poppers

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Posts by poppers

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  11

  The Birth of Christ

  by JamesThomas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  posting this under friends, as it is not about beliefs and religions.

  the birth of christ.

  there is that which is not a separate deity too small and limited to be present, but rather that which is presence itself.. there is that which is not a distant savior whose love is conditional and restricted to faith, but rather is the very presence of unconditional love itself.. there is that which is not a creatural spirit who offers peace for acts of faith, but rather that which is peace itself.. there is that which is not a god gleamed from a book believed by some to be alive and true, but rather than which is all-embracing life and truth itself.. there is that which is not a spiritual-being who some day may arrive, but rather that which is the living present-moment of beingness itself.. there is that which is not a separate lord who is holy and pristine, but rather that which is purity itself.

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  poppers

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  30

  What do you believe in now?

  by YoSista in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am discovering a whole new way of life and thinking now that i have left the *truth*.

  part of me still believes in some of the teachings, i just don't agree with the organization, its difficult to find amiddle ground, i just wondered what some of you have decided on, what your beleif system is now?

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  poppers

  "what your beleif system is now?"
  The question implies that one should have a belief system. Notice how your perception of the world has changed after dropping the JW belief system. To adopt another system will only color your perception of the world in another way. May I suggest that you find out what the world is like without any belief system? Perhaps the world will be seen as it is. Wouldn't that be refreshing?
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  13

  Sayings that keep you afloat?

  by Ingenuous in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you have any sayings/anecdotes/mantras/cliches that help you cope?

  i've heard a few that i employ with my own modifications:.

  i like the "dear dad" letter, though i don't know if my folks would appreciate it if i applied to leaving the org.. "if my mother knew about this, she'd be spinning in her grave.

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  poppers

  kitty said, ''If who I am is what I have and what I have is gone, then who am I?''

  Keep asking, and let us know what you discover. You may be surprised.
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  16

  Did You have Peace and Joy?

  by Honesty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while you were associated with the jehovah's witnesses did you have the peace and joy that the bible, especially the new testament says jesus' followers will have in abundance?

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  poppers

  zen nudist said, "peace, I have since found, comes from accepting the perfection of each moment, while as a JW, I could only compare each moment to the fantasy ideals of paradise and heaven and could never find reality worth anything but damnation."

  Yes yes yes! Even those who have never been JW get caught in fantasies about the future, or dwell on the past. To be free of all of that, "accept the perfection of each moment."
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  16

  Did You have Peace and Joy?

  by Honesty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while you were associated with the jehovah's witnesses did you have the peace and joy that the bible, especially the new testament says jesus' followers will have in abundance?

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  poppers

  serendipity said, "and since I've started to quiet the inner critic who had the tendency to judge people, comparing them to WT standards."

  Good for you! Spotting that inner critic when it arises brings one to the awakened state, brings one to freedom. "You" are not the critic, but what sees the critic when it's there. "You" are freedom itself, "you" are peace, "you" are joy.
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  31

  My Unhappiness is because of Witness Thinking I have not given up

  by joelbear in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  its pretty clear to me that my continued depression and anxiety is mostly tied up with even after all these years, still basically thinking like a witness.

  1. i expect things to be perfect.

  i expect myself to be perfect and am continually disappointed.

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  poppers

  Dansk said, "See, deeply ingrained, but I noticed it! Noticing is half the battle."

  There is a deep truth here. When noticing takes place, letting go presents itself. When there is the letting go, the present moment is met fully and consciously, and you become free of the past and free of the future. Doing this undermines deeply entrenched mental habits and releases them from you until you find yourself living consciously in the present moment more and more.
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  31

  My Unhappiness is because of Witness Thinking I have not given up

  by joelbear in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  its pretty clear to me that my continued depression and anxiety is mostly tied up with even after all these years, still basically thinking like a witness.

  1. i expect things to be perfect.

  i expect myself to be perfect and am continually disappointed.

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  poppers

  Hi joelbear,

  You are being very honest with yourself, so congratulations on that. Many people will never admit to themselves their shortcomings. I assume from your post that you'd like to no longer be this way. If that's the case, then you have revealed to yourself the answer when you stated:

  "I do not live in the present and enjoy the moment. Everything is a constant reflexion on the past and what it means or obsessing about the future and how to make it better."

  The present moment is all there is, but thinking about the past and obsessing about the future detracts from this very moment. Give yourself permission to let go of everything, every idea of how things should or shouldn't be. Give yourself permission to simply watch what is unfolding around you and within you without judgment. Look at the beauty around you without placing any labels on anything that you see, listen to the changing sounds as though hearing them for the first time.

  Wholeness, peace, and fulfillment can only be found right now in this very moment if there is a willingness to let go, to put down all of the baggage from the past, to release all thought of the future. You are free of everything right now. Read through some of JamesThomas's posts - he has a beautiful yet simple way of pointing to this freedom.
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  23

  What are your family favorite movies?

  by jeanniebeanz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  you know, the ones you bothered to buy when they came out on video.... the kids have the next week and a half off, and i am looking for input on silly, funny, quirky movies to watch with the fam.

  thought i'd start with raising arizona for today for it's sheer silliness, plus i adore nicholas cage.. any suggestions?.

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  poppers

  They aren't silly or quirky, but I highly recommend Anne of Green Gables, and its first sequel Anne of Avonlea. Also very good this time of year is Little Women - fantastic! More on the quirky side is Pleasantville and Blast From the Past.
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  42

  I'm an atheist, so why does some religious music move me so much?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i often find myself playing george harrison's 'my sweet lord' while i'm at my pc and i can't help but resonate with his genuine, heartfelt devotion, his appeal to christ or krishna.

  the way he opens and pours out his heart to his 'lord' is inspiring.

  a while back, i went to a catholic church to see two friends renew their wedding vows.

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  poppers

  "My Sweet Lord" - one of my all time favorites. When it first came out I was really moved; at the time I had no knowledge of what the Hindu references were, I just knew that it moved me. It continues to move me in ways that no other music has.
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  3

  Bible miracles

  by poppers in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while reading a thread just now on whether the bible was inspired i got to wondering: there must have been many people who witnessed the miracles the bible attributes to jesus.

  is there any evidence outside the bible that any of these really happened?

  surely word would have gotten to the "outside world" and there would have been people interested in talking to any direct witnesses concerning these miracles, and then wrote about them for the benefit of others.

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  poppers

  While reading a thread just now on whether the Bible was inspired I got to wondering: there must have been many people who witnessed the miracles the Bible attributes to Jesus. Is there any evidence outside the Bible that any of these really happened? Surely word would have gotten to the "outside world" and there would have been people interested in talking to any direct witnesses concerning these miracles, and then wrote about them for the benefit of others. Did this happen? Does anyone know? I don't recall ever reading accounts of these miracles recorded by anyone outside the writers of the NT.