a few weeks ago, i received a mass e-mail from one of my mainstream christian friends requesting prayers for headaches she's been having.
i wrote back and told her i hoped she felt better (i'm personally not religious at all).
today, i got another mass e-mail thanking everyone for their prayers, and that her headaches were gone now through the grace of god.
Very interesting article. I would have to say, I'm not trying to negate the power of prayer... it just seems strange that from a purely religious standpoint, one person's prayers would be answered while others are not.
Anyway. I agree - my e-mail box is filled with enough junk mail without having to add "prayer requests" to the junk folder.
SLM
a few weeks ago, i received a mass e-mail from one of my mainstream christian friends requesting prayers for headaches she's been having.
i wrote back and told her i hoped she felt better (i'm personally not religious at all).
today, i got another mass e-mail thanking everyone for their prayers, and that her headaches were gone now through the grace of god.
A few weeks ago, I received a mass e-mail from one of my mainstream Christian friends requesting prayers for headaches she's been having. I wrote back and told her I hoped she felt better (I'm personally not religious at all). Today, I got another mass e-mail thanking everyone for their prayers, and that her headaches were gone now through the grace of God.
I have a cousin who thought he might have cancer awhile back. He asked for prayers, and then when the test came back normal, proclaimed that God had answered the prayers.
More trivial... a classmate tells me she prays before tests.
Now, here is my question. It's great that my friend and cousin are healthy. I'm sure praying helps people feel better and positive thoughts never hurt anyone. But what about all those people out there - many of them Christians, many not - who aren't so lucky? What about the young woman who finds out she has cancer and despite prayers, passes away at a young age? What about tragic accidents? What about the millions of people who are starving to death or dying from diseases that could be cured if they just lived in a wealthier country? Does God not like them? Are their prayers - or prayer for them - not worth as much? I just don't get it. How do Christians justify this?
I have heard time and again that God has a plan for everyone, and that is why some people have to die before their natural time. Then why pray for your own little things, if God has the plan?
I hope this doesn't come across as an attack against religion, because that's not my intention. I just get really frustrated when I hear that someone was cured because they prayed... and I just think, what about those who prayed and remained ill?
Thanks,
SLM
my jw mom sent me the same press release that was circulating on the board last week regarding a radical group who was trying to get religion and national borders abolished through the un.
(see http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/14/65705/1.ashx if you didn't see the press release).
anyway, there was no commentary from her in the e-mail, which says to me that this is a "silent warning" to become a dub before i die in armageddon.
Awesome letter. *applause*
IF anyone tried to make a big deal of it... you could actually interpret your letter to make it sound like you are defending the WT's actions. Play innocent... "Well, they needed to be heard to promote religious freedom!" or something like that.
Honestly, though, since you're not baptised or anything, I doubt anything will come it. Best of luck to you - and awesome job!!
Smiles,
SLM
sometimes when i go visit my mother, she mentions that i was a good kid because i was raised by bible principles.
i was crying for absolutely no reason at all.
around 11:30, i felt completely ill. i went up to my teacher and told him i was going to see the nurse.
I'm so sorry for all that pain you've endured.
I was never a Witness, but there is one thing that a Witness said about me that has stuck in my mind for a long time. I was best friends with a Witness girl all throughout school. Her family loved me, apparently despite my worldliness. The time came that I was going to be around some other Witness friends of theirs, and (I heard this from one of those people) my friend's mom told them I was the nicest worldly girl and it was as if I had been raised with Biblical principles. That blew me away - and made me angry - when I heard it. It certainly was a compliment, but it implied that I was the exception to the rule that all worldly children are disrespectful druggies.
Another situation - I was at the graduation party of this friend, and I struck up a conversation with another guest who was a woman in her thirties. We talked for a few minutes about my friend, about school, etc. Then she asked what congregation I went to. I fumbled a little and said I wasn't a Witness. She looked absolutely shocked, and said she just assumed, because I had such nice speaking skills. Excuse me? Do Witnesses hold the monopoly on social speaking abilities? I think not.
Those experiences just went to show me how tied up in their perceptions Witnesses are. They have this image of the outside world and it's so, so wrong.
(Now, we could analyze my social life here... I was friends with Witnesses all the way through school and then I married an inactive one. Sheesh. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess!)
SLM
my parents sent me this book in the mail, i actually was hoping it would be some valiums or vicodans but it was a society book called "draw close to jehovah".
with a heart wrentching letter from my mother to return to the "truth".. i have read a few pages of this book, started from the begining, and i haven't read no society pulications for at least over 10 years.
i have found no new information in this book except for a few personal viewpoints, like the mentioning of jehovah having been alive for billions of years.
I have asked this as a non-Witness and this is all I can come up with.
- It's so comforting. The individual Witness doesn't have to worry or ask questions (supposedly)... everything is taken care of for them... They can just sit back, relax, go to meetings, go out on service, and their eternity is taken care of.
- A built-in social life - I think this is a big part of any religion.
- They feel "special" because the religion is so distinct from any others.
- Brainwashing, pure and simple. Repetitive language, strategic pictures, threats, and a black-and-white mentality are cultivated.
- It may be all they know. Look at how much people on this board have lost -- in the back of Witnesses' minds, I think, is the realization that if they leave, they could lose everything, from family to "salvation". That might not be conscious, but it's there, and it reinforces the beliefs out of self-preservation.
Just my two cents worth.
SLM
recently a public speaker noted that the earth and humans are insignificant in comparison to the universe with its millions of galaxies and billions of stars.
my question to bible literalist's is... why did god confine satan and his demons to the vicinity of the earth with so many other uninhabited options?.
why not restrict them to uranus with a bunch of meat puppets to beat up?.
Elsewhere - amen :)
rhere's a new book out called 'the four presidents of the watchtower society' which can be orderd from here http://www.freeminds.org/sales/fourpresidents.htm.
here's some of the issues discussed in the book:.
what was the salon association, and why did russell deny knowledge of it?.
What does bttt mean?
1996-2004 specialty merchandise corporation (smc).
all rights reserved.
you know...tom bosley at 3 in the morning recruting people to sell merchandise purchased through them?.
NO NO NO NO NO
Run, run, as fast as you can... it is no good.
My family tried it... sold NOTHING - the stuff is CRAP. You could get it at the dollar store and resell it and make a whole lot more. No one will buy it for what they want to charge - been there, done that.
Just my two cents!
SLM
hello i am new to this board, but wen out of truth about 18 months ago.
reading crisis of conscience etc helped me greatly.
however like most of you still recovering.
I'm not sure... but welcome to the board.
omg what happened?
have i been asleep that long???
i got up this morning and looked at my clock and there it was plane as day... feb 9th, 2009. it can't be wrong... it's one of those clocks that sets itself to some atomic clock somewhere that is broadcasting the time.. what the hell happened???
It's 68 degrees where you are?? *pout*
