Curtains

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Posts by Curtains

• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  Curtains

  pontoon

  None of us know what the paradise would be like, at first it all sounds wonderful, Wat illustrations make it look fairy-tale-ish. But though, if true, perfect health, plentiful food...etc what not to like? But in reality I don't believe in fairy tales. I believe there would be much hard work to do, industry, farming, fixing and repairing tools and buildings and equipment as time and wear takes it's toll. I don't believe petting a lion and playing with a cobra is literal. In the wild food chain will still be there. Then we'll have to learn "new scrolls". KH every night. Worship every day. Suits and ties again. Here we go again

  over here we were always told that the pics in the publications were just an artist's impression. I think somewhere along the line we realized they were infantile. In my vision KHs, elders, kingdom halls etc don't figure. my vision is very nature based. I like your points about industry, farming etc

  acquagirl, emptyinside, awaken2004, foundsheep, finger, longhairgirl
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  outlaw otowo leavingwt - I'm afraid you did not understand what I meant
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  awen

  Peace At first the idea of a Paradise sounded like a good idea. One day I had an epiphany about it. Matthew 16:25-" For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." If I truly loved God, then I shouldn't be doing his service with the idea of gaining a reward at the end. I thought of the whole 1975 fiasco and although I could understand why many people left, I had a serious problem with it. They were serving God with a time limit in mind. If things didn't happen within a certain amount of time, then they ended up leaving God. The thing is, this wasn't God's fault, but the WTS' fault for putting the idea in people's mind in the first place. Jesus himself said that no one knew the date for his return (except God) and so having some sort of time limit in mind was a waste of time and not done out of a sincere heart.

  I agree - it is so important to let Jesus' words regarding the end remain open - therein lies the beauty of them. To set a time limit is completely at odds with his words. I like matthew 16:25 too
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  I don't have time to reply to everyone on page 1 but would dearly have like to as there were some points I wanted to comment on. I'll be back later today.
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  publishing cult

  I am no longer attached to me and don't ever expect to see me myself living on and on. You are misundestanding what I am saying. sorry I can't be any clearer. I really like zen and am interested in seeing it as describing rather more than a vacuum
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  freskalynn

  Besides I had already replaced the tenet with new things and their teachings didn't bother me at all. Having a form of worship does give one hope and peace of mind. I do have peace of mind. I don't belong to a religon.

  factfinder

  I believed in the paradise earth- I wanted to be healed and be healthy. Now my parents are dead, I won't ever see them again. :( As for what hope I have now? There is none. The future looks very bleak to me now.

  I'm so sorry about your parents. I lost mine 2 years ago and I too have experienced bleakness. To me seeing the future as bleak is a necessary part to being alive. The bleakness passes just as day pases into night and so on.
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  new chapter- what can I say. There is so much in your post that I agree with. But the anticipation aspect, (that of being on the threshold of something momentous) existed before we became witnesses and mutated into a hope for paradise conditions and any other changes Jehovah witnesses forsee. I now see Jehovahs witnesses as a byproduct (amongst others) of what I am trying to describe. Therefore I can participate with them fully knowing what motivates them. I love what you now enjoy.

  .

  I have replaced hope of living forever with a gratefulness for today. I am so happy I woke up in time to value this life before it is gone. I woke in time to look around at the wonders, and not simply wait for armeggedon to fully enjoy it. I hope every day I learn something new and that I leave something good behind.
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  thank you all - its gonna take me all morning to think about what you guys have said.

  publishing cult you raise an interesting thought

  I simply cannot find any evidence that anything related to consciousness and thought will exist once I have taken my last breath. I simply must believe and accept that finality. I will not jump through the absurd hoops of an invisible sky daddy who is promising me something that He himself cannot prove exists. Hell, he cannot even prove that He himself exists. Lunacy.

  Lunacy is a good word - I know i am one - a lunatic and would be happy to join a long line of lunatics who have graced the earth.

  But in discussion with your post above, my thought is that we are not born in a vacuum, we don't live in a vacuum and therefore I don't consider that we die in a vacuum. Here I am taking nothingess to mean a vacuum- I apologise if this is not what you meant.
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  thank you all for your replies.

  botzwanna I'm glad you are having a good time now. Thoughtful point about the witness paradise being like slavery. But in my own case I did not look that far ahead. Having just returned from a brisk morning walk with my spouse I have managed to crystallise what it is that I love most of all. It is that feeling of being on the threshold of something momentous. JWs gave me this feeling in spades. it is what kept me going.

  amelia ashton - yes I too was very zealous about telling people not to blame God for the wickedness but to blame satan.

  Your secret hope of exploring other planets defintely resonates with me and for the same reason above - that of anticipating something momentous and huge.

  publishing cult

  I mean, the WTBTS pretty much took away all other options by virtue of their teachings and doctrines that discredited the hopes and beliefs of all other religions. If there is no paradise on earth to look forward to, if there is no heavenly place waiting for me when I die, then what is there?

  I have come to see this as a literary, rhetorical device for carving out identity by painting everything other as rubbish and deathdealing. Hidden in the rubbish are the pearls waiting to be found one by one.

  But I think there is a paradox at the heart of Zen - I wonder if the nothing of Zen is actually multifaceted potential. Is this how you understand the nothing you speak of

  blonde, yes indeed - a present!!!!

  guys and gals keep it coming I want to hear more. And also does anyone agree with the feeling of anticipation of something momentous that JWs gave you? (I don't mind being made fun of either)
• 
  40

  how important was the hope of the paradise to you? and what do you hope in now?

  by Curtains in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth.

  for those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope?

  or do you still have this hope?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Curtains

  many become and remain witnesses because of the hope of living in a paradise earth. For those who have left how did you cope with the loss of this hope? Or do you still have this hope?