to me -
 
But, lo be unto those who would decide to discuss it and attempt to influence (nay: to sway) my beliefs... I shall surely make the goodness of the Lord visit itself upon them before they are through and convinced of my sincere resolution...
 
~J (who was "Jiving" at TreSwank's verbage)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TreSwank

I read EVERYTHING that religious propagandists hand over to the Swankster.

The popular conception is that the world is a primitive daguerrotype, represented by shades of black, and solid white.  MY believe, is that gems of wisdom can ultimately survive, even in loads of superannuated dog poopie.  Hitler may have been a ruthless, incorrigible despot, but he did like kittens.




Bearlee -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:17:42 PM)



I'm a biased public now, I wonder?  I dunno, in this age of Wikipedia and Google (not to mention the plethora of churches available to every person anywhere...) I figure if I wanna know about something; I’ll research it.
  I never commented on the subject matter or quality of the writing in the junk mail I receive…just that I DO receive it.  And it galls me the get it to me free of charge…by trespassing.   Just me, maybe I am biased… beverly




sophia37 -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:20:24 PM)

You're kidding yourself if you dont think they have skeletons in the closet. Jehovah witness or any ess for that matter are just plain folk like the rest of us. Sometimes they're worse. They used to come over and we'd talk for an hour or so. They stopped coming over when I had an issue with the town. Seems the good people are related and suddenly taking sides was more important than jesus.




TreSwank -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:25:08 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: sophia37

You're kidding yourself if you dont think they have skeletons in the closet. Jehovah witness or any ess for that matter are just plain folk like the rest of us. Sometimes they're worse. They used to come over and we'd talk for an hour or so. They stopped coming over when I had an issue with the town. Seems the good people are related and suddenly taking sides was more important than jesus.



Just because a given population possesses a number of shitheads doesn't mean that the group is defective - it just means that a few crappy folks jumped the bandwagon.  I wasn't trying to apotheosize Jehova's Witnesses here.

If  a Peter Frampton fan ran over your dog, would you say  "That Peter Frampton.......he's a fucking asshole!!!"




Bearlee -> RE: "Awake" Magazine and Jehova's Witnesses (12/5/2006 3:27:26 PM)


Funny how that works!

I find it interesting how many who profess to be Christians don't 'act' anything like the man.  He hung with thieves and hookers; I believe he taught by example...not newspaper.

har har har... that was pretty good, noncha think?  get it...newspaper!  Like 'Awake!'...  <giggles wildly> 

Easily amused,
beverly

Okay, I'll stop now





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