i've read many statements on this forum from people who have expressed the sentiment that you don't shove ttatt down the throat of an older person.
it would be too traumatic and its best to let some people, in some situations, simply pass on in the delusion.. its humane.
merciful.. in the initial roar of my awakening, i was unable to cuddle up to that sentiment; preferring, instead, to shove the blood curdling shock of truth down the throat of anyone i could get my grip on... age be dammed.
Good Karma Zoos. What do you do crush the mans faith just to make a point? No... you did good!
I've been called to pray, it all feels cultishly weird like talking to myself, pulling up old phrases from bygone days. I avoid the situation where I might be called on to pray and have said no before but there are times we need to do what we need to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktxjuyiat4.
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i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.
i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.
i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.
"Think as I think,' said a man, 'or you are abominably wicked; you are a toad.' And after I had thought of it, I said, ‘I will, then, be a toad." - Stephen Crane
I agree. I was thinking of bringing my wife to this site as her journey continues out of the cult but after seeing how fanatical some get and hateful, I know she would run back the other direction. Their's no point saying anymore the direction of this site is not recovery but to inculcate a strict standard of atheistic views, even though I agree with most of it the delivery must be more towards teaching and not berating those who come here to share. We cant forget we did the same thing when we were dubs, hell we even brought it to there doors. This is the largest site for exiting JW we might be doing more harm then good.
Sorry to see you go David Jay your post were always so well thought out and seasoned.
"sometimes i think the only thing i could do that wouldn't upset someone would be to kill myself.".
those were the frustrated words of my friend as we stood out in his large yard in the country, just about to enjoy a nice bonfire on a beautiful night.
what was it that could have been a lesser evil than killing himself?
I do believe in some sort of "god" or energy or something bigger than us, but I can't tell you if it is benevolent or not. It just is whatever it is, and I'm not worried about it anymore.
My desire is to live a good life, to help others, and to do no harm. On my deathbed, rather than looking forward to a particular hope or in fear of some punishment to come, my goal is to look back on my life and to know that I gave it my best and left people better off for knowing me. I would rather find satisfaction in what I actually could have some impact on than have my waning moments wasted on something that is out of my control.
This is a profound statement! I enjoyed this post read the entire thread. I can relate with you in so many ways, everyday I ask myself did I make a mistake?, Could I have gotten it wrong? I always answer the same.....No. This a abusive cult that has ruined my life, 45 years of servitude and it stops....no more. I'm still working through the mind control hooks that linger in the deep crevices of my mind. I at time find myself looking at things with the JW mind set. I anxiously wait for the day that I'm normal and no longer have any connection to anything or anyone JW.
It is great that you and your wife have found the way out together it makes it easier to leave with your partner on your side.
i was asked to view the video “dear believer, why do you believe?” i said i would and i would publish my comments about it.
so here are my comments.
after my post, i hope other believers will post theirs comments about it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kZRAOXEFPI
"The God Debate"...another great video.
....it would not be scared of critics.
actually they would naturally take an offensive stance, wouldn't they?
they would welcome debate... even encourage it.
If you had the truth of all the universe.?...and God on your side
....you wouldn’t be scared of critics, you would welcome them for all to see that we hold the truth and God is truly with us. I have used this line of reasoning with my wife and loud enough so my kids can hear….. She agreed.
I once asked her “how is it that the truth is such a delicate flame…… flickering to stay a lit where as a mere whisper of doubt can extinguish it?”
Why isn't there a series of talks in the mid-week meeting addressing an apostate subject each week? each month? every other month? nothing?
They will never do this it will expose them for what they are. Their is massive damaging information on JWfacts that cannot easily be overcome they know this, they have read it and know not to open Pandora box, they would in effect create mass awakenings. Imagine a brother assigned with the task of defending the organization against flip flops, misquoting in their literature, spiritistic pyramid fascination on which their principle doctrine is base from 1914.
So their approach is to vilify anyone questioning the GB as mentally diseased, demon inspired. I remember being at the convention when they passed the resolutions pledging loyalty to the organization. It was in the late 90’s I thought it was cultish just felt weird.
In my opinion, Geoffrey Jackson had the perfect opportunity when he testified on ARC, to set things straight for all to see. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. But instead he resorted to half-truths and outright lies ironically they call it the “Truth”.
i was asked to view the video “dear believer, why do you believe?” i said i would and i would publish my comments about it.
so here are my comments.
after my post, i hope other believers will post theirs comments about it.
Sanchy
Excellent post.
i was asked to view the video “dear believer, why do you believe?” i said i would and i would publish my comments about it.
so here are my comments.
after my post, i hope other believers will post theirs comments about it.
Good points.......
* Faith is an accident of geography.
* Better to wager on "no" God, than the wrong God.
* Evidence makes belief unnecessary.
i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.
i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.
i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.
"There will always be a gap I won't be able to bridge".
I believe this is crux of the issue. There are too many gaps, too many contradictions. They're a lot of people reading this debate and not saying anything you simply can't win the bible condemns God the history of ancient Israel is either true and this God exist and he's not a nice deity or its all man orchestrated to scare people into submission.
Cofty has made this argument with others that try and defend there version of god and it pretty much ends the same, its a hard argument to over come when this is claimed. " All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 Tim 3:16
Interesting enough not even a century ago if anybody rejected any part of the bible or contradicted it, they would be executed for blasphemy or heresy. The bible was held as the indisputable word of God. Now it seams once presented with facts about their creator and or belief they back peddle into pick and chose what I believe, "Christians". Unfortunately those who disagreed with the Bible weren't given the same consideration.
in case you read my other thread regarding my existential crisis and how it was making my life miserable and left me feeling hopeless, purposeless and joyless i though i'd share what's recently happened to me and my way of thinking and have i've for the time being resolved my existential crisis.
i write every day in a journal.
i've been doing this for years.
That is awesome, my motto is "live and let live". Everything else will take care if itself.
Sometimes is better not to over analyze things, just put the burden of proof on God. The least he can do is provide evidence considering the sober reality of his absence.
