Crumpet, keep your chin up! Even JWD may spring a few surprises.
Posts by gumb
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27
JW's and the internet
by *jeremiah* ingrowing up as a jw in the 70's and 80's we didn't have the influence of the internet.
i, of course, believed i was in "the truth" and never heard anything (from the outside) that negative about our jw religion.
of course, now and again, we had some angry people at the door, but other than that i can't recall very many outside negative criticisms.
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gumb
I think places like this forum are extremely helpful for many JWs who are expressing doubts about their religion.
The problem I found when I first started my internet searches was that I came across a lot of sites that were indeed full of hatred, and tended to be counterproductive given my fragile spiritual state at the time. Also, many of these anti-WT sites were trying to promote some other kind of "Christian" religion, and I wasn't interested! What I was looking for, and eventually found was sincere voices who didn't want to give me another religion and who didn't want to knock down without building up. It was via the internet that I learned about "Crisis Of Conscience". I read tentatively through that book and was touched by the calm manner in which Ray Franz gave an account of his experiences.
There are many JWs, I believe, who want to remain spiritual persons but who are afraid that the great religious edifice upon which their lives are built will come crashing down and they will be unable to pick up the pieces if they start researching. They will be helped only through a carefully planned exit strategy, and I don't think a lot stuff out on the internet will facilitate that very well. If we want to help set others free from the grip of the WTS we have to have a sense of responsibility in what we write. Doubting JWs need our empathy and patience, and to be shown that anything that they might interpret as 'hatred' is not directed against them personally, but against the WTS. They must be shown that the GB "have seated themselves in the seat of Moses" (Matthew 23:2) as a prophet (or mouthpiece) of God, and therefore deserve to be weighed in the balance.
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gumb
Crumpet, there you go again lumping us all together. Your list is "here is what is bad". That should read "here is what is bad in the men I have known". All of us ocncasionally "take advantage" (men and women). A lot of us men do not "abuse a woman's trust given the opportunity", nor "leave clothes on the floor and expect the laundry fairy to pick them up", nor turn up late as implied by not knowing "how to use a watch", nor "secretly despise emotion." Boy, you sure must attract some lazy, inconsiderate brutes - they obviously were not brought up properly! Maybe its time to change the circles you move in? :o)
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gumb
Crumpet, perhaps you're just not meeting the right sort of men? There truly are some very nice men about just like me! However, I'm spoken for and like all good men I have a sense of loyalty towards the one I love. Things to look out for in good men: a) don't follow the crowd, b) compassionate, c) intelligent, d) not loud, e) don't try to prove masculinity through childish behaviour, ... (getting the picture?)
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The Bible, Religion and your point of view
by The wanderer in<!-- .style2 {font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; } .style4 {font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #6b7c84; } .style5 {font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #008040; } --> the bible, religion and your point of view depending on where you stand regarding this subject there can.
no disputing the influence of the bible in art, literature, and even.
in the influence of the making of common laws.. separating the bible and religion this topic is not focused on discussing the watchtower's viewpoint.
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gumb
You know it is amazing that the WTS accepts the decision of the fourth century 'catholic' church that the books making up the NT is the word of God. As for me I would trust those early clerics any further than I could throw them. Its all a matter of trust (ie 'faith') and I don't trust them or the ancient Jews who wrote the OT. But I do believe in a master intelligence governing the universe and the need for a set of basic ethics for living ones life in harmony with others. Why should anyone accept without question what was written so long ago and particularly give their obedience to anyone who comes along and says they speak for God? Can't God speak for himself?
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how long should it take before a sheparding visit?
by DannyBloem inhaven't been to the meetings some months now.
about 5 or so.. haven't heard a single thing.
how long should it take before i'll receive a visit?.
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gumb
Danny, what are you complaining about? You've already been given five months to plan your escape! In my experience, the elders will come looking for the lost sheep when they hear it hitting the bottom of the cliff it has just fallen off.
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911 - 'Last Man Out' UK Tour (Feb 2006) - William Rodriguez
by gumb in911 - 'last man out' uk tour (february 2006) - william rodriguez.
last night i attended a talk given by william rodriguez in which he gave an eyewitness account of events occurring on 9th september 2001. this man had worked at the world trade centre for twenty years and had arrived late on that fateful day.
he was doing his usual stair cleaning job when the first plane hit.
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gumb
911 - 'Last Man Out' UK Tour (February 2006) - William Rodriguez
Last night I attended a talk given by William Rodriguez in which he gave an eyewitness account of events occurring on 9th September 2001. This man had worked at the World Trade Centre for twenty years and had arrived late on that fateful day. He was doing his usual stair cleaning job when the first plane hit. His is a truly remarkable account of altruism. If you can get to any of the remaining venues, please do. According to the timetable I have, he will be in Norwich today at the White Horse Pub (Trowse) at 7:00pm (Note: a donation of £5 was asked for when I attended the venue in Ipswich, so this may be the case in other venues). There will be DVD available at a modest price relating to his experiences. He will, as far as I know, be visiting Lewes, Cork and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, but please check for up to date information at www.last-man-out.com.
William's website is www.911keymaster.com. I recommend this site for more information about his experiences and his campaigns.
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What Religion Are You?
by choosing life ini know a lot of posters are not religious and others feel no need to attend a church.
but, for those that do attend somewhere, i was curious as to what type of church they chose after leaving the jws and what attracted them to that particular church or religion?
if you were not raised as a jw, did you return to the church you were raised in?
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gumb
None. Although Hinduism holds out some appeal, as it allows for individual paths to God, without a load of rules and regulations. Important to me is how people treat each other, not what they believe.
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Question for Believers: How can God be PERFECT?
by kid-A inseveral weeks ago the issue of god's 'perfect nature' came up on a thread.
the concept of "perfection" is a persistent in vitually all faith traditions and theological constructs.. jws in particular, have an obsession with the concept of perfection and use it regularly in their propaganda: "live forever in a perfect paradise earth"; "live forever in perfect health"; "humans and animals will live together in perfect harmony", etc etc...... the point was raised about the possibility or impossibility of god being perfect.
if we begin with the basic judaeo-christian tenet that god created the universe from nothingness, then he is the designer and creator of every single entity, sentient or non-sentient, and object within reality.
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gumb
Look, its obvious. If you are God you can set your own supreme standard of what is perfect or 'fit for purpose', according to your omniscience. Those who try too hard to work out the mind of God are in danger self-combustion. But then if you are limiting yourself to the Judeo-Christian interpretation of God, it does create some very interesting contradictions.
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what's your sign baby? ;)
by freedomloverr inwhere we live is a very *new agey*, *earthy* area.
when i was a witness i never thought twice about my astrological sign or how it relates to anyone else.
here, people are always asking what my sign is and i've really been entertained by how i see patterns with people in my life and how i've noticed i'm actually attracted to certain *signs* .
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gumb
I don't bother with astrology and I don't take it seriously, but I was curious to see what a national British newspaper forecast for this year. I'm a Leo, and apparently it looks like I might come into some money!