thinking_1

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Posts by thinking_1

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  24

  Life after WT????

  by Gojira_101 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm just curious how many of the wonderful people on here have gone to another religion?.

  i recently left the wtb$ and the non-jw friends of mine are all inviting me to their church.

  i politely decline the invite saying i'm not ready.

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  thinking_1

  I did not move on to another religion. Questioning the WT sparked my questioning everything. I'm still searching, don't think I'll ever stop, but I'm more and more comfortable with the possibility that I won't find a god.
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  78

  Neurosurgeon Has Near Death Experience

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  interesting stuff:.

  http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html.

  i've had long, personal conversations with two people who've had these experiences.

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  thinking_1

  Things like this always crack me up! If you've ever had a lucid dream then you know what "more real than real" can mean. Seeing as how I've done this many times (and without being near death as far as I could tell) I know what effect it might have on a person. Whenever it happens to me, I wake up estatic! and the "high" lasts all day and moreover becomes a part of me as a person.

  Yeah. It's amazing. Hands down.

  No. I don't think it has anything to do with "Heaven". Just another "God of the gaps" case of something cool and new happening, and people cramming it into they're preconceived notions.
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  27

  Survey: How Sure are you of Your Beliefs?

  by simon17 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find it interesting to see, not just the state of people's beliefs, but how sure they are of them.

  or asked another way, what is the percent chance people feel they are wrong about their current beliefs.

  so state your current core beliefs about jws, christianity, god, and a percentage 0-100% of how sure you are that this belief is correct.

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  thinking_1

  But I'm 100% sure, based on the evidence, that, say, gravity is real. I don't think that's arrogant, I think it's realistic. If evidence came up later to refute it, I would reevaluate my position. I think you can be 100% certain of something and still be willing to change your mind if, later on, additional evidence presents itself. - brizzzy

  Thats actually much closer to my real viewpoint. Well said
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  81

  How Did You Become An Atheist?

  by NewChapter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.

  for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.

  i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.

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  thinking_1

  Yeah, the whole "You're just mad at God!" makes no sense. It trips my troll alarm when I read or hear it nowadays.

  I meant more along the lines of being angry with a religion or organization or particular person within one.

  One of my biggest revelations was that how I feel about a fact or situation has no bearing on reality.

  "But if there's no God, what hope is there for the future" - I never really said that to myself, but I hear it and it makes no sense. Like there has to be a purpose to everything. There doesn't have to be any "cosmic justice". Life isn't fair. It's something people have no problem saying about small things, but it's amazing how many will trot it out when pressed about the lack of evidence for a god.

  It's also not nihilistic to say there's no ultimate purpose, you can make purpose wherever you want.
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  27

  Survey: How Sure are you of Your Beliefs?

  by simon17 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find it interesting to see, not just the state of people's beliefs, but how sure they are of them.

  or asked another way, what is the percent chance people feel they are wrong about their current beliefs.

  so state your current core beliefs about jws, christianity, god, and a percentage 0-100% of how sure you are that this belief is correct.

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  thinking_1

  buuuuut at the moment:

  * JW's not 'God's' true organization: 99% sure

  * Bible not inspired: 99% sure

  * A personal god does not exist: 99% sure

  * No god-like creator exists: I'd also have to go with "Define God?"
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  27

  Survey: How Sure are you of Your Beliefs?

  by simon17 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find it interesting to see, not just the state of people's beliefs, but how sure they are of them.

  or asked another way, what is the percent chance people feel they are wrong about their current beliefs.

  so state your current core beliefs about jws, christianity, god, and a percentage 0-100% of how sure you are that this belief is correct.

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  thinking_1

  I am sure only to the extent of my current knowledge. That changes everyday.

  Not attacking your thread simon17 but people seem to think it's noble for some reason to be absolutely sure. To be steadfast in their position no matter what comes along. That requires an extreme amount of pride, arrogance, and ingnorance.

  One of these things is not like the others,

  Can you spot which one?

  - Ingnorance

  - Nobility

  - Arrogance

  - Pride

  Once again, not saying bad about the OP or any responders.
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  81

  How Did You Become An Atheist?

  by NewChapter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.

  for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.

  i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.

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  thinking_1

  I like this thread because some believers seem to think the only reason people stop practicing a religion or professing belief in a god is because their pissed off, or feel restricted.

  Not true in most cases. Some maybe, but if you try to get that person to have a discussion on any sort of a deep level you'll quickly find they don't really care about truth. They just care about what makes them comfortable.

  I have very little respect for people like that.
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  81

  How Did You Become An Atheist?

  by NewChapter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.

  for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.

  i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.

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  thinking_1

  Also, I want to clarify what I mean by atheist. I know there are many definitions, but my favorite is:

  When someone asks you whether you believe in God:

  1) If you say yes; you're a theist.

  2) Any other response; you're an atheist.

  Now what flavor beyond that, takes a lot of discussion.

  I just don't really like labels, because if I were to tell someone I'm an atheist, they think they automatically know my opinion on a whole array of subjects.

  But that just isn't true. You could have two atheists who have differing opinions on every subject except: whether they believe a god exists.
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  81

  How Did You Become An Atheist?

  by NewChapter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.

  for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.

  i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.

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  2. 
  3. 
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  thinking_1

  When I was about done believing in the religion I was raised in, I started to think about what else was out there. At first it can be alittle overwhelming with so many ideas. I saw the need to be cautious about being convinced by something that sounds good or reasonable at first. When I looked back at some of the things I used to believe, and the illogical thinking that made me buy it, I decided to focus how to think and sift through information. I studied logic and critical thinking, then applied those to examining the big questions. It wasn't automatic, but after awhile most of the arguments I heard for the existence of any god seemed unconvincing.
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  8

  Preaching and Those With a "Right Heart Condition"

  by thinking_1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  aka "gullible, unquestioning, and at least somewhat uneducated".

  this is one of those lines that really helps out when a jw runs into someone who know what they're talking about.. whether it's the bible, or scientific matters, or anything else where someone thy're talking to doesnt' agree with the teachings of "the slave", and has good reasonable points that they are trying to get across.. by telling the flock, and in turn the flock telling themselves that it's because of the persons "heart condition" and not their inability to accept the poor explanations and reasoning required to think like a jw, it insulates them from hearing too many facts that the teaching can't stand up to.. when they (probably unconsciously) sense that they are losing in a discussion, they can always tell themselves that the other person is unreasonable or has that pesky "bad heart"..

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  thinking_1

  aka "Gullible, Unquestioning, and at least somewhat Uneducated"

  This is one of those lines that really helps out when a JW runs into someone who know what they're talking about.

  Whether it's the Bible, or scientific matters, or anything else where someone thy're talking to doesnt' agree with the teachings of "the slave", and has good reasonable points that they are trying to get across.

  By telling the flock, and in turn the flock telling themselves that it's because of the persons "heart condition" and not their inability to accept the poor explanations and reasoning required to think like a Jw, it insulates them from hearing too many facts that the teaching can't stand up to.

  When they (probably unconsciously) sense that they are losing in a discussion, they can always tell themselves that the other person is unreasonable or has that pesky "bad heart".