We are free to love

purplesofa

What I have noticed since pulling away from group thinking, mindsets, rules and superstitions, that I am open to a broader range of loving people.

I am not sure I can blame all this on the JW expericance. As children we are taught from our tribe, (family and enviroment, church, school, extended family, neighborhood..........who to love and who not to love. I used to believe as the witnesses taught, you have to "beat" the evil out of children.

Have you ever watched a group of small children unattended? They govern themselves. They do not see race, religion, sex, income......even disfigurements.

Throughout their development years they are taught, a script if you will, as a way to live and interact with people, their belief system, checks and balances.

Some children will prod along living within the script, believing they are happy, but others will read that script and see its ending and leave it and re-write another life script.

I have observed my re-writing, re-programming and the main thing I notice is my free will choice to love as I please. And it is much as how a child loves. It has opened up a world I once knew that has been closed to me for a long time.

What I find difficult and challenging is getting people I interact with to be out of the box. At first I was frustrated and would leave that situation, but then I kept finding myself alone,

But now, with a little effort and time, and alot of deep drawn love sometimes, I can connect with the part of the person that is not bound with barriers. It puts smiles on our faces and a bond that is true and cannot be broken. Isnt that the real truth in life?

The recent earthquake in Peru will bring the JW's from around the world to that part of the earth and give it their attention. Their concern is so different from what most people think of, is the count of brothers and sisters and KH's. I thought if this was the organization GOD works through, they would or should evolve to a place where they can give and help others out of their organization. It would be automatic. Making a real true witness. Not to religion, but to love and truth.

I think of the rescue workers that lost their lives this week to save miners trapped in Utah. How many JW's have actually lost their lives saving another brother? Just curious, I am sure there are some, but it is not exclusive to the JW religion as they would have us to believe.

i am glad to be free to love openly and freely. I am glad I am not part of a group that restricts that freedom.

I will continue to make mistakes and continue to grow. I will continue to strip away the layers of teaching and conditioning to allow my heart to feel the massive amount of love stored there.

Happy Saturday

love freely

purps

flipper

Hey Purps- Great thread. I too have found a great big world full of more decent human beings than I was led to believe when I was a witness. Lots of people in this world are loving, decent, respectful people. Especially if they haven't been tainted or prejudiced by being in any religion they are more childlike in their expectations of others and not as demanding and are able to think outside the box. It is religions that whip up prejudiced feelings in people and narrow their view of mankind in general.

I always used to be annoyed about reading articles written by the witnesses in their magazines, commending themselves and patting themselves on the back for helping the Katrina survivors as if they were the only people on earth assisting others. Gawd, there were thousands of heroes in the Katrina disaster risking their lives to save others. But it's just another proof that the witnesses only see what they want to see, and that is their own self congradulatory pats on the back type life It's so great to be able to love people unconditionally, like you said.

free2think

Great thread Purps

i am glad to be free to love openly and freely. I am glad I am not part of a group that restricts that freedom.

It is so liberating, to be free to love the people i want to love and not have to force myself anymore.

RAF

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... ... I need to put a here (thanks Purplesofa)

Arthur

This is a great thread purp.

Jesus drove home this point beautifully. In giving lessons on love, he rebuked the hypocrisy of those who only showed love to the ones in whom they had favorable relations.

In his parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus conspicuously used an analogy where a man of a different religion was performing an an act of selfless love to a person whom he should have shunned. The Jews believed that the Samaritans were "apostates" and had essentially been cut off from God's favor. Yet, the Samaritan still gave the Jew his time and resources for his well-being. Jesus stated that Christians must demonstrate this same quality.

Peter Gregerson (the man whom Ray Franz had a meal with and was disfellowshipped for it) gave a talk at a BRCI conference on the topic of Christian love. He explained that love is not a warm, fuzzy, feeling that one has - but love is a VERB. One does not have to approve of another or even like a person in order to be loving to them. This ties in to Jesus' parable of the Samaritan.

Paul later expounded on Jesus' words at Romans 12:20. He wrote:

"But, if you enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink . ."

I find it very strange that JWs can pray for Jehovah to help and comfort "the brothers" in lands such as the earthquake you mentioned, without fully comprehending what they are saying. When they say "brothers", they are only refering to members of the Jehovah's Witness organization. They are not praying for any non-denominational Christians, Lutherans, Methodists, or anyone else. I find this very difficult to square with all of the clear teachings of Jesus and his apostles.

It's ironic that non-religious organizations such as the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have often demonstrated more Christian principles than an organization that claims to be the exclusive "Faithful Steward" of Jesus Christ.

purplesofa

alt

Blueblades

Do you give your dog Beano, his rear end is kinda close to the two of you

Blueblades who had dogs all his life, one was a real gasser.

LearningToFly

I loved your post Purps

i am glad to be free to love openly and freely. I am glad I am not part of a group that restricts that freedom.

I will continue to make mistakes and continue to grow. I will continue to strip away the layers of teaching and conditioning to allow my heart to feel the massive amount of love stored there.

Growing up in an environment that taught judgement and hate, stifled the true heart felt human emotion of real love towards others and myself.

I too am cherishing this new and growing love for myself, my fellow man and life, the beautiful outcome of this freedom is tranquility!

LTF

quietlyleaving

nice thread purps - being free to love and learning to play again

purplesofa

Arthur

I am reading the book HOPE IN HELL..........about Doctors Without Borders.

Something from the jacket

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) started in France btw.
is the world's leading independent international medical relief organization. MSF seeks to alleviate human suffering, to protect life and health, and to restore and insure respect for human beings and their fundamental human rights. MSF was recognised with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.
To support MSF's work, go to www.msf.ca or www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

Docotors without borders has gained a reputation not only for its medical projects, but for its fearlessness and outspokenness. It is a unique organization of swashbucklers with technical espertise who speak with equal parts brazeness and sophistication.

When DWB was created in the aftermath of the brutal war in Biafra, it consisted of a handful of French doctors and journalists who whould not stand by while governments dithered during a humanitarian crisis. More than three decades later, it has projects in over 80 countries. But its volunteers have not lost the spirit of independence that characterized the organization at its birth-and now that independence is more important than ever.

We are free to love

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