cofty

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Posts by cofty

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  32

  Confused

  by Kas12 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am 12 years old and im confused because my mam is leaving the truth after 12 years and i want to celebrate xmas but she still doesnt believe that should do it coz even though shes realised society has lied about things she still believes in god.

  im unsure whether i believe in god or not but i havent really looked into it much ..

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  cofty

  Hi Kas welcome.

  Great news that your mum has left the cult while you are still young enough to enjoy your youth. Be patient with her it takes some people a little time to adapt to life outside the organisation and old habits die hard.

  Try to have a calm conversation with her about how much you want to enjoy normal life now that you are free of indoctrination.Don't worry too much right now about the "big questions" there is lots of time for that later. Focus on friends and education, sport, hobbies, and thinking about your future career. I hope you make the best of your freedom.
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  315

  Flat earth vs round earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my brother has been talking about the earth being flat and some big conspiracy going on to make people beieve otherwise.

  what are people's thoughts on this?.

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  cofty

  My brother has been talking about the earth being flat...What are people's thoughts on this?

  You can't choose your relatives.

  I hope you inherited the intelligence genes.
  
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  10

  Merry Christmas to All!

  by ttdtt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just wanted to wish all of you the best christmas / holiday / festivus, and a happy new year!only the second christmas i will be celebrating!.

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  cofty

  Have a great Christmas. If you avoid the commercial excesses it's a wonderful holiday. Family, food, drink, gifts, games, TV, music, walks, log fire & falling asleep on the couch.
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  It is not only cheaper but healthier in the long run for a victim to part with the most valuable of possessions

  Not if lives of your loved ones are at stake.
  
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  many ordinary people, the sort called on to fight, or their families, probably a majority of people, would consider the end of war to be a moral good - SBF

  Obviously!

  War is bad.

  Refusing to stop an aggressor is also bad.

  How many ways are there to avoid the actual topic?
  
  
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  pacifist is a misnomer - Shadow

  It never fail to disappoint how so many people can't be bothered to read a concise OP before commenting.

  Technically the Watchtower are not pacifists; they just refuse to take life. - O.P.

  
  
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  JWs belive you can defend yourself or loved ones if their life is threatened

  Wilfully taking a life is forbidden. Owning a firearm and shooting a burglar would get you in front of a JC. So would joining the army. So would being an armed policeman.

  That is morally infantile.
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  If Germany had won the war it would have been Britain and Russia that were proved to be entirely wrong - Earnest

  So are you arguing that "might is right?".

  Who wins a war has absolutely no bearing on the morality of the conflict. The Third Reich was an evil ideology that murdered millions of innocents in the name of Aryan supremacy. The Allies conquered it by the overwhelming use of deadly force. There was no alternative. Even if Germany had won the war it would still have been an evil ideology.

  Russia who won the war against Germany represented an ideology that was every bit as evil. History has judged totalitarian regimes regardless of their military success.

  it was Britain who was first responsible for concentration camps (in South Africa) in which 20,000 women and children died

  What has that got to do with the topic? I'm not representing Britain in the Oppression Olympics.

  Let's try again to get back to the actual topic...

  1 - Sometimes saving lives of innocents requires the use of lethal force. Whether that is protecting your family from criminals, stopping armed terrorists in a city centre or defeating an army bent on genocide.

  2 - The Watchtower forbid the deliberate taking of a human life in all circumstances.

  3 - Many ex-JWs continue to view the Watchtower' position as a virtue.
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  12

  Welcome me

  by natasha in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello brothers and sisters am new here , what is the website all about ?.

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  cofty

  Hi natasha, welcome to the forum.
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  78

  Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

  in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

  of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

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  cofty

  Listener - If the same outcome can be achieved by the use of non-lethal force then that is preferable in most instances. That is not what the thread is about.

  I am talking about the hypocrisy of the Watchtower who forbid the taking of a human life under any circumstances even when that is necessary to save the lives of others.

  That may involve defending your own wife and children from criminals, fighting terrorist, being part of a war against aggressors or defending a population from genocide - as the international community failed to do in Bosnia.

  That dogmatic position is moral cowardice. It is not a virtue to insist that taking a life is wrong, if doing so saves other innocent lives. Our national and international laws reflect that principle. JWs are moral cowards and yet many ex-JWs seem to go on supporting this dogma.

  Shadow - What has that got to do with the discussion?

  I was raised in the cult and had no opportunity to join the military. My son is in the military. I would not hesitate to use lethal force to defend myself or others if necessary - would you?