Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (122015)	4/14/2010 12:15:44 AM
From: Proud Deplorable	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

"Botox, my main issue with the JWs is that they put organization and ritual ahead of love and compassion." Yes I agree....mostly. I have found this to be a group largely devoid of Christian spontaneity and this is the MAIN reason I decided to leave it 30 years ago. Most of them, not all, seem to need constant meetings in order to sit and be told what to do and how to live. But again, they are living as people should and doing no one any harm other than what I'm saying below. Also on the subject of blood transfusions I understand the reasons both religious and medical for this believe but I do NOT agree that parents can make this decision for minor children. "for example, many children have died due to their belief system." They don't go to war against each other like other professed Christians do. As a result others like the Catholics etc are guilty of mass murder over the years no matter which country they fought for. So, how many children have died do to churches of Christendom not living by the Bible which expressly commands true Christians to maintain neutrality?..millions? tens of millions? Consider world war 2 and the German "christians" and the Russian "christians". True Christians follow Christ, not Hitler or Stalin and don't kill their brothers in the faith.

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (122015)	4/16/2010 11:21:32 AM
From: Freedom Fighter	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

>ps - i'm still looking for the church that preaches giving to the poor is giving to god (the biblical example) instead of "giving to us (the church organization) is giving to god."< Skeeter, In Catholic school I was relentlessly taught to give to the poor, needy, and other worthy causes. My parents had to pay a small tuition to cover the costs of my education and when we went to Church on Sunday they passed around the wicket basket if you wanted to make a donation, but there were no strings attached. The Church also occasionally held activities like bake sales etc... where people volunteered their baking skills to raise money for other operations, the gym, team uniforms and equipment etc.. A little less than two years ago when I found out I needed brain surgery, I decided I needed a clean slate (just in case - lol). I went to the local parish where I live now. I had never been there, never donated a dime, and didn't know a soul. My only connection was buying some sausage and peppers they were selling one summer afternoon! lol I called the Parish and told them my views, that I hadn't been to Church in 40 years, that I lived with my girlfriend, and why I was calling. The Pastor called me back 30 minutes later and said I could come over right away if I wanted because he would make the time for me. He did. When people (including me) cut checks to the local Church or put money in the basket, it's because we trust that the money will be used in ways that we approve of either locally or elsewhere and because out experiences with the local church have been positive. In some ways, the Church is like the free market. Occasionally you will run into corruption and immoral behavior, but if you have a positive experience, you become a return customer and pay (or in this case donate) to repeat it. Every parish in Queens NY where I had friends operated the same way. Yes, there was the priest that drank to much, the priest that smacked kids too often, etc... but when I survey the landscape, as a group, many of the kids I grew up with turned out to be some of the best human beings I've ever known. Many remain friends today. The Church mandated nothing in return. People gave voluntarily because they liked how the money was being used and because they had been taught to help the needy etc....