by lriddle80 53 Replies latest jw friends
MeanMrMustard
You're right, I guess I should just stick to saying he does his best work "in spite" of my efforts, and still helps the people I love, without me, usually. I feel like it keeps me humble and that creates peace around me.
As for the murders...hey, we're getting better as a society!
riddle80
So, it WAS all for nothing after all!
Not at all. Life is a gift to be treasured. If I live only until I hit forty, was it for nothing at all? Of course not. I enjoyed sunsets, the ocean, endless meals, pets, my work is enjoyable, I fell in love with a wonderful lady, children, wonderful parents, and I will attest-----it was not for nothing.
I’m not sure if you were a jw, but the ones I know were fed an
unrealistic promise of living forever in a paradise earth petting
pandas. That unrealistic promise can make life today meaningless.
That’s why many jws stop living for today and give up everything,
because they have been promised everlasting life by a group of men
that most have never personally met. And that's why when many find out they didn't have the truth, they have a hard time coping with life today.
I think our lives are intricately woven together playing out an epic story of a redeeming Savior saving people who are worthless for an ultimate crescendo of God, man, and creation becoming one.
I have no problem with people believing whatever they want to believe to make the inevitable a lot less painful.
For me I don’t see why an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God wasn’t able to create a planet that didn’t have to be conquered, and a race of humans that didn’t need salvation.
If I was that God, and created children, I wouldn’t put them through all that suffering----unless I was malevolent, and enjoyed seeing contests like the gladiatorial fights of Rome.
And I wouldn’t put them on a planet that was deliberately designed with some animals destine to be prey and others designed to be predators.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaM9Ct3g1Fw&feature=youtu.be&t=25
So, if homo sapiens get wiped out...all that passion, fighting for what's right, love, all of the epic dramas being played out and the intricate connections... We and all our history burns up, leaving no remaining memories of mankind.
It could happen... one giant rock from space.
So, it WAS all for nothing after all!
Why do you conclude that? Your conclusion doesn’t follow. You seem to be saying that the only way life can have meaning is if it never ends. Some might argue it’s the opposite.
You could say it's man's narcissistic nature to feel like our lives are worth something and it can be hard to accept that our lives are worthless and so are we, but we have to make it better for the next worthless life.
Why would I say that? Let’s say, you invent a cancer treatment. 100 years from now, you aren’t around. You think there is no meaning to your life? If, today, you are a good parent, and tomorrow you die, there is no meaning? If tomorrow a rock from space wipes out this little spec we float on - the life you once lead was worthless?
I think our lives are intricately woven together playing out an epic story of a redeeming Savior saving people who are worthless for an ultimate crescendo of God, man, and creation becoming one.
Then what?
But, that's later...I just try to love the person in front of me and make them feel cared for.
In general, sure. But love and respect should t be blindly given. But I get what you are saying - it’s good to give people the benefit of the doubt.
What does this have to do with hope, though?
"What does this have to do with hope"
This was in response to someone saying JW sell you a paradise earth and see life now as meaningless.
And I don't see life as meaningless because of the hope that there's life after death. And loving people and giving respect to people who don't "earn" it or "deserve" it gives them hope that there is a God and even their lives can be redeemed. These are drug addicted homeless people who are useless to society and just by treating them like humans deserving of love and respect could have transforming power.
That's about hope :)
When you hope for something ,you do so with the realization that your hope may not materialize ,you don`t look upon it as a foregone conclusion that what you hoped for is going to be a reality ?
There are things you may hope for that come to fruition ,and there are hopes that you have that prove to be false hopes.
A devout Jehovah`s Witness hopes that by obeying the GB `s interpretation of the no blood rule ,and he/she refuses a blood transfusion either they will not die or if they do they will have Jehovah`s blessing and a resurrection into a new world .?
It`s a false hope .
I consider myself an atheist and i vote at elections ,I hope that the candidate`s I choose come into power but if they don`t I wont lose any sleep over it .
It`s certainly not the same as putting your hope in a Bible promise according to some religious interpretation by imperfect humans that could mean your life or death.
Thanks everyone! I think this was a good conversation! I have a few atheists in my family that are heavily into politics and one of them is a socialist and wondered if the best she could look forward to is barely being able to fight off the Nazis and the other one talks almost daily about wanting to die because of the state of the world and where we are with accepting everyone as equal. So, I was asking because if these "world changers" lose hope in what they feel is the only way for change then what is left for them? Maybe just have a good time and forget about all of it? I am hoping they don't commit suicide, y'know?
lriddle80
I have a few atheists in my family that are heavily into politics and one of them is a socialist and wondered if the best she could look forward to is barely being able to fight off the Nazis and the other one talks almost daily about wanting to die because of the state of the world and where we are with accepting everyone as equal.
This is the problem when someone takes a stand of certainty on topics that one can’t possibly be certain of.
Just to let you know, I am neither Atheist nor a Theist nor an Agnostic.
I read a quote by Voltaire when I was about 17 years old that made a lot of sense.
We notice that there were basically three lines of thought at the time. (Atheist, Agnostic and Theist) of which I subscribe to none.
Being raised in a JW family, I already didn’t believe in talking snakes, magical fruit, and invisible beings that materialized just to terrorize beautiful women.
As far as Atheism is concern, I personally felt and still do, that “we know to little to commit to a position of strict Atheism, --where we act as though we got it all figured out.” And at the same time, “we know to much to commit to a particular religion.”
While the unknown may cause us discomfort, if we’re so certain about something, that we never question anything,---- we are bound to run into problems sooner or later. That’s the reason many Jehovah Witnesses lose it when they find out they were in a religious cult, in a matter of speaking.
On the other hand, the benefits of uncertainty is that it keeps you sharp because you are always asking questions. And by asking questions, it allows for the sorts of surprises that can make life interesting. “Knowing the outcome or answer—or believing you do—might seem nice, but it's ultimately not in your best interest.
You can never be sure of anything. (Just talk to a former Jehovah Witness who woke up after 50 Years) That may seem frightening, but it can actually be a great source of excitement and discovery.”
I consider myself a Possibilian which allows me to have multiple possibilities of where we came from what our purpose is and where are we headed. And at the same time this stand allows me to accept new narratives as they are revealed by Science or other means. This trend started a little over 10 years ago. It came about as a result of getting tired of all the debates between the two schools of thought,---atheist and theist.
And for us that have adopted this view, we never feel a need to commit suicide because life is amazing and there is so much to learn.
Here is a better explanation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENqnjZGX0A&feature=youtu.be&t=1
Thanks for that thoughtful answer! For me, I got saved and my soul finally found peace when I realized I didn't need to know who is "right" only that Jesus would save me if I asked him to and I believed him.
I like that you have an open mind. I think it's fun when all possibilities are considered. It leads to better conversation!!
My hope?
I'm going to agree with Pistol Pete here. Hope is a feeling and like all feelings, it's simply hormones chasing each other in your brain.
Don't misunderstand. Hope, optimism, dreams, ambition, desire are great feelings and even better when you realize they spring from within.
