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Clyde
Most of us dislike their approach in preaching their beliefs. However, let's say, theoretically, that what they say in interviews and demonstrations is true. I am curious as to how they would respond to a question about their use of the latest technology (Twitter, iPhones [some have them in demonstration footage]), their clothing (name brand [Nike], other textiles produced in mass quantity in China, sunglasses clearly not hand made), other tools they use to highlight their beliefs (Photoshop, Windows) and their own personal luxuries (leather couches, new appliances, entertainment centers with surround sound and flat screen televisions). I am not being facetious, but truly interested in what the online community thinks they would justify these utilizations.
They preach that their intent is to make all aware of God's will, and that if we are not showing others the way, we are enabling 'f**s' and the destruction of our own world. BUT, if they are contributing to this 'enabling' society through purchasing and utilizing all of the means listed above, are they not, themselves, enabling the enablers?
I, most likely, similar to many of you have spent some time researching the WBC and watching interviews and no one, not even Brick Stone as far as I can tell, brings up these seemingly obvious questions. There seems to be some serious double-standards occurring here.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks in advance...
For instance, just now I watched a clip of Brick Stone interviewing Steve Drain in February of this year, and Mr. Drain is wearing an Under Armour brand jacket. Under Armour, like most widespread, successful companies, has a non-discrimination policy. So, by purchasing these garments (and promoting them by wearing them) are they not supporting companies whose ideologies are in complete contrast to their own?
Answer
Not that I agree with WBC and how they do things, nowhere in the Bible does it forbid Christians to wear clothes that are of a brand name. The Bible basically just said to dress modestly...so whether the brand be Nike, Under Armor, etc... it's not forbidden.
As far as technology goes, the church utilizes those things to operate in today's world. Those things were created by humans to enhance life. They are not by themselves wrong, but the use of them that can be wrong. If you read the Bible, people back then were fishermen, carpenters, builders, clothing makers, shipbuilders, etc... They made stuff that helped people function in the world. "We are all sinners and come short of the glory of God" was as true then as it is now. Not every shipbuilder was a follower of Jesus, or lived a life that went along with the Gospel, but their boats were still used by the disciples to fish and travel from place to place.
Christians today are businessman, carpenters, mechanics, electricians, etc... and "We are all sinners..." still applies - christian or not. Whether or not the Christian does research or is enlightened by the brand name's company that may or may not agree or go against the policies of their church - and how they feel they should react - is between them and God. But nowhere in the Bible does it forbid the use of these things.
FYI, when you read the Bible it may seem as though it's full of conflicts, but that's because there are different "dispensations" (periods of time in English, or "ages"). The Old Testament, for example, was basically the dispensation of Law. Simply put - The people had to follow all the laws, or they were condemned. There was only one way to get out of or make right your sins, and that was to sacrifice a "clean" animal, such as a sheep. That animal's blood was put on the alter and burned. The sacrifice of the animal's blood caused God to forgive that person's sin -- but it only lasted a limited time.People had to sacrifice animals on the alter all the time to cover their since.
Today, we are in the dispensation, or age of Grace - why? Because God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for all of our sins. He is an everlasting sacrifice. His blood was shed to eternally cover all of our sins. So, we don't need to follow the law like the people in the Old Testament did. "Everything is permissible, but everything is not beneficial" according 1 Corinthians 10:23. so it is not wrong for a Christian to wear Under Armor, or use an iPhone. Now, if a Christian beat up an old lady and stole that iPhone, that's not beneficial....and is against what God would want them to do. But all they have to do is ask God's forgiveness, turn from that sin of stealing and beating up old ladies, and make things right with the old lady by apologizing....and God forgives them and restores them.
This is a simple explanation of what I'm talking about: http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/2wtlonline.html
Again, I am not a Fundamentalist like the WBC people. I am a Christian, but I don't agree with their practices of marching at funerals, being legalistic and downright hateful. But this particular thing that you're talking about is not wrong, so I wanted to explain why. Christians are taught to live as Christ did....loving, ministering, healing, praying for, and encouraging people - which is what I believe.
Hope this explained things.
Not that I agree with WBC and how they do things, nowhere in the Bible does it forbid Christians to wear clothes that are of a brand name. The Bible basically just said to dress modestly...so whether the brand be Nike, Under Armor, etc... it's not forbidden.
As far as technology goes, the church utilizes those things to operate in today's world. Those things were created by humans to enhance life. They are not by themselves wrong, but the use of them that can be wrong. If you read the Bible, people back then were fishermen, carpenters, builders, clothing makers, shipbuilders, etc... They made stuff that helped people function in the world. "We are all sinners and come short of the glory of God" was as true then as it is now. Not every shipbuilder was a follower of Jesus, or lived a life that went along with the Gospel, but their boats were still used by the disciples to fish and travel from place to place.
Christians today are businessman, carpenters, mechanics, electricians, etc... and "We are all sinners..." still applies - christian or not. Whether or not the Christian does research or is enlightened by the brand name's company that may or may not agree or go against the policies of their church - and how they feel they should react - is between them and God. But nowhere in the Bible does it forbid the use of these things.
FYI, when you read the Bible it may seem as though it's full of conflicts, but that's because there are different "dispensations" (periods of time in English, or "ages"). The Old Testament, for example, was basically the dispensation of Law. Simply put - The people had to follow all the laws, or they were condemned. There was only one way to get out of or make right your sins, and that was to sacrifice a "clean" animal, such as a sheep. That animal's blood was put on the alter and burned. The sacrifice of the animal's blood caused God to forgive that person's sin -- but it only lasted a limited time.People had to sacrifice animals on the alter all the time to cover their since.
Today, we are in the dispensation, or age of Grace - why? Because God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for all of our sins. He is an everlasting sacrifice. His blood was shed to eternally cover all of our sins. So, we don't need to follow the law like the people in the Old Testament did. "Everything is permissible, but everything is not beneficial" according 1 Corinthians 10:23. so it is not wrong for a Christian to wear Under Armor, or use an iPhone. Now, if a Christian beat up an old lady and stole that iPhone, that's not beneficial....and is against what God would want them to do. But all they have to do is ask God's forgiveness, turn from that sin of stealing and beating up old ladies, and make things right with the old lady by apologizing....and God forgives them and restores them.
This is a simple explanation of what I'm talking about: http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/2wtlonline.html
Again, I am not a Fundamentalist like the WBC people. I am a Christian, but I don't agree with their practices of marching at funerals, being legalistic and downright hateful. But this particular thing that you're talking about is not wrong, so I wanted to explain why. Christians are taught to live as Christ did....loving, ministering, healing, praying for, and encouraging people - which is what I believe.
Hope this explained things.
whats the difference between a cheap watch and an expensive brand ie rolex, omega etc.?
yep
I have always loved buying watches but all my life i have gone with less expensive brands (quartz) I would just like to know what I am buying when I buy a more expensive brand such as omega, rolex, etc. The specs are sometimes identical. why would someone spend so much money?
Answer
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
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