i downloaded a ton of 'the teaching company' lectures on the formation of christianity and the gnostics, and have been reading books on the creation of the bible for the past six months or so.
if you havent looked into this stuff already, i'm telling ya it is some really facinating stuff.
are you at all like me and have become more interested in the bible since realizing it isn't inspired??
the only problem i have with "bible believers" is that they often imply that its only through some defect that everyone doesn't believe.
Same as the dubs. If you don't believe as they do then there's something wrong with YOU.
(sweet tee of the 'so what I'ma goat' class)
which jw doctrines, collective personality traits and general history do you find to be the most destructive or disagreeable?
i personally found the doctrine of the other sheep which makes the christ inaccesible to most jws, the devilishly complicated moral code, and the hideously totalitarian behaviour of their leadership to be the worst things on a long list that i've prepared regarding what's unacceptable to me in that society.
i remember when i was arguing with the elders about the fds and their claim to total spiritual supremacy and they were telling me that the idea of democracy departs completely from their way of thinking, here they have a theocracy and that even "talking about the right things at the wrong time" is basically a crime in other words sit and wait for the fds to reveal it at the so called right time, and i should accept things as they are and not as i want them to be otherwise i get thrown out.
just a way to stop you telling your loved ones what you found out when you left.
The gossip and the cover-ups when ones like Ray Franz (and many, most or all of us) leave the org; alienating of friends and family, total life control, demonizing people who disagree with the belief system.
i forced my husband to confess to the elders that we were having os!
damn that was stupid ... he was great at it .
i also made him tell the brothers that he changed a number on our temporary license tag (don't laugh!
I did eventually wise up and keep them out of my business. I remember one couple who went and talked to the elders about their sexual positions. The sister was very, very pregnant and they asked if it was alright for them to do it 'doggy style'. The elders (one of them was in his late 70's) told them that Jehovah created us to do it missionary style. I ALMOST cussed when I heard that. I told the couple it was no body's business how they 'did it' ... that was too much for me.
There are some things I did against the 'org that I didn't bother telling ... going to church for a funeral and other 'association' things.
i downloaded a ton of 'the teaching company' lectures on the formation of christianity and the gnostics, and have been reading books on the creation of the bible for the past six months or so.
if you havent looked into this stuff already, i'm telling ya it is some really facinating stuff.
are you at all like me and have become more interested in the bible since realizing it isn't inspired??
here here a christian, i think we all know that from most of the replies people get from there postings, SAD that all of these people are so lost. but here's hoping
Read the title of this thread ... if you believe that the bible is inspired that's good for you. Not everyone believes as you do - not because of hardheartedness but due to acquired knowledge outside of the bible itself among many, many other things. There is a whole universe we know nothing about and the bible does not spell that out for us. It is for us humans to learn throughout our lifetimes about ourselves and the world around us. Again, if you believe that the bible is the only source you need to guide you in this life then so be it. Others of us are open to learning, comparing, experiencing, and drawing conclusions based on critical thinking. Many on this board have been to college since leaving the org. - opened up a whole new world for me.
I used to believe because I was taught to believe ... now I will believe what I choose to and TRULY do believe in. If I were born in a Muslim family I would probably believe in Allah and the Koran ... etc. I cannot say that I believe that the bible is the inspired word of an almighty God. But my experience tells me that there is God within me.
i forced my husband to confess to the elders that we were having os!
damn that was stupid ... he was great at it .
i also made him tell the brothers that he changed a number on our temporary license tag (don't laugh!
I forced my husband to confess to the elders that we were having OS! Damn that was stupid ... he was GREAT at it
I also made him tell the brothers that he changed a number on our temporary license tag (don't laugh! If we didn't tell all we were going to get it at armageddon!!!! ... You know this to be true (lol)
(sweet tee of the terminally guiltridden class)
they took 15 minutes to remind us of the dangers of the internet.
be careful to whom you chat with.
make sure it's with "good" jw your chatting with, they said.. what they didn't say was, where the heck do you go to chat with a jw online?
Because of all the stuff I've read out here, I'm NEVER going back Where else can you so easily find out the truth about the 'troof' in the privacy of your own home (or library).
But it's too late ... the genie is out of the bottle and it's never going back in that cramped up bottle with mauve and purple decor, speckled carpeting uncomfortable chairs full of the insipid spirit of arrogance, life postponed, judgemental, hypocritical, apocolyptic bulls**t ever again.
(sweet tee of the 'internet is a gift from God class')
i've been looking at past posting about the un scandal and was wondering what the r&f dub knows about the situation.. have they all been fed the line about the library card or has there been no official announcement and been dealt with only if particular publishers bring the subject up?.
is it an issue that has caused disquiet in the congrgation or is it still not known to a great extent by members?.
zaphod
I have to say that although I was shocked when I first heard about it, it's not such a big deal to me now that I'm out ... just another example of their duplicity.
The biggest thing to me is the pedophile issue. The way they harped on the Catholic church about the issue when they knew full well that the same thing was happening in the org. really and trully burns my socks !!!!! That they allow pedophiles to hide themselves in the congregation and expose the 'friend's' children these monsters ... it's beyond my ability to communicate how much this outrages me.
BUT ... if I WERE still in the org. and learned about this UN thingy I would be devastated. No - I could not sweep it under the rug. God's clean organization aligned with the WILD BEAST? Totally unacceptable. If I weren't out now I'd be on my way. How can some people just turn their brains off? If they can accept that I think they'll accept anything.
a small group of us who grew up together try and get together every few months.
we went to this mexican restaurant and there was a group of witnesses there.. the tension was so thick.
one of the guys there saw 2 elders who served on his jc.
Big UPS to you and your group unbeliever. Never should WE be ashamed to speak THE TRUTH!
I hope there was a doubter in the group and that what they heard will have some impact.
Armageddon could still come any day huh? Puhleaazzee ... I heard that crap 20 years ago ... any day now ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i just finished "state of fear" by michael crichton.
it's his usual mix of great story-telling, did-he-really-die suspense, and his take on science.
very readable and enjoyable.
Thanks for sharing almost ... it is a very good quote. I can't imagine living the rest of my life in that fog of false belief - or any other false belief system. Theres a great mag out there called ode ... it is very enlightening. It talks about issues all over the world, how we can be better people and how we can help impoverished countries. One issue talked about how much better off we'd be if there were no religion in the world. Check it out:
one point that has played many times on my mind (and is fairly central to my world view) is that if god exists its up to him to prove it.
what would it take for you to accept god?
starters for ten: .
UD Said: I think everyone needs to give "religion" a rest, and just live decent lives without sweating the details (like the Pharisees) and just be good little humans making the most of our short time here by working hard and enjoying ourselves. Gee... that's even in the Bible.
That's my stance on it too. I don't know the answers. But my 'common sense' tells me that it is most likely impossible that any person can live up to the Bible's moral code. Any takers on that? So, since I know I can't live up to that and have no faith in organized religion (which is a HUGE money maker) I just try to live the best life I can and treat others the way I want to be treated. And try to save 10% of my income for retirement rather than give it to somebody's ministry.
This releases me from the burdens of guilt for not living up to the Bible God's perfect standards; and fear of the end of the world, hellfire, etc. For me life is much better here. But as I've said before, some people NEED Religion. More power to you. I am no man's judge on that one.
Also, do you think the fact that the majority of mankind expect God to either save or destroy the earth affects the way they treat it? I mean, if God can straighten everything out, why worry about pollution or global warming, depletion of earths natural resources, clean drinking water, extinction of plants, insects and animals .....?
(sweet tee of the 'on account I used to be one' class)
