so for the first time ever i went to a church service at my local church (coe) and i have to say it was awful!
it was just like a ritual.
the vicar would say something and then the congregation would all say a phrase in unison back to him.
Dear Theburstbubble,
You are on the right track—You remember God (make this as your hobby).
In addition, try to be always in the NOW which means you are in heaven (going out of the NOW means you are in hell). This will ensure prosperity—both material and spiritual
Can't be simpler and truer than this--thanks for this great art.
That little word “truth” will not allow people to look deeper, thus they do not realize that many perceptions are possible out of a "fact." Thus the little ego finds security in becoming the part of a big ego called cult.
common mistake of almost all religions is that they presented religious founders with superhuman abilities.
they thought people would care for one another if someone with superhuman abilities told them to be good.
this has been proved wrong repeatedly because people would feel ‘he can say whatever he feels like, he is superhuman whereas we are puny human beings.’ it is like gold trying to inspire iron saying: ‘look at me, and learn from me: i never rust out.’ on the contrary, if an iron piece remains intact, this can inspire other iron pieces..
Common mistake of almost all religions is that they presented religious founders with superhuman abilities. They thought people would care for one another if someone with superhuman abilities told them to be good. This has been proved wrong repeatedly because people would feel ‘He can say whatever he feels like, he is superhuman whereas we are puny human beings.’ It is like gold trying to inspire iron saying: ‘Look at me, and learn from me: I never rust out.’ On the contrary, if an iron piece remains intact, this can inspire other iron pieces.
Setting aside one day as “Earth Day” is good (as being celebrated today). But it is like a sparrow trying to fly against a storm. The world seems to be losing even collective common sense. For example, as people were meeting in the world climate change conference COP19 in Warsaw, scientists in New Zealand were discovering proof that the weakening of the earth’s crust following a massive earthquake, was due to climate change. Researchers also claim that Typhoon Haiyan which destroyed the Island of Tacloban in the Philippines, also happened for the same reasons.
It seems we have become so selfish and blind to the outcome of our actions, that we are unable to see the effect taking place right in front of our very eyes! How much proof do we need to realize that damaging Mother Earth to this extent is like committing our own suicide? On “February 4, 2016, daily CO2 levels at the Mauna Loa Observatory had rocketed to 405.66 parts per million.” (http://robertscribbler.com/tag/co2/) At this rate, it would take only a few years for the CO2 levels to reach the dreaded milestone of 450 ppm. “If we wanted to be prudent about this we shouldn't have let it go over 350.” (http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182029983/dangerous-territory-carbon-dioxide-levels-reach-iconic-high/)
No wonder religions are called "Babylon The Great" as they presented superhuman teachers and made commercial gains out of it whereas people, in general, did not bother to care for others or even for the mother earth.
o.k.
here's just a little fun, you guys can run with it.. if god existed would he allow the whacktower to be in business?
just sayin... lol.
Prologos,
You handled all the questions very well--I envy your skill.
God is not the only entity we find it difficult to give an explanation for. It is true with almost everything we know. How is it that a magnet attracts a steel (iron) needle? There is no physical link between the two, nor there is any mechanical device creating such an impact and yet the act of pull is there. More interesting, while the one end of the magnet attracts the needle, the other end repels it. Is it not strange? People with scientific outlook explain it as the inherent property of an object. Does this satisfy an inquisitive mind?
o.k.
here's just a little fun, you guys can run with it.. if god existed would he allow the whacktower to be in business?
just sayin... lol.
Crazyguy,
In the universe both chaos and order (hence the word cosmos) exist:
Chaos means God does not exist
Order means God does exist
Choice is left to individuals
thoughtlessness of jw writing committee can be seen in building their “great” teaching of universal issue.
they took lord’s prayer as the basis for this teaching.
they thought god’s sovereignty was challenged by satan, thus his name was tarnished, hence jesus taught his name to be to “be sanctified.”—mathew 6:9..
prologos,
I have great regard for Jesus, and I try to apply many things he said. However, regarding ransom teaching I go with Gospel writer Luke who thoroughly examined all the scriptures available at that time and did some important editing.
If Jesus really came to give ransom, naturally all his talks would have been centered over this FUNDAMENTAL concept using all his skills and reasoning powers, explaining why and how of such an arrangement. On the contrary, the only passing, feeble comment he supposedly made in the context of contrasting the rulers of Gentile as found in Mathew 20:28. Luke himself, on close examination, found as interpolation, hence removed from his Gospel.—Luke 22:25-27
Jesus PUBLICLY denounced the killing of the innocent when he called Jerusalem “the killer of prophets” and said “your house is abandoned” on account of killing those innocent ones!—Mathew 23:37, 38. If God had already planned shedding of blood of innocent Jesus as the ransom, Jesus would not have made such public denouncing.
thoughtlessness of jw writing committee can be seen in building their “great” teaching of universal issue.
they took lord’s prayer as the basis for this teaching.
they thought god’s sovereignty was challenged by satan, thus his name was tarnished, hence jesus taught his name to be to “be sanctified.”—mathew 6:9..
Desirousofchange,
Nice thought.
This is what has been intriguing to me fo some time. If it is God who is behind scriptures, why can't he communicate things in a simple way--without any possibility for the need of another person interpreting as he feels like, thus adding to the confusion.
thoughtlessness of jw writing committee can be seen in building their “great” teaching of universal issue.
they took lord’s prayer as the basis for this teaching.
they thought god’s sovereignty was challenged by satan, thus his name was tarnished, hence jesus taught his name to be to “be sanctified.”—mathew 6:9..
Thoughtlessness of JW Writing Committee can be seen in building their “great” teaching of Universal Issue. They took Lord’s prayer as the basis for this teaching. They thought God’s sovereignty was challenged by Satan, thus His name was tarnished, hence Jesus taught His name to be to “be sanctified.”—Mathew 6:9.
Did Jesus really teach this prayer? If he did, why do contents lack logic? It is unlikely that Jesus taught this prayer immediately after saying there is no need of praying to our Father as he knows our need even before we ask. (Mathew 6:8). Interestingly, in Luke’s account Lord’s prayer is not the part of Sermon on the Mount, but was given in response to the request of his disciple: “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. “ (Luke 11:1) Did Jesus feel the need to teach how to pray because John the Baptist was doing the same?
It is unlikely that Jesus would teach that we pray for God’s name to be sanctified because God’s name is always holy, and cannot be made unholy by creatures. Also, God is agape, unconditional love—He does good for its own sake; hence does not feel honored nor reproached because of others’ response.
Jesus also knew that things would have its natural course, and God plays no part in it. For example industrial and vehicular emission made our climate chaotic; and it is obvious that this cannot be God’s will, yet it is happening endangering the very survival of all humanity. That means Jesus would not teach us to pray “let your will take place” because fact is that God lets will of humans take place on earth. Again, Jesus knew that God has a fixed time to bring His kingdom, hence will not teach us to pray for the kingdom to come. (Acts 1:7) “Give us our daily bread” also makes no sense as arrangement for food is already in place though plants and trees. ….Thus Lord’s prayer is filled with illogical things, hence it is unlikely that it originated with Jesus.
during co visit, i took him for a bible study i was conducting.
during the session, the householder said he believed satan was not a person, but personification of evil within us.
i left co to handle householder’s doubt.
Problemaddict2,
Demons too are personification of evil within us. The Bible does present us with “mute spirits,” as explanations for a loss of speech, but this is the way an ancient culture explains something that would be explained medically today. If the mute person were examined by a modern western physician, it is doubtful that exorcism would be suggested as a treatment. It is unlikely that anyone today would ask “Who sinned? This man or his parents?” when confronted with a medical problem such as blindness.
That Jesus was incarnated into this ancient world and its explanations, and ministered as an exorcist/healer in this world, is appropriate. It shouldn’t alarm any Biblical interpreter. The point of the Gospels is not Jesus’ opinion of ancient medicine or psychology. We do not expect Jesus to be giving modern explanations for conditions that we understand very differently. Jesus was a person of his time, and he viewed and responded to mental and emotional illness as a person of his time.
given that it is highly likely that things are going to change in relation to watchtowers policy on safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in australia (re australian royal commission), and england and wales (re charity commission).
could this be the start to reforming the watchtower organisation.
albeit, they are being forced to change their safeguarding policy by the laws of the land, but it may set a precedent.
