Taboos

by slugga 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  AlmostAtheist

  why would a jw's brain show him visions of a kind of heaven when that image is not a part of my belief system?

  That's some excellent reasoning! But I wouldn't stop my search for all revealed knowledge at the ending flyleaf of the Reasoning book, if I were you. ;-)

  Look around, there's lots of info for and against the idea of near-death experiences having some sort of meaning.

  Personally, I have had very vivid dreams in which I did things and saw things that I would never have imagined lurked in my brain. But they're there. It's not at all difficult for me to believe that near-death experiences are the result of your brain going off track for a bit.

  If near-death experiences are real, it would mean there's something pseudo-random about going to heaven that sounds very un-god-like. Sort of a heavenly clerical error that I wouldn't expect from the almighty. But as has often been pointed out to me, god is not bound by my expectations.

  Dave
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  IMustBreakAway

  I have always been a science fiction fan, with that came an interest in vampires, witches and other forms of entertainment. I never really had a little voice inside my head that told me such things were wrong. Though i can't abide gore in a movie i won't not go see something because it might be a little gory.. (gangs of new york was great) Though i'm still in i have always watched whatever i wanted. I still think overall i have a "moral" system. I wouldn't have a secret affair. (swing maybe but with the wifes approval and participation (like that would happen)). I lie quite a bit but its always because i think i am avoiding confrontation. I still won't steal, murder, etc... Well maybe not murder, unless it was really necc and i knew i could get away with it.

  Maybe though all of that is veneer. Maybe its because i know i can't get away with it that i don't do it. When i have gone to trade shows in vegas i have gambled and gone to strip clubs.. (no tingles yet) But maybe it's because i had no fear of repercussion.
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  Legolas

  Well since I believe the bible to be NOTHING but a book, and notice I didn't even say a good book, pretty much anything goes!
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  Lilycurly

  Demons, spirits...whatever you want to call them. The strange thing is, I never really had a demon-craze when I was a JW.Never beleived those smurf stories or garage sale crap. But when I came out, I started to act on my interest about all things pagan. And I have no problem about it except when I go see movies like "The Exorsism of Emily Rose" or "The Grudge". Then all of a sudden I'm very afraid at night and can't sleep, it's out of control!
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  diamondblue1974

  Slugga, I dont think we have crossed paths before but I hope you dont mind me jumping on your thread.

  I think that people should be free to investigate these things for themselves: personally I have always been interested in the paranormal and I think its natural to be so, the society scares its members into believing that the spirit world is a dark place occupied by Satan only when in reality this might not be the case at all. Have you ever looked into it yourself? who told you it was wrong? If not why havent you looked into it?

  I dont know whether you were brought up as a JW or not but I was as were plenty others and childhood was a frightening time; frightened of the demons, frightened of the persecution, frightened of armageddon in case I didnt get through, frightened of satan, frightened of the elders, frightened of apostates as well as being frightened about all sorts of other stuff which I cant remember.

  The society ensure that they instigate in their members such fear to prevent them from being distracted; again its all part of the mind control.

  Just my tuppennys worth.

  DB74
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  Gregor

  No, I dumped everything was was unique to JW's. (of course, murder, stealing, etc. are not exclusive JW concepts).

  From a practical point of view though, I wish I had held on to not celebrating Christmas. Jeez, what an expensive pain in the ass!
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  diamondblue1974

  From a practical point of view though, I wish I had held on to not celebrating Christmas. Jeez, what an expensive pain in the ass!

  Its a killer isnt it lol
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  slugga

  the society scares its members into believing that the spirit world is a dark place occupied by Satan only when in reality this might not be the case at all. Have you ever looked into it yourself? who told you it was wrong? If not why haven't you looked into it?

  I dont know whether you were brought up as a JW or not but I was as were plenty others and childhood was a frightening time; frightened of the demons, frightened of the persecution, frightened of armageddon in case I didnt get through, frightened of satan, frightened of the elders, frightened of apostates as well as being frightened about all sorts of other stuff which I cant remember.

  That sounds like a pretty frightening childhood

  :)

  I grew up in the truth but never quite got into that mind frame, I never believed all that rubbish about possessed Barbie's, books and second hand clothing, that kind of thing used to make me angry that people where spreading what I now know to be JW superstition. Something though scared me about spiritualists, don't ask me what, I don't know or cant remember.

  I do remember having to work with a spiritualist once though and I remember not wanting to and instantly disliking him based on his appearance and religious views.

  There was something not quite right about him, he was old and haggard beyond his yrs stunk of cigarette smoke and had yellowed teeth. There was just this unwholesome aura around him that gave me the willies and I wasn't the only person on the site to feel this way about him. He was my first contact with a spiritualist and to me he reeked of the darkside and probably re-enforced everything the org had told me.

  Have I looked into it?

  No not really, I personally think think that if you ignore what the society says and take away the demonic threat then all you're left with is a lot of old superstitious mumbo jumbo. Show me a ghost and I might start believing.