THE GLADIATOR

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Posts by THE GLADIATOR

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  50

  "All religious belief distills down to faith in utterly unprovable stories."

  by Franklin Massey in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i read this today on the board and want to ask, is the statement true?.

  all religious belief distills down to faith in utterly unprovable stories.

  i feel this way sometimes.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Some interesting viewpoints have been expressed in this thread. A growing number of people such as Tammy/Tec have gone freelance. I find it an understandable position to adopt but as soon as the name Christ Jesus is used, an association with the establish Christian Church is too strong to be dismissed. Perhaps it would be better to come up with another name that is not tarnished.

  Like many others I do not believe in a personal god who can be named and spoken to with words. I am bemused by the idea that an almighty being needs a name such as Allah, Zeus, Jehovah, Christ, Yahweh or any hybrid version of bible based names. ‘God Almighty’ will do just fine to identify the concept of such a being.

  Although many cannot bring themselves to invest in God at present or any religion, that does not mean they are all materialists who are presumptuous enough to declare that there is no unifying invisible intelligence at work throughout the universe. If there is, it would be an impartial, unemotional awareness that bears no resemblance to earthbound creatures - certainly not man.

  Many of us have spent much of our lives seeking, praying and searching. What we have discovered is a beautiful planet inhabited by both wonderful and terrible people but no sign of God. Some of us keep an open mind but alas I am not optimistic and no longer search for God. That does not mean I have abandoned my spiritual journey. It means I am travelling a different path.
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  269

  The Hubble, Yahweh, the Bible, and faith.

  by Nickolas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there have been several threads in which the views of the universe provided by the hubble space telescope have been discussed.

  i guess this will be another one.

  there's a new series being broadcast here in canada on the oasis hd nature channel entitled hubble's canvas.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  AGuest From the last page..."To the contrary, dear Glad (peace to you, as well, dear one): it's the little people who DON'T contend for such but merely walk by faith, and so receive the "reward." The "big" people are those who, perhaps like you... think God's owes THEM something (rather that realizing that it's them who owe HIM... for the sacrifice of His Son... by means of which YOU can live, just like the "little people.")"

  Thank you for trying to straighten me out but I am afraid you have mistaken me for someone else. I do not believe that there is a god who talks to humans or offers them anything more than they already have, that is a short, uncertain life on earth. If the universe is pervaded by a powerful invisible intelligence it would be too important to discuss its plans with me.

  The idea that my ego is large enough to allow me to think that such a being owes me something is preposterous beyond words. The idea that such a being would owe me something if I walked by faith is even more alarming. If we have enough faith or belief in anything, the mind is capable of making our hope an internal, subjective, reality.

  Whether a king, queen, pauper or gladiator all humans are little people. Unable to accept this, some entertain the idea of a personal god that will talk to them if they have enough faith and that faith leads to everlasting life. It’s a big and ambitious plan for people who cannot accept the insignificance of their existence. I envy you your illusion. You should treasure it for reality is not so gentle or rewarding.
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  38

  New light emerging?

  by breakfast of champions in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, just recently ( i believe it was the september 1 wt) there was the thought that only the "incorrigibly wicked" will be destroyed at armageddon.

  at the recent visit of the co, several times he brought up the idea that the "great crowd" will be far more people than just the 7m jws on earth today.

  all my life i was raised thinking only jws would be the gc, and the other 99.9% of humanity would be fertilizer.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  I do hope this is not true. Imagine stroking wild beasts for eternity and living on fruit in a world full of watchtower slaves.

  I am quite looking forward to fighting to the death at the battle of Armageddon. Better a good death than a life of slavery.
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  269

  The Hubble, Yahweh, the Bible, and faith.

  by Nickolas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there have been several threads in which the views of the universe provided by the hubble space telescope have been discussed.

  i guess this will be another one.

  there's a new series being broadcast here in canada on the oasis hd nature channel entitled hubble's canvas.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Why is someone like me less worthy of such favourable treatment?

  No need to feel left out Sizemik, like me you are one of the little people.

  The bible would not have made such a romping good yarn if the Hebrew desert god had send Moses to do his conjuring tricks for a sizemik. Now a Pharaoh makes the story so much more important and the desert god out to be better than royalty. Every plot needs to have the hero succeeding against a powerful enemy and impossible odds.

  If it's a bible story then the hero is aided by his god. In Greek/Roman mythology they each had many gods, which I find a lot more exciting in a good thriller.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Tammy: "Sometimes I just don't know which is the right thing to do, speak or not speak."

  Sometimes it is a difficult call. Careless words can cause a lot of people to get hurt, even those who have done nothing wrong.

  We have to balance the good it will do against the upset it will cause. Then ask what our motive is for speaking out.

  By the way - I'm off on a walking holiday in a few hours and will be incommunicado for 10 days.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  charlie brown jr.

  As you are one of only 4 people who have found this thread interesting enough to comment on, I would like to thank you for speaking out.

  I hope you carry on speaking out.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Yes AGuest, I do understand your desire to speak out. I too spoke out and told my family why I was no longer prepared to be a Jehovah's Witness. I expected to be shunned as having known of my doubts for many years as I spoke out on a number of occasions.

  They knew I would leave before long and told me that they would shun me if I left. When I did leave they relented. So did my wife’s parents. To be fair, we were treated very well and would have continued to be, had it not been for the book.

  As you say though, some things can not be left unsaid. I felt I had a duty to share my experience. I probably would have published anyway but I would like to have prepared them for the shock. I would have like to have informed them of the manuscript and invited them to read it to see whether they though I should publish. Because of the way it was announced and the timing, they never got to read it!

  There are kinder ways of breaking things gently to those we love.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Found Sheep Thanks for sharing.

  You asked about the book. A free download is available. If you are interested, go to Lulu.com and type or paste into the search box the number 5456415

  You will be able to read the about the book before downloading it. The book was first published in 2002. This printed edition is still available from Amazom.co.uk but not shipped abroad. It was a success and has long since covered its costs. In 2006 it was updated and is still offered as a print to order book on Lulu.com.

  The free download has been made available as part of an awareness campaign. You are allowed to send the download on to whomever you want or direct them to the Lulu site.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Well as you ask trailerfitter...

  For some years after I left the org, my brothers family and my wife's family continued to see us. I even had my brother and his family along with the presiding Elder and his family all come and stay for the weekend, both all together and at separate times. Unheard with apostates as far as I know.

  I wrote a book about the Jehovah's Witness. I had not decided whether I would publish and be damned, knowing the problems it would cause. I told my wife not to mention the book to them. On one visit my wife, thinking she knew best, told them about the book, naively believing that they would not mind.

  It was like a bomb going off. After I was shunned I published the book. The rest is history, as they say.
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  16

  Did you say nothin' when you should've asked why?

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i laid low when i could've stood high.. i said nothin' when i should've asked why.. i saw somethin' that i might've done and i didn't, .

  a chance to speak my truth and i hid it.. .

  im a bit of a jeff bridges fan.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Leavingwt – an interesting post. I remember you sharing this with us a few weeks ago. See I do read your posts.

  Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Good moves are usually planned. Tact, even apparent complicity, buys time while we plan to make the right move at the right time.

  Generals will allow sacrifice to gain an advantage in battle. Lawyers in court will hold back and play their cards close to their chest to gain maximum impact. Chess players do the same. Tactical patience is not surrender, whereas unconditional complicity is.