In my opinion....

PaulJ

Hi all. I've not been on here for a while, so I wanted to drop in and say a few things. Firstly- hello! I hope you are all alright!! What are you up to? Are you all doing ok? I thought about titling this thread 'I'm over it'. Because as far as many things that I thought were worth ranting about, I just don't see the point any more- I'm not angry- I just don't feel anxious or vengeful towards the JW's. Lets face it unless we actually knew one of the GB, the only people who were suckering us were suckered themselves. They were as stupid as us right? OK, so some had the power go to their heads, but they are screwed up enough to live their life by a cult- what do you expect? I'm now so free of religion its fantastic. Religion is like a drug, people become dependant on it. I'm now on the precipice between agnosticism and atheism and because I'm not really sure where i sit, its beautiful not being in a pigeon-hole. Ignorance is bliss. Religion, belief etc. It's purely just someone's opinion isn't it? At some point someone has though 'right this is what I reckon' and decided to tell some people, its taken off, some people wrote some of it down and a couple of millenia and plenty of chinese whispers later you have a nice tyranical modern religion. Ok I admit this isn't always the case, some religions are pretty laid back, (Pastafarianism looks cool!! ;)) but anyone who has left the JW's and yet maintain a level of zealotry is simply clinging on to something in my opinion. How arrogant can people be to truly believe that, despite humans being on this earth thousands and thousands of years, THEIR religion is the one that has it right? If you believe that fine, but keep it to yourself. Ok, something else that someone might be able to pick holes in (and please do, my beliefs aren't fixed like other people's- I can change my mind if I'm proved wrong).... Proof. You have such strong feelings about a religion, prove it to me. The bible doesn't count as its historical fact that its been changed and filtered and watered down etc. What your religion really comes down to is faith. Faith, as we know, is the "assured 'expectation' of things 'hoped' for." Read that back a few times, doesn't sound that definite does it? Sounds more like a wing and a prayer to me. Ok, it might be perceived that I'm picking on Christianity a bit here but other religions are equally reliant on people as a group hoping they are right (if we meet regularly and tell each other we are right often enough, and write books telling us we are right we ARE right, right?) Here are the things all people should live their life by- Be good to people around you and those you care about even more so. Learn as much as possible. Have fun and do what you need to do to enjoy life as best you can. Spend quality time with family and your mates. Laugh as much as you can, and endeavor to make other people laugh too. Don't worry about things you have no control over for too long, accept your limitations. Wear sunscreen. (you might have guessed that was coming) If you think I'm wrong about any of this please tell me, let me know what you think, let me know your opinion, prove it to me if you feel strongly about it. Love you all PaulJ

PaulJ

sorry.... can't seem to start new paragraphs all of a sudden! Trust me in the edit they ARE there....

Hope4Others

Because as far as many things that I thought were worth ranting about, I just don't see the point any more- I'm not angry- I just don't feel anxious or vengeful towards the JW's

Its a good feeling just to have peace isn't it? No more stress of rushing around, always trying to please others, getting to meetings on time, getting that time in

before the end of the month.

Be good to people around you and those you care about even more so. Learn as much as possible. Have fun and do what you need to do to enjoy life as best you can. Spend quality time with family and your mates. Laugh as much as you can, and endeavor to make other people laugh too. Don't worry about things you have no control over for too long, accept your limitations

Good advise for all of us, sounds like life is treating you well.

hope4others

* I have problems with my other computer it has fire fox and I can not do paragraphs either even though I see them there at the start. And this computer

has explorer and I'm stuck on double spacing...

PaulJ

Im on Firefox too, pah!

hotchocolate

I'm on Apple/Firefox and someone let me know that if you tick "Automatic Cr/Lf" and untick the "Check here" your paragraphs will work.

By they way I think it's great that you aren't consumed with any anger or bitterness. Those emotions are useless, they wear you down and create more harm than good in my opinion.

x

"Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness." ~ James Thurber.

jwfacts

"Faith, as we know, is the "assured 'expectation' of things 'hoped' for." Read that back a few times, doesn't sound that definite does it? "

I have to agree with you, no one knows. Hence even the Bible admits to the above reference of yours - that people with faith simply believe what they hope to be true. The great thing about faith is that at its most basic level it cannot be proven false. No one can prove that the afterlife does not exist.

I do not care either anymore. Life is too fine and too short (yes very cliche) to let our joy be affected by the misguided faith of others.

You mention that most JWs are misguided, so cannot be blamed. I feel that the GB are equally so, they too went through a life time of indoctrination prior to joining the GB.

oompa

Jwfacts: You mention that most JWs are misguided, so cannot be blamed. I feel that the GB are equally so, they too went through a life time of indoctrination prior to joining the GB.

I differ on this one JW. The really high ups do know their bible better than the average joe...they are smarter in that area. So these people have known for 58 years they have changed our bible BIGTIME and will not come clean on it. They write misleading info about how they have "restored the name Jehovah where quoting the Hebrew Scriptures" (appendix 1-d) and not only is that done with no manuscript support, but they have stuck the name Jehovah in there dozens of times where it is not quoted (like every use in Revelation). I feel this is an abomination in light of how clear Rev. 22:18, 19 is. My simple thought is that people who change an publish a Bible to suit their purpose, and lie about it, can not be trusted with anything else.............................oompa

Gopher

Great post, Paul. It had a good introduction, good illustrations and a strong conclusion. I mark thie effort a "G". We look forward to your next post!

As far as being on the edge between agnosticism and atheism, I was there for years. Then I met with atheists and found I was quite like them. I got a more correct definition of athiest -- which is that one doesn't necessarily have to proclaim "there is no God", but rather just fail to see enough reason to believe in one. I feel clarity now that I've been able to wrap my mind arouind the equation (non believer = atheist). Maybe you'll head that way, maybe not.

Quirky1

Hello PaulJ,

I'm kinda new to the forum but I read your post and i liked what you said....

Be good to people around you and those you care about even more so. Learn as much as possible. Have fun and do what you need to do to enjoy life as best you can. Spend quality time with family and your mates. Laugh as much as you can, and endeavor to make other people laugh too. Don't worry about things you have no control over for too long, accept your limitations

This is what I have come to a concluson of wht life is all about.

I am also a sorta like....

As far as being on the edge between agnosticism and atheism

So right now I am a ittle messed up.

Quirky1

Homerovah the Almighty

Glad to hear your finding your way Paul , it certainly can be difficult to walk away from this religion, it is as we know its very socially involving.

As many us folks have left probably based on fact that the " The Truth " is not really the truth after all, but the corruption of a business Corporation is present

instead.

I personally find greater happiness and solitude in hanging on to my integrity and honesty, than any religious ideology thats been presented to myself so far..

Now if we can just turn humanism into a religion, we might have something

In my opinion....

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