Posts by THE GLADIATOR

32

"I respect a person's beliefs"

by Phizzy in

i often hear this phrase "i respect a person's beliefs" on here and elsewhere, but i feel strongly that you should not.. i know that sometimes people mean by that phrase that they respect the right of a person to hold silly beliefs if they want to, but if that is so, say so.. if a person's beliefs are unsupportable, perhaps looney, perhaps downright dangerous,murderous, like the jw blood doctrine, such beliefs deserve no respect at all.. the person holding them we can show respect to by telling them in a gentle, and polite way that their beliefs are a pile of steaming poo, but we should not show respect for the beliefs, even by the simple act of remaining silent.. "to tell the truth as you see it is a wonderful thing" john lydon ("johnny rotten" late of the sex pistols, and now p. i. ltd).

THE GLADIATOR

InterestedOne Loved the Pat Condell vidio. Alway enjoy his take of things - he is in a league of his own.

tornapart I agree that peoples beliefs are their own business until their beliefs cause them to act in a way that causes harm, then they must expect a reaction.

Religious beliefs are only the tip of the iceberg. People hold all sorts of weird and wonderful beliefs, opinions, attitudes, and bizarre views. I neither respect nor disrespect any of these mental aberations. As long as they don’t intrude on my freedom, I am no longer interest.

40

Why did Satan want to kill Jesus?

by FaithfulBrother in

why would satan have wanted to kill jesus if jesus' death would defeat satan and save mankind?

why would satan enter judas at the last supper and get judas to betray jesus, leading him to his death, if this death is what defeated satan?.

THE GLADIATOR

" Every good fairytale needs a villian and a hero."

Excellent observation.

It's all explained pictorially in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Also Up the Far Away Tree and Alice through the Looking Glass are excellent reference books.

220

If you don't know what's wrong it can't be fixed

by N.drew in

that is what i heard last night at my yoga class.

she said for something to be fixed first it must become known what needs fixing.

it is true for the physical, but also for the spiritual i believe.

THE GLADIATOR

I was just talking Wibble. This the right thread - isn’t it?

I thought all your threads were Wibble.

Remember getting knocked out and getting locked out is not the same thing.

220

If you don't know what's wrong it can't be fixed

by N.drew in

that is what i heard last night at my yoga class.

she said for something to be fixed first it must become known what needs fixing.

it is true for the physical, but also for the spiritual i believe.

THE GLADIATOR

N.drew Keep on knocking but don't knock yourself out!

220

If you don't know what's wrong it can't be fixed

by N.drew in

that is what i heard last night at my yoga class.

she said for something to be fixed first it must become known what needs fixing.

it is true for the physical, but also for the spiritual i believe.

THE GLADIATOR

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart ...."

Ah! All this talk of sharp swords and piercing joints make me hungry to be back in the arena brandishing my gladius.

Salute

111

Questions for Thinkers, Part Deux

by SweetBabyCheezits in

i am blatantly plagiarizing this from a 20th century email that claimed this was an open letter to laura schlessinger.

snopes has the real scoop on it's origins.

i'm sure it's been posted on jwn more than once in years past.

THE GLADIATOR

SweetBabyCheezits You make some good points.

Alas, trying to have a logical discussion with Perry is like trying to hold a well greased frog; or capture Holy spirit in a bottle.

N.drew “ I cannot highjack the thread. ”

Oh go on! You know you want to.

12

Are you a proactive decision maker?

by moshe in

jw
friends

THE GLADIATOR

Hi Moshe, I was going to reply earlier but just couldn't come to a decision. If it helps I see outstanding decisions as undone jobs that clutter up my mind. I like to get things decided, sorted, organized so I can enjoy the luxury and clarity of an uncluttered mind.

It I can't decide, then I will instruct my mind to work on the problem and inform me when it has come to a decision - then I forget about it. Later the answer will pop into my head without warning. I accept the answer and move on. The part of our mind that works beneath consciousness take into account many facets and emotional influences that our so called conscious mind cannot do; it has to seperate things.

I hope this helps you, I mean your friend.

32

If the Watch Tower Society discontinued shunning.... new survey!!

by cedars in

i'm pleased to announce that juan viejo2 has launched a new mini-survey on jwsurvey.org.

the survey tackles the premise that the society might one day abandon shunning (at least between family members) and asks: what effect might this have on us?.

the survey is primarily targeted at df'd/da'd and active jws, although there is one question applicable to all, which asks simply whether you agree with the practice of shunning.. there are only a handful of questions, so if you feel inclined, please do visit and take the survey on the link below:.

THE GLADIATOR

Jehovah's Witnesses don’t only shun because they are expected too. Avoiding relatives that leave is admonished but not enforced.

Jehovah's Witnesses choose to shun because they feel threatened by members that declare it is not the truth and leave. In order to maintain a feeling of security Jehovah's Witnesses opt to mix only with those that share their beliefs. They will even avoid fellow members in their own hall if they express the slightest doubt about the Watchtower Society’s teachings. They are afraid that mixing with dissenters will cause them to doubt too because they already have doubts that they have buried.

This ‘birds of a feather flock together’ mentality is not unique to them; it is the hallmark of all cults.

14

A RIGHT-eous conundrum!

by Fernando in

how can i be right with god?.

there are only two ways:.

work to prove, earn, deserve or pay for a right standing with god (unscriptural, and actually causes corruption)seek out and accept the free gift of imputed righteousness, and then be transformed or changed from inside by god's love (scriptural)a person spends his life in a religious system because he wants to be right with god.

THE GLADIATOR

Perhaps all we need to do to be right with 'God,' is live in harmony with other people, be loving, kind and do as little damage to our panet as we can.

Praying and singing hymns on Sunday may be comforting but our deeds speak louder than our voices.

186

Questions From Thinkers

by Perry in

how do you explain david's graphic portrayal of jesus' death by crucifixion (psalm 22) 1000 years before christ lived?.

how do you account for the odds (1 in 10 to the 157th power) that even just 48 (of 300) old testament prophecies were fulfilled in jesus christ?.

in what sense was jesus a "good man" if he was lying in his claim to be god?.

THE GLADIATOR

palmtree67 "No matter how good you are at playing chess, the pigeon just knocks over the pieces, craps on the board and struts around like it's victorious."

I find your simile rather amusing.

However, I tend to think of N.drew as a chaffinch that is learning to fly.