ok i want to stimulate some thinking.
i'm going to list a bunch of quotes attributed to voltaire - someone i had never thought to read.
but coming across a couple of quotes of his i thought they were rather profound.. so here is the deal.
I always generally agreed with Voltaire - he seemed to have pretty accurately perceived the world.
This has always been one of my favorites:
"...So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so;
for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise,
to put shackles upon sleeping men."
It just seems to be ever poignant.
for many years as a witness, i could not understand how born-again christians could reject the notion of an organization in favor of spirit directed individuals.
however, a simple look at what jesus taught shows that he did not predict the sort of "organization" that the watchtower claims to be.. first, the society accepts that the parable of the sheep and goats refers to events at the end and not before.
however, they fail to accept what that really means!
BTS,
What about Matt 16: 18 - 19 guarantees that such will be accomplished and visibly laid out according to human observation and satisfaction?
Respectfully,
HY
as i just finished up my lunch, i thought i would relate this experience to you all.
i was sitting in the lunch room here at work and 2 ladies were talking.
what were they talking about?
Thanks for sharing that, WC.
And yes, your projection of witness sentiment about that same situation is, of course, dead-on.
It serves to prove something I'm quite fond of saying: If JW are the 'Only True Christians' than Jesus himself was a liar. The end. Each contradicts the other, so only one can be correct. It great to make JWs have to choose which...
sounds absurdly ambitious, doesn't it?
follow my thinking here and you'll understand what i mean.. i believe in the godhead concept, not a personal creator ( who would be a lunatic for making t rex, guinea worms and countless other horrors).
so, i see "god" in everything as consciousness fills the universe and maintains it.
Metatron,
Private message sent your way...
i personally believe they do not, but what solid evidence can you provide me so i can try to convince others?.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"
- John 13:35
These are the plain words of Jesus Christ himself. Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be the only TRUE followers of Jesus on this earth.
I've spent time with Jehovah's Witnesses. So have most of you. What does your experience tell you? Mine tells me that Jehovah's Witnesses do not have love for EACH OTHER, much less the world at large, that His Father loved so much...
Therefore, the logic flows easily from here...
Either, Jesus Christ himself told a lie, or was wrong, OR...Jehovah's Witnesses are liars regarding being followers of Jesus Christ. These are the only 2 possibilities. Only one can be correct. In my experience, most Jehovah's Witnesses are content to essentially call Jesus Christ a liar, so long as their 'religion' appears correct.
So which is it, Witnesses? Is Jesus lying to me, or are you?!
And these people anxiously await a Judgement Day?!
That's how I KNOW they do not have the Truth. It's either THEM or Jesus Christ himself. Pick one...
That is all.
all comments welcome.
love.
wobble.
I would imagine that without religion to prod...humans would be killing and enslaving each other over which interpretation of Quantum Theory they hold to.
Just because religion is gone doesn't mean humans would embrace rationality. I see religion as merely a tool. At the heart of the matter is human nature. We must evolve further.
after years in a high-control group i cannot seem to accept any form of control from an organisation.
i am fascinated to know how others cope with finding another group to asscociate with.
i am so cynical i might never be able to be a part of any group again!
I like this post!
I explained to my friends that I think my JW upbringing has lots to do with my politics (libertarianism) and general distrust of authority and opposition to initiations of force against an individual.
Totally immune from collectivist BS that would sacrifice my rights and well being for some nebulous 'group'.
i have a jw friend who i watch sports with.
his wife is not a dub.
he has a daughter from a previous marriage who is gay.
Tea baggers have no compassion at all.
And is that 'compassion' coming out of the gun you're having government aim at those of us who differ with you? A person with a different sense of charity than you means they don't have one?
Look at the liberal open-mindedness. Always willing to grab goverments gun and turn it on someone for the 'greater good'. Why is your own brand of intolerance so preferable? Because it's yours?
i don't really understand the phenonoma.. .
Besty - back to my conveniently ignored point:
Legislation could not keep people form obtaining alcohol when restricted, it cannot keep people from obtaining drugs deemed illegal. How are guns somehow different?
well at least i know it from my own friends and geographic region........... but i will wait to hear your response....i am fourth gen btw...and unfortunately birthed.... and did a good job at raising a fifth dammit....oompa.
Hi Tuesday:
Oh yes, THEY might think you will return someday. In fact, my poor mother has set her life to revolve around that day. But I can say that when I decided to leave, it wasn't with any intent of returning. What did you think when you left? Did you think you would come back? If so, why leave in the first place?
I had seen and heard enough to know what it was. I knew what I wanted out of life, I knew what the 'religion' had to offer. I knew it had failed me miserably as a child, and I would allow it to fail me no more.
I'll say that the lack of another frame of reference in life is absolutely crippling to a born-in. This is what makes it such a herculean effort to leave. It's like stepping off a cliff only because the lions are bearing down and there's nowhere to go.
