Posts by humbled

18

How can one understand unusual personal experiences such as when going from door-to-door?

by Fernando in

given that i know how corrupt, dishonest and evil the watchtower is, i have wondered how to understand a personal experience i had many years ago - long before walking out mid-2009.. after an unusual series of many "co-incidences" on a particular sunday, my friend and i ended up at the door of someone who had been praying to god for someone to be sent to him, and who was expecting us.. i am still convinced it was by divine intervention, but cannot understand why a prayer is answered by sending representatives of an apostate organisation.. also when taking up residence in a foreign country, under very difficult circumstances, i twice ended up "inadvertently" moving in to homes just around the corner from the kh.

on one occasion it was about a 15 metre walk from my front door right into my seat in the kh!.

have you had similar experiences?.

humbled

Absolutely true that the same stories show up aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll the time in other religions.

But there are also stories that have elements too unusual to dismiss. My personal sense is that we are groping for a dialogue with God but instead buy a religion--Not the same thing.

I have had a hard time understanding why it took me so long to separate faith from religion. I needed a good hard dose of the JWs to cure me.

I wonder if God just lets events take place because we do stay locked away from a search and rarely undertake the journey of investigation without diving into a pre-fabbed program with answers-1-2-3.

Lots of stories out there for sure--I have no more reason to believe one over the other nor a reason to doubt that there may be "God"--My own experience led me to that. Funny.

23

At what point in the story did WT get it wrong, went off at a tangent?

by prologos in

looking at the bible narrative now, with open mind, the talking snake and all, it is a poorly contrived story.

all these clever people picking up and adding to the thread, the fabric its intriguing, certainly a valued literary work.

fiction.. using this story wt has woven another, parallel account that you would expect to harmonize with it, and hopefully attempt to connect with reality.. in your thinking, where did wt become unhinged, drifted off into total detachment?.

humbled

The "right "moment was when Russell allowed himself his first question about religion.

Now aren't we glad the WTS has all the answers and no one else gets to has to ask any more questions.

AND I know now for sure that it never ever gets things wrong--even when it gets things wrong!

41

Newbie: Well I've been lurking enough and thought I should say hello.

by Adventurousone in

i really like this site and some of the comments i've read.

i was in the organization for 31 years and now i'm free!.

recently left the organization and am trying to rebuild my life.

humbled

Glad you walked out to freedom. Enjoy it. Freedom can be scarey after such tight control but many here have navigated the rough patches and are great to both support and challenge you along the way.

If you still have faith in Jesus in ANY form after the WTS has drubbed you around, take care here. There are many good people, versed in the bible who have no use for Jesus. Debates here can push you to religious prejudice again push you toward letting Jesus go. Now is the time to find out what spirit and truth are in your life.

Maeve

15

Finally ready

by independenthinker in

ok so i havent posted on here in over a year, i think i posted like a few times, then disappeared.. has anyone else like just shut it out?

like i joined here as soon as i found out, then after a month or two i just didnt want to think about it; i had my final exams, elders creeping about, my mom got crazier, i was starting college, other kinda issues, which made me just blot everything i learnt about my religion out.

well he hurt me too, oh i would give all my blood to you.

humbled

It is great to hear your story! Great the way you have made your way to this point. Great that you have friends, a support system---songs! Good for you!

56

This blew me away"The distant between Egypt and the promise land"

by jam in

i was reading a article about a national acclaim charles lummis for.

his poetry.

in 1884, while working at a newspaper in ohio, he was offered.

humbled

That is the way I have seen a story grow, too.

122

Theists - Why does Morality require the existence of God?

by cantleave in

"without god in your life, you cannot have a moral compass",,,, please explain to me why you think that should be so?

.

humbled

Not that I would hazard to say much here, but when I've had discussion of moral good or evil that has bogged down in finding a common starting point/idea, I start with this proposition: can we not agree that avoidance of pain is a thing that all creatures understand.

It is so universal that we hardly disagree about to how cause it for another creature. Buying a gift that is certain to please for a familiar someone is a far more difficult proposition. But pain--I don't have to have any details about you to figure out how to hurt you. I can hurt a total stranger--easily.

Small wonder that the Golden Rule is appreciated as principal of good conduct far beyond Christianity.

I may be off topic--this discussion is far over my head. Just my two penny's worth.

Maeve

p.s. thank you FH for clearing up that thing on theists.

10

According to Hebrews 3:1-6;10:19-22 Jesus is the faithful slave, as the great high priest

by wannabe in

humbled

CS,

I tend to hold with your thought here. It seems that we each hold the responsibility be a faithful servant, vigilant and patient.

Maeve

77

I just informed the parents about me and the TTATT... heart wrenching

by sosoconfused in

well first i want to thank everyone here for the good points etc... i have received over the last few months.

you guys have really been helpful!.

so the other day my mother wrote me a 3 page letter telling me how she was so scared for me because she could tell my love for the truth was gone etc.. so i decided i wanted to totally rip the band-aid off and get this matter over and done with.

humbled

I love your dad

77

I just informed the parents about me and the TTATT... heart wrenching

by sosoconfused in

well first i want to thank everyone here for the good points etc... i have received over the last few months.

you guys have really been helpful!.

so the other day my mother wrote me a 3 page letter telling me how she was so scared for me because she could tell my love for the truth was gone etc.. so i decided i wanted to totally rip the band-aid off and get this matter over and done with.

humbled

I'm glad you got it out there. I'm glad your dad can see at least the "mediator" thing is wrong. I'm glad he isn't going to ditch you over this. And maybe your mom can soften..

It shouldn't be like this but it's great that you can be real now.

10

Scripturally-Speaking, Do You Think First Century Christians Were Taught To "Hate" All Apostates???

by bjc2read in

here are some searching questions about the governing body's public position on the prescribed treatment of all "apostates" against the organization, as taught at the most recent summer assemblies of jehovah's witnesses, in the year of 2013.. in your opinion, why does not the verse (shown below) not apply to how jehovah's witnesses are currently taught to feel about "apostates," and their activities toward the organization?

the verses in question, are from the words of jesus who clearly said:.

"however, i say to you: continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you that you may prove yourselves sons of your father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.

humbled

Thanks for the scripture, Vidqun. In the last two verses is the axis for my response-- the "authority" of Paul is to what extent?

The teaching authority, translated here as the "building up"(--not that I am saying there is one translation prefered--)the Lord gave Paul, how much of that authority is what we might call "moral authority"-- leaning toward a take-it-or-leave-it-but-you-have-good-reason-to-take-it style of teaching or a thing called "epistemic authority" meaning my-way-or-the-highway.

Paul, if we lay aside our conditioning that he is a small Jesus of the early Christians-an early version of the GB, may be seen as laying an appeal before the Corinthians. The conversations WERE lively. There were different Jesus talkers around--remember, there were way more than twelve DISCIPLES. Let us not cast such faithful followers as Mary Magdalene into the outer darkness at this time of evangelizing.

Perhaps weeping was a powerful a tool as any for ones who left the gatherings or truly spoke badly. The appeal to love and peace Paul gives at the end is not something I got from the brothers when I was leaving.