Posts by eclipse

13

Grieving not complete

by teela(2) in

bumped into an old friend of my mothers.

her daughter died in a car crash over 30 years ago.

the truth is all she can talk about and seeing her daughter again.

It is so sad when a loved one dies, and yes, JW's have a hope that is the carrot that keeps them in...not just the armegeddon fears, but wanting to be reunited with their loved one (who doesn't want to be reunited with a loved one who's passed away?). My family behaves just the same as Heather's family...

Anyway, she didn't greive much at all....shes got it in her that she will see her son and her husband and mom-n-law in the new system......and thats just how its gonna be.....nothings gonna sway her because that is how she handles death....they aren't dead...they are sleeping...i get to see them soon in the paradise.....yes its very sad

they use those exact words...

I believe that we are all connected , in one way shape or form...through the universe, through nature, right down to our molecular structure...we are all made from the same matter, we all return to basic materials...but part of me believes that something within us goes on to something greater....maybe it's a crutch for me...Am I unable to accept that all we do is become dust?...but there's that glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe....we go on...call me crazy.

31

Saviours of the world?

by fullofdoubtnow in

i just read this really interesting article about similarities between the various saviours, or messiahs that are said to have walked the earth, most of them appearing long before jesus supposedly emerged.

http://www.gardinersworld.com/content/view/164/1/.

i don't personally believe that jesus was the son of god, or that he came to die for all mankind, but i kind of believe he may have been a historical figure with a certain amount of charisma, an ancient version of modern-day cult leaders like jim jones and david koresh.

eclipse

The relevant point to this thread is that construing other, especially earlier, religious figures as "messiahs" is both an anachronism and an ethnocentrical delusion. We actually describe completely different belief systems according to a late Jewish and Christian pattern, which is certainly not the best way to understand them or the role which their mythological figures and/or historical founders play in their respective conceptual frame.

Thank you so much Narkissos for pointing this out...I stand corrected. Always willing to learn and be corrected by those who have much more knowledge than I could ever cram into this small brain of mine!

To those who don't know what certain terms meant, and I didn't, so I looked them up.

a·nach·ro·nism

1.	something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, esp. a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.

2.

an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one: To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism.

eth·no·cen·trism

1.	Sociology . the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.

2.	a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own.

31

Saviours of the world?

by fullofdoubtnow in

i just read this really interesting article about similarities between the various saviours, or messiahs that are said to have walked the earth, most of them appearing long before jesus supposedly emerged.

http://www.gardinersworld.com/content/view/164/1/.

i don't personally believe that jesus was the son of god, or that he came to die for all mankind, but i kind of believe he may have been a historical figure with a certain amount of charisma, an ancient version of modern-day cult leaders like jim jones and david koresh.

eclipse

I was wondering that just now Narkissos...I am not an avid history student, though I am willing to learn...

The concept of messiah..I will have to do my research, unless you already know the answer, and from reading your other posts, I believe you do.

15

What is the best field to be in right now.

by 5go in

i am going to school again later this year and need some ideas.

eclipse

Too bad there wasn't a paying job for when you have a masters in baiting.

As poppers said, Go with what you enjoy doing, what you are talented at! Sandra gave awesome advice.

Good luck!

31

Saviours of the world?

by fullofdoubtnow in

i just read this really interesting article about similarities between the various saviours, or messiahs that are said to have walked the earth, most of them appearing long before jesus supposedly emerged.

http://www.gardinersworld.com/content/view/164/1/.

i don't personally believe that jesus was the son of god, or that he came to die for all mankind, but i kind of believe he may have been a historical figure with a certain amount of charisma, an ancient version of modern-day cult leaders like jim jones and david koresh.

eclipse

I'm betting, and I'm not a gambler, that the messiah stories from Egypt, Asia, India and so forth, predate Christ's entrance on Earth by at least a few centuries, if not millenia.

I too believe that Jesus did exist and walk this earth, but as far as his godship...that I am very doubtful of.

34

Did you ever 'Turn Someone In' to the elders? Do you regret it now?

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

i am not proud of that, for i know the pain i caused someone as i look back.. i turned in 4 people for 'gross sins' over my tenure as a jw.

i wish i could take it back now.

were these people guilty of 'sin' as defined by the wts?

eclipse

No, never...it felt wrong to me to make someone go to the elders for making out with their boyfriend, or for drinking/smoking....I figured, God can see them, and that person has their own conscience, so if they feel that they need to confess, they will go themselves to the elders...live and let live has always been my motto.

16

JW Jargon

by Scully in

i mentioned in an earlier post that i had a visit the other day from a former friend, a jw woman, who wanted to invite me to the district convention on the weekend.

i almost got the impression from her casual dress that it was a social visit, until she whipped out the tract.

one thing that i noticed was her trying to soft pedal the jw jargon that is practically second nature to jws.. she talked about how one of her kids was "gone" for a few years, but had recently "come back to us" and that she was happy to have her child's company again.

eclipse

I hate the word ''worldy''

I detest it actually

At an assembly day, a few years ago, to my horror and embarassment I heard the visiting speaker CO/DO say ''worldling''.

He went on to use that ''word'' throughout his entire talk.

I was fading then, and made an appearance to make the family happy...when I heard that brother say worlding, it confirmed all the bad feelings I had inside about this religion and thought - ''NEVER AGAIN''

If I ever hear a JW say ''worldly, worldling'', this is the look they will get 'nuff said.

47

Intelligent Design Clobbered Again

by AlanF in

jehovah's witnesses seem to have drifted toward the political notion of "intelligent design" in recent years.

several times since 1996 their literature has referenced the book darwin's black box by michael behe, which book has become a kind of bible for iders.

the book introduces the notion of "irreducible complexity" in a formal way as disprove of evolution.

eclipse

Thank you for posting the link! Very informative.

32

Sell By Dates - Do You Take Much Notice of Them?

by Clam in

jw
friends

sell by and use by dates on food produce seem to have become the norm these days.

on one side we have the squeaky clean supermarkets with their dating system, while on the other side is a combination of media scare stories about listeria, salmonella etc.

and voracious food standards authorities.

eclipse

I'm a date looker, I'll grab the freshest carton of milk since they put the fresher ones in the back, and the not so fresh ones in the front...and I read the nutritional labels too

53

JWs and Love towards their families

by R.F. in

this is something that just popped in my mind suddenly.. but i was thinking about over the years the many comments of jws about loved ones.

for instance, one sister was speaking of her disgust with her children not accepting the "truth".

she gladly tells anyone of what she told them; that if they don't accept it before armageddon that it's too bad.

eclipse

{{{{{(((((saywhat)))))}}}}}}

big hug.