Posts by NewChapter

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

I tend to think they have these... and we take it away from them.

I don't. It's a skill that parents need to teach. Yes, they are naturally curious, and they ask a lot of questions, but a parent needs to teach them how to ask more effective questions and to rip apart the answers. Afterall, tell a child that the stars are campfires in the sky, and their question is answered. Teach them to rip apart that answer, and then the question will really be answered.

Children believe in Santa. We all agree that Santa doesn't exist (or maybe I should not assume that here). Yet it's the easiest thing in the world to get a child to believe that. It will be followed with many questions: he lives at the North Pole, Elves help him make toys, flying reindeers pull his sled, he comes down the chimney.

It's all bullshit, but children accept all the answers to all those questions.

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

I have my own experience. I have the experience of my own children, one of whom is very sensitive to hypocrisy and injustice. I have the words of child counsellors/psychologists have stated on the matter.

And surely you have heard many a child state 'that's not fair!'

Sure, but they are also easily misled. We can't hope that they instinctively pick up on anything. Yes, they have a sense of fairness, but this world is proof that if you fill their young brains with stories about non-existent, invisible beings, they will cling to those too.

I remember being tricked as a child by smiles and nice words. Then my mother would tell me the truth of the matter and provide evidence. And if they are being led by those that are already misled, then they won't sense hypocrisy, now will they?

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

as long as we haven't frightened them intoout of using their own brains.

I fixed that for you, Tec.

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

Why do we feed Aguests need for attention again?

Well, it was addressed to young people. They are particularly vulnerable, and I felt it would be the responsible thing to offer some counter ideas and points of view. I have a particular problem when young people are targeted. Call my efforts to contribute to this becoming a well-rounded discussion a good deed!

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

I didn't really learn about the God concept until relatively late. It was introduced to me when I was in Kindergarten, but not reinforced at home. So it just slipped away. I didn't understand it anyway, and seemed like a Santa story to me. The first time I remember going to a church was with a neighbor in second grade. I didn't understand what was going on, and when they sent me off to Sunday School I didn't know who Jesus or God were, and I didn't know what an angel was.

My mother seemed to be agnostic, though leaning toward Christianity. She did study with Witnesses off and on for years, but she must not have shared any of that with us, because it was news to me when she told me. My father was an atheist. Period. Again, that didn't become clear to me until I was older since it was never a topic of discussion in my house.

I didn't feel any particular need in internal desire to worship a god. It was put on me gradually, I suppose, but still didn't mean much to me. It was only after I learned about a Hell that it became more important to me. My life would have been much better if that teaching had never been introduced to me. I likely would have spent my entire life as an atheist or agnostic and wondering what the fuss was all about. I regret that I lost those years of freedom, but I have it back now. It feels like the most natural thing ever to me.

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

But most of them see through hypocrisy

I know it is very popular to say the above, but you have no support for such a statement. They do not have some magical, built-in BS meter, and can be quite easily misled. That's why they need to be taught critical thinking skills. Hey, I knew without a doubt that Santa Claus existed, a boogie man was in my closet, spiders and snakes resided under my bed, and the Tooth Fairy left money under my pillow. All children will not buy every lie, but they are particularly vulnerable to those that would take advantage of them. Mileage may vary, but the best thing we can do is encourage young people to critically question any idea presented to them, and any idea they hold dear.

We don't need to take advantage of it and tell them that they are so wise when they agree with us, and correct them when they do not.

You must agree that when dealing with an inexperienced person, it is always the right thing to encourage them to seriously consider every viewpoint and critically question all things, but particularly the life-changing things.

So I will not proclaim that Christ is alive, but will say I don't believe that is true at all, and you owe it to yourself to deeply investigate both claims. They are life-changing. Put on the thinking cap, and don't be manipulated by praise or disapproval. Trust yourself to pick these things apart, and ask for help when it gets overwhelming. And that help should only direct you where you can get more information, and not take that job from you. It is your responsiblity to get to the bottom of things, even if they are fantastical and hard to check out. If you are ever told that the information is not there for you, so you must just take a person's word for it, consider this a RED FLAG. Why would information ever need to be hidden or passed on in secret to only one person?

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

Oh, and one more thing. Children are easily misled and manipulated. This is simply because they lack experience, and others know how to use this to their advantage. That's why children need extra protection and why they are often the targets of bad people. So when someone tells you to approach anything as a child would, vulnerable, open to suggestion, inexperienced, trusting to a fault, see it as a red flag and ask why someone would ask you to put aside the wisdom you have already gained in your life, to do things their way. Red Flags. Very powerful warning signs that should not be ignored but investigated!

78

Young Followers of Christ?

by AGuest in

jw
friends

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

this topic began on another thread of an unrelated topic (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/242671/7/believers-vs-atheists-why-this-formulation.

in order to try and keep that thread from redirecting further, i am continuing some new thoughts brought up there here.

NewChapter

Christ even told his disciples to NOT stop the young children from coming to him! And as Peter reiterated, the promise is for us... AND OUR CHILDREN (Acts 2:39). Noah wasn't saved alone - his three sons... and their wives... were also saved. Lot's daughters were saved with him. Everyone in Rahab's house was saved... even the children. Where in the WORLD the WTBTS got that whole serving for many years FIRST thing... is beyond me! Well, the world, okay... But NO ONE served many years before being called/used, not even Moses. Sure, Moses spent many years in the wilderness... so as to get to know the terrain... but he wasn't serving while he was out there!

Regarding Noah: Let's remember the crowds of children, babies, pregnant women, teenagers, animals and men that were mercilessly drowned. If you are a young person, don't mistake this for a story of love and salvation. See it for what it is. A celebration of mass genocide.

Regarding Lot's Daughters: Remember that the Righteous man Lot offered his daughters to a sex crazed crowd of men to 'do with as they pleased.' Imagine your father doing that. But they were saved while all the children in S&G were slaughtered. Not a story of love and salvation if you're one of those children. But they watched their mother's life snuffed out, and something tells me that this righteous man was a pretty screwed up father, because his daughters responded to losing their home, friends, history and mother by getting him drunk and having sex with him. Well, it does sound messed up, but they really never had a chance. This was the father that offered them up to be raped by a crowd of men, so their views on sex were probably pretty screwed up

Regarding Rahab, the prostitute: Yep, she hung a cord, and her household was saved. They must have felt kind of bad about that as they listened the blood curdling screams of the children being slaughtered right outside their door. I don't suppose the children that were spared were ever the same after that. I have to wonder if they remembered it as a message of love and salvation.

So while you are young and your full life and options are laid out before you, ask some critical questions. You are young, so there are many things you may not know. Before you settle, check it all out. Sometimes just changing your point-of-view will shed a lot of light on any story. And before you distress too much about those children that were destoyed, consider that none of it ever even happened.

57

Blood Transfusions - Truly a "Sin"?

by AGuest in

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

you may have seen where i shared this before but my understanding is that it needs to be shared again... because there are those who will benefit.

i won't go into my usual tome... but only state: .

NewChapter

And the slashes?

57

Blood Transfusions - Truly a "Sin"?

by AGuest in

to the household of god, israel, and those who go with... may you all have peace!.

you may have seen where i shared this before but my understanding is that it needs to be shared again... because there are those who will benefit.

i won't go into my usual tome... but only state: .

NewChapter

"Doesn't Even kNowIt's ALie."

Yep. I think that sums it up well.