Posts by peaceloveharmony

20

A modest "Hello, everybody!"

by TheOldHippie in

jw
friends

witnesses.net's and (a couple of years ago) hourglass2's the old hippie modestly says "hello" and enters if not the building then at least the area.

live in europe, am - (i am sorry to say) - a countryman of the unholy trinity consisting of kent, jan h. and norm, and thus well updated with the practises of the observer-thing.

do not support the majority of what they think or do.

peaceloveharmony

welcome Hippie-

hope you find this board as refreshing as i did. enjoy:)

harmony

8

Idiotic Religious Rivalries

by peaceloveharmony in

jw
friends

someone sent this to me and i thought i'd share it with you all.

please read with an open mind.

enjoy:).

peaceloveharmony

bumping this back to page one. thought maybe some of the newbies might find it interesting.

140

NEW RELIGION! NEED INPUT!

by TR in

jw
friends

this is sort of a take-off of the "what should the wt do" thread.. i need to get together a board of directors and elect a president and officers.

we need to figure out a doctrine, a manifesto, and a set of disciplinary rules.

we need to figure out a way to fund our new movement.

peaceloveharmony

i feel that everyone should get the chance to hold the towels for the newly (naked) baptized. i think we should rotate, that way everyone gets a piece of the action ;)

h

140

NEW RELIGION! NEED INPUT!

by TR in

jw
friends

this is sort of a take-off of the "what should the wt do" thread.. i need to get together a board of directors and elect a president and officers.

we need to figure out a doctrine, a manifesto, and a set of disciplinary rules.

we need to figure out a way to fund our new movement.

peaceloveharmony

larc--

sounds good. the end of the world is so far away--we don't even have to think about.

as for the dress code for baptism--why wear anything??

harmony

20

ive been reading thesr posts for a while, thinking on them, pondering as the wt has recommended over the years.. having grown up as a witness, and having been involved in both the boring and the more exciting parts of the ministry, i know what it is like to be part of a team, and more importantly , i know what its like to be a team player on gods side.

and then one day, things start to unravel, the marriage, the relationship with bethel, the relationship with members in the congregations, and then, on another later day, suddenly you find yourself on the outside.. so, as time passes, a person begins to miss the association, the meetings, the laughter of the ministry groups, even the smell of the kingdom halls.....and effort is made to restore self to favour....and in time that too....comes to pass.. but here i am, a few years later, once more isolated, but this time by my own choice, beset by doubts and concerns over something that i held and hold sacred.. my circumstances have changed.

i chose the path of marriage again, to a wonderful person that has filled my life with contentment without the pressures of having to be an elder or an example to others in the christian manner, for those that are or have been in positions of oversight, you will know what this means...and yes my wife is one raised as a witness, and having her own journey that she may or may not choose to share with you...in any case, i feel priveleged to know her just for the decent human she is.. so, here i am, watching, reading, thinking....and i admit to being a little lost.. firstly, 607, it may or may not be correct, frankly my dears.... the ever changing date of armaggeddon...well that would appear to be a previousness on the part of the leading lights...after a while it gets tedious and a little self defeating.... the meetings and requirements for field service...well as i see it, the bible indicates it is a requirement to meet together, and furthermore a requirement to tell others about jehovah....the application of the principles have become (almost law,) in order to belong to the organisation known as jehovahs witnesses...that is a minor problem, despite the best efforts from co's and do's from the platform, the unoffical stance is that if you aint cutting it.. you aint spiritual.. now,where im at in this stream of time, along with all the confusion about what is right and what is wrong, i have to just look for other confirmations that jehovahs time is at hand...if indeed it is near at all.. man is now developing life in vacuums, primitive cellular structures it may be, but the leaps of testing criteria has been enhanced by the use of computers to cut time.... man has the ability (proven) to destroy earth.. man is killing the earth.. now if i was the creator, and he once before destroyed civilisation when they built the tower of babel, i would be thinking that soon they would know stuff they shouldnt know, and in any case, the earthdewellers are so dumb they will destroy themselves..id better start big a... my concern is,, that in the bigger picture..does it really matter if we get it so wrong, so many times and so quickly?

peaceloveharmony

deacon-

i want to offer a hug to you too (((((((deacon))))))))

see the post "Idiotic Religious Rivalries"

love harmony

38

Am I welcome here?

by WanderingStar in

jw
friends

i am currently df'd but seriously considering returning to the meetings with a view to reinstatement.

i am looking for honest, open minded discussion.

if i offend you all by being here, please let me know and i wont come back again.. thanks for reading this!

peaceloveharmony

i just want to say that i don't find people here to be bitter at all. (well except for one or two;) most people here are kind, nice, loving people who are accepting of all the HONEST ones who post here.

harmony

23

Double Life??

by Gozz in

jw
friends

i'm coming out.

i attend meetings; all of them.

even handle some talks.

peaceloveharmony

gozz-

i just want to say that it is your life and you must live it. if you can stand living a lie then that's what you do. i think though that sometime in the future you will realize you no longer can live a lie. one of the most important things we can all do for ourselves is to be honest in who we are.
what happens when you have kids? would you raise them as jws?
it may be appealing to have this dual existance but at one point you will begin to hate it and what it has done to you. but it is up to you to decide. good luck:)

love harmony

8

Idiotic Religious Rivalries

by peaceloveharmony in

jw
friends

someone sent this to me and i thought i'd share it with you all.

please read with an open mind.

enjoy:).

peaceloveharmony

Someone sent this to me and i thought i'd share it with you all. please read with an open mind. enjoy:)

From: God and Goddess
To: Our Children of Earth
Re: Idiotic Religious Rivalries

Dear Children (and believe us, that's all of you),

We consider ourselves pretty patient folks. For instance, look at
the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And
about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole
Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, gene by gene. We've
been patient through your fashions, civilisations, wars and
schemes, and the countless ways you take Us for granted until you
get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

We want to let you know about some of the things that are
starting to tick Us off.

First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Us up a wall.
Enough already!! Let's get one thing straight: These are YOUR
religions, not Ours. We're the whole enchilada; We're beyond them
all. Every one of your religions claims there is only one of Us
(which by the way, is absolutely true. We just have many names.).
But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's Our
favourite one. And, each claims it's scriptures were written
personally by Us, and that all the other scriptures are man-made.
Oy vey! How do we even begin to put a stop to such complicated
nonsense?

Okay, listen up now. We're your Father and Mother, and We don't
play favourites among Our children.

Also, We hate to break it to you, but We don't write. Our
longhand is awful, and We've always been more of doers anyway. So
ALL of your books, including those Bibles, were written by men
and women.

They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made
mistakes here and there. We made sure of that so that you would
never trust a written word more than your own living heart. You
see, one human being to Us, even a bum on the street, is worth
more than all the Holy Books in the world. That's just the kind
of folks we are. Our spirit is not an historical thing. It's
alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy
books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more
so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in
the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and
certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal
connection with Us.

Which brings Us to Our next point about your nonsense. You act
like We need you and your religions to "stick up" for Us or "win
souls" for Our sake. Please, don't do Us any favours. We can
stand quite well on Our own, thank you. We don't need you to
defend Us, and We don't need constant credit. We just want you to
be good to each other.

And another thing, We don't get all worked up over money or
politics, so stop dragging Our names into your dramas. For
example, We swear to Us <smile>, that We never threatened Oral
Roberts. We never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. We
never told Pat Robertson to run for President, and We've never,
EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy
Swaggart!! Of course, come Judgement Day, We certainly intend
to...<Grin>

The thing is, We want you to stop thinking of religion as some
sort of loyalty pledge to Us. The true purpose of your religions
is so that YOU can become more aware of Us, not the other way
around.

Believe Us, We know you already. We know what's in each of your
hearts, and We love you with no strings attached.

Lighten up and enjoy Us. That's what religion is best for. What
you seem to forget is how mysterious We are. You look at the
petty differences in your scriptures and say, "Well, if THIS is
the truth, then THAT can't be." But instead of trying to figure
out Our Paradoxes and unfathomable Nature, which by the way, you
NEVER will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads
in all religions. You now what We're talking about. Love and
Respect everyone. Be kind, even when life is scary or confusing.

Take courage and be of good cheer, for We are always with you.
Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear Our still, small voice.
(We don't like to shout).

Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity
and gracefulness, for you are Our own children. Hold back nothing
from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the
parts that can't, won't. Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it
so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to
be upset. And We're very tired of being your main excuse. Do you
think We care whether you call Us...Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah,
Diana, Wakantonka, Brahma, Cerridwen, Father, Mother, God,
Goddess, or even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think We care which
of Our special children you feel closest to, Jesus, Mary, Buddha,
Krishna, Gerald, Muhammad, or any of the others? You can call Us
and Our special ones any name you choose, if only you would go
about Our business of loving one another as We love you. How can
you keep neglecting something so simple?

We're not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your
religions, honour them, learn from them, just as you should
enjoy, honour and learn from your parents.

But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are
better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always
have the most special place in your hearts, We don't mind that at
all.

And We don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions in One
Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique
style so that people can find the best path for themselves.

Know that Our Special Children, the ones that your religions
revolve around, all live in the same place, Our Heart, and they
get along perfectly, We assure you. The clergy must stop creating
a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none. Our Blessed
Children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your
pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is
connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax
machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns.

Get with the program!! If you really want to help, then commit
yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your
naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as
importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of
kindness and good humour. We've given you all the resources you
need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin
living, loving and laughing together.

We're not really ticked off. We just wanted to grab your
attention because We hate to see you suffer. You have free will
to choose your own paths, and We just want you to be happy.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust,
Us

love to you all
harmony

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