What do YOU believe?

by new hope and happiness 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  new hope and happiness

  Thanks Kalos, that was a bit heavy, but i get your point about the poets of the west. So lets take Emerson who says " the soul is light...." is this not to say we have a choice. For example i can choose to " MAKE THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE TO BRING JOY TO OTHES. This would also mean to do all i can to end misery.

  Now i think the artists of this world, the writers, the doctors and nurses succeed at this more so than the polititions and the religiouse leaders. Would you agree?

  I think the difference is one group is trying to force their ideas and the other isn't.
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  new hope and happiness

  Maybe the words of Jesus " i am the way, the truth and the light" are the closest we can get to our individual truth?

  Maybe we all have our own way, to our truth, and light and when/ if we find it then that's a wonderful truth.
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  prologos

  If the eyewitness account of reality, the truth of a matter, is through scientifically trained eyes, that truth is much better than nothing.

  It took evolution 150 million years to shape the perfect compromise wings in nature, The truth, that it was not flapping that counted, and application of learned truth helped to repeat that feat in 150 years for our larger needs

  Do not underestimate the USEFULNESS of the picture of reality that your senses create in your mind. If you sense it is a cult with little truth-- respond.

  Truth, I believe it when I see it, I can not see it totally in the bible, not in wt and it's history and present.
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  new hope and happiness

  Terry and Prologos talking about the eye witness accounts of reality. I London they are doing some of the most amazing OPTICAL illusions with famouse landmarks to bewilder tourists. This can even fool momentairley the picture of reality we create in our minds.

  Now the Christian belives in one God, but try telling that to the Hindus, now what if i were to say to the Hindu their is no God?

  All this truth based without solid evidence!!

  My point being much of what a person knows about truth comes from culture.

  To further that point if i were in what i consider a cold country i may be walking down the street in a coat and a scarf. But to a person more hardered to that temperature may not consider it cold is strolling around in a short sleeved shirt.

  So is truth relative to exsperience and perseption?
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  new hope and happiness

  A friend once answerd what " TRUTH" to him was in one word:-

  " TERRIBLE"

  ....................

  KALOS:- thank you once again for your post. It made me realize we can search for answers from the great poets, and may i add the great song writters:-

  The Who" sang:-

  " Who are you,

  I really want to know,

  Who are you,

  Tell me who are you

  Because i really want to know"

  I think those lyrics ask a great question about truth, and what we believe.

  Or as Jim Morrison wrote and sang:-

  Do you exist,

  Have you been born yet,

  And are you alive

  Lets reinvent the Gods, the myths of the ages.
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  prologos

  If you talk about truth in the same sense as the WT uses is , or Pravda, as an framework of ideas, a filter, I am out.

  When I consider the amazing breakthroughs in my lifetime made possible by the understandingof reality through our research tools aka scientifically augmented senses, the results of the providers of mystical & hidden truths are pathetic.

  I can think of truth only as natural reality. Of course there was Pravda, full of lies. of course there is Santa Claus, I see him every year. soon.
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  Phizzy

  What do I know about "truth" ? That it is never anywhere close to absolute, and it is a very nebulous concept, but we do need it !

  What am I willing to learn ? anything that is solidly evidence based and rational. This does not mean that I exclude possibilities thus far unproven.

  The best Science has come from people who had an idea that something may be possible, or may be true, and then set out to properly establish the "truth" about the idea, using the Scientific Method.

  I find pure speculation and philosophical musings on things interesting too, but real life decisions and actions have to be taken in the real world, based on real evidence.
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  new hope and happiness

  Phizzy on an earlier post you mentiond you were maybe the eldest poster here. But does not science teach that time does not exist? So how can you be the eldest.

  That answerd your point to me that truth is never anywhere close to absolute.

  Prologs: in your above post you wrote with a passion of having found a truth that brings you happiness. I loved post, it was you are true to your individual self. I think that is a big step for those of us that come from an " organisational truth"
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  cofty

  Actually i believe that truth does not exist, there are only points of view.

  Planet earth is not flat. This is a fact not an opinion.

  Humans evolved from a common ancestor of other primates. This also is not an opinion.

  Many diseases are caused by viruses not by bad smells. This too is a fact.

  We could go on and on and on...
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  new hope and happiness

  Cofty, we cpuld go on and on, and we will. So let me answer, the earth was once flat. Fact.

  Cofty have you seen the John Wayne movie " the searchers" ?

  I can answer yes you have:-

  A) because i am certain you have.

  B) because if you have not i am sure you have seen

  . Taxi Driver ( De Niro)

  .. Paris Texas ( if you havn't i reccomend that film)

  The hero in each film is a loner drivern by madness to resue a woman devalued by those seen as subhumun.

  So what is my point?

  In each film the hero hero ( John Wayne, De Niro, Harry Dean Staunton ) had a different idea on what truth and the devaluation of a woman was. And each charactor was subhumun because there minds only saw in black and white.

  As you say we could go on and on....and we will in future post to post, and if never agreeing i must say I respect your sincerity and vision to help people.