Instead of wasting your time on something based on mythology presented as factually true, why not create something based on the real world? Maybe grow a garden. Perhaps help feed less fortunate people with said garden. I think you might find it immensely more rewarding.
Posts by Heaven
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31New Religion where to look?
by Alostpuppydog inhas anyone found any religion that makes more sense than the watchtower organization?
obviously catholics make even less sense than them so don't say that.... the reason i ask is because i still believe the bible is the word of god, but just that the jw's have twisted it for their own benefit, as most religions seem to do....
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Heaven
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19
"It's a cult, mom."
by schnell inmy mom has been extensively texting me, trying to argue that the un ngo scandal is not a big deal and that the child abuse scandal is to instigate the great tribulation.
even worse, she kept saying how great it is that the gb is imperfect and fallible and that teaching changes all the time.
maybe it was aggravation or impatience, but i finally just snapped and told her, "it's a cult, mom.".
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Heaven
schnell, we have to tell them. Yes, it might be as subtle as a brick up side the head, but those words need to be spoken. Good for you.
Back in 2011, I told my Dad that any organization that does not allow it's members to have anything to do with their friends and family that refuse to join said organization is a cult. He didn't like it but had no rebuttal... just the annoyed, pursed lips, the silence, and the deer-in-the-headlights look.
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"Satan Did It!" -- Comparative Religion and Religion
by schnell init's been said that as early christians went to preach about christ and his virgin birth, his tests, miracles, death, resurrection, and divine pedigree, the people they were preaching to would essentially say, "oh yeah, we have that too!
it's almost a cliche to point out that mary and jesus resemble isis and horus, that gautama faced his tests as well, that heracles is the son of zeus and a mortal woman named alcmene.
but when this is pointed out, suddenly an intelligent design argument appears to explain it.
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Heaven
Satan is a construct and a scapegoat to explain 'evil' and how the ancients and present day believers explain why bad things happen.
In Hebrew, the term is related to an Aramaic verb that means “to lie in wait,” “to oppose,” or “to set oneself in opposition to.” As a separate 'person' or being, he is not part of the Pagan belief system. Good and bad lie within all people. In the old testament, it is Yahweh who created evil (see KJV Isaiah 45:7). God was all things to the Hebrews. But Christianity was troubled by this logic. Loving does not equal evil. So Christianity adapted this by creating a separate being. They gave evil person-hood and elevated its importance by giving it a proper name - Satan, God's special but fallen angel. There... it's no longer 'our' responsibility. 'The Devil made me do it!'
I think it is essential for all believers to, first off, actually read the entire Bible. Many have not. This exercise alone has made many a believer an atheist.
Then research the history and origins of the Bible including the pre-Judaism beliefs. The Bible is not a book like we think of a book. It is a compilation of stories spanning 1500 to 2000 years. The "Egyptian Book of the Dead" was written before this and contains many similarities to the Jesus myth. I find Christianity to be an adoption and adaptation of previous beliefs. Bart Ehrman's research points out we do not have the original writings of the Bible. And, as you said, the authors of the gospels never met Jesus (actually, none of the authors of the Bible met Jesus). Their accounts are from oral stories passed down over decades even centuries later. What happens to stories handled this way? They change.
Put yourself in the position of the early Christians. How can they gain membership? Well our God is better than all the other gods. Exaggerations of Jesus' power crept in. And the elevation of him to a god occurred. They made him better than Yahweh, more loving and somewhat accepting of all because well, Yahweh was really a douche bag.
But when people didn't buy in at first, the early Christians physically tortured people who would not convert. Later, after that wasn't exactly effective, they decided to tell people if they don't sign up they will be judged upon their death and if found unworthy, tortured for all eternity in a burning lake of fire. Why is it religion has to keep sliding back to the ugliness of threats and hurting people to prop up their agenda? (As a side note, there are still polytheists in the world today. Hindus and Pagans do still exist. The early Christians were unsuccessful in wiping out 'the heathens'.)
So once you know all this (and there is much more I could state but won't for the interest of some brevity), you can't unknow it. And you come to a fork in the road - do you continue with the somewhat easy, but ultimately useless, delusional path of belief/faith or do you decide to follow the more difficult, logical, rational, fact-based, intellectually honest path. I think every believer comes to this point sooner or later.schnell said: * As I wrote in another thread, I personally do believe there was a historical Jesus. However, I don't believe all that has been attributed to him, or in the integrity of the Bible.
Erhman agrees with you. He states Paul's letters are a kind of proof of Jesus' existence. He also states that Jesus was an apocalyptic Jewish preacher who thought God was going to fix all the world's problems in his lifetime. Sound familiar? I often like to think if Jesus of Nazareth were alive today, how many of us would consider him to be a religious nut bag?
To paraphrase Hitchens "Ask yourself the following question... What is more likely? That the laws of nature and the Universe have been suspended or that an unmarried Jewish girl told a fib?"
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31
New Religion where to look?
by Alostpuppydog inhas anyone found any religion that makes more sense than the watchtower organization?
obviously catholics make even less sense than them so don't say that.... the reason i ask is because i still believe the bible is the word of god, but just that the jw's have twisted it for their own benefit, as most religions seem to do....
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12
The moon
by zeb inyes take a look at the moon after 1930h 14th nov. it is the closest the moon is to earth in many years.
wont be this close for many years more.. use any telescope or binoculars.. wowee..
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Heaven
It was very bright last night. I hope it is not cloudy on Monday.
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Heaven
Stephane, your list is excellent.
You said: How about you fellows? Do you feel that leaving the Watchtower has made you better people?
I feel getting away from it made me better. I no longer was doused in negativity. I sought education and real answers. I saw and experienced first-hand how actually working to solve a problem was THE answer, and NOT praying more and waiting on some invisible, silent Sky-Daddy to fix it.
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33
Is this another Trump backflip?
by fulltimestudent inwe've seen one backflip.
crooked hillary became a hard-working woman who deserves the nations praise (in his victory speech);.
now according to a uk newspaper:.
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Heaven
ShirleyW said: The shit just got real for him, he didn't even think he was going to win, or he wouldn't have been crying the system is rigged a week before the election. He's scared as he can be right now, but his yuuuuuge ego will never let him admit to that.
You are spot on Shirley. I saw the news clip of him and Obama after their meeting. That meeting was supposed to be 30 minutes, it went for 1.5 hours and the Donald said it could have gone on longer. He's about to find out what really happens. I sure hope this man baby grows up real fast. I also hope he can stay on point... for the next 4 years.
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133
Election Post-Mortem
by Simon ini'm sure many people, republicans included, are shocked at the results of the 2016 presidential election.
really, wtf!.
the polls were wrong and although it's tempting to blame voter suppression and fbi interference, that would just avoid looking at the real issues for the loss.
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Heaven
Does Trump still think the elections are rigged?
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Welcome President Pence!
by Wasanelder Once incan we expect legal problems for trump to cripple his authority?
remember that trump u. is still pending as well as multiple accusations of groping.
there is that one case of the woman claiming he raped her at 13. wow america, you really know how to pick'em.
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Heaven
The Canadian Immigration website crashed due to overwhelming response once the election results were known.
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Relatives of those who have lost their lives putting faith of life or death in a religion that is neither Inspired nor Infallible.
by smiddy inwith the admission of the governing body that they are neither inspired nor infallible , i am curious to know how many of you people from all around the world know of somebody ,a relative or friend , who lost their life because of following the dictates of a religion that now says they are neither inspired nor infallible.,that they now admit they make mistakes.. how many people have needlesly died having followed the jehovahs witness religions policys regarding not getting your child vaccinated against diseases ,which was the case years ago, not having organ transplants as that was considered cannilbalismm years ago ,and since the mid 1940`s the ban on jehovahs witnesses having blood transfusions.. yet somehow today you can have fractions of blood donated by non jw`s who are designated as people to be destroyed at armageddon because they follow satans system of things,.
blood that is donated by these people ,stored in a laboratory , and processed into fractions by laboratory staff and given to jehovahs witnesses with their consent.with no consequences to them for doing so.. blood is not poured out on the ground and not used for any purpose as their bible the nwt dictates.or any other bible for that matter..
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Heaven
My cousin died as the result of a very bad car accident and refusing a needed blood transfusion. She left behind 3 children and her husband.
My family has been damaged thanks to the mean spirited nature of the 'kick your unbelieving family to the curb' ideal this religion holds.