VoidEater

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Posts by VoidEater

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  24

  Do the Differences Between Spiritual Beliefs Really Matter?

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of the themes i think about every now and again is that of the nature of belief, the purpose of religion, and the presense of truth.. specifically, do the differences between spiritual beliefs really matter?

  meaning that, if every religion is just an amalgamation of different combinations of mysticisms, does it really matter if we are protestants, catholics, quakers, mormons, muslims, pagans, jews, or even jehovah's witnesses?

  further, does it really matter whether we believe in god or not?

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  VoidEater

  Belief makes no difference. They are as nebulous as thoughts.

  Behaviors require regulation. Regulation should not be hindered nor expanded purely based on beliefs but rather on consequences.

  Belief is a choice - or a an indoctrination.
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  5

  Should I have ridden Disney's Carousel?

  by Bystander39 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  since witnesse beliefs state to avoid all thing with shady, war-like, occult, etc.

  background, the following information taken from zigzone.com caused me to wonder if they are allowed to ride the carousel at disney world.

  weren't we told to avoid playing chess because of its war training background?.

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  VoidEater

  cantleave beat me to it - PINATA!
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  37

  From Jon, My Brother

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had a brother.

  his name was jon.. jon was a sweet, super sensitive guy.

  also, a very tortured soul.

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  VoidEater

  Some of us survived.

  Some of us didn't.

  Some of us would have been trapped forever but got out somehow, able to live the life we were meant to.

  Some of us are still trapped, alive but hardly living.

  Perhaps we can honor each other by living, fully living, the life we were born to - and loving unconditionally.

  Thanks, Jeff.
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  23

  From where? Morals.

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there is great debate regarding the matter of morals/ethics, and this particularly true whenever there is interaction between religiously driven portions of a culture, and those who maintain no religious opinion or even subscribe to atheism.

  that cultural clash occurs often on this forum and others like it.. believers in god often attribute moral choices with godliness.

  yet, among billions who have lived without any attachment to god in the particular sense that is often considered the driving influence [christianity, islam, judaism, or other organized religion] there have always been men and women whose 'moral character' is above reproach, even when measured with a black/white index of religious thought.. morality holds an arbitrary position among mankind.

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  VoidEater

  From where?

  My morality comes from observing my impact on others. Having an in-born empathy for the plight of others, it just makes sense how I should treat them.

  I didn't need a religious book to tell me about this. However, having read history and philosophy to some degree, this approach seems to result in satisfaction in life and positive culture.

  For the less obvious parts of my life, there are professional ethics - codes of behavior the organizations of which I am a part publishes. These have been built from long term observation and analysis of how people interact, and the results that come about.
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  32

  Nine year old baptized

  by EmptyInside in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this weekend at the circuit assembly, (i stayed home, thank goodness), i heard a nine year -old girl was baptized.

  and she seems a bit mature for her age, but hardly mature enough,in my opinion, to make such a choice on her own.

  it seems to be a trend in our circuit right now.

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  VoidEater

  I was baptized at 9.

  There's no State in my country that would hold a minor to a contract.

  How pitiful that the WTS does.
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  47

  HUGE, Faithful and discreet slave SEPARATED from other annointed now!!

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i almost missed this in my last post, but i just realized how important and must list it.

  paragraph 14 from jan 15, 2010 wt last article entitled "jehovah's way of ruling vindicated".

  "a few anointed members of "the israel of god" still remain, and as jesus' brothers, they continue to act as "ambassadors substituting for christ (2 cor 5:20) they have been appointed as a faithful and discreet slave class to care for and provide spiritual food for annointed ones and a growing crowd of christians, who now include millions having the hope of living on earth forever.

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  VoidEater

  I agree with Lady Lee and TD - as I understood it, the WTS has for some time been saying there's a Biblical class of Anointed (or, to my understanding, at least a Biblical way of speaking about the activities of some of the Anointed) for when the FDS is ministering.

  I haven't kept the esoteric class names straight in my head, but it's been explained that the Anointed minister to themselves and to the GC as the FDS. What TD is talking about.

  It's always struck me as rather incestuous semantics that is meaningless at its heart, but allows them to impress the gullible with magic words. But:

  It's an important part of their theology - they have to reconcile that Jesus was speaking to the Anointed class when he talks to his apostles, yet justify why no one else is sharing in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, they need a way to say that the Anointed are minstering to themselves, as the only ones going to Heaven. Otherwise, it would appear that all those who are preached to have access to the Heavenly hope.
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  19

  Legal Experts, please read my question. Thank you!

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is it blackmail if i send very incriminating pics to someone without any words?.

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  VoidEater

  It's not blackmail.

  It may be intimidation (as in stalking) or harrasement (unwanted and annoying actions), or half a dozen other things that you can be prosecuted or sued in civil court for.
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  18

  Ambiguities surrounding the enforcement of Watchtower rules

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i could write a good bit on this topic, but thought i would simply open this up for discussion.

  here are a few things to think about:.

  - the watchtower has no fundamental writing that it turns to as its foundational text.

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  VoidEater

  ^ I wonder, though, if these qualify as "rulebooks" since they are not intended for general distribution to r/f - aren't they more along the lines of "secret codes", more like advanced degrees of masonry?

  And, aren't even these applied in varying ways across congregations?

  It seems to me there are "conservative" and "liberal" congregations. And, politics plays a great deal into who gets sanctioned and who does not.
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  105

  Your faces

  by goldensky in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear all,.

  i love it when your avatar is a real picture of you.

  i look at it with interest and my heart warms up.

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  VoidEater

  < just me
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  27

  Would You Have Remained A Witness If They Weren't Sooo Strict?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think i would've probably tolerated the religion if "conscience" really did play a role in the religion.

  there are many people in religions that do not believe every thing that is taught, yet they are still members in good standing.

  of course, jehovah's witnesses aren't like that.. you have to believe it all or you will be "no longer considered a jehovah's witness".

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  VoidEater

  If they were to not be so strict - like, change their entire philosophy - then, sure!

  Actually, I wouldn't have stayed in any case. After a good heaping helping of "wait on Jehovah" and "bring me a second witness to your abuse", I couldn't stomach it.

  I don't see that I would ever fit in to their worldview as an adult. There's too much I disagree with. Why hang out with a bunch of people that believe krazy things? I don't fit in. I never did.