Posts by ringo5

106

REALLY Think about it before you post

by avidbiblereader in

there is a lot of threads going back and forth both ways, almost like a battle line has been drawn between believers and atheists.

however, let's just say for the sake of argument, that all religions including the witnesses, are wrong but the bible in itself is right.. everything that it has foretold is going to happen and just as god told noah, in 7 more days i am going to make it rain, but this time he now speaks to all of us and says in just 7 more days i will wipe the earth clean of all those who have or are revolting/disagree against me.. how would you react then?

how would you live your next 7 days?

ringo5

"Stumbled" on this, thought it was pretty funny....

http://wordgasm.com/blog/the-afterlife

Me: Shiver me timbers! So the fairy tales are true after all!
God: In a sense. And you have doubted all your life.
Me: Does that mean I'm going to hell?
God: For being an atheist? Of course! Why wouldn't you be thrown in hell? That's where you belong! You know how we deal with rebels like you.
Me: Then why am I here? In heaven? White clouds all over? Isn't there anything else in here but clouds and those annoyingly happy people behind the golden gates?
God: Actually, you're in the border between heaven and hell. Five steps away is the gate to heaven and behind you is the precipice towards the infernal cesspit of hell.
Me: And I thought it was all fiction!
God: Go on. Take a peek at hell and see if you want to live there for all eternity.
Me: Oh my f#$^ing God! It is hell! Lookit! I even burned my eyebrows!
Satan: Don't listen to that conceited scumbag! Join me! Take all the pleasure as you please—booze, sex, drugs, literature, poetry, the internet—everything is in here!
God: What a pathological liar. Don't listen to him! Just look at all the souls around him! Ninety-nine percent are philosophers, atheists, and scientists, all moaning in pain; nothing of those pleasure-seeking promises whatsoever!
Me: So just why am I in the border between heaven and hell? Is this the final judgment or something?
God: Something like that. You shall have to choose between the two with one condition to consider.
Me: What condition? Of course I want to go to heaven! We're talking about eternity here! Not just millions and trillions and zillions of years but FOREVER!
God: But you already are doomed to perpetual hellfire. I am just giving you this opportunity to repent and finally believe in me.
Me: But you are God! You must know my answer!
God: Of course, I know everything! I know the next word you're going to say and the actions and gestures you're about to commit but I too am doomed to anticipate them and watch them unfurl as expected.
Me: So you know that my first word is "so"? And what about my answer? If you knew my answer before hand then you should've just placed me straight way to my destination.
God: Well, this is still bound to happen. You chose to check me out for yourself if I really do exist. So now that you're here and have known the truth, I might as well grant you repentance as long as you acknowledge my existence.
Me: So you mean I should just believe in you and I will then forever stay in heaven?
God: You're damn right all right!
Me: But what kind of a sick vainglorious God requires man to believe in Him just to be acknowledged of His existence? I mean, you really must have some serious low self-esteem issues and you probably just cover it all up with a veneer of omnipotent authority.
God: I knew you would say that!
Me: And you didn't even have the power to stop me.
God: Of course I had! I just didn't want to ruin your free will!
Me: And you don't have the free will yourself to stop me?
God: What can I say? I was paralyzed from overanalyzing the situation. Off to hell you go then!
Me: I'll leap to hell myself!
God: Wait!
Me: What now?
God: Does that mean you still don't believe in me?
Me: What are you, stupid? I thought you know everything? And f@!k no, even if I've seen you, smelled you, heard you, touched you, and counted all the lines on your wrinkled face, I'd rather believe in myself and in everybody else than in some attention-deprived anal-expulsive Entity seeking to justify His existence!
Satan: Ah, the benefits of eating the apple of knowledge! Come midear, I beckon you to feast with me and all these freethinkers alike. Welcome to Hell! You just made the greatest decision in your life, I mean death, I mean afterlife, you get the drift.
...

44

Your favorite bits of JW folklore

by B_Deserter in

we all hear stories an experiences that happened to a "friend of a friend," and the witnesses are no exception.

they even have their own urban legends.

here are my favorites, and please post yours as well.. 1. watchtower theologists according to one of the old guys i used to pioneer with, there is a super-scary-secret organization of apostates called "watchtower theology.

ringo5

There was the one about the Procter and Gample trademark being demonized, alt

and also one that rumour that mcdonalds used worms in their burgers.

Although, these may not be dub rumours exclusively

57

How ethical is it to sow DOUBT in the minds of sincere Jehovah's Witnesses?

by nicolaou in

we know that we can't always take the direct approach and we know that even a short, reasonable discussion is often out of the question with jw's we may love dearly so we often try to place a little doubt in their minds.

we want them to start questioning cherished beliefs.. is this fair of us?

are we placing our our own agendas ahead of their needs?

ringo5

About as ethical as it is for JWs to sow DOUBT in the minds of sincere Catholics, Protestants, Presbyterians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Shintoists, etc. Turnabout is fair play, IMO
EXACTLY Scully

I think we should aim to use better judgement than they do...

54

CONVERSATION WITH MY JW SISTER LAST NIGHT......

by Mary in

jw
friends

well i guess this was a long time in coming, but yesterday afternoon, my family all got together and had a bbq at my parents' home.

when my parents left at around 6:00pm to drive my one non-dub sister home, my other sister and brother in law (former elder), stayed for a while longer.. we've never discussed my leaving 'the truth' a couple of years ago but she brought it up last night and we started talking about the religion.

everyone had been drinking but no one was drunk, so alot got said.

ringo5

Good for you, I wish I was able to talk to any of my siblings like that and not have them shutdown (does not compute, does not compute, eyes glaze over....)

I would avoid hitting too many subjects at once, and let some of it soak in.

Maybe I would ask, "What would it take to have you realize they not are not God's Org?" And possibly remind her how many times the Jews F^#@d up and lost his approval

57

How ethical is it to sow DOUBT in the minds of sincere Jehovah's Witnesses?

by nicolaou in

we know that we can't always take the direct approach and we know that even a short, reasonable discussion is often out of the question with jw's we may love dearly so we often try to place a little doubt in their minds.

we want them to start questioning cherished beliefs.. is this fair of us?

are we placing our our own agendas ahead of their needs?

ringo5

This is a serious problem!
My husband and I have each been active Witnesses for over sixty years. Most of our immediate family on both sides are Witnesses. Most of the males are elders or ms’s and their wives and kids unthinking followers.
Some we may warn, but for others we would refrain.
The reason we choose not to "educate" some is, that is many ways, the "club" is good for them.
I will give two examples.

1. Older couple, in their seventies. He was a "Congregation Servant" before elders were even thought of, and an elder since the arrangement started in the ‘70’s. They are very happy and have a great support system in their particular congregation. We cannot give them that same support, so feel it wrong to take their hope and support.
2. Younger couple who have three little children, one a baby. Again in their particular congregation there is a good support system. Mainly because there are many other young families and they seem to understand and help each other. Again, for several reasons we cannot fill the support role, so are reluctant to take from them what they have, and need, at the moment.
yesidid

You've illustrated quite well that it is not a black and white issue, but rather alot of gray. Gray thinking is harder and yet is a product of independant thinking, which is a sign of a well rounded apostate :)

In some situations I would definately consider sowing doubt, but my major criteria would have to be their emotional dependancy on the religion and their family, if involved.

32

Holiday pics of the Rockies

by Simon in

jw
friends

we had a trip round the rockies a couple of weeks ago.

is there anywhere more picturesque than this?!.

i still can't believe we live just hours from this .... .

ringo5

Thanks for the pics, Simon. I hope to do that tour again, the scenery never ceases to inspire.
I did a little camping trip west of the Rockies a couple weeks ago in the Cascades, not near the altitude but still nice. ("Rockies Lite" ?)

A couple pics

70

For Christians: Grace vs. Forgiveness

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

i have been trying to sort this out scripturally, and would like to get input from christians on how these two concepts differ and/or overlap.

please be liberal with scriptures to support statements.

i think there may be others who are trying to figure this out for themselves, too.

ringo5

Only sand and sand believers, PLEASE!

119

Anyone Else from Canada?

by Miss 8572 in

i'm really intrigued by that fact that i may know some of you and yet not know that i know you.

i just want to know how many people from canada are here.

if you don't mind and don't care about posting your province (cause i'm too timid to) we could all get an idea of just how many canucks are really out there.

ringo5

har! what I remember of Janet is she used to eat so that no food ever touched her lips. Apparently she couldn't afford to replace her lipstick very often so she would open her mouth very wide and shove everything far in. That way she didn't have to re-apply.
I'm sure none of the good little jw boys noticed this particular trick. haha

Damn, you should have gave me a nudge, nudge with that one. I would have asked my parents to have them over for dinner more often. Oh, the stories CO's wives could tell, it would make for a good short story compilation, including how a couple could keep a marital relationship working while living in different believers homes every week and the trials of keeping their dresses ironed properly. Maybe those flowery dresses hid the wrinkles better? Chow, ringo5

119

Anyone Else from Canada?

by Miss 8572 in

i'm really intrigued by that fact that i may know some of you and yet not know that i know you.

i just want to know how many people from canada are here.

if you don't mind and don't care about posting your province (cause i'm too timid to) we could all get an idea of just how many canucks are really out there.

ringo5

She had lips?

119

Anyone Else from Canada?

by Miss 8572 in

i'm really intrigued by that fact that i may know some of you and yet not know that i know you.

i just want to know how many people from canada are here.

if you don't mind and don't care about posting your province (cause i'm too timid to) we could all get an idea of just how many canucks are really out there.

ringo5

Hey, I'm sure that all the young boys at the time thought that Gary Willichuk's wife Janet was pretty hot as CO's wives go. ;)

I seem to remember a couple of nice things about her...