i truly hope you don't get trite, cliche, anecdotal, or sarcastic, but share with us what you really believe/feel/think.
i will start: for me, i define "success" as peace of mind.
mine.
Success for me is independance and family. I'm self employed and make my own schedule which affords me time to do things at my own pace. For my family, leaving the WTS was a big step. My childhood was marred by religous limitations so my goal is to break the cycle and give my children the chances I didn't have available.
In all, I could die tomorrow and my only regret would be missing being a part of my family's life for longer. I am quite content otherwise.
it has been over a month and a half since i have even been on the board, and that really only to ask about gps units (got a tom-tom) and mention the new job.
way too busy with life - post jw now 4 years.. of course, the new job has benefits, health insurance, etc.
(including unlimited use of the company car for personal use and the company pays for the unlimited gas for about a $25/week out of my check -- huge benefit) and this has enabled toni and i to finally after a two year engagement, to get married.
congrats snakes! Nice to watch someone's life unfold from that a JW with doubts to being completely out and enjoying life free of the tower's influence!
(ps. You may be 'snakes' now, but I remember when you were 'sankes' )
are witnesses just being good employees following corporate policy or is this a religious cult?
opinions welcomed.
peaceall paulnotsaul .
I feel they were a cult under Rutherford, but after he died, the subsequent leaders were merely believers. With the removal of the "president" position in the 70's, they have become more legalistic and I classify them as a high control religious corporation.
The wtbts really doesn't seem to care about it's members. So long as growth is positive they don't care about people leaving. It's merely turnover. Keep the "customers" focused and busy and apostates are merely a PR problem.
the execution of seal team six (part 1) posted on august 7, 2011 by texasfred.
osama bin laden has been dead for years.
bin laden wasnt in that compound because bin laden has been dead for years.. .
It all sounds marvelous and ripe with conspiracy.
I guess my only question is, if Bin Ladin died years ago, why would Al-Qaeda confirm the attack and killing?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/05/06/al-qaeda-osama-050611.html
I am stretched to come up with a reason that they would confirm the killing if they know it is a blatent lie. It was a massive blow to the group, you would think that proving someone died years earlier would be rather easy to prove.. you know, by providing a DNA sample from his real body.
or could we be immortal?.
what is consciousness?
is it not the formation and function of the organ we call the brain?
If our bodies were disease free and didn't age, there are still hazards that can kill a body. In our current world the average age would be ~1700 years old.
I think we'd have a much greater respect for life if we lived longer and do away with dangerous occupations. If we could come up with a safer mode of transportation and work than life is estimated between 10k-20k years old before some accident takes us out.
In all, we are all mortal so long as we have bodies that can be killed.
Everyone having an immortal soul would be a wonderful thing to behold. The afterlife filled with spirits of people, all pissed off that they don't have their heaven and no means to kill each other or intimidate others into joining their cause.
what if the gb somehow finally did admit they were wrong about 607 and 1914- what percentage of publishers do you think would remain active?.
Witnesses aren't about previous teachings, it's about fearing death. Most religions require you to die to discover if they are right or not. Witnesses are cocky enough to say "You'll never die, you'll keep living right into eternal life"
For people that fear death, it's a great hope. After they grow old on empty promises and changing teachings, I'm sure most old witnesses just shurg and think "well I spent this much in, I guess I might as well be faithful to the end"
If they ever take away the "end is just around the corner" teaching they would lose more members than any change to "old light"
with every passing magazine and assembly, i ask myself, why?.
why does the governing body care?
the diatribes against college, against the internet and i-phones and vampire movies and afterschool sports and social networks and everything new, interesting or useful in the world, why?
I think it's like the emperor's new clothes. Each governing body member likely reached out to solidify their faith. To hear Jehovah speaking to you as his representative would validate a lifetime of service.
Once appointed, there was no voice, no validation but each playing the part. All of them admiring each others new clothes afraid to point out they're all naked.
btw, I appologize for that example. Picturing the GB naked was never the intent of this post.
its the height of the summer here and i think my eldery cat is not drinking enough.
his urine smells strong like human patients that i used to work with did when they hadn't drunk enough.. hes got fresh water down all the time, but hes not touching it?.
I have a twelve year old cat and recently looked up to see what symptoms of a cat dying from old age are. Unfortunately refusing to drink or eat is one. I hope this isn't the case for your cat, but it might be a place to start researching. Our cat is just old and sleeps most of the day when he used to be active, so I didn't go into reading with how to handle a cat not eating or drinking. I hope you are able to find something out for your cat.
and may you all have peace!
this is another general question for the board and i ask your indulgence because i am trying to understand how others think.
if there truly is no god/god... what is wrong with the existence of religion?
AGuest, I feel that you are jumping back and forth between specific examples and then broad generalization.
As I understood the original question, if I don't believe in God, why would it matter to me what a religion believes? I realize you can't paint all religions with the same brush, so my point is, I take exception to religions that try to force others through legal means to adhere to their own morality.
I define morality in this context as personal actions that don't physically impact others.
If your relgious beliefs don't condemn and seek to force reform on others, then that is great. But wouldn't that put them outside of this particular discussion? Or are you asserting that so long as there are a handful of relgions that don't have a political agenda that nonbelievers should tollerate religious amendments to our legal code?
and may you all have peace!
this is another general question for the board and i ask your indulgence because i am trying to understand how others think.
if there truly is no god/god... what is wrong with the existence of religion?
If there is NO God/god, then... I would like to know what some of you think it any different from all of the other commerical enterprises out there. If some of the leaders are just taking advantage of people who perhaps have a spiritual need... how is that different from those who take other kinds of advantages of people? If there is no God/god... shouldn't they be allowed to exist, too, simply because of "law" of supply and demand? People WANT religion - why shouldn't they HAVE it?
If religions just focused on spiritual needs of their groups, I wouldn't have a problem with it.
Take a look at two hot issues, gay marriage and abortion. Why are religions not content to focus on the spiritual needs of their groups and lobby to have their spiritual needs forced on non members?
In an example of smoking, I personally feel it is a vice and I don't approve. But I would have the same reaction I do to religion if they lobbied governments to force me to smoke by law.
It's the step beyond personal belief to that of enforcing one's personal beliefs on others that I have an issue with.
