Aswankened AwakenedandFree...I am guessing you no longer have nocturnal emissions...I bet they would put you back to sheep errr sleep....
Edited by - teenyuck on 12 September 2002 18:9:49
Anyone still bothered by the demons?
by wednesday 124 Replies latest jw friends
-
teenyuck
-
Satanus
Venice
I gather you aren't a preterist anymore. Interesting
SS
-
wednesday
for those of u bored as hell with THIS thread-well there has been started a new improved version of it called "the demons scared the crap out of me" started by , can't remember. Now Valis , u can go have a go at this person.And it is a fact-from sociology that belief of an unusaul "thing" if it is a part of the entire religion, culture , does not make the people crazy just by virture they belief in this unusual doctrine.
-
Dawn
Ps, wednesday, Valis IS a great and caring guy. Don't take offense
Really??? Could have fooled me.........seems like he's been pretty much a jerk here.
Wednesday - you did get a lot of responses and hopefully some useful information. Don't let those high-strung posters get to ya - they need....well.......you know!!
-
wednesday
My therapist, who is a PHD, agrees with me. If an entire group believes something-then u can't call one individual of the group crazy soley based on this belief. Since it is an intergal part of jw belief systme that demons exist and harass humans by numerous methods-then u can't say i'm crazy solely based on the fact i had an experpience with them.
Ther are so many stories i have heard and some hav first hand knowledge of. The poster is so right about people believing things u get at garage sales will bring the demons into your house. i knew a sister who nearly cleaned out her entire house trying to rid it of demons.There is no story to bizzare not to be believed. My story actually pales to some i've heard.
-
VeniceIT
ok so who wants to go for a dip???
-
SixofNine
My therapist, who is a PHD, agrees with me. If an entire group believes something-then u can't call one individual of the group crazy soley based on this belief. Since it is an intergal part of jw belief systme that demons exist and harass humans by numerous methods-then u can't say i'm crazy solely based on the fact i had an experpience with them.
Oh COME ON sister, are you so frickin crazy you can't afford to give us a little leeway in using the word crazy?
Seriously, don't you think many, many Muslims who think that paradise awaits them the second they die in a violent suicide which also kills non-muslims are a bit crazy? Why do you think so? I use the term "crazy" here, in the same way. I believe that those Muslims, simply by getting a more reasonable perspective, can be "healed" of their insanity almost instantly. Much the same way I was "healed" of my insanity very quickly when I got away from a belief that God would strike me dead for taking a hard look at the real foundations of my beliefs.
Along with the above usage of "crazy", I also mean to imply "your brain is playing tricks on you" type of crazyness. Rather than be offended by that, why not explore the many ways that one's brain can play tricks on oneself? Why not explore the beliefs that are notorious for coming out in the subconcious mind of individuals? Why not explore why it makes sense that your beliefs would express themselves subconciously exactly the way you have described? They're ingrained into your psyche, what else would you expect to hear if you were going to hear voices in your head?
Ever think about why a child with the exact same brain wiring as you (physically), but who grew up in a different culture, with different lies told to them as a child (lol), would have a totally different type of creature visit them?
I'm curious, I think Valis asked you this, but I didn't see your reply; have you shared your belief that you have had personal contact with demons with your therapist, and if so, what was their response?
BTW, wednesday, I think the thread you mentioned, "the demons scared the crap out of me", would be a great one for you to read. It is written by someone who used to be afraid of demons, but who no longer believes in them.
ps. welcome to the forum. Nice to be able to take the gloves off and beat the shit out of wrong people, eh? ya won't find this in a KH, lol.
-
wednesday
yew sixofnine-u won't find this at the KH LOL Really i'm not that thinnned skineed-i was just surpriwdd that a group of jw would find this story odd. It has been very interesting and i have enjoyed all post-u guys are too funny.
I am glad i found this chat board.
-
wednesday
Have i shared this with my therapist? Yes and he responded that since belief in demons is an intergal part of jw religion, u can't judge someone one psychotic for believing in this. Sociloogy textbook say the same thing. that does not mean the belief is not crazy-but it cannot be used as standard to judge soemone sanity by. All JW believe in demons. Some have had experiences some have not. The fact i have does not make me crazy. At the curent time i have only occ experience and nothing like experience i related.
but i can go on-if u want to think i'm nuts-that is your right. I have my thoughts about some posters too. .
-
Zechariah
Together with the discussions about belief and unbelief in God comes now the discussion of demons. I find this very interesting as it shows a entire new perspective on believe in invisible beings.
It is for certain that one who believes in God ,angels , and godly spirit things must also believe in Satan, demons and evil spirit things. A thing is something created by a person that inherits his creators personality.
Therefore though God created all things including Satan it is improper to say that he also created evil spirit things also known as the spirit of the World (Satan's spirit). These spirit things are perversions of the fruitages of the spirit of God and originate with Satan.
I have gained a lot of incite about the realities of life from my inspired analogy of man as God's Little Computer People. God designed, manufactured, programmed , tested and perfected his creation of man and his world just as we have our creation of the computer and related other things.
The operative and key word here is creator. No matter what the nature of the creator is it is for certain for anyone willing to believe that there exists one. The evidence of his existence is in the creation itself. No man after closely inspecting a computer and discovering its many capabilities even if never having seen one before would ever conclude it was the product of blind chance over billions of years. That anyone would try attempt to make that argument is because the thought of believing in a creator causes much problems for him to the point that unbelief provides him with a defense against his greatest fear of being disappointed.
I have concluded after many years of closely studying the subject of belief that nobody believes anything he doesn't want to or is unwilling to believe. Case in point is the movie "Miracle on 34th St." It became obvious in that movie that belief is a choice. It required te exercise. Faith it was explained there is believing in something even when common sense tells us otherwise. Also in Whoopi Goldbergs movie "Corina, Corina" Whoopi tells a young girl whose mother just died that her mother was in heaven looking down on her.
The girls unbelieving father in the guise of properly educating the child told her people don't really go to heaven. He said people just made that up because it makes them feel better. The little girl surprised the father by saying simply "Whats wrong with that?" Think about it what good is unbelief whether God, angels, and heaven really exists or not. There is no benefit to unbelief because the alternative is despair, insecurity, fear, hopelessness, lack of joy and many other directly related things.
What if the doctor tells you are gong to die and they have done everything they can for you. He should be the last person you believe. It doesn't help your situaton to concede to defeat . There are no atheists in fox holes.
Why? Because all people realize in times of despair in circumstances they have no control over they need to depend on a power greater than themselves. Being defeatist and an unbeliever does not help you survive.
But the benefits of belief real or imagined makes the difference in ones ability to survive. I don't care how competent a person is to protect and care for himself to deny the creators role in our survival is self-defeating in almost every way guarantees our death.
How does all this have bearing on demons and their existence. If it is true as I have ascerted that one only believe what is beneficial to him what benefit is it then in believing demons do exist. Answered simply believing demons exists is directly related to our beieve in God. Christ by means of holy spirit promised us power over the demons. He told christians do not let their fight be against flesh and blood but against evil spirit forces.
All the evils of the world are caused by demonic forces. Demons inspire all the crime, hatred, and wars.
What supernatural power could we ever hope to have if God and the holy spirit we believed were not realities? I have understood from early childhood that just as God and angels truly exist so do demons. I likewise understood we have nothing to fear from demons being that Christ gives us the power to expell demons whether they be persons or things (there is little or no difference). The key to utilizing this power is faith and is available to all that believe and has nothing to do with works and morality.
All my life there was times I was confronted with demonic influences such as bad dreams, fear, hatred, jealousy, etc. These experiences often occurred at periods I was not living morally or up to acceptable JW standards. Every time because of my great faith in God realizing already it was my faith alone God honored he always rescued me from my evil influences once I called upon him.
Belief in demons is a safeguard. It is not true that demons only exist if we believe they do. They whether we believe in them or not can cause us bad thoughts, bad dreams, bad experiences, addictions, poor health and diseases and other evils. We are powerless to stop these inspirations from affecting our lives if we are unbelievers. Should we remain physical, carnal, fleshly men by our unbelief or do we become by our belief spiritual men with all the supernatural abilities such as faith, belief, and trust in God affords us.
Christ has given his followers the gift of binding the devil and his demons by means of his name.
I am more than anxious to expand upon or debate any statement I have made.
Zechariah
