Ham

No, being able to participate in an ORGANIZATION. Corrupt one, at that..

Interesting.. my life, at least right now, is picking up where I left off about 20+ years ago. I think a lot of the problem was substituting God's real calling for my life with participation in an organization that SEEMED to be what they said they were.. a very poor substitute, at best. I kinda find it sad.. people that have even been kicked outa that outhouse, still find it their life's dream, to somehow STILL be able to "participate". Just want everything back, like the "good old days". Pay $$$$$$ on Ebay for copies of the old, tired, worn out materials.. I saw people REAMED RAW for carrying on their mission in life, and still try to go to "twig".. All or nothing, I guess.. Nope. I wouldn't go back.

I don't entirely agree. It helps, at least NOW. Finding you p*ssed away twenty some years of life, leaves you with at least a couple of options. 1. Continue p*ssing away the few years you have left, with your head stuck up a PFAL book or something, .....or......, 2. Get mad, and DO SOMETHING! It took me a long time to get over the fear that if I stepped out and tried something new, something different, that I'd make a mistake, be a horrible failure..

Doing "something" with it. I know corps grads and others that ARE doing "something" with it. And it doesn't resemble PFAL or any of the tired worn out teachings in any way, shape or form..

No, I do not knock studying and "mastering" the word, IN ITSELF. I think everything has its place.. but seventy times through the darn thing, or even twenty- is going a little too far, no? They taught us that after hearing it SIX times, you've got about all you're gonna get. No balance in life.. what I find abhorrent is poring over the same tired concepts and teachings instead of getting on with life, finding your calling, and doing SOMETHING with it. P*sses me off- took me over twenty years to see it.. Yep. I'm redeemed, but what in the stinkin world am I DOING with it? Actually making a difference somewhere, or just hiding behind some old concepts taught in somebodies obscure, little known seminar? I have the same opinion for the "new and improved" copies. The latest and greatest seminar is not going to SUBSTANTIALLY change your life. I can almost GUARANTEE it. Especially if its a rehash of the same old tired stuff, with a new "twist" or something..

Well, getting 10 miles to the cat.. better than the opposite I guess. Driving down the road, and getting 10 cats to the mile...

Ah yes. And how many times did I go over, and over, and over "four crucified", "are the dead alive now?", etc., etc., etc. It added NO FRUIT to MY life. Can't speak for others, but for me- it didn't improve my character one bit. In fact, it made it worse. "Me, me me- I've got the ANSWERS!" Turned me from an otherwise flawed human being into a bigoted, miserable SOB.. no wonder I didn't get very many invitations to dinner anywhere..

No, not shameful at all- in itself. Sure, "the law is holy, and just and good.." Can't argue with that. But when the world was "going to hell in a handbasket", I think some were just a little too busy arguing whether there was indeed a difference between "thoroughly" and "throughly". Whether there were two crucified, whether there were four.. How many days between "good wednesday" and saturday morning.. Or boasting of the overwhelming "evidence" that WE were RIGHT.. Some of us REALLY made a difference. And I don't think it was because we were "right". It was probably DESPITE that little known "fact".

One of these could do the job, probably for less than 20,000. May need a few "improvements"

Well, I did just say a house.. not that you would really want to live there.. :D-->

Rascal, I agree pretty much. Looks like a "debriefing" after an unpleasant vey experience..

Sounds like the modern day equivalent, "masters of da word"..

Sorry Raf.. that is what I perceive as the answer.. please VOTE! That's why I started the durn thing here! :D-->

What I find most disturbing in some of this.. while we held the minutea so dear to our hearts, da "master", without a moments notice, or second thought, was able and allowed to THROW IT OUT. "Ye think" being a perfect example. Ah, maybe we weren't supposed to "think". The explanations for this? 1. It wasn't in the Aramaic (???!!!) 2. "dr." knows best (other words, go away. Don't bother him..) 3. We will eventually find a manuscript that does not have these foul words.. 4. Hold it in abeyance (see number 2) 5,6,7- etc. The other explanations so inane I chose to forget them.. These explanations were given by various limb coordinators I was acquainted with..

I'm sure I could come up with something here. Now, if you'll just sign this lengthy hold harmless contract..

So far, it looks like the answer is "no". Jesus did NOT have his own "bible".. What I was kind of thinking was, he probably didn't sit around with his nose in the book from 9 to 5 trying to "master" the darn thing.. Either you have it, or you don't. Apparently, he "had" it.. Good point, Sirguessalot..

Cats on their way to the local petrol company

The rest of the story In about a year and a half, I may be able to explain this :)--> Garth, I wonder if he considered using dead skunks. Sure lots around here in the spring.. Could even be an anti theft device, or something like it.. cops could easily follow the exhaust.

Maybe Wolfgang also owns stock in one of the larger european petrol producers. :D-->

I wonder if Wolfgang has a better use in mind for dead cats..

Instead of putting this on the other thread, I thought it may deserve a little closer attention here.. All this talk of "mastering" the scrolls, reading the scrolls all the time.. one would assume that Jesus had his own personal copy of the law and the prophets.. Just to me, not very likely. Jesus came from a working class family, his adopted father was a CARPENTER. Not a scribe, not a pharisee, not a religious big wig. Neither was his mother. Not likely an ordinary working family would own their personal copy of the scrolls in those days.. At best, he heard the scriptures read, and possibly read them himself (out loud) once a week at the synagogue. And even at that, it would take a year(?) to read through the whole law.. if I remember the custom correctly. Anybody know anything different?

That's about half a house. A cheap house, but a house nonetheless..

Sorry, wrong costume :D-->

Well, since that fails to produce results, I'll just have to put on my grass skirt, and head dress, and fire up the drums. "Meka leka hi, meka hiney ho! Meka leka ho, meka meka hi, hiney ho.."

That was my real first impression when I first read that thing twenty some years ago..