Posts by Introspection

15

Your Story

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

hi everyone, blueblades here!

please tell me your story.on a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your current desire to know god personally?

why?thank you.

Well, I don't think I can give you a number because I am not willing to assume that God is a person. It all depends on what people think of when they use the word God, in many cases I may say not at all because I already know for some people it's just a thought, and atleast I know what the witness thought is already, and there is neither a need nor desire to "know" that idea. Now I am all for this desire actually, but I think it's important to know the difference between knowing the truth of things rather than wanting to know how to fit reality into a framework which we've assumed to be the truth. It may just be that the first step is to let all those preconceived notions go.

"I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around chinatown."
- Woody Allen.

17

Your Story

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

.

hi everyone,blueblades here!

please tell me your story.at this stage of your life do you find yourself moving toward god,away from god or staying the same?

Introspection

At this stage of your life do you find yourself moving toward God,away from God or staying the same?

Well, you realize this question implies that you are separate from God right?

If I make the statement I am moving towards or away from something, then that implies distance, whether it's relatively close or far apart. When you have these ideas in your head, it becomes moving towards or away from another thought, (relative to the thought called "me") whereas all these thoughts (or feelings, same principle) are in your head, it's all in you. Just consider though: If God is by definition omnipresent and everywhere, then you actually CAN'T move toward or away from God can you? The question then becomes simply what's going on with you, which is where we have to start from after all.

28

My Ghost Experience This Morning

by rem in

i had a terrifying experience this morning and i'm writing about it as a lesson on how we perceive things.

this type of thing has happened to me several times in my life, but since it just happened again this morning, and ghosts seem to be a topic of interest on this board, i thought i'd share it.. i was staying at a friend's house while she was away.

this place is an old apartment complex built in the 1920's in san francisco.

Introspection

I don't know where this falls in terms of categorizing the experience and any names and explanations, but I do remember being awake but not being able to move when I was a kid - no hallucinations, the body was just not awake yet. I don't remember being freaked out about it, but it was just sort of like "What the hell..??"

Now I did have one scarey experience shortly after walking away from the witnesses, and that one was basically feeling a presence which I interpreted as a demon, yada yada. I think fear is a very important factor to consider in all of this, because if you are not afraid, then you will not avoid anything. When you react out of fear, the basic instinct is to get away from something which you perceive will do you harm in some way, thus the whole demonizing of apostates and all that. To perceive things clearly you just have to throw fear out the window, because even someone who is very smart and knows all about logic and such may use it as a defense mechanism rather than actually seeing what's true. Personally I just feel the adrenaline rush and the associated physiological reactions now when (which is rare) I sense there is the possibility of a physical threat, but neither anger nor fear. I actually think that's easier to do, mental stuff gets a little bit more subtle and people seem to get carried away more easily.

19

IF YOU HAD ONE WISH.........

by Mary in

jw
friends

if you had one wish in life, what would it be?

mine would be to go back in time to when i was 17, knowing what i know now, and live my life again.

Introspection

I would like others to know why I've done what I've done in my life, just anyone who happens to be involved or interested I guess.

32

Friends you met through this board

by Introspection in

jw
friends

just wondering how many have either met or atleast talk with people from this board on the phone and such.

how did you connect?

was it just a post that really spoke to you or what?

Introspection

Just wondering how many have either met or atleast talk with people from this board on the phone and such. How did you connect? Was it just a post that really spoke to you or what?

8

I'm free.....

by Stacey in

jw
friends

i used to be completely addicted to this site.

i would check it several times a day and spent much time here.

i'm glad to report that i rarely even think about my jdub upbringing anymore.

Introspection

Good to hear that and still see you here Stacey. There's no reason why someone can't be free and just visit when they want.

84

DEVASTED by Wife Leaving...

by confuzcious in

jw
friends

.

thanks for the advice guys...edited by - confuzcious on 31 january 2003 11:51:20.

Introspection

Some timing, ok glad you're with us here guy. I'll just briefly reiterate the one thing I have to add to this, which is just don't get too caught up in wrongdoing, who and what and all that. If you really agree with what the bible says about love, then you know that's bigger than anything that might happen. Hanging on to something like that will only cause you suffering, that's the way it works - for the person who was wronged, they do themselves a favor if they let it go, and the person who committed the wrong can only do whatever he can to make amends, each person has to take care of their own mind and hearts.

But my whole point is don't get caught up in the behavior, which is definitely not to say you ignore it and don't see it for what it is. All I can say is you actually have a great opportunity to open to real love here, I don't know how exactly you're feeling but a broken heart is actually a grace in that way, all I'm asking is take a look and see for yourself. Most people will reinforce their ego and continue in their separate existences, but I think being open is a better way to live.

84

DEVASTED by Wife Leaving...

by confuzcious in

jw
friends

.

thanks for the advice guys...edited by - confuzcious on 31 january 2003 11:51:20.

Introspection

You guys know what's funny is Confuzcious only posted one message, and here how many messages and how much time have all these people spent on this thread? I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, but it is all based on this one message. Yes some of it is very telling, but although we may gladly spend the time and point out different things I just have some serious doubts about how much you can help a person when there is such limited communication. This has happend before, pretty soon the posters who have responded start talking to each other, whereas it's all about this guy who started the thread, it's his business. Anyways, I'd be interested to see if we hear from the man or if we'll just keep talking to each other about it. Nothing wrong with that, but it's just kind of funny how we get caught up in all of it.

4

Arguing like a Witness...

by Abaddon in

jw
friends

as jw's, we (speaking for xjw's) were defined by our rightness.

we were right, and therefore good.

the world was wrong, and therefore it was bad.. this classic black/white thinking was held in place by all sorts of methods people in high-control groups are 'taught' to deal with inconvenient things like facts that don't fit their world view.. now as xjw's, we redefine the paradigms by which we live our lives.

Introspection

It's just an ego centered attitude isn't it? It's not really a question of accuracy, as if you have to either be totally sure or just throw your hands up in the air like you couldn't get through life without being right. This need to be right is really just a wanting to be somebody in disguise. (or just wanting to be) Actually, if you only acknowledge that your position is dependent on certain sets of information, that wouldn't be a problem. You are not making a black and white judgement of it being right or wrong, true or false when you know that the certainty is relative. Of course, all of that is only information, just thoughts. Who's the one having the thought?

This attitude isn't really dependent on whether the person knows the truthfulness of their position is in question. Someone might very well just have a strong opinion, admit that it's an opinion, that it's just their own outlook and it's influenced by their life events, and then goes right ahead and tell it to the world through the internet as if that is somehow supposed to be very significant for everybody else out there. "I think this, I think that, blah blah blah.. No reason provided, I just thought you should know what I think." Now it would be one thing if you were asking a group of friends to hear you out because you just want to be heard, but more often than not there seems to be this very subtle implication there that my way is the way, even if only 5% of it is true. Of course, I gotta admit this is just my opinion, but it's as if that somehow legitimizes what I have to say. I don't know, maybe the bottom line is people in general is more interested in engaging in an egoic bitch fest than actually finding out what's true.

Edited by - Introspection on 30 January 2003 17:8:39

A Subtle Form of Fundamentalism

by Introspection in

jw
friends

it seems that although we often talk about the fundy attitude of witnesses and other religious groups, we don't seem to see that attitude in other types of behavior.

it's pretty straight forward really, i'm just talking about the attitude of "i have the truth, this is the way it is".

now even an open minded person will subject their position on a given issue to change given new information, but that is not what i'm talking about.

Introspection

It seems that although we often talk about the fundy attitude of witnesses and other religious groups, we don't seem to see that attitude in other types of behavior. It's pretty straight forward really, I'm just talking about the attitude of "I have the truth, this is the way it is".

Now even an open minded person will subject their position on a given issue to change given new information, but that is not what I'm talking about. You can keep changing your ideas given new information but basically have this attitude that you're right, especially now that you have the updated info. (new light?) The ironic thing is that basic attitude does not change, even if a person has changed their opinion on a given subject a million times. Of course, usually it doesn't go that far anyways, people are slow to change - but it's just kind of funny to see how people preserve this attitude even when their thinking continues to change, that's the one thing that does not seem to change.