Paradise; What's yours?

by ljwtiamb 8 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  ljwtiamb

  Here's something that I always wondered as a jw: With the virtually limitless tastes, hopes & desires, as well as cultures, families and backgrounds, did we all have the same idea of paradise in mind?

  It used to (bother?) me that, perhaps the pictures of fruit & animals that I carried around in my service bag, were not paradise for EVERYBODY. In fact, I now feel that much of our perceptions of the eternal reward are based on a very shallow understanding of things.

  Now that I am learning about others' concept of heaven, a single place can't cover it for us all. Young guys who fly planes into buildings, want a heaven full of virgins. Old geezers want paradise that returns their youth & health. Poor jungle dwellers who just lost their uncle to a tiger want tame animals and lots of fruit. Depending on which day you ask me, I want all of their's and more.

  So whaddya think?
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  nicolaou

  How come those pictures of Watchtower Paradise never included curry? It was fruit, always fruit! What kind of paradise would it be without a lamb Madras, poppadums, lime pickle and mango chutney. And where was the beer for God's sake?!

  My paradise is the New Hot & Spicy somewhere along the A5.

  Nic'
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  JH

  This is paradise for me...

  Being in love for eternity....
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  ljwtiamb

  Being in love for eternity....

  Ahhhhhh!
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  Markfromcali

  It used to (bother?) me that, perhaps the pictures of fruit & animals that I carried around in my service bag, were not paradise for EVERYBODY. In fact, I now feel that much of our perceptions of the eternal reward are based on a very shallow understanding of things.

  Good call. After all if your idea of paradise is just a really good lemon chicken or something then shallow is an appropriate word. We probably all know the beliefs that it's all going to be vegetarian and one big nudist colony, as if these external things are what's important. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, but speaking of love it would be like only going by how someone looks and totally ignoring who they are as a person, whereas we know sometimes when you find the ones that are special to you thats what is really unimportant.
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  Why Georgia

  I had a baby 9 months ago...

  My paradise would be a full night of sleep.

  But until that day...Paradise is the hugs and kisses I get from my 5 year old and the laughter I get from our 9 month old.
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  luna2

  I'm sure my version of paradise would change with my moods too. Sometimes you can think something will make you happy, but you really have no clue.

  One of the first times I ever worked out in service with JW's other than the sis I studied with (who was a truly amazing person), I was absolutely shocked at their game of "which mansion shall I appropriate for myself in the new system"...I thought it was in extremely bad taste and worried that some of the people we were calling on might hear them discussing it. I can remember thinking then that I could imagine a lot of the happy friends being very shocked and dismayed if the paradise earth Jehovah was talking about didn't match their dreams. I also wondered who'd be manning the electric plants, etc. LOL Such a spoil sport I was.
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  Narkissos

  Paradise is a bunch of old friends talking old memories.

  (Hell is the same, except they have brought their slides with them.)
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  what_Truth?

  Paradise is something that people create for themselves, not something that God rewards you with if you live your life without visiting a strip bar or telling a fart joke.
  
  We have to live this life as if it's the only one we get, because there might not be an afterlife. So with that in mind, Paradise for me is to complete all my life goals and to use the fruits of my labor to help others reach theirs. For me the only real heaven comes from people still saying kind words about me 10 years after my funeral.