BrotherDan's POV (page 6)

I have a problem with this word "faith" as religious people throw it around. Jesus said that a tiny amount of "faith" the size of a mustard grain can cause a person to have great powers. He likened it to making a mountain move from one place to another. What did he mean by this "faith"? I believe he meant "knowing". When you KNOW you can do something, you DO IT! When you "believe" you can do something, you leave the door open to fall short. When you "know", then falling short doesn't deter you, it just makes you try again.

One of my main objectives is to try to get people, especially Christians, and particularly JW's or ex-JW's, to realize that "beliefs" don't mean a heck of a lot as far as being "saved". The only "belief" that's going to save you is the KNOWLEDGE that you were never lost in the first place.

Simply "believing" that Jesus died for our sins and that we are saved as a result is probably the biggest hindrance to spiritual growth and keeps a person in third-eye-blind la-la land. One of the big secrets that's been kept from us (mostly by the Roman Church) is that since Christ is a consciousness and an energy, we can all BE Christs and hence our inner Divine Spirit. This is borne out by the fact that the Watchtower claims that the "anointed" are all "Christs".

Another suppression is that we are all one and we are all connected, so eloquently stated in our Great Master's prayer in the 17th chapter of John. The last thing the ruling elite want people to know about is the power of unified group consciousness. A small minority has always been able to change the world and that is still how it works. One person shining a light in a dark place allows many to see. Separateness is an illusion. While we have individuality, we are all capable of going "online", but our modems have been disabled by negative programming. The teachings of Masters like Buddha and Jesus and many others show us the WAY to turn them on.

~PS

Very well put This along with Mr. Flippers words:

Most people on this board , myself included, aren't interested in shaking up anyone's faith as much as we are interested in making people think with a clear, free, open, critical thinking mind Really sum up how to deal with others on this site. If you have a belief that is yours. It can be challenged, refuted and out right called a lie...But if you believe it, if ity serves to help you in your life than so be it. But, dont put your beliefs out there and than feel hurt when they are challenged. If you start a thread and people challenge your opinion you have to accept the critique. Im not saying you have to change your beliefs but you have to accept that other will have differeing opinions and will present the evidence for their views.

miseryloveselders

I think its a good thing Dan left, and I don't say that with malice. I hope the best for him, but there comes a time when person has to confront himself, and this is that moment for him. As far as his faith supposedly being destroyed, I'd make the argument that he never had any to begin with, or very little anyway. He reminds me of Jesus' words at Luke 6: 46-49, when he talked about the different foundations that an individual would build his house. Some would dig deep and build it upon a rock mass, and when the flood came, their house held up. Others would build there's upon the sand, and the flood would come, and the house with its lack of secure foundation, would collapse and be destroyed. Dan in my view, falls under the latter category of builder. Granted, he was going through some rough times between this religion, and potentially losing all his family. So don't get me wrong, I'm not judging him, nor do I view him poorly as I'll be singing my swan song from here shortly, possibly under similar circumstances.

Something else about him, if I'm not mistaken, he was a born-in right? I can't speak on behalf of all born-ins, but being one myself I believe so many of us never really had a secure faith to begin with. I believe many of us were systematically trained to perform works that the WT indoctrinated us to believe were absolutely necessarry for salvation. Its kind of like training a dog to sit, fetch, play dead, roll over, take a poop on the newspaper in a particular corner of the room, etc.. Its the same thing with born-ins. We're trained to study WT doctrines and material, attend and comment at meetings, personal study, etc.. An individual can perform all those things, but it doesn't mean he has a solid faith. As demonstrated on this very forum, there's athiests who know WT doctrine and other fundementalist doctrines better than the pious fundementalists themselves. So a JW may know his/her bible, but it doesn't mean his/her faith is intact. When push comes to shove, they fold under pressure. So I believe its a good thing that Dan has left here. I'm a firm believer in destroying, and rebuilding.

One last thing, I hope this comes out ok, forgive me please if it doesn't. I've noticed some of the men on here, really need to man up. Granted I'm not the best guy to be saying this as I have my fears too. I posted them multiple times. However, guys on here, particulary born-ins, have a problem I think of letting women run all over them. Dan's wife ran a major game over on him, and then he took her to dinner. I'd have let her starve had she pulled that stunt on me. A woman would rather catch the Ebola virus than think she's gonna run a game on me. I'm not saying one needs to go Ike Turner on a woman as I don't believe in harming a woman, but at the same time they need to know when a man means business. Chris Rock said he wouldn't hit his girl, but he'd shake her real hard.

tec

One last thing, I hope this comes out ok, forgive me please if it doesn't.

It didn't come out okay.

but at the same time they need to know when a man means business. Chris Rock said he wouldn't hit his girl, but he'd shake her real hard.

It makes your 'woman' comment to lady lee yesterday seem even worse - sort of like 'putting her back in her place'. A place that cause her no end of heartache and 'unworthiness.'

If you don't mean any of that, then by all means, say so. But after everything lady lee went through in the WT, calling her 'woman' to remind her of that place seemed pretty callous and weak to me.

If you didn't mean it (or even this statement) that way, then I 100% apologize.

And FYI, I thought Dan was letting his wife run all over him too, and I wanted him to stand up for himself too. But not by pulling the I'm the man, and you're the mere woman card.

Tammy

PSacramento

Men and women compliment each other, with no one greater than they other.

Indeed, a woman is a man's glory and should be loved and respected as such.

The issues between Dan and his wife are HIS and his alone, none of us can truly understand what goes on between a husband and wife.

miseryloveselders

One last thing, I hope this comes out ok, forgive me please if it doesn't.

It didn't come out okay.

but at the same time they need to know when a man means business. Chris Rock said he wouldn't hit his girl, but he'd shake her real hard.

It makes your 'woman' comment to lady lee yesterday seem even worse - sort of like 'putting her back in her place'. A place that cause her no end of heartache and 'unworthiness.'

If you don't mean any of that, then by all means, say so. But after everything lady lee went through in the WT, calling her 'woman' to remind her of that place seemed pretty callous and weak to me.

If you didn't mean it (or even this statement) that way, then I 100% apologize.

And FYI, I thought Dan was letting his wife run all over him too, and I wanted him to stand up for himself too. But not by pulling the I'm the man, and you're the mere woman card.

Tammy

Hey woman, I mean Tammy, sorry. Some of that was tongue in cheek, Lady Lee's alright in my book. Although I don't agree with all of the recent disfellowshippings on this board. I also don't agree with that thread being deleted. The Hitler/Himmler comparisons I stand by. I started to ask if the mods and administrators of this forum left the WT in 1984 if you catch my drift. But that's neither here, nor there. By the way, you don't ever have to apologize to me Tammy, and neither does anybody else on here. I love you Tammy, you're alright.

As a man, I'm glad you agree with me about Dan's wife running over him. I'm hesitant to at times to toss that out there being that I'm single. My palms are too hairy to hide. But you being a woman and agreeing lets me know I'm not completely out of it.

Maybe my man-up comments didn't come out ok considering you're a woman, but for other men out there, I think they know where I'm coming from.

Again though, Tammy you're wonderful, and I love you. Lady Lee I love you too.

tec

Misery - Wow. I mean, really wow. Very few people surprise me, and you just did ( in a good way ). I did not expect that level of a response, especially since I misunderstood. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain to me, and also for assuring LL of your love for her (though she might not have misunderstood your words to begin with - that may have just been me).

Lots of love back to you,

Tammy

sabastious

One last thing, I hope this comes out ok, forgive me please if it doesn't. I've noticed some of the men on here, really need to man up. Granted I'm not the best guy to be saying this as I have my fears too. I posted them multiple times. However, guys on here, particulary born-ins, have a problem I think of letting women run all over them. Dan's wife ran a major game over on him, and then he took her to dinner. I'd have let her starve had she pulled that stunt on me. A woman would rather catch the Ebola virus than think she's gonna run a game on me. I'm not saying one needs to go Ike Turner on a woman as I don't believe in harming a woman, but at the same time they need to know when a man means business. Chris Rock said he wouldn't hit his girl, but he'd shake her real hard.

I agree with this, but I wouldn't pigeon hole men or women. Both genders are equally capable of playing mind games. It's up to the one being abused (because, that's what mind games are) to "man-up" or "women-up."

More people need to stand up for themselves in these siutations, imo.

-Sab

diana netherton

Brother Dan is gone?? What did I miss?

sabastious

^ he felt his faith was under to much duress on this forum so he left.

-Sab

BrotherDan's POV

PSacramento

darth frosty

miseryloveselders

tec

PSacramento

miseryloveselders

tec

sabastious

diana netherton

sabastious

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