Posts by AllTimeJeff

85

Is Faith Dangerous? A Question for Believers...

by AllTimeJeff in

i hope this will be as respectful a debate as possible.

here is the premise: many of us (most) seem to be ex jw's on this board.

that means, whatever your motivation, for a time you bought into the theology of jw to one degree or another.

AllTimeJeff

I am bumping this thread up, but for my own posterity's sake, as frankly, to lose ones faith is to have your heart tore out.

Wow have I changed. I am very thankful for this, and other debates. It helped me to start thinking. I hadn't been out of JWs for but a few months when I ventured out on this tricky little subject.

Suffice to say, I no longer think that faith is dangerous. My thinking has evolved.

I do think that faith without questions and doubt, blindly following ideology, is dangerous and should be rejected out of hand. (I'm talking to YOU, organized religion)

But lately, I am coming to the conclusion that religious people are powerful, and that it is their faith, not "god", that gives them their power. And that non-religious people demonstrate faith in many things.

Faith is more powerful than god, I think.

More later. And many thanks to those in my early post JW days, esp to Little Toe, whose arguments I respect more than I did at the time.

68

spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

by soft+gentle in

trying to understand the differences.

started this topic on the xjwsforchrist forum as well and would like to ask jwn posters the same question.

AllTimeJeff

My last comment on this is simply, sin is not the same as right and wrong.

Back to the topic at hand, and many thanks for allowing me to share my view.

68

spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

by soft+gentle in

trying to understand the differences.

started this topic on the xjwsforchrist forum as well and would like to ask jwn posters the same question.

AllTimeJeff

Apostatethunder, right and wrong is different than sin for one reason, the guilt it engenders in the person. Guilt is mentally unhealthy.

Right and wrong should be closely related to "live and let live". Sadly, most (if not all religions) teach that certain behaviors, which are really personal decisions and do not otherwise hurt anyone, are in fact, rejected by "god".

That has nothing to do with right or wrong, that is pure control by religious leaders. It does nothing for the person, nothing for a persons spirituality, and only enhances the control of the religion.

That I have a problem with. THAT is wrong, and a sin over a persons freedom.

I realize that all religions have some of it right, but that doesn't justify the other extraordinary claims, nor the certainty that they give behind their definition of "sin". And that, is harmful to a persons spirituality.

21

Question for ex or current :) bethelites

by EndofMysteries in

if any of you have worked in the mail department or are familiar with how mail is handled.

two questions.

1. if a letter is sent to the main bethel address and the name is "the governing body of jehovah's witnesses", will that letter reach them or is it opened and read by an underling who decides if it works it's way to them.

AllTimeJeff

Maybe on both counts. But thanks to their brainwashing, they have elders open their mail, kiss their butts, and pass on what they deem relevant.

68

No More Missionaries

by Lunatic Faith in

jw
friends

has anyone heard about this?

we received an email from an old friend who is still an elder and doesn't know what we are up to.

"a change, they are no longer training missionaries and sending them into foreign fields.

AllTimeJeff

Btw, as an aside, the absolute best source of JWrumors that aren't true but seem to live forever are from elders who think they know more than what they really do.

68

No More Missionaries

by Lunatic Faith in

jw
friends

has anyone heard about this?

we received an email from an old friend who is still an elder and doesn't know what we are up to.

"a change, they are no longer training missionaries and sending them into foreign fields.

AllTimeJeff

This seems very rumor like to me. Any WT articles on this? I'm not sure this is true. They might discuss it, but that doesn't mean they'll do it.

17

Rutherford Letter To Moyle

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

rutherford letter to moyle.. .

.

bangalore.

AllTimeJeff

If one has time, the Gilead and Bethel libraries are full of old WTs with Ruthrfords bull all in it. Part of my awakening and leaving centered on how much of an idiot Rutherford was and how the GB still insisted that he was prophesied as a leader straight from the bible.

Wonder if he typed this from his mansion in California?

68

spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

by soft+gentle in

trying to understand the differences.

started this topic on the xjwsforchrist forum as well and would like to ask jwn posters the same question.

AllTimeJeff

I think that spirituality and faith are part of the human condition that most religions to one degree or another use to control and often exploit.

One big difference in my view is that a spiritual person need not be burdened with the mind controlling (& brain damaging) concept of sin, which is the main device most religions use for control.

If there were no teachings on what is "sinful", the need for religions to interpret and control the actions of their followers would be nil.

81

What Gilead Taught ME

by AllTimeJeff in

they mean the leadership.

all of this is code for: one who is not ready to really study and accept how the leadership of jehovah's witnesses use the bible to their own self serving means.

but to be fair, jw's teach that most all of these characters refer to the leadership of jehovah's witnesses, the governing body.

AllTimeJeff

Heck no. I'm normal on the outside now. Lol.

Its just easier to bump up what I've already written on the matter as opposed to doing a new one. Lord knows I wrote enough about it.

81

What Gilead Taught ME

by AllTimeJeff in

they mean the leadership.

all of this is code for: one who is not ready to really study and accept how the leadership of jehovah's witnesses use the bible to their own self serving means.

but to be fair, jw's teach that most all of these characters refer to the leadership of jehovah's witnesses, the governing body.

AllTimeJeff

Trying to live. :) I'm still learning that little trick.