Religious rituals such as prayer have been shown to significantly increase
levels of the neurotransmitter Dopamine among other things,
This is analogous to the effects of a number of mood altering drugs
:0)
it is a most interesting study.
when one studies anthropology, one can see how the "need" for belief in a higher being evolved from early man.
and it served a purpose.
Religious rituals such as prayer have been shown to significantly increase
levels of the neurotransmitter Dopamine among other things,
This is analogous to the effects of a number of mood altering drugs
:0)
in conversation with an old jw friend today, it struck me that most jws have replaced their personal conscience with a collective one.. instead of training their own mental powers to distinguish right from wrong, as the bible encourages, they are content to shift personal accountability away from themselves and onto the impersonal org.
whatever behaviour may prompt an ordinary person to have serious misgivings ( such as ignoring glaring misapplication of scripture or rejecting basic human decency in favour of unchristian shunning ) they prefer to have those decisions made for them.. history teaches us, however, that there is no absolution for people who behave unethically or cruelly by allowing the excuse of 'obeying orders' to override what their inner voice should scream is inherently wrong..
I would like to expand on my previous comment,
What I wanted to say is that everyone has a capacity for conscience,
This however is maleable,
I agree in principle with the OP
From the teachings of Jesus Christ
we have the TEACHING parable of the Good Samaritan
I think that what uncorrupted minds should be getting is that we should
be compassionate toward people of other religions as the "Samaritan"
was of course a different faith than that of the Jews,
He did not let religious differences stop him from being compassionate
Now JWS are shameless in the self promotion of what they do for each other,
Now are they being Christian as they ignore everybody else even in times
of horrific circumstances
Try reasoning with a JW on this point,
This is a basic tenet, a basic teaching of Jesus Christ
They are not Christian
They should be ashamed
:0)
PS I'm ashamed to admit that I was one of them for almost 60 years
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
Because I don't want a personal relationship with a homicidal maniac
We are to understand from the Bible that Yahweh is the greatest
Genocidal murderer in history and makes Stalin Hitler and Pol Pot look
like rank wanna bees by comparison
:0)
in conversation with an old jw friend today, it struck me that most jws have replaced their personal conscience with a collective one.. instead of training their own mental powers to distinguish right from wrong, as the bible encourages, they are content to shift personal accountability away from themselves and onto the impersonal org.
whatever behaviour may prompt an ordinary person to have serious misgivings ( such as ignoring glaring misapplication of scripture or rejecting basic human decency in favour of unchristian shunning ) they prefer to have those decisions made for them.. history teaches us, however, that there is no absolution for people who behave unethically or cruelly by allowing the excuse of 'obeying orders' to override what their inner voice should scream is inherently wrong..
Everyone has a personal conscience
after we heard some time ago that before the time of russel there was no "faitful slave" or no anointed ones who formed a faitful slave class, now we learn that we dont know if before russel there were not "faitful ones" or "anointed".
indeed jackson says that we know the bible teaches that throughout the history there would be a large number of "sons of the kingdom" ..or anointed ones.. beginning from this month in several projects including a film about christian bible translators who gave an example of "faithfulness" and "discretness" in translating the bible, the christian bibletranslators and missionionaries who used "jehovah" by the way are receiving ultimate praise of the governing body, in the first place at the moment is shown the video about tyndale, wo so is very much supposedly a "faithful one" and perhaps even "anointed" because he loved the bible.. jackson says that those early missionaries of the christendom already "preached the message" before russell.
january broadcast.
This post keeps coming into my field of vision
Interesting how God I mean Mr Jackson has insights into what kind
of relationship another has with the Almighty!
I thought according to Roman 8 this adoption was between a man and his
maker only,
I know this and I'm a Heathen,
Why doesn't Mr Jackson?
Have they not been given the gift of correct interpretation of Scripture?
The gall and arrogance
My family worship at their feet
:(
after much research and prayer i am returning to being a jehovah's witness i can find nothing that eliminates them from being god's directed people , in the end they will reach the end of there journey despite mistakes and errors just like the israelites entered the promised land , thanks for your input and all the best on your personal journey ☺.
midnight..
Midnight
One question
You just questioned the validity of a report concerning JWS needing
and receiving aid from Church groups
My question is
What difference does it make to you whether the report is true or not?
Have you decided to become a JW apologist?
If so, I respect your decision
You have your work cut out for you
:0)
after much research and prayer i am returning to being a jehovah's witness i can find nothing that eliminates them from being god's directed people , in the end they will reach the end of there journey despite mistakes and errors just like the israelites entered the promised land , thanks for your input and all the best on your personal journey ☺.
midnight..
after much research and prayer i am returning to being a jehovah's witness i can find nothing that eliminates them from being god's directed people , in the end they will reach the end of there journey despite mistakes and errors just like the israelites entered the promised land , thanks for your input and all the best on your personal journey ☺.
midnight..
You seek God for the same reason everybody does
Comfort in the face of fear
And a sense of community
The two reasons religion was invented
It fills these two needs
It seems to work for many billions of people
Until
Just a few
Realize
It doesn't make sense