poppers

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Posts by poppers

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  22

  Am I only encouraging JWs?

  by kristyann in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i go to this one store, i usually stop into the laundromat next door to it about once a week and pull out all of the awakes and watchtowers.

  there used to usually be about 3 or 4 per week.

  now, it seems that they are putting more and more in there.

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  poppers

  Why don't you put stickers on them with the JWD website.
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  50

  Put a caption to the photo's . . . . .

  by nicolaou in

  1. social
  2. humour

  .

  all taken from the 2003 convention at the millenium stadium in cardiff.

  the phrase "rattling about" comes to mind.

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  poppers

  How about, "It behooves us to watch the grass grow."
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  37

  What do you call people who adopt other opinions without researching them?

  by DavidChristopher in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was talking to two elders yesterday..... i was confronted about the whole "bad associations" question.

  i asked them what "bad associations" were.

  they have no idea what bad associations are to the author, only their opinions and the opinions of their chosen leaders.

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  poppers

  I'd call them "sleepwalkers". They are walking around but never really cognizant of what's going on.
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  154

  Do you still believe?

  by Chimene in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have found a lot of people no longer believe in god or jesus since leaving the organization.. im very shocked at this.

  if you dont believe, can you tell me what brought to that conclusion?.

  i was told to look at the thread that one of the members in this forum has created, they are very interesting, but i wanted to get a some feed back from different individuals.. thanks!

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  poppers

  startingover, yes - contemplating this takes you into the mind, and when in the mind one will miss what is being pointed to. The mind will mull things over based on what it already knows, trying to come to some sort of conclusion. What is being pointed to has nothing to do with coming to any conclusion. Your essential nature is already the case, it is here now, always. Mental activity draws attention away from that essential nature.
  Let yourself be fully absorbed in whatever is presenting itself to you, and return to that when you notice thoughts arising. I'm sure you have some sort of hobby that you do which you become totally absorbed in. When those times happen you will notice that "time" has a way of standing still, and that "you" aren't present as an idea in your head. Rather, you will notice that you are simply fully present with no mind activity at all - there is just the activity going on, and there is the experience of peace. These momentary instances are examples of returning to your natural state, but there can be a continuous meeting of everything while in the natural state, and this is what JT is pointing to.
  poppers
• 
  154

  Do you still believe?

  by Chimene in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have found a lot of people no longer believe in god or jesus since leaving the organization.. im very shocked at this.

  if you dont believe, can you tell me what brought to that conclusion?.

  i was told to look at the thread that one of the members in this forum has created, they are very interesting, but i wanted to get a some feed back from different individuals.. thanks!

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  poppers

  startingover said, "Please don't take this as anything but my own personal observation, but for some time I have read JamesThomas's posts with interest. I have read them and reread them, like the ones on this thread. But for the life of me I can't fathom what you are saying. I'd like to but for whatever reason I just can't connect. Am I alone in feeling that way?"
  JamesThomas is pointing to something which cannot be put into words, but is the very foundation of what you actually are - you ARE what he is pointing towards in your essential nature, that's why you are drawn to them. You cannot understand with your MIND what he is getting at, but you can FEEL a resonance with it because where he is speaking FROM and TO is the very same thing.
  Most people who struggle with what JT is saying are also trying to understand it with their minds. The open secret is to not rely on the mind at all because the mind is nothing but accumulated ideas and condtioning. Instead, be fully present with what is here right now in front of you - that's enough, really. Be fully present with what is and then be alert to when the mind comes in and makes judgments or slaps labels on what is; when you catch yourself doing that, simply return to what is actually appearing before you. Try doing this while outside and surrounded by nature - this may be a good first step. Later, you will be able to do this in every situation. The effect of this is to keep you centered in the present moment, the only moment that exists. When you are consciously in the present moment the "you" that you take yourself to be is no longer dominating the scene, for that "you" cannot exist except as a concept in the mind. When fully present, the mind is at rest and there is an openness and acceptance of everything and everyone around you. As an additional aid, I would recommend reading Eckhart Tolle's book, "The Power of Now". He gives advice on how to remain fully present.
  Best wishes to you,
  poppers
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  11

  what do you belive

  by jak3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello i am not a jw but would like to know what is it that you belive and why and how you prove it bibliclay and what any of you think of the teachings good or bad is welcomed thank you

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  poppers

  Hey, Still Angry - now, why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel! Good post.
  
  poppers,
  A fellow Wisconsonite
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  21

  Where is true religion?

  by snarf in

  1. social
  2. current

  can anyone tell me of a religious organization that preaches truth?

  or are all organizations full of lies and man made beliefs?

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  poppers

  "Hi ever heard about that old time religion? Well think about it for a moment."
  So? What's that got to do with whether it's "true" or not? Just because something is "old" doesn't mean it's true.
  All religion is based on some sort of belief, and BELIEF is not truth itself. No belief can touch whatever "truth" is.
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  39

  Discussion with my parents about WTS

  by GBSJG in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after reading for a few months this is my first post here.

  i was raised a jehovah's witness by my parents who became jw's in the late '70s from field service.

  i'm still a jw but doing a lot of researching on the history of the wts.

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  poppers

  Welcome to the board. It's nice to know that you can have such an open discussion with your parents. I was struck by what you said,
  "They said that as long as you believe the important doctrines and don't go talking about your doubts or alternative doctrines with others with the purpose to bring the WTS in a bad light it is not apostate or at least my parents don't consider it as begin apostate. They also said that they have discussed some other minor things with other JWs with who they feel they could talk about these things without undermining their faith in the WTS."
  Notice the tendency to tip toe around things, and the underlying fear. Honest doubts shouldn't generate fear, and having such doubts doesn't necessarily mean you are trying to undermine the WTS. But, I would be willing to bet that your parents wouldn't bring those honest doubts to the attention of the elders.
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  8

  The end of faith

  by poppers in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  has anyone heard of sam harris and read his book, "the end of faith"?

  http://samharris.org/ .

  sam harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life.

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  poppers

  Hey, thank guys for your input. It sounds interesting.
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  8

  The end of faith

  by poppers in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  has anyone heard of sam harris and read his book, "the end of faith"?

  http://samharris.org/ .

  sam harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life.

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  poppers

  Has anyone heard of Sam Harris and read his book, "The End of Faith"?
  http://samharris.org/
  
  From Amazon.com:
  
  Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
  Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith, though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife. Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave "something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
  
  Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your book.--Ed Dobeas