Posts by AhHah

12

I'm sure I already know the answer, but...

by puppylove in

jw
friends

why is it that most r&f witness can take anything the gb dishes out and swallow it whole?.

my mil takes everything she reads in the wt and calls it "meat in due season".

i guess this week's wt is about patience.

AhHah

I guess this shows just how powerful (or actually, weak) is the human need to believe, no matter how poorly supported the faith is. There have always been those who will gladly exploit that weakness and there always will be. I keep wondering, however, why so many will allow the price they pay to believe beyond belief to keep going up wihtout questioning. When they have actually bought into believing that God is speaking through their religious leaders that seems to be what suspends disbelief. One would think that God would want to prevent such misrepresentation and exploitation. I am beginnig to wonder if Puppylove may be right after all ... god gone.

Edited by - AhHah on 11 October 2000 13:8:36

5

GB, Education, Jack-ass, Witnet?

by Pathofthorns in

jw
friends

very interesting comments in this thread at witnet.

the original poster suggests how it was perceived by some to be shocking that dan sydlik (gb member) used the word "jack-ass" in a talk.. but as pointed out by bodhissatva in the following post, that it was who dan sydlik referred to as "jack-asses" that was the sad thing.. brother sydlik was saying that bethel especially needs people with skills, certifications, and qualifications.

to make this point, he said (in his characteristic booming voice), "of course, any jackass can swing a hammer.".

AhHah

Welcome TR!

I know what you mean. I think back to some of the long conversations I had with some individuals at the door and at work, and how they tried to help me see how other beliefs might be true, without insulting my faith. I would not even recognize the possibility that they could be right; I had all the pat answers to any argument. I believe that some sensed a reasonableness in me before I even had the will to mentally challenge my beliefs and their real source. I was raised in the religion. I believe that has much to do with how long I took to recognize the many inconsistencies in the doctrines.

How long have you been a JW? Glad to have you with us.

12

I'm sure I already know the answer, but...

by puppylove in

jw
friends

why is it that most r&f witness can take anything the gb dishes out and swallow it whole?.

my mil takes everything she reads in the wt and calls it "meat in due season".

i guess this week's wt is about patience.

AhHah

I have since realized that there is denial going on at many levels. That is what is so scary about cults -- they actually take people out of reality and create a different reality for them. Once you are in denial, it becomes much easier to keep denying everything necessary to maintain the alternate reality. I believe that this causes members' lives to become unbalanced in many ways.

One might argue that all religion is basically denial -- unless, of course, one has faith -- then you are just smarter than everyone else, and you are not really going to die after all.

Just think, if no one ever died, would there be any religions in the world? Seriously.

There sure would be a lot of people. The whole planet would look like Tokyo, I guess. But would there be any religions?

Edited by - AhHah on 11 October 2000 1:14:22

Edited by - AhHah on 11 October 2000 1:19:32

6

What is she to me?

by AhHah in

a knowing look and she sees the depths of me,.

the secrets no one else has found.. she chooses to see all that is good in me,.

when friends are no longer around.. --------------------------------------------------.

AhHah

At last ... the final revision?

6

What is she to me?

by AhHah in

a knowing look and she sees the depths of me,.

the secrets no one else has found.. she chooses to see all that is good in me,.

when friends are no longer around.. --------------------------------------------------.

AhHah

Thanks Seven!

Please let me know if you think the new edited version above is an improvement. Sometimes it is hard to take words away, but usually it helps. What do you think?

6

What is she to me?

by AhHah in

a knowing look and she sees the depths of me,.

the secrets no one else has found.. she chooses to see all that is good in me,.

when friends are no longer around.. --------------------------------------------------.

AhHah

Thanks, Waiting.

Of COURSE it is about my beautiful wife.

6

What is she to me?

by AhHah in

a knowing look and she sees the depths of me,.

the secrets no one else has found.. she chooses to see all that is good in me,.

when friends are no longer around.. --------------------------------------------------.

AhHah

What Is She To Me?

--------------------------------------------------
A knowing look and she sees the depths of me,
The secrets no one else has found.
She chooses to see all that is good in me,
When friends are no longer around.
--------------------------------------------------
Alone I sit searching the stars for answers,
Through the vast, empty longings of eternity.
She is silent as I seek solace for long, lonely hours,
For soon I shall surrender to her serenity.
--------------------------------------------------
When all I am is slipping slowly away,
When doubts and fears have taken their toll,
A soft touch from her hand and I embrace the day,
Her peace fills the empty places in my soul.
--------------------------------------------------
When I am happy she is my song.
Her smile melts away all my pain.
In her eyes I know beauty, I know I belong.
In her arms I am alive again.
--------------------------------------------------
She is the enlightenment of dawn's first finger of light.
She is the evening star shining through tempest and rain.
She is the nightingale singing in the heart of the night.
She is all I shall ever want, more than I shall ever attain.
--------------------------------------------------

Edited by - AhHah on 11 October 2000 2:19:46

58

Why Does God Allow Evil?

by Frenchy in

jw
friends

ahhah .

i did not want to complicate paths thread.

although this is directed to you, ahhah, naturally i welcome comments by all who participate here.. in reference to a portion of what i posted to seven:.

AhHah

Frenchy,

Thanks for quickly and kindly accepting my apology and offering yours. Your posts always demonstrate that you are a loving and caring person, and your response here is no exception.

I tend to get very passionate about matters that I care about deeply. I believe that sometimes causes me to come across differently than I intend. I try to remember that just because I have a passionate opinion, does not necessarliy mean that I am right. I used to feel very passionately that JW's taught only truth, and I would defend them at the doors with my last breath! Just listen to me now!??

You have defended your statement very well, and your opinion is just as valid as mine. Just because it does not ring true for me, does not make it wrong. I believe we all would wish for much clearer, and provable answers to age-old issues such as these.

Hopefully one thing stands out from this post above all others:

Seven and Waiting - we care about you!

58

Why Does God Allow Evil?

by Frenchy in

jw
friends

ahhah .

i did not want to complicate paths thread.

although this is directed to you, ahhah, naturally i welcome comments by all who participate here.. in reference to a portion of what i posted to seven:.

AhHah

Frenchy,

I am sorry that you have taken offense at my rebuttal to your statement. It was not meant to be personal or insulting. I found your original statement offensive, but I do not find you offensive at all. I like you and I like your posts.

I believe that we probably do not have common ground upon which to continue this discussion since you are defending your statement with quotes from the Bible. I reject the Bible's contradictory descriptions of God for the same reason that I reject your premise that God might allow evil to certain individuals because they need some personal development. I find such a concept of God absolutely repulsive, and if God should ever ask me, I will tell him the same. This does not make me right and you wrong.

We are both attempting to salvage our concept of God when faced with the horrors of reality -- people that we care about get raped and murdered. Your impression of God may be right, in spite of how repulsive that I find it.

I hope that my being so outspoken does not hurt your feelings. For me, it is a matter of conscience, because I care very much about persons who suffer unjustly at the hands of other people, as I know you do also. -- Hearing other people’s opinions in no way ever offends me but characterizations and personal insinuations do. Your conscience is your business and yours alone. We each have one to deal with ourselves. Your stating your concern about persons suffering ‘unjustly at the hands of other people’ in conjunction with your rebuttal to my post as well as your previous statement I commented on leads me to believe that you somehow see yourself as some sort of self-appointed righter of wrongs here. Am I mistaken in that appraisal?

Yes, you are very mistaken in your appraisal of me and my reason for my post. I spoke up only because I felt that the potential that your comment had to add to the burdern of guilt that Seven and Waiting might already have, deserved a rebuttal so that they would hear a different opinion. That is how we demonstrate our care on this forum -- by speaking up.

Again, please accept my apologies for offending you by my rebuttal. That was not my intention.

P.S. Just in case there was any confusion, my comment about my concern for persons "suffering unjustly at the hands of other persons" was certainly NOT a reference to your post (was that your impression??). It was a reference to Seven and Waiting both being victims of rape.

Edited by - AhHah on 7 October 2000 19:56:4

5

GB, Education, Jack-ass, Witnet?

by Pathofthorns in

jw
friends

very interesting comments in this thread at witnet.

the original poster suggests how it was perceived by some to be shocking that dan sydlik (gb member) used the word "jack-ass" in a talk.. but as pointed out by bodhissatva in the following post, that it was who dan sydlik referred to as "jack-asses" that was the sad thing.. brother sydlik was saying that bethel especially needs people with skills, certifications, and qualifications.

to make this point, he said (in his characteristic booming voice), "of course, any jackass can swing a hammer.".

AhHah

This duplicity bothered me long before I left the JW's. Since the world is going to end soon, only a spiritually weak person would go to college instead of preaching full-time. But, by the way, we need those of you who already have any college skills before God called you, to come serve at headquarters, so that we can make more literature.

When I was of college age, those who went to college were stripped of their "priviledges" and considered to be setting a "bad example". Then they pressure people making lower wages to give more money, and spend their vacations, when they are not working two jobs, to pioneer. And don't neglect your congregation responsibilities (and your family in your spare time). What a-holes they are!