Onager

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Posts by Onager

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  102

  Any atheists here? Have you come to terms with your new reality?

  by kpop in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alone, without my safety net of "god" being there to remember me when i die.

  after much consideration, examining science, history and using logic, i have come to the conclusion that there is no "god" at least certainly no loving, personal "god.

  " shortly before my final conclusion was reached, i read an excerpt from an expression attributed to marcus aurelius, .

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  Onager

  truth_b_known , I used Conan and his god Crom in an argument on the evolution of deities with a JW relative.

  The key quote is when Subatai says to Conan: "My god is the eternal sky... your god lives beneath my god."

  That's all it is: The gods are just different societies playing god top trumps over time. That's why pantheons haven't survived, one god that can do everything that the individuals of a pantheon can do is stronger, more impressive.

  This also explains why gods become less directly involved over time and more remote and enigmatic.

  Ok, that's my theory. Now maybe someone who knows their stuff can tear it apart? :)
  
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  102

  Any atheists here? Have you come to terms with your new reality?

  by kpop in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alone, without my safety net of "god" being there to remember me when i die.

  after much consideration, examining science, history and using logic, i have come to the conclusion that there is no "god" at least certainly no loving, personal "god.

  " shortly before my final conclusion was reached, i read an excerpt from an expression attributed to marcus aurelius, .

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  Onager

  Nice quote, kind of a reverse Pascals Wager. :)

  I'm technically agnostic, but I tell anyone who asks that I'm atheist. I'm convinced that no god that's presented to me by another person can or does exist. That goes for any god proposed in any book written by people as well.

  As to whether some kind of non-interventionist creator made the universe and maybe even has a plan for the future, I don't know and can't know. Some people call that "Ignostic" but I think there's enough confusion going on as it is without bringing in made up terms!

  I feel that this has brought me closer to "truth" and I feel more comfortable now that I'm living according to my principles. If I die and against expectation, find myself before the throne of god, I will feel confident in saying "Dude, you have some seriously bad PR guys down there on Earth."
  
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  40

  Movies I'm Watching

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have, for about 6 months now, been trying to watch every single movie that was "cool" or interesting since 1960.it started out with a desire to watch as an adult all disney movies.

  then it morphed into all bond movies (except for the non-canonicals).now it's turned into pretty much any and all movies.

  here is my list, scratched out are ones i have seen, green are recent next-in line.turns out there was a lot i had never seen before, about 70% because of the cult restrictions!

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  Onager

  Hi,

  I'd like to second slimboyfat's recommendation of Pan's Labyrinth. In fact I would recommend all of Guillermo Del Torro's films, particularly The Devil's Backbone.

  Also, if you are a fan of Judge Dredd, skip the 1995 Stallone film, skip it so hard you find it difficult to stop skipping. There's a 2012 film called Dredd which is much more true to the source starring Karl Urban who doesn't take his helmet off. :)
  
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  12

  Thank you so much - I am really touched

  by doubtfull1799 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just wanted to thank everyone so much for all your responses to my first post.

  i am overwhelmed by all the replies and supportive comments that came through overnight while i was asleep here in aussie land!.

  i will absolutely endeavour to reply to each one individually but it will take some time as there are a lot to go through.

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  Onager

  "There are a few special and close friends though that are exceptions to that rule that I hope will be loyal to our friendship, but that of course remains to be seen. "

  Hi Doubtful, welcome aboard if I haven't said that already, I'm half asleep due to a baby who didn't want to sleep himself last night!

  Just wanted to give my personal experience on the comment you made above. I had some really close friends when I was a JW, but only one has kept contact since I left (not disfellowshipped, just left). One other sends single responses to texts I send, but doesn't engage. Even the one true friend goes silent after getting an indoctrination session on the perils of bad association and I just have to wait it out until he calls again.

  In fact, from looking on this forum at the assembly literature reviews I can predict when this will occur.
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  16

  I Have A Question About A Dog

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i would like to have your opinion on something if you don't mind.

  my girlfriends dog, a scottish terrier, is a wonderful lovable dog about fiveyears old.

  my girlfriend owns a hair salon and takes her dog with her and the dog greets clients very lovingly.

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  Onager

  The humans could be innocent but look like the postman that regularly comes to the dogs house. Or there could be a bad association with something the human smells of.

  Simple solution. Make the humans get out.
  
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  9

  Scientific reason why it's hard to get someone to change their beliefs.

  by LisaRose in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many of us have had the experience of trying to share our knowledge of the dark side of the watchtower with those we love, only to have it end badly with the person getting deeply upset and refusing to believe any of it.

  a new study might shed some light on the problem.

  this brain study looked at what happens when someone's belief system is challenged.

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  Onager

  Tor,

  That article is arguing that questioning a persons beliefs activates the areas of the brain involved with self identity. It's nothing to do with pride, but rather that peoples beliefs are linked to peoples sense of self.

  So it's not an aspect of personality, like pride, that makes people resistant to change, but a fundamental way that human brains work.
  
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  78

  Did you know that J.F. Rutherford was part of the Knights of Pythias? There's PROOF for this!

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow.

  wow.

  wow.someone just sent me a scan of the boonville advertiser newspaper in which it mentions j.f.

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  Onager

  Jeffro, you would do well to remember 1Cor 13:1 - "If I post three times in a row in a thread, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."

  You've posted FIVE times. You're too invested in proving your point in an argument that you say doesn't matter.

  For what it's worth I agree with your position, while there is evidence, there is no proof. I, however, am happy to wait for the further investigations of ILoveTTATT2 to see what other interesting information they can dig up.
  

  
  
  
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  19

  Conditional Love

  by Saethydd in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've noticed several posts recently claiming that jw friends and family members give out conditional love.

  well, i'm not so sure that is entirely accurate, in fact, i would say they tend to be very steadfast in their love.

  the issue is this, they have been taught a poor form of love.

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  Onager

  What you are describing that thing they have, and that god has, is not love! It's practically the opposite of love... it's evol.

  "Love is not love
  Which alters when it alteration finds,
  Or bends with the remover to remove:
  O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
  That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;"

  That's Shakespeare that is!
  
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  52

  My families shunning has gone to a whole new level

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  8 months df'd.

  loving a life of freedom.

  however, my family are all shunning me.

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  Onager

  P.E. Do you know any of the Non-JW's that your mother has told that you are dead? Might be worth dropping in on them and saying hi. If nothing else, it will highlight just how truly fucked up your mothers behaviour is.

  Cutting off contact in NO way makes you as bad as the witnesses! You are being subjected to abusive behaviour and are completely within your rights to take that whole toxic ball of string and throw it away.
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  42

  New here..help greatly appreciated

  by Confusedandangry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi everyone i don't even know where to begin.

  i recently saw leah remini's series on scientology thanks to my husband (semi-active jw) and i felt like my eyes were being opened for the 1st time in my adult life.

  i felt shaken almost sick to my stomach with each episode i watched.

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  Onager

  Hi!

  As others have said, you need to be cautious now. Planning a course of action now could reap benefits that last you the rest of your life.

  The teachings of the JW organisation are like a verruca growing into your foot. If you don't carefully excise it, using the right treatments and just a tiny bit remains, then it can come back again time after time.

  If you act instinctively and start thrashing about you will scare and alienate your friends and family who are still JW's... like someone with a verruca running into a swimming pool changing room and screaming "I have a verruca!"

  If, after thinking about it, you still want to lash out then go for it! But please consider the fading option first.

  Good luck!