Posts by humbled

14

Jehovah's Witness pioneer admits to a bible study he WOULD KILL HIS SON if told to by Watchtower leaders.

by Watchtower-Free in

http://blog.evidenceministries.org/obey-part-2-a-conversation-with-a-jehovahs-witness-pioneer/.

obey!

part 2: a conversation with a jehovahs witness pioneeraugust 26, 2014 9:45 am.

humbled

SoP--

Heb. 11:19 "Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead..."

WatchtowerFree--

The illustration of Abraham/Isaac is peculiarly anti-religion, anti-hierarchy, anti-Brooklynn-committee-vote----an unmediated moment.

Only viewing the matter from the WRITTEN account, the drama of Genesis 22 was enacted before the NT profile of God was established--before even OT ideas were set forth with prescribed guidelines for animal offerings. Of course, later it is written that God hated human sacrifice, didn't lie, did not use evil to test humans. So Abraham was winging it

But this point: If Abraham had been under the mediation of the FDS, waiting for new-light to redirect him from his intent to slay Isaac, he would have ignored any angel trying to stop him and plunged the knife ino his son---OOOPS!!

Whether or not you buy into the christian story--this story shows one mind responding freely without the direction of committee action (for pete's sake he barely spoke to his son and not at all to his wife!!).

Just saying.... The Abraham story shows how mistaken our thought of divine direction can be and how necessary it is to listen to the angels of our better nature when things are about to go too far......

17

Just wanted to share the good news

by Theredeemer in

jw
friends

just signed and closed on a house!!.

.

humbled

Your very own "piece on earth". Happy for you and well done!

47

Divorcing my husband of 13 years...

by 2pink in

jw
friends

my husband and i were both born ins.

i left in 2009, and he followed me out a bit later.

we were one of those couples who followed the script, married young and ended up having nothing in common other than the religion.

humbled

My husband and I had seven children together.

When 3 of them were grown out of the home he and I hit a wall that had been building in our marriage. He was not regularly living at home at the time and there were pretty grave difficulties on so many fronts including the need for help with one severely troubled teen.

I believe he and I needed counseling, definitely. DEFINITELY. But if one's spouse refuses it and there is alcohol involved, well--that is rough. We were very much estranged over the next several years. We lived quite separately for 6 years. The psychological issues that rose out of our marital discord has had lasting impact on the children-and they are all grown now.

My husband and I have been married 38 years now. We are together and working to understand our past. We discussed even this morning our failing to provide a happier home in the latter years of family life than we had. Poverty is troubling to be sure, the JWs was a very negative contribution (mine) and his long involvement with breaking and training horses and its complications and burdens.

We all came together, in spite of everything because we do love each other, and have learned some forgiveness, humility, and honest vocal regret.

I am reluctant to say what is certainly the best road to travel for another, but it is certain that untreated emotional pain that you or others in the family have to bear, well--those chickens do come home to roost. Deal with the whole picture as best you can and grab counseling the sooner the better.

Try to be fair and honest as you go along. Which includes not beating up on yourself either.

52

I loathe authority

by punkofnice in

now i'm not preaching hatred here i am just expressing how i've felt for years even when i was a jw.. i totally loathe the police/policticians...any authority......anyone that is over anyone else.

i have a total hatred of them all.

i wonder if it's because i was raised a jw?.

humbled

Punky--

what you said about the corrupting effect of silence is so true. Law enforcement becomes criminal when it will not allow internal complaints.

An easy look into the pressures and persecution of honest law enforcement is the 2010 film called "The Whistleblower" about a cop in the U.N. who reported on sex-trafficking in Bosnia. Kathryn Bolkovac was an American who found what U.N. officials were covering up and tried to do her job of protecting exploited girls and women.

See what the authorities did to her.

It is everywhere. I have seen this everywhere from where I worked in nursing homes or factories or in agricultural field work--Anywhere where a lot of power over other's jobs and lives rests in relatively few hands.

52

I loathe authority

by punkofnice in

now i'm not preaching hatred here i am just expressing how i've felt for years even when i was a jw.. i totally loathe the police/policticians...any authority......anyone that is over anyone else.

i have a total hatred of them all.

i wonder if it's because i was raised a jw?.

humbled

Apog,

What are you talking about?

Behavior of a friend in authority may only tell us about that individual.

Becoming a person in authority may simply show us the slippery slope that can come with having authority.

What do you mean?

52

I loathe authority

by punkofnice in

now i'm not preaching hatred here i am just expressing how i've felt for years even when i was a jw.. i totally loathe the police/policticians...any authority......anyone that is over anyone else.

i have a total hatred of them all.

i wonder if it's because i was raised a jw?.

humbled

Authority and power are not synonymous--but too closely related not to be a dangerous mix.

A person or institution that believes that they are BENEVOLENT are frightening when they go rogue.

When they feel that the end justifies the means they will do truly horrible and unjust things to achieve their ends.

I am on guard with authority.

24

should i marry and have a child with my partner

by stevepill in

hi, iv'e been a regular observer on this site for a while and would be very grateful for input from witnessess and non-witnessess.

ti widll try keep it brief to avoid too much reading!.

background:.

humbled

Have a child when you know how miserable this religion is for a couple who are all-in? And worse for those "unevenly yoked"?

And raising the child?

No.

No. No.

68

Spanking VS. Reasoning

by SpeedRacer in

jw
friends

i am having a discussion at work with the jw's.

should you spank a child to make them understand or do you reason with them.

they both agree with spanking.

humbled

Rebel8,

thanks for your comments. I am one who received spankings as a child and I do not have rancor or criticism for the parent who spanked. On the other hand, the punishment I received from the other parent has hurt to this day.

I was the second oldest of (eventually) nine children. Obviously there were years when there were fewer children. My parents--but especially my father-- explained right and wrong behavior and how to assess the value of my actions. He was a soldier. Tough but fair was how another man measured him.

Dad was remarkably ethical in many difficult situations that I witnessed growing up. He had the challenge any man or woman who went to work and came home with to-do lists and a growing family and a spouse and the need for a little space of his own. His word was valued in the home. We generally did as we were told. He would fire "a shot across the bow" before a spanking occurred. When it came, we knew we had engaged his superior force by choice. Although I was slapped once without warning when I made a sneering remark to him as a sassy 11 year old. I was embarrassed to think I had been so disrespectful to him. In retrospect, he might have sat me down and talked to me about my behavior and I would have been just as ashamed. But there were 7 kids in the family so I will not fault him for his flash response in the thick of it all. I have no scars from any of his words or actions toward me -not mentally or physically.

My mother didn't spank us really. We were harangued--In fact,(and this will sound bad to some), when dad would be near enough to hear the bedlam, he might sort it out, saying as he did at times: "Reason, sweet reason, Joanne--hit them!"

Poor mom. There was a bit of anarchy in the house when dad was gone. It is difficult to manage a mob like we were. But it was mostly when the population grew and we older children were getting to be in our teens that her way of dealing with discipline or instruction was troubling. She had words that would demean and humiliate that were not instructive. Her words would cut your hope of ever measuring up.

there is what i have to add.

Maeve

21

AJWRB Press Release

by Lee Elder in

we are responding the announcement by ashya king's father that he will allow.

blood transfusion if medically necessary.

those not familiar with the story can.

humbled

Absolutely thrilling.

JWs loving and thinking about what is best for their child. What next?

24

The sick account of Abraham and Isaac!

by stuckinarut2 in

this has to be watched!!!

so thought provoking!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyvcc8ui3cm&list=pl7420408e36541da4&index=2.

humbled

Cold Steel,

How can I truly love a god who threatens me with horror and death if I do not love Him?

You quote selections from one person and another, Cold Steel. Why do you pick some and not others to quote? You yourself have had to implicitly ignored centuries of other theologians to embrace the teachings of Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets of the LDS church. Myself, I am no more inclined to the believe earlier theologians who invented the Immaculate Conception than I am to believe that Joseph Smith walked with God in the Sacred Grove in New York State.

Don't I stand then on as good a ground as you if I declare that you are wrong to accept the sayings of such and such prophets? What makes them prophets, gives them the right to tell you or me what god says? How can you judge my faith?

In the end, though you may believe it when others say they know that God spoke to them, what they believe may not be true. But religions form around these men who speak for god. Religion uses at least mild coercion to form its body, true? sometimes more than mild coercion. Shunning? Shaming? Even death.

You have no way to shame or frighten me with scriptures that threaten me for failure to believe that god said so-and-so through this man or that. Wouldn't a god worth his salt will know if I am actually unconvinced of the doctrines I had pushed on me and was simply afraid to say so?

Revelation promises a lake of fire awaits those who are liars and cowards.

Why isn't love and honesty enough for you, Cold Steel?

Edit:

I thought of pulling this just after posting it. I had re-read your last response and I do not see a conversation of value emerging from our exchange. The thread concerns the Abraham/Isaac test and it is true that I no longer buy into the imposed story line that Christian theism demands from biblical readings.

So flog away, Cold Steel, you are right to think I am not with any religious programs. I am away to meditate on how to love better and how to be more honest.