Posts by THE GLADIATOR

25

Didn't Jesus symbolically give a blood transfusion for all of mankind?

by yadda yadda 2 in

jesus poured out his life blood, his soul, on behalf of mankind.

the wine taken at the memorial of christ's death represents this life, given as a sacrifice to atone for adamic sins.

jesus said that unless you eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, you have no life in yourself.

THE GLADIATOR

Given long enough, escapism through magical thinking has a profoundly negative affect on a person’s ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Once the ability to distinguish between the two is lost, our ability to navigate the world we function in can become irreparably damaged.

Hard as I try to live and let live and remain neutral, it saddens me to see decent people slowly surrendering their independence and rationality on the altar of magical thinking. I have watched it break up families and ruin lives. Jehovah's Witnesses are only one small group enslaved to magical thinking. The world abounds with magical thinkers and enslaves billions of people.

35

Where do we go when we die?

by cptkirk in

what would happen if we did not have religion to give some at least inference to (at the very least) our subconscious, that there is some type of afterlife?

what would we tell kids when they ask us what happens when we die?

what would we tell kids after these shooting massacres?

THE GLADIATOR

Dead people don't go anywhere.

That's what the word 'dead' means.

46

Crazy Religions

by Qcmbr in

i was reading a good article regarding the relative 'craziness' of faiths (blog) and they mentioned a lot about mormons.

in short they talked about the socially accepted craziness (as opposed to actual mental illness) of mainstream , culturally accepted faiths v those that are relatively new.

we see scientology as more crazy than catholicism if we fall into the trap of judging without consideration but when examined all religions have very crazy elements.

THE GLADIATOR

Understandably, calling all religious beliefs crazy is provocative and immediately causes anyone with religious beliefs to become defensive. I tend to put religious beliefs in the category of magical thinking. We all indulge in magical thinking one way or another. It can provide a form of escapism from the reality or life and death. People collectively spend billions of hours watching fiction films and reading fiction books in an attempt to escape into the world of magical thinking.

As long as we know we are being entertained by fiction and can separate it from reality, there is no problem. The difficulty arises when we begin to believe in magical thinking. In time we start to believe we are special, next we believe we have special powers. Perhaps we can hear God talking? Perhaps an invisible version of our self can fly during the night attached to our body by an invisible cord? Or start to build an invisible body which can survive physical death? We start to seek out like minded people who also believe in magical thinking. Anything becomes possible, but only in our mind and the minds of those who share our irrational belief.

Like an addictive drug, magical thinking escalates and alters the mind’s grip on reality. Evidence is absent and fiction becomes fact. Given long enough, escapism through magical thinking has a profoundly negative affect on a person’s ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Once the ability to distinguish between the two is lost, our ability to navigate the world we function in can become irreparably damaged.

Hard as I try to live and let live and remain neutral, it saddens me to see decent people slowly surrendering their independence and rationality on the altar of magical thinking. I have watched it break up families and ruin lives. Jehovah's Witnesses are only one small group enslaved to magical thinking. The world abounds with magical thinkers and enslaves billions of people.

69

I am beginning to wonder

by mouthy in

jw
friends

why am i closing all the threads.

i am so sorry if i dont give the right answer.

THE GLADIATOR

"You need to post more on the creation/evolution theist/atheist threads.

As far as I'm concerned they all need to be shut down."

Such threads are not created but have a natural evolution that is unstoppable and tryingly predictable.

76

Are homosexuals born that way? The March 15 Watchtower seems to say so.

by matt2414 in

15 one brother who was raised in a christian household wrote that for as long as he could remember, he struggled with homosexual tendencies.

he said: i always felt awkward.

it seemed that i didnt fit in anywhere.

THE GLADIATOR

This is a new truth for the Watchtower.

It was always my understanding that homosexuality is cause by wearing flared trousers or pants to you Yankees.

69

I am beginning to wonder

by mouthy in

jw
friends

why am i closing all the threads.

i am so sorry if i dont give the right answer.

THE GLADIATOR

mouthy Perhaps it's because you are a hard act to follow!

16

Easy questions others make difficult to answer

by Terry in

that is a question.

it is asked by somebody who does exist.. that question could not be asked if there actually were nothing.. .

that is a question asked only by people who exist.. if there were nothing-- the question would not be asked because it could not be asked.. .

THE GLADIATOR

It could be that there is no reason for, or point to, our existence or the existence of the universe. It just is. To believe otherwise would suggest a planner with limitless power, intelligence and foresight. Such a planner would be obvious to every surface dwelling living creature, in the same way that diminutive little star we call our sun is visible to all such creatures.

Personally I don’t believe there is a grand plan or ultimate destination. Scientist are able to predict the length of time the universe will last before atrophy causes its disorderly end. Just cold dead burnt out stars and planets floating in space. Fortunately I won’t be around to see it or ask a god what the **** went wrong.

26

Lars: Can we examine your Messiah qualifications ?

by mP in

hi lars,.

if you want to claim your the messiah, thats fine but first we must examine the facts and ask a few basic questions.

i am of course accepting your word as honest.. i think everybody is well aware that the messiah will come thru david.

THE GLADIATOR

Lord Lars is the best Jesus yet - he actually talks to me and replies to my posts.

It doesn’t get better than that.

5

AGuest receives a visit....

by Glander in

.

THE GLADIATOR

Can't hear a voice, can't see a picture.

The spiritual world is as illusive as ever.

26

Why do witnesses need the title of pioneer to get 30 hours?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

if witnesses believe that we truly are in the end of the end of the last days, and they believe the work they do will really save lives, and most can just make a few adjustments and get 30 hours, why dont they do this more often??

without the title?.

to me if you really care about people you would not wait until you have a special title or badge to wear of look at me im pioneering, you would do the most you can every month and not care about recognition from men.

THE GLADIATOR

When I became a Pioneer the yearly hour requirement was 1,200 hours to be spent in door-to-door activity, an average of 100 hours per month. This was in addition to attending meetings and a personal study programme of Society literature. No allowance was made for holidays. Unless the Pioneer is supported by their parents or a husband, they must work part time to support themselves.

A vacation pioneer, now known as temporary pioneer, is one who agrees to spend a proportionate amount time in this activity for just one month at a time during their holidays. Regular Pioneers are now only required to put in 70 hours of field ministry and vacation Pioneers, now known as Auxiliary Pioneers, just 50 hours. These alterations, coupled with reduced meetings, certainly make life as a Jehovah's Witness less demanding.

Pioneering is all about showing off and letting the congregation know how much you are doing, or claiming to be doing. There is nothing to stop a publisher doing Pioneer hours but how would that raise their status?