I'm attending college right now, not just for a future job, but for an education. I find college mentally challenging and stimulating. It has really helped me grow as a person and grow out of the truth. I hope you don't allow a narrow-minded organization and its narrow-minded members run your life. Do what's best for you.
Paradiselost
JoinedPosts by Paradiselost
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33
college education=spiritual weakness?
by twvsnt inhi i'm twvsnt and i've been a witness for 3 years now.
im glad this site exists.
i've been meaning to speak to fellow witnesses who are more open-minded.
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64
Is God just teasing us?
by joannadandy inok yesterday i was talking to my dad (moe's thread reminded me) he said something about how bad satan was...and said, yeah but "wasn't it eve and adam's fault?
i mean yeah satan laid out the sales pitch but they could have said no.
you know gone home, talked it over with god, it wasn't even that high pressured a sales pitch.
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Paradiselost
Here's my point...Either we have free will or you don't. No either or fallacy here. If we don't have free will, what's the point of it all. However, I believe I have free will. The question then is where does it come from, the natural or supernatural. IF natural...it must be the result of our atomic makeup...what else is there? If not due to our atomic makeup, it opens the door to the supernatural, unless someone else can explain a different senario.
I want to point out I'm very cautious when falling back on the supernatural, however, I choose to believe in free will, but then again I understand the paradoxes that result from that position too. If God is not all-knowing, he isn't the God of the Bible. The Bible clearly states he knows the beginning from the end. Questions, questions, and more questions everywhere you look.
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64
Is God just teasing us?
by joannadandy inok yesterday i was talking to my dad (moe's thread reminded me) he said something about how bad satan was...and said, yeah but "wasn't it eve and adam's fault?
i mean yeah satan laid out the sales pitch but they could have said no.
you know gone home, talked it over with god, it wasn't even that high pressured a sales pitch.
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Paradiselost
Freewill...do you have it, and if you do what is it made up of. Is free will the result of our atomic makeup or is it something that transcends our physical universe. Do you have control over your actions. Either you don't and have no real life, or you do and have something that transcends the physical universe unless of course you believe our atomic structure gives us free will, which is impossible because it would destroy the cause and effect relationship law of nature. If the later is true the implications are huge. It would suggests something more than the physical.
As far as God knowing or not knowing...the bible clearly teaches he COULD be aware of the future. If he can be aware of it...there must be something to be aware of. Meaning if God COULD see our futures are futures are set. If God cannot see our futures/fate then the Bible appears to be incorrect.
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If you can't beat em...
by Paradiselost inhas anyone on the board ever joined a cong as an unknown apostate, gained a reputation, and then tried to show certain members the errors in their ways. i'm in a sitation that makes the following hypothetical possible. should i do it...has anyone attemted it? thoughts?
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Paradiselost
I think personal persuation is possible. You have to play the ignorant, questioning newbie role...no one thinks this would work?
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If you can't beat em...
by Paradiselost inhas anyone on the board ever joined a cong as an unknown apostate, gained a reputation, and then tried to show certain members the errors in their ways. i'm in a sitation that makes the following hypothetical possible. should i do it...has anyone attemted it? thoughts?
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Paradiselost
Has anyone on the board ever joined a cong as an unknown apostate, gained a reputation,
and then tried to show certain members the errors in their ways. ; I'm in a sitation
that makes the following hypothetical possible. ; Should I do it...Has anyone attemted
it? ; Thoughts?
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WORLD TO END 2050 - women, poor hardest hit
by Nathan Natas inhttp://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0 ,6903,750783,00.html .
earth 'will expire by 2050' .
our planet is running out of room and resources.
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Paradiselost
Using 1970 as a baseline year and giving it a value of 100, the index has dropped to a new low of around 65 in the space of a single generation.
Hasn't the WTBTS been perfectly clear on the definition of a generation. The 30 to 40 year definition is old light. The WWF must be apostates.
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I might be a Deist
by professor inthank you, valis, for posting to following info:.
this seems closer to me than anything i have found yet.
it also seems to fit the bill for several others who replied on that thread.
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Paradiselost
I took the suggestion and read Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason". It's an extrememly interesting read. His reasoning has sounded basis. I like the two edged sword anology he uses...since he uses the Bible to proof his point...either you have to disregard the evidence presented and thus disregard the Bible...or you have to accept the evidence and possibily conclude that it is not inspired. Also his point concerning the limited nature of language, I found particularily valid. Translations lose substance and written human language can be altered. Interesting.
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My Life
by Paradiselost inmy experiences, i'm sure, are not unique among the posters of this forum.
i am 19 years old and was born into the religion.
my family although devout, avid witnesses are on the liberal side.
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Paradiselost
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, much appreciated. Double Edge, my father was born into the faith, while my mother became a JW at 16. For whoever said I should read "Crisis of Conscience"...already did that. Two days ago I received "Christian Freedom" in the mail, and now I'm reading that. Both publications have/are opened/opening my eyes and heart as to the nature of the JW faith, and what it means to be a true christian. As a side note, as soon as I started to think for myself and refused to be dominated my the human decisions of the FDS, I began to lose all obsessive compulsions. I truly feel being a JW is one of the worst forms of psychological torment for school age children. I'm glad my child won't have to experience what I had to. Thanks again everyone.
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My Life
by Paradiselost inmy experiences, i'm sure, are not unique among the posters of this forum.
i am 19 years old and was born into the religion.
my family although devout, avid witnesses are on the liberal side.
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Paradiselost
Thank you for the suggestions, I'll take them to heart. I find it interesting that the "brothers" haven't attempted to contact me and encourage me. It's been six months since I've had any measurable dealings with the local Kingdom Hall. Others on this board, which I have been reading for a couple of weeks now, have expressed the harassment they endured. Why not me? They're probably afraid of what I'd say or point out to them. They are not the brightest group of people. Seriously, the average IQ in my Hall is about 80, ha ha...yet oh so arrogant. College will let me fade though. I'm going into medicine, so the next 12 years of my life are pretty much filled.
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My Life
by Paradiselost inmy experiences, i'm sure, are not unique among the posters of this forum.
i am 19 years old and was born into the religion.
my family although devout, avid witnesses are on the liberal side.
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Paradiselost
My experiences, I'm sure, are not unique among the posters of this forum. I am 19 years old and was born into the religion. My family although devout, avid Witnesses are on the liberal side. I was allowed to sleep over at "worldly" schoolmates' homes during elementary school, participate in sports from 7th onward, and attend dances in my junior and senior years of high school. Five years ago, my mother stop attending meetings on account of the lack of love from local elders. He's the side story... My father at the time was an elder, and his niece asked him to give her marriage "talk". Both being married were witnesses in good standing; however, the niece was 15 and her mate was 24. My father agreed to give perform the marriage, reasoning that it was the couples decision along with the girl's parents as to whether she was "past the bloom of youth". He believed that since the Bible didn't give clear direction that it was a matter of conscience(conscience what's that?). The rest of the elder body disagreed. To avoid further trouble my father stepped down after the marriage. He was the elder who would stand against the majority to provide balance...anyway back to me. When I was approximately 13 years old I became obsessive compulsive in my service to Jehovah. It's difficult to explain, but I would lay awake in bed at night wondering if I was going to die during the Great Tribulation. I followed the letter of the law...I became sick with worry. My obsessive complusive behavior spread to my everyday life. I decided I couldn't live like that, so I slowing destroyed my fears. I reasoned that Jehovah would read my heart and judge me accordingly. When I was 17, I began questioning certain Witness doctrines...for example holidays...esp. birthdays. I couldn't make the leap from the "two times it's meantioned in the Bible" to meaning God doesn't want us to celebrate birthdays. Birth is an amazing give from God...why not honor it. Then I questioned Fathers Day and Mothers Day. "Honor your father and your mother" says the Bible. Then I questioned Christmas...I didn't care if 3000 years ago the Egyptians worshipped the Sun God on Dec 25...I reasoned you could find a pagan significance for every day of the year. And even if Jesus wasn't born then...why not still honor him. Then when I turned 18, I said questioning the Witness blood policy. When I realized the society allowed blood components and that all scriptures used to forbide blood use dealt with "eating" blood, I say the matter as a conscience decision. Then at 19, the floodgates opened. I started reading "apostate" websites, and I started to doubt the infallibility of JW's. Then I heard about "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz. I had to read the book. I went to amazon.com and ordered it with next day shipping. When I received the book, my eyes were open. Using the Bible it could be proven jW's were false prophets. I wanted out. For 6 months I haven't turned in time and have attended very few meetings. I use work as an excuse. I have a feeling my father is becoming concerned. However, I'm moving away for college in the fall. I don't want to lose my family, but I can't in good conscience be called a Jehovah's Witness, what should I do...any suggestions would be appreciated.