Beautifully done. Good that I don't need the perfect guide to be a good person. Or any kind of guide for that matter.
scratchme1010
JoinedPosts by scratchme1010
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Need the perfect guide to be a good person? Then the "Good Book" is your answer!
by stuckinarut2 inhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eibrdbvkdhq.
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scratchme1010
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Jehovah hates zombies... except for the ones he created! - Satire
by ILoveTTATT2 inchildren's activity:.
zombies.. zombies are an invention of satan, and we know that jehovah hates satan, right?
(let the child respond.
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scratchme1010
I use their same simplistic faulty logic against them when they try to give me crap about me being gay. I ask who created everything. When they say "Jehovah", then I ask, who created homosexuality then? I love to see their perplexed faces following their convoluted contrived stupid explanations.
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scratchme1010
The example in the lower left corner looks pornographic.
Maybe because I am a gay man the example in the upper left corner looked pornographic to me.
Actually, none of them look flirtatious to me, they look sexual. My guess is that I may get a "WTF!" back with the corresponding emoji.
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What I miss about going out in service.
by compound complex inwell, very little, to be honest.
the structure and commitment of the ministry provided discipline necessary to my life.
therefore, i did it, as required, and felt some sense of fulfillment at the bible study stage.. i do like talking to people.
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scratchme1010
Have you found your own meaningful ways to stay in touch with humanity?
I have. I also understand the feeling of accomplishment, the (somewhat) sense of camaraderie or team work that comes form collectively working towards the same tasks, etc.
I teach, most of my entire work life have included teaching or training. I got involved in HIV/AIDS prevention education (talk about trying to convince uninformed people!) and ended up with an entire resume in that area of work. The good thing about the work that I did when teaching the basics on HIV infection prevention was that I ended up specializing in talking to people in churches and what they call "people of faith". As a JW I did acquired a skill that allowed me to reach out to pastors, ministers in a way that spoke to them, and therefore, being able to talk to people in their congregations about things that you don't normally talk about in a church. I was very successful.
Then I have done a lot of volunteer work around causes and social issues I believe in. That has proven to be way more fulfilling than going house to house telling people that their believes and behavior are wrong and they will get killed for it.
@ Pete Zahut:
The best thing about going in "service" was when it was over. Nothing was accomplished other than to rid oneself of the guilt and obligation placed on you by others. You got to feel somewhat virtuous about yourself and got a sense of accomplishment buy doing little more than driving around and knocking on a few doors at empty houses. This sensation is what other JW's often mistook as "Joy".
I felt like that a lot, actually for most of my life as a JW. However there were things that I did enjoy and got very good at. I was a very darn good preacher. I used to specialize in talking to very stubborn, nasty people, some of which my fellow JWs would shy away from. I loved that challenge. Today I rather use my skills in something that actually matters, but I enjoyed it when I was doing that back when I didn't know better.
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(A true story...) NOT THE OTHER STORY
by TerryWalstrom in(a true story...)not the other story.
little rock, arkansas many years ago.
we were stranded.
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scratchme1010
Always do the right thing or you might end up in The Other Place!
That's a great moral of the story, even for us who love the other place.
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Morality Without Deity
by cofty inone of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.
it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.
christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.
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scratchme1010
Great post, cofty. I think that you are laying out many interesting points about morality and believing in a deity. What find I interesting is that the same exclusive association with morals and a "God" adds to the challenge of making believers value what we atheists contribute, considering that since the very first moment we're seen as amoral people, non-believers, etc., and therefore, we are perceived as all kinds of things except, well, right.
Adding to the difficulty of some people holding on to their believes and trying to make their deity be perfect is the fact that many believers have made many important life decisions based on such set of morals, based on those believes. Their investment is high. Furthermore, they fear losing the only thing that they believe is the only source of happiness, structure, education, and community.
It was great reading your post.
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dewayne dedmon: center for san antonio spurs, grew up a JW.
by nowwhat? ini was watching the cavaliers- spurs game last night and the announcers mentioned how dedmonds mom was a devout jw.
and she wouldn't allow her son to play high school basketball because it would take away from service to the church.
so fortunately he turned 18 for his senior year , so he didn't need parental consent to play.
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scratchme1010
Great inspiration.
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Smelly WATCHTOWERS
by Zoos inin 1967 i had the misfortune of being born with a watchtower stuck in my ass.
it took 45 years for me to realize, "hey!
there's a watchtower stuck in my ass!
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scratchme1010
How long did it take you?
I really really hope you're talking figuratively!
I was born in too, in 1965.My mother started Bible studies a year or so prior. My father became a JW when I was about 8 or 9.
By the time I was 23 I was officially gone (or the WT was out of my ass, using your figurative speak), but I started the process of leaving at 20. It was a three year process of planning, evading getting dfed, lying to them about everything, and becoming less and less dependent on them. I also enrolled in college.
Never looked back, and the idiots I left behind stayed smelling the stinky Watchtower that came out of my ass.
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Attitude in Kingdom Hall vs. in church
by Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu inso, today i went to a different church than the jw's for the first time in over three years.. it is a protestant african church.
my first thoughts: for people who are 'trapped in babylon the great (according to watchtower) these people really seem genuingly happy and sincere in their adoration for god.
what a freedom compared to the witnesses!
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scratchme1010
Do other people have the same thoughts?
I have similar thoughts but not exactly the same as you describe. I have seen people truly, genuinely happy and fulfilled by becoming members of a church. However, what I have learned from my experience in life (I celebrated my 30th anniversary of being your age), I know that many people join and become happy because the church gives them a lot of things in addition to answers to questions that people most commonly have regarding God, the bible, etc. They look for a community they can belong to, for a healthy way of socializing, to find people who share the same values for friendships or for romantic purposes, and many others.
Those are as valid reasons to become part of those churches, which is the main difference between many good organized churches and religious denominations a high demand, controlling groups like the WT (and others). If you notice, the leadership of those organizations are accessible, open, and socialize with their members as much as any member of their church.
The biggest difference however, is the fact that in many of those churches you don't feel a lot of pressure if you decide to leave, if you ask questions, if you question your faith (or theirs), even if you don't believe everything they say many of them are ok with it. Not so with the WT.
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JW guilty on all accounts & bond revoked for sexual abuse in FL
by LevelThePlayingField inthis news article has a news video inside it straight from the station.
finally the judge doesn't hold back.. http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/jehovah-witness-teachers-aide-sex-scandal-guilty-on-all-counts.
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scratchme1010
Can you imagine that girl living eternally next to that piece of --it? Some paradise.