someone started an interesting thread about what music wed like played at our funeral.
the logical next step is to ask of what the funeral itself would consist.
since becoming an ex-jw i have been wondering what my wife (also now an ex-jw) would do if i preceded her in death.
I have thought about this and need
to put something in writing.
I bought a book from the Unitarian
Universalist bookstore that has different
ideas on the topic.
"In Memoriam A Guide to Modern Funeral and
Memorial Services", By Edward Searl
bookstore website:
* http://www.uua.org/bookstore/newbookstore.html
Quester
dear jw,.
i have some questions.
as i understand it, if armageddon came tomorrow, those that never heard the truth, in such places as india or china would either live through armageddon or die and be resurrected.
Larc, you must be up the same time as me.
You wrote: "The way I understood it is that
if you had no opportunity to learn the truth,
then if was not your fault, and you would find
yourself in the new world."
Yes, I agree with that statement.
If you die in ignorance, BEFORE Armageddon,
jw's will say that you may be resurrected.
But this does not apply to those alive when
Armageddon comes. JW's say that the only
survivors of Armageddon will be active faithful
JW's--and even that is only a "probably".
Quester
i've been interested in the discussion on the 'for those of us who believe in god' thread and aguest wrote this:.
"we have been misled into understand what 'faith' really is.".
if we have all been misled, then can someone explain what exactly faith really is?
Ranchette quoted from October 1,2001 issue
of the watchtower: "As used in the Bible however
"faith" basically means total trust-complete,
unshakable confidence in God and his promises."
As used by JW's "faith" means total trust--complete,
unshakable confidence in...THE ORG.
Larc, If God really did speak to us as he spoke
to Abraham, I wonder if we would just think we were
crazy.
I think God probably does speak to us, maybe not in
that sensational way, but in other ways and perhaps
we just dismiss it or discount it.
To me, faith means believing enough to take the first
step and then the next and then thru experience we
come to know and experience God.
Quester
dear jw,.
i have some questions.
as i understand it, if armageddon came tomorrow, those that never heard the truth, in such places as india or china would either live through armageddon or die and be resurrected.
The way I always understood it is if you
are alive when Armaggedon comes and you are
not an active faithful Jehovah's Witness you
will be destroyed with no hope of resurrection
because it is God's war, God doing the destroying.
And even the active faithful JW's only get a
"probably" be concealed in the day of Jah's
anger.
Never made any sense to me when I actually
thought about it.
That creates a fear-based relationship with God,
not a love-based relationship.
Quester
i smell something burning; oh, just me thinking again!!.
anyway, one thing i always missed were the holidays-christmas especially.
i know that this is an unproven celebration to say the least, but i have always loved the warmth and beauty of this holiday, although very commercialized in this day and age.
The only thing that I enjoy doing since
leaving the jw religion is recognizing
birthdays as a way to honor and celebrate
the lives of the ones I care about.
I still don't care cared much for holidays.
Not because I think they are bad or wrong.
But because I don't like the obligation
to give. The giving that brings me the
most joy is the spontaneous unexpected
giving.
Quester
i'm just curious as to how many ex-witnesses here still believe in the god of the bible ?
and how many, due to the societies teachings have given up on god all together ?
Abaddon,
I would say that my belief in God's
existence is a combination of research
and experiences.
I don't believe God can be known or
experienced thru the intellect/logic/reason
alone.
And my beliefs about God and my relationship
with God change as I learn and grow and
experience life.
Quester
i would like to know why you still beleive in god and what, based upon the bible, leads you to believe in god.. i likethe scripture that states the earth was a circle and hung upon nothing.
i also find that there is evidence the flood existed.
anybody know the stats of the "supposed" ark on mr. ararat?.
D Wiltshire,
Yes, I have heard some think a flood really
did happen, but not a global one.
You brought out some good points.
Appreciated your comments.
Quester
who is jesus?.
is jesus god or a god or any think else?
have you consider your opinion about this or just swept it out on you mind.
As someone who has been within the
Christian tradition all my life,
I have never believed Jesus was God.
I think people deified him after his death.
I think Jesus exemplified what a life with
God is like and shows us how to have that
same kind of intimate son/father type
relationship.
Quester
growing up in the borg we were always told that we are decendants of adam and eve and because they fu**ed up we have to pay the price and accept jebus as redemption for our sins.
.. the analogy that comes to mind (surprisingly) after all these years, was that of a baker with a dented pan- anything baked in that would mold to that shape.
.. i have a retort for such a train of thought, if you cut the tails off of 2 mice and let them mate, will their offspring be born with a tail?.
The doctrine of original sin came from Augustine,
who had some major dysfunctional issues with sex.
One book I read recently,
"The Codependent Church", by Virginia Curran Hoffman,
talked about Augustine writings called "Confessions."
Hoffman said Augustine was an unrecovered sex addict.
Like an alcoholic who abstains from alcohol
but never deals with the issues-the old
destructive attitudes and behaviors ("dry drunk").
For a complete history on the doctrine of
original sin, Check out Elaine Pagels book,
"Adam, Eve, and the Serpent."
Quester
i'm just curious as to how many ex-witnesses here still believe in the god of the bible ?
and how many, due to the societies teachings have given up on god all together ?
Thanks for responding, MrMoe.
No flak from me.
I think this issue is a biggie for a lot of people.
So I enjoy reading people's experiences of how
they deal with this and remain believers.
I know it's not an easy one answer solution.
In my own life I have experienced good come from bad.
I kinda like me--battle scars and all.
I have become "strong at the broken places." (Hemingway)
We may not know why, but we do have a choice of how we
respond.
Quester
