Posts by humbled

57

The Watchtower religion(JWS), that really couldn't fail, from beginning to ........

by Finkelstein in

when one looks back retrospectively at the very beginning of this organization, you could see that the wts.. was on a structural platform of success, created by cunningly created doctrines, such as the invisible return of.

christ, the end times and the imminently soon to come armageddon, all bundled together.. .. this religious organization like so many others established in the united states was unregulated and had.

no upper governing control over its daily operations.. they proclaimed and taught what they wanted to or needed to sustain their operations as a publishing house.. .

humbled

Dear Dog,

the sure evidence that you have the mind of christ is to be thrown out ot the organization for simply stickingup for a low-status person who said they wanted to read the bible instead of parroting the "literature".

My friend and elder couldn't say that a t the first committee meeting at which this was the topic. he always said that he had the mind of christ as his focus. But when I asked him in front of the other elders if I had to read the answer from the bible or from the Book of Bible stories---He wouldn't even answer.

Not the mind of christ--and he was the best elder I ever knew or heard of.

2596

The Pastor of my Old Church Tried to Re-Convert Me Yesterday

by cofty in

yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.

we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.

they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.

humbled

thanks, Jgnat, for the link to Schweitzer and cofty for Brabazonis definition of Reverence for life--the extention of the Golden Rule into nature. Not humans only.

Another thread, perhaps, jgnat?

26

Interview with a former Bethelite who now knows TTATT

by RayPublisher in

if you like these here's one with a fellow that has gotten his family out recently:.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3nqfprloog.

humbled

thanks for this, Ray and Trevor.

169

Challenge to Athiests - is Religion a Pox on Mankind?

by jgnat in

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.

humbled

What a journey!

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

26

Do you feel guilty?

by Justmenthedogs in

jw
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..

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.

26

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

by Julia Orwell in

jw
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.

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

58

Christians please answer something for me

by confusedandalone in

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.

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.

9

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

by not a captive in

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.

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.

58

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

by KateWild in

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.

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!

153

Jesus' Teachings - Helpful or Harmful?

by jgnat in

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.

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.