Posts by Believer

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

DJS and Cofty, you have some kind of persecution fixation that turns any expression by a believer OF HIS OWN BELIEFS into a personal attack on you. It is clear that no amount of reason will penetrate your fixation. So, I will leave you to your own devices.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

TimeBandit,

What you are missing is that you nonbelivers are not the only victims here. All of us here (practically all of us) are ex-JWs. We are ALL recovering from the spiritual abuse of the WT. Some of us have found some peace by rejecting all religion and God along with it. Others of us have found healing by drawing closer to God. Why can’t those who are healing through faith have a voice here? Why must all ex-JWs take the path you have taken? That’s unreasonable, selfish, whinny, and weak.

If this is a forum supporting those recovering from WT abuse, why can’t we all be supportive of one another, no matter the method of recovery? And why can’t believers share their healing faith with one another without having to convince nonbelievers that their method is valid? Why can’t nonbelievers accept that there may be other, valuable and successful ways of recovering from our common affliction?

The freedom of nonbelievers is no more important and more valid than the freedom of believers. This is a shared space. Learn to share. Learn to find your place. If hearing about religious or faith based topics damages you so much, SAVE YOURSELF!! STOP READING RELIGIOUS AND FAITH BASED THREADS. I tried to make this easy for your by the title of the thread and the words in the OP. This thread is not for you!

It seems you just want to pick a fight. We are not your enemy. We are your brothers and your comrades. Fellow survivors. Have a little compassion. Stop being so needy for attention. Direct your frustration at the WT, no us.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

DJS wrote:

Believer,
Didn't you say a couple of days ago you would never post again on this site or even view it??

Nope. Never said that.

You were asked to view a video? Really? By whom? The Pope? Billy Graham? Believer?

I was asked by StartingOver.

So let me get this straight. You are now separating religion from god. I see. In your last OP, where you assigned all us atheists to Gehenna (is that the metaphorical Gehenna meaning death or the hot place? I want to dress appropriately), you also stated that there was a 'true faith.'

Yes, I am able to separate religion from God and, yes I do believe there is a difference between blind faith and true faith. But as for the Gehenna comments, that wasn’t me. You’ve got me confused with someone else.

Now the important question. Are those who believe in god in your true faith? Or is it just the xtian god and his baby boy that gets identified as the true faith? What about the myriads of gods in Hinduism, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva? Islam's god Allah? Moksha of Jainism?

You’re confusing faith with religion.

Or is the true faith only reserved for Believer and its followers? Do the Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, etc. also get thrown into Gehenna along with us atheists? We are talking about several billion people, so your response is meaningful. We got to alert a whole lot of people if you don't approve of their religion or their god.

Again, the Gehenna comment was not from me.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

I notice that when a thread is started that is directed to believers, it is usually co-opted by atheists. I’d like to stay on point. Read the OP and you will see what I am interested in responding to. If you want to start a thread espousing your robot philosophy, do it. And maybe I’ll be interested in responding.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

There's no doubt where you stand Cofty. I'm interested in what other believers have to say about the video.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

Doesn’t look like nonbelievers can stay on topic. Oh well. I kept my word and responded to the video.

63

Video: Dear Believer, Why Do You Believe?

by Believer in

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.

Believer

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. Here’s the link to the video. (I don’t yet know how to embed videos here.) https://youtu.be/xl_TrvIIcBY

To me, this video is an example of how atheists confuse religion with God. They cannot seem to make the distinction. On the one hand, atheist ex-JWs deride active JWs for not being able to distinguish the difference between the GB and Jehovah, yet videos like this show that many atheists suffer from the same blindness.

So while not saying much about the existence of God, this video IS a wake up call for religion in general. It shows the problems that arise when we divide ourselves into separate camps and promote ourselves as superior to all others. That kind of thinking is the root of all religious dysfunction. In my opinion, the division among religions are obstacles we have placed in our own way. It was not the doing of God. So in many ways, I agree with many of the problems inferred by the questions posed in the video. But the solution is not to abandon God. The solution is to abandon dysfunctional religious practices.

I have no problem with the idea that religion was created by our ancestors as their expression of a need to worship something greater than themselves. But religion has evolved and continues to evolve. Thankfully some of the things people used to do in the name of religion are no longer done in modern society. I think that growth will continue. Just like science has evolved, politics has evolved, entertainment has evolved, so will religion. Videos like this will help us along that path. Like many believers have said here, the nonbelievers challenged their beliefs and made them better. Refining through the fire. But that refining doesn’t have to destroy faith in God.

For me, I have chosen to believe in a loving, all wise Creator of all of us. And I chose to follow the teachings of Jesus because they are the best principles I have come across so far, and I’ve found the same principles are part of most religious ideals. Jesus simply taught that God is our loving and wise Father, that every man is your brother, that this life is not all there is, and that after death, we will live again in some place other than earth. To me, that’s not a religion. It’s a philosophy of living. It does not harm myself or anyone else and I can’t see why others would find these simple teachings offensive.

In the video, it says:

We do not blame our ancestors for inventing religion there is no shame whatsoever in stumbling when you are blind, or failing to properly construct a puzzle in the dark.

I agree. And I think God feels the same. Surely he knows many of us are trying to construct the puzzle of life in the dark. Faith is a toughie. I think that’s why Jesus said only a mustard seed of faith is required. Just keeping an open mind about God and continuing to seek, knock and ask.

At the end of the video, it says:

Perhaps it is time to stop telling ourselves that we are the reason the universe was made. That our culture is somehow better than other cultures. That our tribe was chosen over all other tribes. It is time to learn how the universe really is. Even if that deflates our conceit, wounds our pride, humbles our point of view and forces us to admit that we do not have all the answers.

I think this is good advice for believers as well as nonbelievers. Neither group has all the answers. Both groups need to humble themselves and admit that, instead of dogmatically declaring that they know it all. There is no concrete empirical proof that God exists and there is no concrete empirical proof that he does not. That’s probably why God only asks that we have faith that he exists, and he’ll take care of the rest.

So that’s my take on the video. If any other believers have viewed the video, what do you think about it? Did it shock you? Did it make you want to abandon your faith in God? What effect, if any, did it have on you?

20

UPDATE: My existential crisis comes to a close

by Freeandclear in

jw
friends

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.

Believer

FreeandClear, you demonstrated what I was trying to explain in another thread, but you articulated it so much better. An existential crises is such a personal matter that the answer is also to be found personally, inside you, just you and your thoughts. And as you said, the answers will come. Not everyone will come to the same conclusion, but at least all who do it will be living their own truth.

You also described the way I see worship. Its not doing any sacrificial thing or begging for anything. Worship is just being thankful. Just looking at your life and acknowledging the beauty and wisdom of it all. A God that is able to create all that we see is surely not so insecure that he needs us to harm ourselves in order to please him. Worship and believing in God is as simple and as easy as breathing.

So Bravo! I think you will help a lot of people to go inside and find their own answers. And welcome to the “Nones” – those of us who love God, but religion, not so much!

P.S. – I also appreciate all the nonbelievers who have given you support in your decision. I think that’s the highest ideal of human behavior, no matter your personal views.

50

Sometimes I feel like I Should Believe something...

by freemamaof3 in

has anyone else felt like they should believe something after leaving wt?

i am an agnostic atheist and its so so hard for me to believe in a god or higher power.

it just doesn't make sense.

Believer

Epistemology. Great word! Never heard of it before. Thx.

50

Sometimes I feel like I Should Believe something...

by freemamaof3 in

has anyone else felt like they should believe something after leaving wt?

i am an agnostic atheist and its so so hard for me to believe in a god or higher power.

it just doesn't make sense.

Believer

Sparky1 you said:

Quick question Believer: Are you drawing the conclusion that I am thin-skinned?

It seems like you might be based on what you wrote:

Believer, maybe you need to look into one of these once in awhile. I mean this with all due respect: Sometimes what you post and the manner in which you present yourself could try the patience of a 'SAINT'.

But I could be mistaken. Perhaps you are just looking out for the saints. If I'm wrong, I apologize.