I think psychologically it's similar to a child's love/fear of a parent. When you truly believe that God exists and cares about you, listens to prayers, holds you accountable for your actions, etc. then you can develop strong emotional bonds.
fahrvegnugen
JoinedPosts by fahrvegnugen
-
30
'I love Jehovah'! What is that supposed to mean?
by Gill ini'd like someone to explain to me, why so many people come out with the phrase, 'i love jehovah'?.
what is it that they're meant to be loving?.
jehovah was a pretty nasty war god of the israelites.
-
-
-
20
A kindler, gentler, WTB&TS?
by FaithfulDoubter inok, i've looked 3 times now through the new study book: what the bible really teaches and i can't find 1 depection of armageddon in it.
(if i'm wrong, someone please point it out!
) is this the beginning of the society trying to create a more loving image?
-
-
fahrvegnugen
these things come from the bible its self
I agree with you 100% PMJ.
And it's all the more reason to see the Bible for what it is--the mythological beliefs and ancient philosophies of a bygone era.
-
20
A kindler, gentler, WTB&TS?
by FaithfulDoubter inok, i've looked 3 times now through the new study book: what the bible really teaches and i can't find 1 depection of armageddon in it.
(if i'm wrong, someone please point it out!
) is this the beginning of the society trying to create a more loving image?
-
-
fahrvegnugen
those pictures made me feel bad for the ones that got killed but they never gave me nightmares about myself
My experience was the same. I only remember dreaming about Armageddon once--and it was great. Fire and sulfur were raining down from the sky, mayhem was all around, while angels were protecting the faithful--and then I woke up.
-
23
More Watchtower Double Speak!
by gumby inavove is a 1999 km quote pages 3-6 on the dangers of the internet.. .
you don't need to read all this.
just read the opening line and paragraph 19.....then read paragraph 22. in summary, the opening line below says... the watchtower does all our research for us and we need not look elsewhere.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
The Society is fighting a losing battle on this one. How many JWs actually STOP going to any particular online sites as a result of such warnings? My guess is--none.
This is like the constant harping on not wearing casual clothing after an assembly session, or not listening to rap music. The ones who were doing it already will just keep on doing it since they consider it nobody else's business anyway.
-
26
Has anyone seen "Grizzly Man"?
by Low-Key Lysmith ini just watched this amazing and beautifully filmed documentary about a crazy, crazy man who lived with alaskan brown bears and ultimately was killed by them.
this film is really interesting.
the guy it's about is nuttier than squirrel poop.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
I haven't seen the show but I've read about him. I grew up in Alaska and I can tell you that it is a magnet for all kinds of characters and nutcases. The guy you're talking about was one of these, "bears won't attack people, they're our friends," type of guys. Well, in the end he and his girlfriend apparently got to be very close friends with the inside of a grizzly's stomach.
-
6
Franz's and Jonssons's work
by truth finder inthere exists many interesting facts in direct conflict with the watchtower society, or are just not brought forward for some reason or another by the watchtower society.
this is a well known fact amongst many observers, and previous witnesses, that the watchtower society either hides the evidence by not mentioning anything about the material, or indirectly by misquoting the source (as is the case of the ante-nicene fathers).
i have selection from raymond franzs crisis of conscience.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
Johnsson got thrown out by the FDS for the effort he made to assert the correct chronology on Jerusalem's fall. Excommunicating scholars interested in historical accuracy shows what the WTS is all about, you may be justified in expelling members for moral misdeeds, but for their positions on history....
I couldn't agree with you more. Especially when you consider how often the society's chronology has had to be readjusted over the years (as Johnsson's book points out). When I began to have serious doubts about JWs, I bought this book and studied it every day on my lunch break at work. It's phenomenal.
-
21
What were your plans for self-improvement in the New System?
by Low-Key Lysmith ini had some serious goals!.
i was going to skydive (hey, nobody dies in the new system, right?).
frolick with grizzly bears and swim with great whites.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
I was going to have a tiger, to ride on, like He-man. Awesome.
When we were kids, my best freind and I always said we were going to ride cougars. Why cougars? I have no idea
-
13
An unexpected visit
by InquiryMan inmy family and i stopped being active witnesses some 3 and a half years ago.
we did the fade thing, thus we are neither das nor df.
before we stopped, i served as an elder.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
This illustrates a point that seems to be lost on some members of this board: Not all JWs follow the dictates of the Society in every matter of their lives.
When I first became a Witness, I couldn't understand why some people I looked to as "strong in the truth" seemed to skirt some of the JW rules, or outright contradict them. For example, I knew many who had regular involvement with DF'd relatives living outside the household, including elders and pioneers. I know an elder and his family on the east coast who have celebrated birthdays for years (it is a poorly kept secret in his congregation, yet he continues to serve as an elder). I know another elder who has occasionaly paid for massages complete with happy endings.
In my mind I always thought: Why remain as a JW if you're faith is not strong enough to motivate you to follow the moral code? In other words, when I believed it was "the truth," I lived it. When I realized it wasn't the truth, I got out.
I've occasionally discussed this with my fleshly brother (still a nominal JW) and his take on it is the following: Many JWs who are decent, reasonable people, end up finding a balance between JW rules and the realities of living in this world and having real relationships with the people around them. Most still believe that the basic fundamentals of the faith are true, but feel that a lot of the rest should be "conscience matters" that are no one's business but their own.
Others may even doubt the "truth" entirely, but their families are JWs, their friends are JWs, their entire life is enmeshed with JWs--and they simply decide that leaving is not worth the turmoil and fallout that would ensue. Hence they go through the motions but privately do as they please.
-
76
Is the Watchtower Society strong enough to win this war with the internet?
by jack w incould it be that the wts actually thinks it can win this war?
i mean, they are forcing sites to close down, suing the people that run them etc.
i wonder if this is the way they want to "handle" the internet problem.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
Plenty of others have already said it quite well, but I'll add my voice to the mix:
No they can't win this war. Just like communist China, they are discovering that trying to keep people from communicating and learning via the web is a losing proposition. As long as the web is available, people are only going to become more and more savvy at using it to spread information. I think it will hasten either the transformation or the demise of JWs, but it won't happen overnight.
-
31
I can't stand it so I must post this creationist respond if you can
by skyman ini can't stand it i got to post.
the grand canyon actually disprove creationist because granit rock is the toughest of rocks found on earth.
the grand canyon has areas filled only with granit rock.
-
-
fahrvegnugen
Kaibab Limestone Toroweap Formation Coconino Sandstone Hermit Shale Supai Formation Redwall Limestone Mauv Limestone Bright Angel Shale Tapeats Sandstone Vishnu Schist
Yes my understanding is that the Grand Canyon is primarily made up of layers of shale (mudstone), sandstone, and limestone. It is these alternating layers of sedimentary rock which are responsible for the shape of the canyon walls, alternating between vertical faces and crumbling sloped layers, depending on the strength of the rock layer. Here is a diagram illustrating the layers and the time periods in which they formed:
