Posts by Awen
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84Another MUSIC thread - One-Hit Wonders
by sizemik inthere's been plenty over the last five decades .
artists that have come and gone .
and left a single musical legacy behind them.. but a lot of them were great songs .
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Oh, you are a born-in. You had it easy!
by TotallyADD inafter reading sabastious post on when did you lose your confidence.
i started thinking about what it was like in the early 70's when large groups of people were coming into the wt cult because of the 1975 teaching.
talking with these people they whould tell me how hard it was for them to become a jw.
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Awen
The only advantage a convert had over a born-in was knowing what life was like outside of the Organization.
It makes it easier to leave.
The Born-ins however would have much more to lose and fear because of never having those experiences. It would be like setting foot in a new country with strange customs and ideas. I still have problems socially.
I used to think the born-ins had it easier because they had family to support them when in a crisis. Reading these posts I realized it's actually worse. Being a born-in (I was a convert) meant if you screwed up you'd have your entire family coming down on your head. I kept my non-JW friends and that made my exit easier.
I feel really sorry for the Born-Ins.
Awen
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17
You want me to believe...
by AllTimeJeff inhow many times did i hear this or its variations from householders and return visits as i preached the jw message:.
in a nutshell, what keeps most jw's together (and the group as a religion) is the validation of their own ideas.
hey, at the meetings in those kh's, it didn't matter what anyone else thought.
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Awen
Well it seems to me they never proved it. They made a statement, backed it up with questionable "facts' and expected every JW to swallow it hook, line and sinker, which we did.
I think that's one of the main problems with authority figures and especially authority figures in religion, "just accept it, don't think about it, we have your best interests in mind." Yet they will use that very same "authority" to coerce, brow beat and bully you into submission, (if you step out of line), all in the name of "unity."
I could never go back. I get pysically ill just seeing a WT or Awake magazine on the street. I have to fight the urge to put them on the ground, stomp on them and grind them into bits of paper (but for fear of making a spectacle of myself), but I can dream can't I?
Slightly off topic and a thread hijack, but I wanted to get something off my chest.
I've been looking back over my posts here in the past few days and while I don't mind debating the written text, I will say that the need to visit this site is becoming less and less. Not that I dislike anyone here ('cept maybe the Apologists), but that I think the posts sometimes brings out the worst in me. I see myself falling back into JW thinking patterns (thinking I'm of the anointed BS and all that) when I know what the problem is.
Truthfully I never cared one way or the other about a reward at the end. Just serving God the best way I knew how and the supposed blessings that came from that were enough. But the only blessing I ever received was my exit from the JW's and truthfully I have myself to thank for that. I did all the work and I don't recall anyone ever suggesting to me that they were a cult or bad for me ('cept my therapist).
I never saw any blessings in my life as a JW. I lived from paycheck to paycheck (as many JW's I knew did as well) and the only ones who were successful were those ones who didn't "wait on Jehovah" to bless them, but who went out and got it for themselves. Then they were ridiculed for being materialistic. Oddly enough though, it was those very same ones the Brothers always went to in times of need. Hypocritical to say the least.
I do believe there is a God, but I don't think it's the OT God. Too mean and petty for a "God of Love". I sometimes think the Gnostics had it right.
I can believe that a GUD (Great Unknown Deity) created life and simply allowed Evolution to continue it. For me this answers the problem that Evolution has with explaining how life started. I do believe in Evolution, I love Science but vigorous study has led me to the conclusion that the Bible is just a book of myth and folklore, the same as the Poetic Eddas, the Book of the Dead, The Tain Bo Culange, The Ulster Cycles, etc..
The only reason why it's so widely believed is because the way in which it was distributed, (by the point of the sword). It's teachings were passed down by through families and through politics. The various churches were instrumental is making sure other cultures were co-opted by Bible teachings and laid waste to any culture that opposed them, citing it was "God's Will."
Something I also think about from time to time. The 1st Century Christians didn't have the Bible as we have it now. They had oral teachings. So how do we know what was taught is the same thing that was written down? We don't it's a matter of faith.
I no longer have any faith, the JW's made sure of that. Now unless I can experience it for myself (in regrads to religion), I don't accept it.
I apologize again for the thread hijack. I just really needed to say this.
Peace,
Awen
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17
You want me to believe...
by AllTimeJeff inhow many times did i hear this or its variations from householders and return visits as i preached the jw message:.
in a nutshell, what keeps most jw's together (and the group as a religion) is the validation of their own ideas.
hey, at the meetings in those kh's, it didn't matter what anyone else thought.
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Awen
You want me to believe that even though Jehovah never changed laws that he gave to his people in the OT, he now does it on a regular basis because his "flashlight" of inspiration has weak batteries?
You want me to believe I am not capable of thinking for myself and need the GB to do it for me, even though I got through my life quite well before I met up with JW's?
You want me to believe that God is all knowing, all powerful, parted the waters of the Red Sea, can start and stop storms at will and it master of every natural force that exists, but just can't handle money. So I need to send the WTS everything I have so you guys can send it to him?
You want me to believe that God loves everyone on this planet, especially his own servants, but stands idly by while they are murdered, raped, tortured all for his sake because it's all for his own glory and everything will be made alright in the resurrection, unless they are somehow disqualified because they dared make a complaint about the quality of food served to them (think of the Israelites in the desert eating manna).
In short, you want me to believe that reality is something I should dispense with and not worry too much when I hear news of the GB's under-handed and dangerous dealings with it's members...??
You want me to believe anything the GB says, no matter how outlandish, how often it changes, to dismiss the discrepancies in their "logic" all because they are "spirit directed" and that ultimately they aren't responsible if by following their instructions we are harmed but if we don't do as they say we will be kicked out and cut off from loved ones for the rest of our lives, yet they only have our best interests at heart?
Truly the GB believes their own rhetoric and are not only delusional but dangerous to boot.
I think I'll skip the Kool Aid for now.
Awen
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246
Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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Awen
Alright I'm a liar I suppose since I'm leaving a comment.
@ everyone. You make good points. I see my mistakes. Thanks for commenting.
I'm not the author of thw website. It looked interesting and I have to confess that I linked it without thoroughly reading it.
I thank you all for your comments and I guess I deserved to be mocked for not being more thorough.
Peace
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Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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246
Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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Awen
Oh well. I will say I did try. I thought we might have an intellectual discussion but it's not to be.
I will remove myself from this thread.
Awen
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246
Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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Awen
I apologize. I suppose I was unclear. In order to understand what is being said......You have to keep reading.
I understand how you might feel. I was a practicing Agnost/Atheist for quite some time and an avid fan of evolution. I understand the "distaste" some might feel for some of what is said. But if you can find it in yourself to get past those things, it's possible you may come to know some things that you didn't before.
Again, I don't expect anyone to jump up and down and say "OMGawd the Bible is TRUUUUUUU" No, not at all. I still have serious reservations about some things in the Bible as well.
However, just because I do not like the language that is used on a certain website (or the background imagery) doesn't mean I am close-minded when it comes to looking at another's viewpoint.
That's all I'm asking.
If you can do that, I'd be really grateful. I say this because as I have said already I still have some doubts about a few things and I was hoping some of you might be able to tell me what you think of this site, as far as it's science is concerned.
For myself, I don't put "faith" in a concept just because someone wrote a bestseller about it, or because they're well-recognized by the scientific community. I say this because in the past many people of great distinction were later proved wrong in their theories.
So I'm just looking for the opinion of the people here who have more experience in this area than myself, which is pretty much everyone to be honest.
Oh and Cantleave. I called you a JW because you insulted me first...quid pro quo. You assumed I know nothing about science because I used a word in a way unfamiliar to you. never assume. You know why.
Peace and Love,
Awen
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Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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Awen
I see, another person has become a Jehovah's Witness again. I thought as much. I call you a JW because when faced with the possibility that you could be in error, you refuse to look at it. Say Hi to the other dubs for me.
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Why Won't They Carbon Date This?
by Perry in"for the first time in human history a dinosaur fossil is presenting us with the opportunity to see what a living dinosaur looked like.
in 2001 a field research team unearthed the worlds most complete dinosaur fossil, a brachylophosaurus nicknamed leonardo.
this incredible dinosaur has all of its skin covering its body, missing only a bit on the head and tail.
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Awen
I've read this topic with great interest and I would like to share a site I stumbled upon some time back.
I am not pushijng my viewpoint. This site uses all the major scientific disciplines in an easy to understand format to make a point. It also contains scientific references should anyone wish to do some independent research. It explains the different types of methods used for recording the age of an item and the limitations of that method. It also gets into paleontology, geology etc. It's a rather large site and it may take many hours.
Personally I don't think there's a single Evolutionist on this site who has the intestinal fortitude to question their own....dare I say it? Beliefs.
Prove me wrong.
Anyway, here's the link: http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/creation.shtml#011