simon17

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Posts by simon17

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  189

  Does God speak to you? HOW?

  by Quentin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  an answer to this question is subjective to the individual an a posteriori experiene.

  however, can there be an a priori experence, one that is objective, outside the bounds of personel experiene, or does it remain subjective?

  god speaks to me, through many venus, except audible.

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  simon17

  After I left, I accompanied my ex-Mormon husband to his son's missionary send-off meeting in Provo. In that large room filled with well over 100 people, watching a film about their missionary service and brotherhood, I got that same excited feeling! So if what I experienced as a JW, was the HS on God's chosen JWs, why was I feeling the same thing "in Christendom"?

  its funny but a lot of your posts seems like i was writing them. I went to a few Islamic events that were organized through my college and it was incredible the similarities to what I saw and felt as a kid growing up as a JW. The same feelings of veiled superieriority emanating from everyone. The same sexism done lovingly in the auspices of the protection and respect of women. Same exact analogies about why God must exist, and why he must care for us. Same rustling of uneasiness when the speaker before lunch was approaching (and then exceeding) his alotted minutes. Same "proof" of their view of God and the Qu'ran based on scientific evidences that couldn't have been known at the same (but that same book is quickly said to 'not be a scientific textbook' the moment you start to press. The same unquestioned belief in everything being said. It was amazing!

  The more people of more religiions I talked to, its amazing how all devout people are exactly the same in so many ways (just change the beliefs a bit). Everyone is 100% sure they are right and they all use the same feelings, proofs and rationalizations to justify their inerrent belief.
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  189

  Does God speak to you? HOW?

  by Quentin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  an answer to this question is subjective to the individual an a posteriori experiene.

  however, can there be an a priori experence, one that is objective, outside the bounds of personel experiene, or does it remain subjective?

  god speaks to me, through many venus, except audible.

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  simon17

  For everyone that has these experiences of God, why do you suppose he doesn't "talk" to all of us?

  Answer #1: He does, you're just not listening. Well, that may be partially true, but clearly there are many athiests/agnostics who have searched and prayed as fervently as any believer ever has, and, after years, come up with nothing. So that is not sufficient.

  Answer #2: Look at the wonders around you. Well, people have different reactions while appreciating the wonders of nature and humanity. Appreciating the science and natural phenomena at work is a common reaction. Subscribing them all to God is just another reaction, and one without physical evidence.

  As the great Islamic thinker/writer Omar Khayyam said:

  "And do you think that unto such as you;
  A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew:
  God gave the secret, and denied it me?--
  Well, well, what matters it! Believe that, too."
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  75

  Atheists believe in nonsense too.

  by NomadSoul in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yeah i'll admit that i think people who think they talk to god or believe in a superpower is freaking nuts!.

  but i'm a freaking nut too.

  i seriously believe that there must be alien life out there!

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  simon17

  Many atheists would even believe in a God if they're show reasonable, logical, proof.

  Exactly true, and I would say almost all of them would. Really they're agnostics but there are very few "pure athiests" who literally deny the existence of God.
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  75

  Atheists believe in nonsense too.

  by NomadSoul in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yeah i'll admit that i think people who think they talk to god or believe in a superpower is freaking nuts!.

  but i'm a freaking nut too.

  i seriously believe that there must be alien life out there!

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  simon17

  "mathematically impossible IMO"

  An unusual pairing of phrases
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  75

  Atheists believe in nonsense too.

  by NomadSoul in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yeah i'll admit that i think people who think they talk to god or believe in a superpower is freaking nuts!.

  but i'm a freaking nut too.

  i seriously believe that there must be alien life out there!

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  simon17

  Its ok to believe in nonsense. Just be careful when you know your nonsense is true and punish others for not believing it as vehemently as you do.
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  33

  your last day before impending destruction, what act would you perform?

  by jam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a large asteroid is heading for earth... it will destroy the earth.. i would tell my wife, thinks for making my life great.

  call my.

  daughter that i have not spoke with in 11yrs.

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  simon17

  Regret that I never got life to work out for me... call the people that have really mattered in my life: our times were special but fleeting...
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  48

  JW ADVANTAGES vs DISADVANTAGES

  by DesirousOfChange in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this earlier topic [why do it feel bad about my children leaving jw religion?

  ] is what causes me to ask this question:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/208031/1/why-do-i-feel-bad-about-my-children-leaving-the-jw-religion.

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  simon17

  You'll find good people in all walks of life, and you'll certainly find many friendly faces no matter what sort of "group" you have: religious, band fan clubs, booster clubs, universities, etc.
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  48

  JW ADVANTAGES vs DISADVANTAGES

  by DesirousOfChange in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this earlier topic [why do it feel bad about my children leaving jw religion?

  ] is what causes me to ask this question:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/208031/1/why-do-i-feel-bad-about-my-children-leaving-the-jw-religion.

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  simon17

  A revelation for me was a survey conducted by www.barna.org that found that people who profess religious morals have the same divorce rate, for instance, as "worldly" people.

  I think the divorce rates, as reported, are virtually the same. But again there is a dichotomy that creates this. The constant stressing of remaining together forces many people to stay together (and I think, for the most part, this is a good thing, especially when children are concerned). But then the dating of JW's puts an overemphasis on marriage, and forces many couple to marry who really shouldn't be together. The problem with witness dating is that things as innocuous as too many texts and phonecalls constitutes dating. It is so easy to be dating, it requires very little. But then, dating immediately implies that marriage is expected. So people are thrust very quickly from showing interest to marriage without the in between steps.

  People need to figure out how to relate to members of the opposite sex. You have to go out with a girl or guy alone to see how to react. You have to date a few people to see what is out there. Only after those things can you be appropriately ready for marriage.

  JW dating advice is so misguided that is forces together so many people who are just not ready or understading of the commitment that marriage means.
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  48

  JW ADVANTAGES vs DISADVANTAGES

  by DesirousOfChange in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this earlier topic [why do it feel bad about my children leaving jw religion?

  ] is what causes me to ask this question:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/208031/1/why-do-i-feel-bad-about-my-children-leaving-the-jw-religion.

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  simon17

  Any measure of higher 'morality' among JWs is simply due to the organization being a high control group.

  Agreed on this. I think you will find a larger percentage of JWs who are apparently very moral (i.e., not going around having premarital sex,committing adultery, trying drugs, smoking, etc). However, its due to the controlling nature of the group. Children are not learning their limits and forming an understanding of how to act. Instead they are putting up barriers to action and experimentation. What happens is if they ever get beyond those boundaries, they haven't learned how to set their own boundaries and restrictions and just go absolutely crazy. So yes, I think a JW kid has a better than average chance of being a very moral responsible person. But they also have a better than average chance of being absolutely out of control to the point of being self-harming. They have a lower chance of being a typical teenager who goes to a few parties, breaks a few curfews, hooks up with a few boyfriends, joins a frat house, but then gets a job, gets married and settles down to a happy, even-keel life.
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  140

  Are atheists less imaginative about the unknown?

  by sabastious in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  almost every atheist i have ever come across i can get along with well.

  i love to debate and talk about the world around us and they seem to as well, but i feel like i get a lot of "eye rolls" from the atheists i speak to.. it's ironic that i am six feet six inches tall because i would describe myself as a man with his head in the clouds.

  it's up there most of the time and i feel at home when thinking of the future.

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  simon17

  Can you give an example of a "left-field" thought that you've found athiests unwilling to consider?