Posts by truth_b_known

posted

52
Free Will - Does It or Does It Not Exist?
by truth_b_known in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
being born-in and raised as one of jehovah's witnesses i remember a common theme or phrases used by the watchtower in its theory of why things are the way they are -.

jehovah created humans.

jehovah created humans as free moral agents.
truth_b_known
I came to this website because -
1. Sometime in the late 1970's my parents conceived me
2. My parents are U.S. citizens and I was birth in the U.S., a country composed of mostly Christians
3. My parents were/are devout Jehovah's Witnesses
4. My mother's parents were also devout JWs
5. The Watchtower demands JW parents indoctrinate their children in their belief system
6. Like all children, I believed everything my parents taught me is true
7. I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses
8. In my late 20's I applied for a job
9. That employer hired me
10. I had to work nights, weekends, and holidays causing me to miss meetings
11. My enthusiasm for the JW religion waned
12. I inherited my father's aptitude for critical thinking
13. My father taught me astronomy
14. I took astronomy in college
15. My astronomy instructor made my learn Kepler's Law
16. Graham Hancock wrote a book about Mars
17. I read that book
18. Kepler's Law and the book about Mars changed my belief on Noah's Flood
19. I attended the Memorial at my father's request in 2010 because he said it would be of significance
20. I attended that Memorial and it was exactly like every Memorial I attended for 30+ years
That's a shortlist of contributing factors of why I first came to this website. In that list there are 8 people outside of me that have a direct link of why I made it here. There are many, many more.
- The actions of other people.
- My inherited beliefs.
- My inherited DNA.
This is a short list of external factors I had no control over that brought me to this website.
One person said we do things for 1 of 2 reasons -
1. We want to
2. We were coerced to
The question is, how do we choose what we want? We don't. Where do our thoughts come from? Who is the thinker thinking the thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpU_e3jh_FY
52
Free Will - Does It or Does It Not Exist?
by truth_b_known in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
being born-in and raised as one of jehovah's witnesses i remember a common theme or phrases used by the watchtower in its theory of why things are the way they are -.

jehovah created humans.

jehovah created humans as free moral agents.
truth_b_known
Being born-in and raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses I remember a common theme or phrases used by the Watchtower in its theory of why things are the way they are -
- Jehovah created humans
- Jehovah created humans as free moral agents
- Jehovah created humans with "free will"
- Free will is how sin came into the world
- As free moral agents, God judges us by our choices and that will determine how God decides our eternal future
I have recently begun to study the topic of free will vs determinism. The evidence definitely leans more towards determinism and that free will is illusionary.
I was seeking other users input on the topic. Has anyone else studied this? What have your findings produced?
"A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants." - Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher
3
Magnum Actor died.
by Lost in the fog in
1. jw
2. friends
https://news.sky.com/story/magnum-pi-actor-roger-e-mosley-dies-after-sustaining-injuries-in-car-crash-12668467.
truth_b_known

Magnum P.I. is on a list of shows produced by Chad Larson that made the 80's a great time to own a tv. I love the show and T.C. is a great character.
7
Woke Up Feeling Poetic, so an ExJW Poem
by Simon in
1. jw
2. friends
come here you heavy hearted who departed from the truth your youth and family trapped you in.. no need to fear that armageddons near and you will be forgotten as a rotten failure to your kin.. the freedom that you took is nothing that a crusty book can ever realistically replace.. so stand up tall, tell all who need to hear that it is them who fear to look you in the face..
truth_b_known

Well done, Simon. A powerful poem indeed. I appreciate your prose.
I do believe it is they would both cower in shame and look away in fear. Shunning is not love. The thought that we are right burns like a hot ember in the back of their brain. "What if he's right?" is the background noise of their lives.
9
Online Lesson: Why does suffering and evil exist?
by RULES & REGULATIONS in
1. watchtower
2. bible
bible teachings.

online lessons.

basic bible teachings.
truth_b_known

If that concept were true here's the way to settle it. Have Jehovah and Satan rule over their own earth in the mirror universe or multiverse. (Star trek and marvel reference) and let the result prove itself With an equal playing field!
This idea makes real sense. It is a true experiment with parameters. It follows the scientific method and is therefor unbiased.
17
3 years in the making
by Judgerussellford in
1. jw
2. friends
thursday while i was at work, a new elder stopped by the house (almost 3 years after fading) to encourage us to go back to meetings.

said everyone misses us.

if you did, why not stop by and say hi every now and then?
truth_b_known

If you go through with it be sure to answer their questions as U.S. Congressmen do.
Elder: Do you believe this is the one, true religion?
You: Brother, that information is a matter of public record.
9
Online Lesson: Why does suffering and evil exist?
by RULES & REGULATIONS in
1. watchtower
2. bible
bible teachings.

online lessons.

basic bible teachings.
truth_b_known

According to Christian myth, God doesn't have to do anything. He is the sovereign over all the universe. He makes the rules and he punishes those according to his wants and desires if those roles are violated. It's all his choice.
This is why none of it makes sense. What exactly are the perimeters of this great experiment?
22
An aspect of dealing with my elderly, PIMI, Father
by joe134cd in
1. jw
2. experiences
for a bit of back ground.

i’m a full blown pomo apostate.

nothing would please me more to see wt burn to the ground.
truth_b_known

Here is my opinion on the topic of disassociation within the Jehovah's Witness religion - Don't do it!
When I stopped being one of Jehovah's Witnesses I was done with the practices and beliefs. Disassociation is a Jehovah's Witness practice. It is their game. It is their rules.
Don't play their game. Don't play by their rules. Disassociation is a form of acknowledging their religion and authority.
162
A new generation of anointed that will not pass away.
by Fisherman in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
obviously, the older “ anointed ” from 1914 died.

and because they were anointed, they hopefully went to heaven.

in the first century though, a newer generation did not replace the old.
truth_b_known

The Great Tribulation already happened. 70 C.E. was it. Nearly 2,000 years later and Jesus still hasn't returned. Probably because he never was going to return and the Apostles inserted that part in their new religion.
"This generation will by no means pass away..."
It passed away nearly 20 centuries ago.
35
2022-07-29-Announcement!
by Atlantis in
1. jw
2. friends
2022-07-29-announcements--english.

2022-07-29-announcements-spanishpage 2, par.

3. on the other hand, some brothers and sisters—younger and in good health—have more favorable circumstances that may allow them to attend christian meetings regularly at the kingdom hall.
truth_b_known

Translation: "You should be attended meetings in person...where there are conveniently located contribution boxes to the World Wide Work."
Zoom proved that you can have meetings, even question and answer parts, without physically being present.