VoidEater

Joined

• started 20 topics
• posted 3,056 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by VoidEater

• 
  66

  Your epitaph...what would you like it to be?

  by onacruse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  imagine that you are staring down from some ethereal plane of post-death...not the funeral, mind you, but perhaps years or decades after your physical decease.. what would you feel pleased to see written on your gravestone?.

  me:.

  he thought he'd figured it out,.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  Just an average guy

  Special and ordinary

  Like everyone else
• 
  71

  Does the Camera Love You?

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear photogenic friends,.

  how does the camera treat you?

  love you?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  In fact I would use the word HOT but you're my adopted son.

  OK, others already beat me to it...but yes, mincan is gorgeous.
• 
  66

  Why the Watchtowers "War" argument is totally bogus

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal experience the watchtowers position on war always appeared to be one of the most difficult issues to navigate.

  a number of times when i was first leaving the wts i spoke with jws who all used this argument to show me how "wrong" i was about the "truth".

  while i knew the watchtowers arguments where wrong, i had a very difficult time figuring out exactly why it was wrong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  The Witnesses are an organized dissent to established legitimate governments.

  Well, now, that's a way of looking at it I hadn't considered before...Gary, you're putting scary things in my head!

  Beyond the rhetoric...yes, they are a self-contained petty dictatorship, though world spanning. They have complete control over their citizens. They recognize no other governmental authority as valid.

  They might actually be dangerous if someone put that preaching energy into political activism.
• 
  14

  Astro-travel

  by LouBelle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  astro-travel or out of body experience....your spirit/soul leaves your physical body to visit the spiritual world or astro-plane .

  there is no hard proof and information is based on personal experiences.

  i'm not too clued up on this, but one friend of mine says you meet a guide ( he/she has to earn your trust???

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  The most interesting experience in this general area that I've had is where I experinced being at ceiling height, looking down at my own body during a traumatic experience. I've interpreted this to be a psychological defense against being damaged too greatly, a way of distancing myself from the actual event. Cool safety net.
• 
  7

  New baptismal questions...........................What is the real meaning?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  on the basis of the sacrifice of jesus christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to jehovah to do his will?

  do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of jehovah's witnesses in association with god's spirit-directed organization?

  question # 2 had to be drawn up by a lawyer.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?

  On the face of it:

  1) You are making the choice - whatever happens, it's your fault - don't blame the organization or it's teachings if we hurt you later, like shunning you ro molesting your children (ok, I've worded this rather rudely!)

  2) You will identify yourself and be identified in the world as a JW - if that comes back to bite you, it's your own lookout - and we can "out" you to anyone you have not divulged yourself to - you belong to us

  3) You will associate with the WTS - otherwise we can kick you out - and with any other corporation, organization, society, or knitting circle we identify as "God's spirit-directed organization" in the future

  4) You acknolwedge that the WTS is led by God, and that it's the only organization led by God - follow it or die, ha ha ha ha ha ha!

  I think the real meaning is "we own you by your choice, you have to do whatever we see and don't complain". Or, as another poster in another context said, "Shut up and take it".
• 
  15

  Will Awareness & Understanding Eliminate War by Making it Unexceptable?

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  will enough people eventually get it so that a real change occures in most governemnts or will it just keep going like it has been for a long time with wars being fought to gain control of weath and people,, and the whole human race gets wiped out?.

  one of the first things that has to happen is that people need to be "enlightened", and i think most of us here already know that "corporate owned new media" has little to offer in that direction, many in this country, and many other countries have the internet in thier own homes and independant news sources at thier finger tips(isn't wikipedia great) and great search engines like google and others, this has to be a gradually gaining momentem, source of enlightenment around the globe.you might even say the internet may be a source of medicine to combat this ideological thought virus or as some like to use the term memes(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/meme) .

  lets face it the internet if used wisely and even not so wisely is a great source for deprogramming both the bullshit feed to us by the wt but also government&corporation inspired propaganda.. anyway i think nobody could disagree, that when enough people become enlightened(a critical mass is reached) that war would end simply because the wrongness is so obvious.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  Just my chiming in: I think for religion to exist in a peaceful world, mankind must first put religion within a greater context. Religion must be subservient to something bigger. Whatever that bigger thing is, it would have to hold respect of the "other" and the desire for peace as more important than an individual's or group's sense of God's plan for them.

  I think it will be easier to hope for the eradication of religion. The most vocal religious in my small world can't comprehend their passion as subservient to anything else.

  Awareness - waking up - being conscious - seems important.

  I was watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the reamke with Donald Sutherland) and kept seeing the need to wake up and stay awake as a comment about not getting trapped in a religious trance.

  Understanding...helps. But I don't know that understanding is necessary, or always possible. Sometimes, like Nike commercials say, you have to Just Do It.
• 
  115

  My story: "Pop!" goes the Little Circuit Breaker

  by TJ - iAmCleared2Land in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i guess it's about time i write my story.

  i've put this off for a long time... primarily becuase, while i thought my story was bad, i've read so many worse and heart-rending stories here.

  i think, though, there is some therapeutic value in 'letting it all out' with others who know what 'it' was like.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  Thank you, TJ - I've bene thinking of posting "my story", as well.

  I appreciate you taking the time to write it down, and look forward to part 2.

  Sounds pretty harrowing to me...
• 
  66

  Why the Watchtowers "War" argument is totally bogus

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal experience the watchtowers position on war always appeared to be one of the most difficult issues to navigate.

  a number of times when i was first leaving the wts i spoke with jws who all used this argument to show me how "wrong" i was about the "truth".

  while i knew the watchtowers arguments where wrong, i had a very difficult time figuring out exactly why it was wrong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  Drew: Yes, the entire WTS position as stated boils down to "we will always be within a larger [evil] political entity". It is predicated on never becoming the majority, never becoming a "government".

  If I read you right, the central tenet for not going to war is "you cannot become part of the world" - you cannot join an army, support a government through armed forces, join the political process. That only works as long as the WTS is a minority.

  What ever would the WTS do if it found it had to govern a large population? Thankfully, we'll never have to deal with that, if the membership figures are any indication. I don't think their implementation of "theocratic warfare" bodes well for their ethics.
• 
  5

  Cognitive Dissonance

  by Robert7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am trying to compile a list of the key areas of cognitive dissonance in the jw faith.

  again, this is the case of holding two conflicting/contradicting beliefs as true.

  here is what i have so far.. i will be using these as ammo for those who question my decision.... - governing body - although the gb is directed by holy spirit and is god's channel of truth, it contains imperfect men who can provide (and have a history of providing) some false information.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  You cannot be part of this Earthly system nor be a member of a political organization - unless you are the WTS, then you can be a member of the UN (the Great Beast of Babylon).
• 
  5

  Cognitive Dissonance

  by Robert7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am trying to compile a list of the key areas of cognitive dissonance in the jw faith.

  again, this is the case of holding two conflicting/contradicting beliefs as true.

  here is what i have so far.. i will be using these as ammo for those who question my decision.... - governing body - although the gb is directed by holy spirit and is god's channel of truth, it contains imperfect men who can provide (and have a history of providing) some false information.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  VoidEater

  The Bible is the only inerrant Word of God - but you cannot study it without the aid of the WTS publications.