Love_Truth

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Posts by Love_Truth

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  50

  I'm not going to be asking any more sex questions....

  by logansrun in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  caput.

  i've asked enough.

  i've got all the information i need.

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  Love_Truth

  You can ask, or read, about riding a bicycle all you want, but the only way you'll get good at it is riding it.

  Kapish?
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  1

  The Joke Thread

  by Love_Truth in

  1. social
  2. humour

  it doesn't look like this has been done before- so it seemed a good idea to start a thread where we could each post recent jokes, or ones we felt were worth repeating.

  here's my first two contributions:.

  joke #1:.

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  Love_Truth

  It doesn't look like this has been done before- so it seemed a good idea to start a thread where we could each post recent jokes, or ones we felt were worth repeating. Here's my first two contributions:

  Joke #1:

  Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, "Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"
  
  The birch says he cannot tell. Just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling. The birch says, "Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"
  
  The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree. He replies, "It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever put my pecker in."

  Joke #2: Two old friends were just about to tee off at the first hole of their local golf course when a guy carrying a golf bag called out to them, "Do you mind if I join you? My partner didn't turn up."
  
  "Sure," they said, "You're welcome."
  
  So they started playing and enjoyed the game and the
  company of the newcomer.
  
  Part way around the course, one of the friends asked
  the newcomer, "What do you do for a living?"
  
  "I'm a hit man," was the reply.
  
  "You're joking!" was the response. "No, I'm not," he said, reaching into his golf bag and pulling out a beautiful Martini sniper's rifle
  with a large telescopic sight. "Here are my tools."
  
  "That's a beautiful telescopic sight," said the other friend, "Can I take a look? I think I might be able to see my house from here."
  
  So he picked up the rifle and looked through the sight
  in the direction of his house.
  "Yeah, I can see my house all right. This sight is fantastic. I can see right in the window." "Wow, I can see my wife in the bedroom. Ha Ha, I can
  see she's naked!! Wait a minute, that's my neighbor in there with
  her.......He's naked, too!!! The bitch!"
  
  He turned to the hitman, "How much do you charge for a hit?"
  
  "I do a flat rate, for you, one thousand dollars every time I pull the trigger."
  
  "Can you do two for me now?"
  
  "Sure, what do you want?"
  
  "First, shoot my wife, she's always been mouthy, so shoot her in the mouth. Then the neighbor, he's afriend of mine, and just a kid, so just shoot his dick off to teach him a lesson."
  
  The hitman took the rifle and took aim, standing perfectly still for a few minutes. "Are you going to do it or not?" said the friend impatiently.
  
  "Just be patient," said the hitman calmly, "I think I
  can save you a grand here....."
  
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  45

  Smokers of the World, Unite and Take Over

  by gitasatsangha in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ahh.. nicotine.

  since leaving the jdubs, i find i enjoy lighting up a pipe in the evening, or sometimes the occasional cigar.

  tried cigarettes but i don't care for them much, myself.

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  Love_Truth

  I smoke occasionally:

  A fine cigar with good single malt scotch.

  or,

  A fine spliff with beer or wine.

  Works for me.
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  13

  A spin-off to Does it ever get easier?

  by Joysome in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my question is regards to family though.

  does missing your mother ever get easier?

  does not wanting to hurt her or even others in the congregation get easier?

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  Love_Truth

  Joysome,

  I don't think it ever gets "easier", although the ability to deal with gets increasingly better with time. My Mom is still in as well, and always will be. Her example of un-Christian love, as well as the rest of the congregation, make it easier for me to deal with it. Why? I know I made the right decision- the unkindness and false "friendships" and family "relationships" is in stark contrast to the teachings of Jesus Christ: "By this they will know you are my followers, that you love one another"(John 13:34), and "the man well versed in the law" who Jesus was in absolute agreement with when he said "You must love God...and your neighbor as yourself". (Like 10:25-37)

  JWs violate these teachings of Christ on a daily basis.

  You will make friends, in time, that will help heal the wounds of the true apostates, the JWs.

  Cheers,

  Love_Truth
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  28

  I saved a life today

  by RubyTuesday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was on my way to work today when i see something in the road...looks like a dead bird.people are just passing by it, one car almost hit it...again.there are two older ladies on the side of the road that look upset..one is crying.so i stop and i see that it is a duck.the ladies tell me they saw it get hit by a car.i walk over to the duck and scooped it up thinking i will just get it out of the road.there is a nearby pond so i go over to it, lay the duck near the edge and it starts to move...more and more.

  it stands up and shakes out its feathers and staggers closer to the water and jumps in and swims away.the ladies come up to me and start hugging me and telling me i saved the duck.what a great feeling!!

  any simular experiences?.

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  Love_Truth

  That's great! Yes, there have been many times I've stopped the car to get a turtle, snake, etc off the road before it got squished, and many a time I've narrowly avoided deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc.

  It's a great feeling to prevent an unneccesary death!

  Hopefully the duck learned from the experience.
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  42

  Cross vs. Stake: Does it REALLY friggin' matter?

  by Funchback in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when did the wts become so infatuated with the cross vs. stake theory?

  did they come up with this theory in order to say, "see?

  we teach the truth!

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  Love_Truth

  Yep, exactly.

  Whether Christ died on a Cross or Stake is not important for our salvation. I don?t think there?s enough evidence one way or another to prove either. I don?t even have an opinion on it, other than that it?s not necessary for salvation.
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  43

  Does it ever get easier?

  by Surfacing in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my heart is palpitating even as i write this.

  it was only recently that i was introduced to this site.

  i had long had doubts but could never bring myself to peer over the wall built in my head about the evils of apostates.

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  Love_Truth

  Surfacing,

  Great to see you come to the realization that the JW ?truth? is not the truth. I have had a very similar experience, as have many others here.

  Does it get easier?

  Absolutely. Following a period of grief and confusion, you?ll eventually get back to yourselves.

  I'm getting better with the panic attacks (doing my own research and realising that it is because I have a lot of unresolved issues, not necessarily because the demons are attacking me), but I still have this terrible, impending sense of doom. Am I on the dark side?

  Nope. Just guilt from indoctrination. You?ll get over the guilt as you prove your suspicions were true, and become more confident that you?ve made the right decision.

  Have I really lost all hope of seeing my father because of the way I'm thinking now?

  Nope. It is for God, not imperfect men, to judge each of us as individuals.

  Or am I finally at a stage where I can "surface" and see with some clarity?

  Bingo. You hit the nail on the head.

  Sometimes I fear the ping pong game in my head is driving me to insanity. The guilt is so overwhelming, yet when I really analyze it, I don't think I'm really that evil. I love God and want to be a good person. I thank him for my wife. Am I alone in these feelings?

  No, again, your indoctrination in the cult of JWs is to blame for your confusion and lack of feeling ?sane?. In time, you will feel fine.

  Cheers, and Welcome!!

  Love_Truth
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  14

  EX-JW's Fated To Quarrel.

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's almost 32 years since i left the jw religion.

  a bunch of us left around the same time, some were df'd, some weren't, one or two went back into the witnesses over the years.. one of the df'd one's became re-instated and last year i had the pleasure of sending him the letter that we sent to every congregation in the uk, the letter that announced that the wt was an ngo and, incidentally, the whole shebang was full of paedophiles and you lot were going to be on telly nexy week in bbc's panorama!

  i digress... anyway, one thing quickly became very clear to those of us that were left.

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  Love_Truth

  Englishman,

  Your analogy likening Miliary service to the JWs is a very good one, indeed. In addition, your comment on emotional maturity rings true.

  As regards the statement that "JWs are fated to quarrel", I would say, no more so than a member of the general population. We all see things differently, based upon our own unique genetics, experiences, and subsequent paths we choose, or not choose, to take.

  Cheers,

  Love_Truth- couldn't resist "quarreling".
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  60

  The Truth About Christianity - Give your views

  by Sirona in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  ex- jehovahs witnesses often reject christianity based on what they were taught by the wts.

  when i left jws it was difficult for me to see what christianity was all about - the non-jw version.

  every time i picked up a bible, i could see the watchtower interpretation jumping out at me.

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  Love_Truth

  All,

  I?m going to respond to each of you in one post, (this way I won?t run out of them as quickly). (NOTE: This post is in reply to all posts up to Abaddon's at 26-Feb-04 05:59). Rather than point out where I agree with you, I will only point out my disagreements, and why I disagree, or respond to your question you raised. I?m not here to forever debate who?s explanations, conclusions and opinions have more or less merit, as t here is inadequate evidence for any belief system, to irrefutably prove a factual conclusion, other than the factual conclusion that there is inadequate evidence for any belief system, to irrefutably prove a factual conclusion, ad nauseum. No one can claim absolute closure. We all choose to believe (have faith in) our conclusions, or the conclusions of others. Anyone can poke holes in any belief system.

  That?s why they?re called ?belief systems.? One must choose what to base their beliefs on, as all of us have done. The fact that we differ is unsurprising, and in no way proves or disproves any of the evidence or conclusions drawn by either side of the argument. One more important point- ?Christianity? is a label. It covers a lot of ground, and a wide range of interpretation. While I recognize that, I believe Christianity is based on following Jesus Christ, and his teachings (and the teachings of the Apostles). Putting faith in him as the Son of God, where his teachings (and the teachings of the Apostles) do not come to a single interpretation, then it must not be necessary for our salvation. Where they are clear as a bell, then these teachings are necessary for our salvation. Here goes:

  FirstInLine,

  Such main Doctrines include :Deity of Christ, implicit Trinity,

  I strongly disagree. The bulk of the Scriptural evidence points to a created Christ. Christ?s ?deity? and the ?implicit trinity? were decided on in 325 AD at the convening of the Council of Nicea, who lighted on a philosophical term, homoosios (same substance as) to express what they desired to teach in Catholicism, which had already been heavily influenced by secular Rome. Rather than debate you on this (the nature of Christ), I will simply say that in the end, the Scriptures teach us that Christ?s sacrifice is the basis for our salvation, and Christ is the only mediator between God and man. Since that is the case, I don?t see the use of debating the nature of Christ ad nauseum, In the emd God will judge us as individuals, and it can be argued that either belief (true Monotheism or Trinitarian) is acceptable, though I find much more evidence for the former.

  Physical Resurrection of the Christ,

  Disagree. The bulk of Scriptural evidence points out that corruptible flesh and blood does not exist in the Spirit realm. However, this is another teaching that, no matter what your conclusion, is not critical for salvation. Believe what you will.

  Christ dying for the sins of the whole world on a Cross,

  Whether Christ died on a Cross or Stake is not important for our salvation. I don?t think there?s enough evidence one way or another to prove either. I don?t even have an opinion on it, other than that it?s not necessary for salvation.

  and eternal conscious damnation for Satan and his Demons.

  Disagree on the ?conscious? part. Again, it matters not whether the damnation is conscious or not. I hold that it is not, but this is not necessary for salvation.

  At the same time I find stories such as the Flood to be irrational when taken literally.

  Disagree. I take it literally. Does it matter for our salvation? No.

  I do not believe the entire globe was covered by water.

  Whether or not the Earth was completely covered is unknown. It is not necessary for our salvation.

  The fossil record does not support such a claim and there are too many reasons to list that it is irrational to believe.

  Strongly disagree. Either conclusion has adequate evidence,therefore, neither conclusion is irrational, and it?s not necessary for our salvation.

  I do not believe hell is a literal place,

  I agree, but it?s not necessary for our salvation.

  however it was created for the Devil and his angels. The bible is unclear IMO on human damnation.

  Disagree. IMO, It is for Satan, his demons, and humans too. I believe hell is simply a state of non- existence. Knowing what the nature of hell is, is not necessary for our salvation.

  The JWs, Mormons and other such cults are drastically heretical from Christianity in all there deviations.

  I agree, but I would add that, IMO, all ?Christian? (and non-Christian) religions, sects, divisions, etc, are all Apostate, part of Babylon the Great, as they teach doctrines of men side by side with Scripture, and make them essentially equal.

  I feel the need to remind you that it is faith in Christ that saves not faith that the selected pages of catholic theologians are inspired by God.

  Yes, it is faith in Christ that saves. As for the ? selected pages of catholic theologians? comment, that is your opinion, not a fact. The canonicity of the 66 books of the Bible, as well as evidence of their divine inspiration abounds. I frankly find this particular comment of yours ignorant and self-aggrandizing, no more, no less.

  I defer to my previous post for more details concerning the true Doctrines of Christianity.

  Another pompous, arrogant comment of yours, FirstInLine. Do you know the ? the true Doctrines of Christianity??

  Answer: absolutely not. Nor can you prove that you do, no more than anyone else can irrefutably prove their conclusions on what ? the true Doctrines of Christianity ? are.

  Funky Derek,

  Christianity is a religion. It's not "the true faith" or "a personal relationship with Jesus" or whatever else you may call it. It's a religion with gods and rules and holy books and myriad sects and denominations

  I agree, because you are using the label ?Christianity?, which covers a lot of ground, and a wide range of interpretation. While I recognize that, I believe true Christianity is based on following Jesus Christ, and his teachings. IMO, when Christ?s teachings (and his Apostle?s teachings, learned from him) are necessary for our salvation, there is one clear interpretation. When those teachings are not are necessary for our salvation, there are many possible interpretations. For the most part, the divisions, sects, etc, are a result of the latter, not the former.

  Sirona,

  Do you believe that God will destroy non-Christians in a battle of armageddon? If not, what is armageddon according to the bible?

  As mentioned above, there are two uses (at least) for the word ?Christian?. I differentiate between the label, and those who actually follow in Christ?s footsteps. I could call myself a rocket scientist, but the ?fruitage? of my labor (how well the rocket performs, in this case) will show whether or not that is a true statement, or simply a label. So, I believe that all true Christians (as judged by God) will survive Armageddon, the end of the imperfect world as we know it, and the institution of a perfect new one. Whether that world is material or spirit, can not be proven. Therefore, knowing for a certainty whether it is material or spiritual is not necessary for our salvation. As for whether non-Christians will or will not be destroyed, that is for God to judge. Scripture clearly teaches that each of us will be judged as individuals. There are clear guidelines, however, in the Bible that make it clear that certain practices will prevent us from ?inheriting God?s Kingdom? (example: 1 Corinthians 6:9,10) Stating anything more is speculation.

  Do you believe that we continue after death? If so, where do we "go"?

  I believe that when we die, we are judged by God. Whether we go to heaven, a future time on a perfect Earth, to hell, hades, sheol, (which, IMO, is non-existence), etc, is for God to know and us to speculate on. He will be the judge. So, whether we continue on after death, or not, is for God to decide. Some percentage of us do have an afterlife, what that percentage is, none of us know.

  and do our actions in life determine where we go?

  Absolutely. The Scriptures teach us very clearly that is the case. We are judged by God based on what we have done, and have not done, and how we lived our life.

  Do we have salvation by faith or by works? Or both? Or none?

  We have salvation by faith; faith in God, his Son, and his Son?s ransom sacrifice?s power to buy us out of sin. Faith always results in works, the fruitage of Faith. Faith without works is dead faith., which is not really faith, it?s just a label. We can develop faith that bears fruitage by studying His word the Bible and doing our best to live our lives according to it?s teachings.

  Is God separate from us? Or within us? Both?

  I think it would be hard to argue that he?s not both. Separate as a being, but having ?breathed the sprit of life? into us, having ?made us in his image?, there?s some of him in al of us.

  The only trouble I've ever had with Christians is that they don't always accept me and my beliefs. I am pagan, and they think that I have to be Christian (the exact reason I'm not sure. "to be saved" whatever that actually means). I'm not bashing anyone - honestly that is the only problem I've had with some Christians.

  There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance. While the Scriptures teach Christians to tolerate others, they do not tell us to accept others and their teachings, if they differ with ours. ?Hate the sin, but not the sinner?, goes hand in hand with this. As mentioned previously, according to Scripture, there are certain things, which if we practice them, preclude us from being saved. Christ was not all accepting, and neither are those who follow him. Sin is to be hated, and those who teach that sin is not sin, or that it doesn?t matter what you do, are in violation of Christian teachings. While only God can judge who is saved, the probability of our salvation increases as we learn and practice His teachings. If we deliberately live a sinful lifestyle, our chances of salvation are less than if we do our best to avoid sin and live an approved lifestyle. In the end, again, God will judge.

  I started this thread because I know JWs who say that they're the only True christians.

  As I stated earlier, hiding behind a ?Christian? group, sect, division, etc, assuming that if we are part of it, we automatically get salvation, is clearly in error. If we do that, we?re only fooling ourselves. Each of us will be judged as individuals, by God, not men. True Christians are those who truly put faith in God, his Son, and his Son?s ransom sacrifice?s power to buy us out of sin. As mentioned earlier, this kind of faith motivates us to the fruitage of works.

  Abaddon,

  Well, I'd like to ask a question Love_Truth;

  I choose to believe that all Scripture as inspired of God.

  The red highlight is mine and I congratulate you on your honesty.

  ... it is impossible to prove any of the above viewpoints, ...

  The highlight is yours.

  I?ve always been honest here, I?ve always made it clear that each of us makes a choice to believe, and have faith in, something(s). As you and I discussed in another thread, opinions, conclusions, viewpoints, etc, cannot be proven.

  What I do not understand is this; If not conforming your life to these viewpoints (or beliefs) results in a negative outcome (i.e. if someone not living his life as a Christian results in a disadvantage, perhaps even destruction), then how is it fair if these viewpoints are unprovable and regional in their expression?

  Good question. As I stated in reply to Sirona, (above), w hile only God can judge who is saved, the probability of our salvation increases as we learn and practice His teachings. If we deliberately live a sinful lifestyle, our chances of salvation are less than if we do our best to avoid sin and live an approved lifestyle. If we are ignorant of Christian teachings, it is for God to judge why. Was it because we were not exposed to the Bible? Did a ?Christian? do something to us so offensive that we never looked any further at the teachings of Christ? Did we ignore the Bible?s teachings, even though we were taught them? Was it our own selfish desire for something sinful that kept us from doing so? Millions of questions like these would have to be answered, and only one can do so. Only God, not man, can judge

  It's like saying god will punish those who don't guess right and who are born in the wrong place - as I'm sure many people are Christians through accident of birth and would have ended up as a Muslim or a Hindu if born elsewhere.

  Exactly. Again, I believe it comes down to why we aren?t following Christ. God will ultimately judge. If we casually brush off Christ?s teachings, after we have been exposed to them, we are putting ourselves in a potentially precarious position. If we are ignorant of them for other reasons, it is very hard top conclude that such ones would be judged negatively based on that alone. God will judge them, not man.

  As you argue the viewpoints are not provable, citing that place of birth can't be considered unfair as people now have the opportunity to hear the Gospel worldwide doesn't work

  As we?ve discussed previously, no viewpoints are irrefutably provable, period. I never said place of birth can?t be considered ?unfair? There are lots of aspects to life that are ?unfair?, and it is ultimately up to God to judge each of us individually, based on how we lived our lives, and how much we strived to please God.
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  47

  Somebody talk to me

  by Puternut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am having one of those really down days.

  things aren't going right.

  i can't concentrate on my work, and i don't feel well.

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  Love_Truth

  Puter,

  Some say that I have a new start, but the question is where do I start.

  Anywhere you like, it's up to you now. Read a book, watch a movie, research your feelings and subjects of interest on the internet, anything at all, but do someting to help you focus.

  So I don't worry too much about the future and let it happen day by day.

  Great, that's the right mindset. You can think about the future as you feel you need to. Live day by day, but by all means plan for tomorrow.

  But realistically is scares the hell out of me to have an uncertain future.

  All our futures are uncertain. You have to have faith in things. What things? Whatever you decide. It will take time to gel.

  Thoughts about were they right, am I wrong?

  That's for you to decide. Like most things in life, I'd bet that they were right about some things, wrong about others, just like the rest of us.

  Is there a God?

  That's something you will have to decide whether you believe in, or not. If you decide there is, there's no way to prove it. If you decide there isn't, there's no way to prove that either. But you will have to have faith in things, whatever things you determine to be worthy of Faith. Remember, it's a journey, not a destination.

  You'll have good and bad days, as all of us humans do. I wish you the best in your journey.

  Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

  Cheers,

  Love_Truth