humbled

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Posts by humbled

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  169

  Challenge to Athiests - is Religion a Pox on Mankind?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've spent the last few years examining my core beliefs to test what still stands.

  i've let go of an inviolate bible, demoted jesus to a failed prophet, and god as unable to act against injustice.

  our universe made itself.

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  humbled

  What a journey!

  It is somewhat what this struggle is...."a movement and a rest"-- Thomas' gospel
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  26

  Do you feel guilty?

  by Justmenthedogs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so while i was out hiking with the dogs today i got to thinking about this forum and was wondering how many of you still feel guilty from time to time for leaving?

  i do, i miss my family at times but then i think about the life that i have created and i have a good one, i have good friends and i am happy, happier then i ever was as a jw.

  i was just wondering if others feel the same way sometimes..

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  humbled

  I have no family left behind in the cult. But even if I did--did I leave them in a burning building to save only myself? NO!!!!

  You DID save your life, in a sense. But, honestly, what can anyone do to get others out of their twilight sleep?

  Maybe do just what you are doing--having a great life out in the wilds with your dogs!

  NO GUILT FOR ME. My dear friends for 22 years don't talk to me anymore. But what can I do for them?

  No, no guilt. Enjoy yourself.
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  26

  "Is my life now more meaningful, and am I happier?"

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so the question is posed in this week's watchtower study at our former cult's houses of indoctrination.

  i should like to answer it, and i should like to hear your answers too.. the question is in two parts, and i shall address each one in turn.. q. is my life more meaningful?.

  my life is more meaningful.

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  humbled

  Julia,

  Your post today is a huge lift. Your journal on JWN has been so real, so open. Julia, you are so going into your life--thank you, thank you for haing so honestly. You are reaping your own reward for being so honest--with yourself first of all. And you are kind.

  I expect we'll here less of you now--and that is good. You are walking into a busy world, a busy future.

  All the best,

  Maeve
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  58

  Christians please answer something for me

  by confusedandalone in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  or should i say some things.... reading over another thread and a number of other threads i have to ask, why are we making excuses for jesus / god.. how can you fathom and all powerful god who created the universe and all the laws that govern it was not capable of:.

  1. making sure the proper pronunciation of his name is not available.

  2. that all his teaching are not preserved in an easy to discern manner so that ther is no confusion.

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  humbled

  Try this for a how the scriptures were presented in black and white:

  newmedia.eng.haifa.ac.il/?p=2043

  (I don't know how to make this clickable)

  I took a copy of this to the elder when I was in trouble. This crude way of writing--how could they fault me for not agreeing with the WT view of reality?*

  If if gets to you the same way it has gotten to me, I can't see how any story isn't mistaken from how it is in the mind of it's first "teller". It just seemed wrong to make a religion out of these writings. It seems that every man for himself--And, if there is a god he/she would understand how confused we are at the crap information we've got to work with.

  *They didn't care, BTW.
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  9

  A potsherd with writing from the time of King David--How 'bout that?

  by not a captive in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  writing on a potsherd found over a year ago in qeiyafa near the elah valley has been deciphered by professor gershon galil of the university of haifa.

  it is said to be the oldest known extant inscription in the hebrew language.

  the potsherd was radiocarbon dated to c. 1000 bc which is around the time of king david.

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  humbled

  Confusedandalone,

  You might have known this already.... but this is some of the writing used to transmit bible stories.

  Really rough stuff.

  When the elders were taking me to task for trying to think about the way the bible was translated, I found this story about a potsherd with writing on it.

  I got a copy of the weird writing and enlarged it. I showed it to them. I asked how could anyone work out theology from this kind of writing--I mean, people burnt at the stake (and disfellowshipped) over this stuff!

  Guess how much they cared?

  P.S. Originally this was posted right after I was in trouble and soon to be " announced" as "no longer one of......."

  Sorry you are having a rough time.
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  58

  What do you say if you get asked "Are you an Apostate?"

  by KateWild in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am reuniting with past students and return visits.. i met up with a young lad i used to call on.

  he is not baptised, but at university in his 20's and living away from home.

  his mother is a jw and his father is not.

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  humbled

  Kate,

  when I was searching for some answers about "truth" lol, I found an archive with a letter from a Gallic bishop of the 5th century--the note was a response to a "new lite" edict that now made his old lite heretical. He responded--"But no, YOU are the heretics!"

  Apostates? What a laugh that they hit anyone over the head with that question!
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  153

  Jesus' Teachings - Helpful or Harmful?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  spinning off from another thread, have jesus' teachings been less than universally helpful to mankind?

  how do we measure if a particular philosophy is helpful or harmful?.

  i am going to use the "universal morals" listed here.

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  humbled

  It is hard to be honest about what i feel about faith.

  Kate said "So am I sinning against the spirit now expressing my thoughts?"

  I figure that sinning against the spirit is the same as lying to yourself.
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  153

  Jesus' Teachings - Helpful or Harmful?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  spinning off from another thread, have jesus' teachings been less than universally helpful to mankind?

  how do we measure if a particular philosophy is helpful or harmful?.

  i am going to use the "universal morals" listed here.

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  humbled

  Confusedandalone--

  You aren't the only one in a twilight zone. Some of us came off the thread about a tsunami. Some of us find the OT just short of a dog-and-pony show.

  Personally, I like Jesus' teachings-- even if he isn't a god/man. I don't think he was. Part of the problem with saying"god/man" is that I really don't think god is who I thought he was. And I don't know who he is or isn't now.

  As for ears hearing...Who knew that would step on so many toes.

  Cofty, I spent a bit of effort on that bit about St. Teresa--It was a point in keeping with the discussion.If your ears heard that bit, acknowledge please.

  Zound, Jgnat, or anyone else stung by the offending phrase: I repent. I apologize. My own hearing has been called into question. If there is meaning beyond some basic things from Jesus, I do not hear it. But he has helped me--if I heard him right.
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  153

  Jesus' Teachings - Helpful or Harmful?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  spinning off from another thread, have jesus' teachings been less than universally helpful to mankind?

  how do we measure if a particular philosophy is helpful or harmful?.

  i am going to use the "universal morals" listed here.

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  humbled

  Confusedandalone,

  Do you think it would help if Jesus wrote an accurate gospel?

  If he did, the churches would burn it up--first thing. Or better yet: have someone anointed explain it to us.
• 
  153

  Jesus' Teachings - Helpful or Harmful?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  spinning off from another thread, have jesus' teachings been less than universally helpful to mankind?

  how do we measure if a particular philosophy is helpful or harmful?.

  i am going to use the "universal morals" listed here.

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  humbled

  Hummingbird,

  "If you have ears to hear" isn't an insult to us, IMO. It is a phrase that shows up in the sayings of Jesus sometimes.

  I used it because I am disagreeing with cofty over a scripture from the gospel of Thomas.

  He maintains that Jesus' saying about women which he supplied in his post shows that Jesus was a misogynist.

  I maintain that the scripture expresses the equal value of women to men--a concept completely foreign in Jewish society at that time.

  Who is right? The one who has ears to hear :)

  Maybe cofty is right. Who will judge?

  Each of us has to decide for ourselves. It is an odd saying.