Posts by FlyingHighNow

i had the time of my life with my brother in law.. you see my sister married a non-believer and my parents viewed him as the scum of the earth, so i was terrified to ever talk to him.

turns out he's one of the coolest people i have ever met.

I wasn't raised in JWs, so I had a lot of worldly experiences before I was persuaded into the WTBT cult. It's been a long time since I went inactive: 23 years. My memory is fuzzy, but I remember helping my daughter to shop for her proms, which was exquisitely fun.

63

Your "Things That Make You Go Hmmm?" List

by FlyingHighNow in

jw
friends

i'll wager that the number is close to 100 percent.

what number?

the number of jws who have lists--lists of things that make them go hmmm or even wha'???

FlyingHighNow

Have a person I am close to in the hospital for the past few days. I still want to comment on your lists. Can't tonight though. I did read the additional comments that came since my last post. Thank you.

89

Poll--How Many Believe In God, Do Not Believe or Are Not Sure Of His Existence?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i believe in god but i'm not sure of anything....what about you?.

FlyingHighNow

FHN - You know that I don't insult people, your accusation is a lie.

This statement is delusional. Look, if believers insult you, say something to them about it. I said something to you about your proclivity to insult believers. You want to dance around it and say that the arrogant way you speak to believers isn't insulting, because you supposedly only address beliefs. You aren't kidding anyone but yourself and well, maybe people who do the same thing.

89

Poll--How Many Believe In God, Do Not Believe or Are Not Sure Of His Existence?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i believe in god but i'm not sure of anything....what about you?.

FlyingHighNow

Please stop saying things like that. I never insult people.

I don't feel the need to harp on it, but yes, you frequently insult people. You're pretty arrogant about it, too. That said, I think about you sometimes, after I read some of your posts. There is a lot of anger and pain still left in you and it often shows. I'm not without empathy for you, though. We all came out of an abusive cult. I know you have challenges with serious, threatening health problems. I've seen your kinder side, too. I try to look at you holistically, rather than focusing on the negative things you post.

32

The Time Is Coming For Progressive Governments To Make Laws Against Oppressive Cults To Protect It's Citizens, Making Lawsuits More Plentiful Against Them

by frankiespeakin in

i think as black&white thinking becomes lesser governments will start makeing laws that will put cults open for more lawsuits.

what do you think..

FlyingHighNow

They should pay tax on profits.

That's important. Most of them are non profit and put money into upkeep and outreach. Some, however, are sneaky with the cash.

63

Your "Things That Make You Go Hmmm?" List

by FlyingHighNow in

jw
friends

i'll wager that the number is close to 100 percent.

what number?

the number of jws who have lists--lists of things that make them go hmmm or even wha'???

FlyingHighNow

Thank you, everyone. I have read, off and on, tonight, your comments and lists. I made some notes to come and to comment on. Then I am comprising my own list to share.

Please, keep the comments and lists coming. This is definitely cathartic. Some things are painful for me to think about, which is why I've never done a "This is my story" thread.

32

The Time Is Coming For Progressive Governments To Make Laws Against Oppressive Cults To Protect It's Citizens, Making Lawsuits More Plentiful Against Them

by frankiespeakin in

i think as black&white thinking becomes lesser governments will start makeing laws that will put cults open for more lawsuits.

what do you think..

FlyingHighNow

At times the authorities do recognize cults and they investigate and even go on to intervene. Two examples are Jonestown and The Branch Davidians.

The question they have to answer is: where do we draw the line?

89

Poll--How Many Believe In God, Do Not Believe or Are Not Sure Of His Existence?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i believe in god but i'm not sure of anything....what about you?.

FlyingHighNow

Of course it isn't just random biology. Natural selection is a powerful force for organisation and complexity.

No intelligence or purpose required.

I should have said random forces. At the beginning of a godless existence, everything would have been random, without any guide or purpose. I disagee about intelligence being needless to get us to the world we have today. On the contrary, with the complexity involved and the organization you're speaking of, it's simplistic to think this happened only through random circumstance and/or natural selection.

Deadly toxic plants and animals, predation, parsites, viruses, tsunamis, earthquakes, genetic deformities, childhood cancer, so many things let me know there is no reason for it all.

Life is awesome and awful in equal measure.

You quoted part of what I said. The high lighted part is what you left out.

I can't answer all the questions for the things that are messed up about it, but I can sure appreciate the things that are perfectly right about it. Gardens, babies, fresh air, varities of weather, LOVE, ...so many things let me know there is a reason for it all.

If I build a wall and over the years, nature's tools: wind, temperture and rain cause it to break down, it doesn't mean I didn't build the wall. Good things happen and bad things happen, that's been my experience during my life. It doesn't mean I didn't have parents or my life didn't have purpose. So we have: "Deadly toxic plants and animals, predation, parsites, viruses, tsunamis, earthquakes, genetic deformities, childhood cancer," your list, which is by no means exhaustive. Those things don't mean there is no purpose or reason for the good and the bad in the universe. We don't understand everything about our existence. That's all the bad things prove.

I believe you said you're 100 % certain there is no god. I respect that is the conclusion you've come to. I'm not here to change your mind. I have a different conclusion from you. I'm not going to apologize or quake in fear of being insulted by you. My dad was one of the most intelligent men anyone could meet. He had a rarely high IQ. He was a man of science. He was an oceanographer. He was not an atheist. He was not a Christian. He was an evolutionist. He told us that through all he had studied and seen in nature, he was convinced of intelligent purpose behind everything. His maternal grandfather was Native American. Dad spoke of The Great Spirit and its hand in things. Science was his love, fascination and career. He did not conclude there is no god, because of things that don't go the way we all think they should.

Do I think you have to agree with my dad? No. You don't. Several atheists I know say that they don't feel anything up there. Each has his personal list of reasons why he/she doesn't believe there is a god or gods. That is absolutely cool with me. Viva la difference.