i remember deliberately not telling people when i was growing up, and cringing when my mom made an effort to tell my teachers.
although i no longer hide it, there are still people i consider friends who do not know i grew up jw.
sometimes it?s just that the subject of religion does not come up often, and when it does, it would be weird to say something now after i?ve known someone for years and have never mentioned it.
Nothing to be ashamed of really. I would have more shame telling somebody I had rattled through endless relationships, squandered £50k on drugs etc
Having a set of religious beliefs and sticking to them is nothing to feel shame about IMO.
I revealed all a few years ago to most of my friends and they were and are fine about it.
i realized, the other day, how far the wt has really gone from the original gospels.
i was having a minor argument (again) with my mother regarding my no longer being a witness.
she sarcastically asked me what i did believe in..was i going to go out and join those ... ... catholics?
Well I have been of the mind lately when reviewing the faith that almighty God goes beyond language anyway and the word Jehovah to almighty God may have little actual relevance in these times.
The JWs have turned that combination of letters into a form of idolatry IMO.
Almighty God gave the word Jesus and this word was then placed before the believer and Jesus was the word raised above all others.
I take this understanding from scripture and use my common sense.
What does the word Jehovah really say about God anyway? Keep saying it over and over and it becomes as meaningless as any other word.
i wrote this for a friend a few days ago and thought it may have some use here.
i realize that this is only scratching the surface of the faith and hope i have not offended anybody.
the hindu faith has affected millions of people for hundreds of years and re-emerged as a guiding light in contemporary times.
My old landlord is a 'swami'. What a delightful man he is. He would drop by my place on Sundays, and bring me a plate of Indian food. Every week, after temple, they had a potluck, and he would make up a plate for me. He knew I was sick, and alone, and always made that effort to encourage me and treat me to an Indian feast.
Regardless of their belief system being true or false - you just have to respect free Indian food ..!
i wrote this for a friend a few days ago and thought it may have some use here.
i realize that this is only scratching the surface of the faith and hope i have not offended anybody.
the hindu faith has affected millions of people for hundreds of years and re-emerged as a guiding light in contemporary times.
Hmmm... strange Carmel, according to the book I read the history of the belief system stems right back before Christ and there are possibe links with ancient Grecian philosophy and reincarnation has always been a key feature ..?
i wrote this for a friend a few days ago and thought it may have some use here.
i realize that this is only scratching the surface of the faith and hope i have not offended anybody.
the hindu faith has affected millions of people for hundreds of years and re-emerged as a guiding light in contemporary times.
Yep, the caste system is an oddity amidst a religion that appears on the surface to preach tolerance.
I read that the caste system is necessary to create structure and should be seen as the small supporting the tall and the tall supporting the small - this was probably devised by a light-skinned guru in good social standing to help maintain his palace of riches
I think you will find that the contemporary and Westernized version of the Hindu faith has done away with the idea of rank through skin colour, but the origin of that belief system is clearly there and active in other parts of the world..!
i just finished reading "who wrote the bible" by friedman after seeing someone reommend it on here.
i was enthralled and finished it in record time for myself.
i'd never considered anything that could be called 'higher criticism' before.
A very good read. It was a bit disconcerting to read that the author believes the earth is inhabited by aliens, and some other bizarre stuff.
Ah forget it then, I know the sort of person behind the book. It's that new age vision of conspiracy + UFOs + theosophy thrown in for good measure. I have read a book by David Icke + other lectures & essays and they all group together. I'm sure David likes that particular author as well.
This contemporary theory about Christ not existing, and certainly Christ being a Buddhist, started during the later part of the 19th century by a group of mainly European individuals who decided to blend Eastern Mysticism with Christian Theology. If you study the kind of individuals involved they were basically setting up their own personality cults and desired guru status.
Madame Helena Blavatsky has a lot to answer for ..! Her cohorts were an interesting group, yet were also tricksters and charlatans promoting unification of all world religions through mediumship and intuitive learning. Helena also opposed the Christian faiths hold upon the Western mindset and in her own way sought to destroy it. An interesting character to study in fact
this is the second time in a row the witneses have stood me up for a study.
i give my name and number, and nothing.
not a phone call notta.
If you complain to the body of elders, I'm sure you'll get what you want
charles taze russell promised us we would never die.
he's dead.. joseph franklin rutherford promised us we would never die.
he's dead.. nathan homer knorr promised us we would never die.
You know, lots is going on. God requires some to actually bow to me, not sure why. So they just arrange to drop something in front of me, anything, really, and that means they must bow down and pick it up. That's how it looks to outsiders.
So God get's people to drop items in front of you in order to perform a concealed act of worship?
Surely an act of worship requires an active acknowledgement of the person's status, otherwise, what is the point? Think about it. Maybe people drop items from time to time in front of you because you make them nervous? You may give off a really weird vibe that others feel threatened by. It is as likely as your own explanation.
charles taze russell promised us we would never die.
he's dead.. joseph franklin rutherford promised us we would never die.
he's dead.. nathan homer knorr promised us we would never die.
No. I'd tell you where I met him but that would be telling you too much about the JIOR meeting places so I can't. But he is gay. All that "my mind wants to do good but my body bad..." was about those gay emotions.
I can understand why you are relating those scriptures to being gay, because you are simply using a set of scripture to justify your own feelings and sexual orientation. Accept that and my respect grows.
To me, those scriptures are a look at our sinful state and how that sinful state creates an inner struggle against the goodness we wish to perform in this life. Whether that goodness be a simple struggle to express loving sentiments towards our parents or maybe tend to the needs of our children and put aside selfish pursuits.
Paul may have had issues with lusting after young girls, why does he have to be gay? (if you want to reduce those scriptures to a gross level). How do you know?
Although you can retort - "Well, I have met him". To which I say, "prove it".
i just finished reading "who wrote the bible" by friedman after seeing someone reommend it on here.
i was enthralled and finished it in record time for myself.
i'd never considered anything that could be called 'higher criticism' before.
The Christ Conspiracy is a feast of scholarship (400+ pages; fully illustrated), not only debunking the notion of a historical Jesus but establishing clearly the roots of that mythology in the solar precession. In pursuing this avenue of research, Acharya S has attained a panoramic view of world religious history especially useful to students of conspiracy, but also one accessible to mainstream readers.
I plan to get a copy of this book, but doubt that it is the scholarly work that many have claimed - only 400 pages? Why would it take nearly 2000 years for this information to come to light?
' The book may also appeal to students of conspiracy ' .... hmmm... who usually tend to be the most rational group on the planet ?
I have a copy of "Who Wrote the Bible" by Friedman in my library, being has it has reared it's head on this website, I will add it to my "books to read" list. I had assigned it to being a book to flick through from time to time and little else.
Personally I am just ploughing my way through "Blavatsky's Babboon", a thoroughly enjoyable romp through late 19th century characters who formed the Theosophical Society.
