HappyGuy

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Posts by HappyGuy

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  322

  God and Suffering

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a few weeks back, in the midst of the haiti tragedy, much discussion took place in cyberland about the tolerance [or indeed the insistence on] suffering by a loving god.

  the furor over haiti has settled a bit [as unfortunately most tragedy is wont to do far too quickly in the human mind], but this persistent matter continues to chew at my subconscience.

  today i came across this:.

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  HappyGuy

  I like the way that the Klingon's dealt with their gods who had allowed suffering and evil to exist. The Klingons tracked them down and killed them.
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  10

  Frustrated with Holidays

  by maninthemiddle in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i know we have all talked about the fact that holidays today don't mean what they did in the ancient past.

  i don't like the word pagan, becuase of all the negative conatations associated with it.

  but with something as simple as valentine's day; that the history beyond the known facts that a christian known as valentine was martyed on feb 14th, why is there so much disdaine for it?

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  HappyGuy

  I love Valentines Day. I send lots of cards and gifts. I got my mother a card that was meant for a small child to give to their mother, it said "X's and O's for you mommy".
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  322

  God and Suffering

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a few weeks back, in the midst of the haiti tragedy, much discussion took place in cyberland about the tolerance [or indeed the insistence on] suffering by a loving god.

  the furor over haiti has settled a bit [as unfortunately most tragedy is wont to do far too quickly in the human mind], but this persistent matter continues to chew at my subconscience.

  today i came across this:.

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  HappyGuy

  Perry,

  I used to be a JW (22 years). I am no longer a JW. I am not an atheist. I am also not a Christain. I did not "trading their WT masters for the likes of Dawkins". I do not like Dawkins nor do I agree with him. I do not accept evolution as fact (it is a theory). I do not accept Creationism as fact (it is a delusion).

  Perry, do you smoke crack?
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  322

  God and Suffering

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a few weeks back, in the midst of the haiti tragedy, much discussion took place in cyberland about the tolerance [or indeed the insistence on] suffering by a loving god.

  the furor over haiti has settled a bit [as unfortunately most tragedy is wont to do far too quickly in the human mind], but this persistent matter continues to chew at my subconscience.

  today i came across this:.

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  HappyGuy

  I'm sorry, this idea that God is so far above us we just cannot understand his motivations for allowing billions of people to suffer needlessly for millenia just doesn't cut it, not logically, ethically, morally, or legally.

  I don't claim to be anything other than a normal person just trying to make it through life. But, suffering bothers me, a lot. Not the abstract, "twenty million people were murdered when Stalin collectivized agriculture", I can't get my head around that. But, watching suffering really bothers me. Doesn't matter what kind of suffering. There is a lot of wildlife in my yard, sometimes I find dead baby birds. I cry bitterly. Sometimes I find feral cats that have been mauled by some predator, I take them in and nurse them back to health. My wife laughs at me because I won't kill the spiders she finds in the house but instead I capture them and take them outside and release them.

  If I see a homeless person asking for help on the side of the road I stop and give them help.

  The idea that an all powerful, all knowing, ever present being could create humankind knowing that the manner of the creation would result in the suffering that humankind has been through and not use his power, wisdom, knowledge or whatever else he has to change the creation so that the suffering would not happen, of that he would refuse to intervene to avert the suffering, well that idea just seems like total nonsense to me. Either that being is not all powerful, or is not all wise/knowing, or doesn't care, or has no frame of reference to relate to us so that we matter at all, or it is evil. But, the God explained by the religionists who interpret the Bible, no I cannot buy that.

  Surely if the thought of killing a spider bothers me then God would be so indignant at the suffering that he has to observe day in day out for millenia would move him to intervene and do something about it.
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  322

  God and Suffering

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a few weeks back, in the midst of the haiti tragedy, much discussion took place in cyberland about the tolerance [or indeed the insistence on] suffering by a loving god.

  the furor over haiti has settled a bit [as unfortunately most tragedy is wont to do far too quickly in the human mind], but this persistent matter continues to chew at my subconscience.

  today i came across this:.

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  HappyGuy

  You left out two key points.

  Adam and Eve were punished for partaking of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Before that they would have no way of determining right from wrong, so how can they be punished for committing a wrong?

  Also, Adam and Eve were infants, yet God allowed an ancient, malevolent, supernatural being complete and open access to his children knowing that the ancient, evil, supernatural creature could easily decieve and contribute to the deliquency of infant children.

  Is God insane?
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  56

  response from Ray Franz on generation change

  by isaacaustin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thanks for your letter and the thoughts contained.

  others had commented on the latest shift of the interpretation of this generation.

  as you recognize this allows for an unending extension of time and likely stems from an awareness of the approach of the year 2014 marking 100 years since the date of 1914.. .

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  HappyGuy

  Then you proceed to undermine him and his work????????

  No Gromit did not undermine his work, he stated that given Franz's culpability in having misled millions of people with lies that what he is doing now is making recompense and we should not heap so much adulation on him because he is responsible for a lot of the misery that he now seeks to correct.
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  56

  response from Ray Franz on generation change

  by isaacaustin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thanks for your letter and the thoughts contained.

  others had commented on the latest shift of the interpretation of this generation.

  as you recognize this allows for an unending extension of time and likely stems from an awareness of the approach of the year 2014 marking 100 years since the date of 1914.. .

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  HappyGuy

  "The Bible is the word of God", sayeth the Bible Thumper.

  "How do you know that?", I ask.

  "Because the Bible sayeth so", replies the Bible Thumper.

  "And why do you believe the Bible?", I ask.

  "Because it is the word of God", replies the Bible Thumper.

  "Okay, glad that we cleared that up", rolling eyes and hitting self in head.
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  45

  Borg cubes will reach us in approximately 20 hours

  by sd-7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  borg message incoming.

  on screen.. borg: blizzard is irrelevant.

  even though this is a judicial matter, it's really a shepherding call.

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  HappyGuy

  Why are you giving these people power over you?

  It is your home, if they come into your home then they have to respect you in your home, if they don't then show them the door.

  Ask them point blank what the purpose of the visit is. Is it a shepherding call or is it a judicial committee meeting? If they say sheperherding call then hold them to that, if they say JC meeting then say that you are not agreeing to a meeting like that unless you are told in writing what the charges are and what the evidence is ahead of time so that you can prepare a defense.

  Read scriptures to them that discuss headship and tell them that you are appalled that they are ignoring your headship and causing problems in your marriage and that you will not tolerate them butting into your marriage or usurping your role as head of your household or trying to care for your wife's spiritual welfare when that is your responsibility. Tell them that in the future when they call your home they can talk to you but if they want to talk to your wife you want to know ahead of time and be present.

  There are many scriptures to back up such a stance. Use them.

  If they start accusing you of wrongdoing tell them that you want the evidence in writing so that you can consider it but you are not willing to discuss it since they said this was supposed to be a shepherding call.
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  24

  Don't ask questions

  by linp24 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  several weeks ago, a witness poster said that the rank and file at his cong were told by elders not to ask questions.

  i may have misunderstood what the poster was saying.

  has anyone on the forum heard anything like this?

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  HappyGuy

  Here is a question that I asked when the new "voluntary" contribution arrangement was announced:

  Elder announces 'arrangement': "We will no longer charge for literature, literature will be paid for by voluntary donations. When you pick up the literature you are required to calculate what the cost of the literature would have been if you had been charged for it and then make a 'voluntary' contribution in the contribution box".

  Me: "So, let me make sure I get this straight. I am REQUIRED to make a voluntary contribution. So, it isn't a voluntary contribution, it is a mandatory voluntary contribution, is that what you are saying".

  After some more objections from me over this clear cut case of double speak they turned my micorophone off and threatened to remove me from the hall. I got up and left on my own accord.
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  52

  Need some support

  by ~Jen~ in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't post very often but i'm in need of some support.. i left my husband and the jw's back in the summer.

  we have 3 kids and have joint custody of them.. i've spoken to my family once - back in the fall and it was a great conversation - my parents (dad is an elder) said that they just wanted me to be happy however that is.. last week i got a voicemail from my mom saying that she loved me and thought about me every day.

  i was so happy.

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  HappyGuy

  Jen,

  Think about this a little bit. JWs claim to know the "truth" about life, the Universe and everything. They claim to be God's mouthpiece and ambassadors for the sovereign ruler of the Universe. They claim to have put on "the personality of the Christ". They claim to have the hope of attaining everlasting life in a paradise. They claim to have a special relationship with God.

  Then how could one person falling away impact their happiness?

  You are not responsible for the happiness of other people (except maybe small children), they are saying these things in an attempt to use emotional blackmail to make you do what they want.

  Jesus never behaved this way (according to the New Testament).

  People who are loving do not behave this way. The next time they try this emotional blackmail stuff on you I would ask them how does their behavior conform to putting on the new personality (the personality of the Christ).