Minimus, what's your history? How trapped are you? (page 2)

Satanus

What is the message of the bible? Well actually, since there are two parts to the bible, i can narrow it down to two messages. Ot - jews to rule the world. Nt - accept/bow to jesus or burn.

SS

SixofNine:From what I see I can learn much more from Minimus & It’s so simple. If I want to learn about sarcasm, berating someone else for their beliefs, I guess I will go to you. But I have no such desire. We all have a right to express our opinions. But it seems to me that maybe there is some underlying anger, why else respond. Just let it be and go on to another topic that is of interest to you. There are so many. I’m just here to defend the above, thought I really don’t believe that they need it. We may be a newbie to this forum, but don’t be mistaken, I’m not a newbie in my belief in God. You can take it or leave it. That’s your choice. You have posted over 4000 times? but you have yet to learn some manners, and no I’m not mad.

Its so simple

Francois,

My search for wisdom is for the purpose of being a more useful member of society. First to my family, then to friends & strangers. If I had power or influence as my goal I would feel a buring desire to express my 'wisdom' about the teachings of the WTBS to those who are misled by them. Wisdom is progressive. Everyone likes to think they are farther ahead than the other. But the truth is, you have to be ready for any new insight. You can give someone facts all day long, but if they are not ready for it, nothing will ever come from it. All I know is that I don't know it all. I will keep on reading learning and making mistakes and hopefully learning from them as well.

I don't mind being the center of attention, but it's not my desire either. Where am I? I am free, I wish the same position on everyone else. I have been accused of being idealistic, I'm sure I am. But I'm also a half full kind of person and one goes hand and hand with the other. I like where I am, I know where I have been, I have regrets and triumphs both. Success can come out of the strangest places, ie Victor Frankl.

hillary_step

Its So Simple ( wish it was! ),

What Minumus seems to be doing and saying with regards to his family and their prospective exit from the WTS make a lot of sense. Patience in these circumstances is without doubt difficult and requires much frustrating biting of tongues, but my own experience is that it is well worth the effort.

It took my own wife many, many years to see the WTS for what it was, meanwhile I was forced to play-act. I love my wife more than the WTS and was certainly not going to allow a group of men to wrest her from me. It was a very hard climb, but I made the most of it and enjoyed my life and developed the art of verbal self-control in ways I would have thought impossible. Eventually I persuaded her, after she witnessed the WTS blatantly lying *again* in a letter they sent to me, to read Crisis of Conscience. She dropped many decades of emotional investment in the WTS within a few days. Strangely enough, she seems to have divested herself of the trappings of WTS life much more rapidly than myself.

XJW’s often rail at JW’s for their ability to only display ‘conditional love’ and clamor for the virtue of ‘unconditional love’ ( which actually does not really exist ), but ironically they are often not prepared to show such ‘unconditional love’ themselves in the way they deal with their families who are still JW’s.

I think it was ExpatBrit who once posted an excellent thread analyzing the most sensible ways to leave the WTS. Pre-planning was very high at the top of the list. Many do not plan for their exit and find themselves without employment, their marriage in tatters and with no friends or support system at all. Pre-planning avoids much pain and I think that Minimus has seen the value of such a course.

Best regards - HS

Ravyn

In my open-minded research on Christianity and the Bible I found that all the so-called 'gems' of wisdom in the Bible were plagarized from other religions. The only parts of the Bible that are authentic to Christianity are the histories of the Jews first(and that is questionable unless you understand that Christianity originated with the Jews), and the Acts and letters of Paul. The Jesus stuff is just rehashed paganism(which is not a bad thing...just not an 'original to Christianity' thing). So I recommend that you take some classes on Bible history, as in the history of the Bible being compiled into what it is today, and the reverberations of ancient myths in modern Holy Books. fascinating subjects and you will truly be free to pick and choose the good parts and leave the rest without any guilt. Otherwise you can read the daily horoscope or the fortunes in Chinese Fortune cookies and get the same wisdom.

aint freedom grand?

Ravyn

Its so simple

Amen brother!

azaria

don't over look The Tao Te Ching, The Bagavhad Gita, The Unpanishads, the writings of Thomas Merton and other spiritual genuises.

Francois: I agree about not overlooking the wisdom of other beliefs . I don't know of the ones you mentioned, but here are some that I found. eg. how to act toward others. Hindu saying: the poor and the sick should be regarded as lords of the atmosphere. Egyptian: I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, a ferry boat to the boatless. Old Norse: There, Thor, you got disgrace, when you beat women. Australian Aborigines: in the Dalebura tribe a woman, a cripple from birth, was carried about by the tribespeople in turn until her death at the age of sixty-six. They never desert the sick. American Indian: You will see them take care of...widows, orpans, and old men, never reproaching them.

For me it confirms my belief that we all have the knowledge of God, what is good, what is right.

Everyone likes to think they are farther ahead than the other. But the truth is, you have to be ready for any new insight. You can give someone facts all day long, but if they are not ready for it, nothing will ever come from it. All I know is that I don't know it all. I will keep on reading learning and making mistakes and hopefully learning from them as well. ther spiritual genuises.

Its so simple: Not too long ago my daughter was upset because she wasn't at first acknowledged about her walk in her faith. Her friends had been told and she felt left out. First I had to tell her that it wasn't a race or a contest and from where I stood she has grown so much in the past year, so it didn't really matter if someone that didn't really know her told her otherwise. I don't think we ever stop learning. The more I learn, the more questions, and the more I realize that I really don't know that much. But some of the beliefs that I do have get stronger and stronger with time. For me it's a very exciting time.

SixofNine

why else respond.

maybe I just care about others, azaria, did you ever think of that?

It's so simple (don't we wish) will be spurred to think and research, and he'll change his beliefs so much in the next two years it isn't even funny.

Even with jst2laws, it ain't simple. But it can be.

BTW, Its so simple, a poster here named Amazing had a great essay published on the web in various places that dealt with getting his family out with him. It sounds like your wife is well on her way though.

Its so simple

SixOf,

I really don't see any dramatic changes. I'm not a young buck anymore and don't anticipate some new 'flood' of insight. Of course anything can happen. I'm at the same exciting stage in my life where I'm free to move and explore. I'm quite happy and content. I think other than the fact that there is a god ( which i realize some would challenge ) nothing else really matters. It really isn't rocket science. WHAT indeed, is your god asking from but that you keep yourself without spot from wickedness and look after orphans and widows in their tribulation. But like I said, I'm not at your level so I'm quite certain that I will have a completly different understanding of that phrase when I am at your level of insight and wisdom.

RAYZORBLADE

It's So Simple: one step at a time.

Many of us.....recall feeling similarly to the way you feel now.

Some of us have progressed differently post-JW, thus some of the comments you have seen on here.

One step at a time It's So Simple. I wish you well.

Minimus, what's your history? How trapped are you?

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