Posts by THE GLADIATOR

posted

11
Do you know what happened to the boy that got everything he ever wanted?
by sabastious in
1. jw
2. friends
he lived happily ever after.. -sab.
THE GLADIATOR

Re: Do you know what happened to the boy that got everything he ever wanted?
He got to be president and gave George Bush Senior a great big hug!
40
What is Free Will really??
by SweetBabyCheezits in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
isn't that a movie about a boy and a whale?

or a "big fish" maybe?.
THE GLADIATOR

Tammy: Surrendering our own will is a choice also, though, isn't it?
It is but then we no longer have free will. We have traded free will for an ideal.
We are just playing with words, which is fun, but at the end of the day, or sooner, we all do what we want to. Which is, I guess, free will!
40
What is Free Will really??
by SweetBabyCheezits in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
isn't that a movie about a boy and a whale?

or a "big fish" maybe?.
THE GLADIATOR

PSacramento
To be a slave of Christ is to be a slave to love and to do Christ and God's will is to live our life with love and fellowship with all.
Not such a bad thing is it?
Not at all bad, even a noble endeavour. If we wish to live that way then it becomes our will. If not then it requires us to surrender our own will. Many bible passages make that clear, as do other Holy books.
We all seek to live with the ideals that we are personaly comfortable with, and in time they can change. If we can do that then we are free.
40
What is Free Will really??
by SweetBabyCheezits in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
isn't that a movie about a boy and a whale?

or a "big fish" maybe?.
THE GLADIATOR

We are only truly free when we accept that we will die and that will be the absolute end for each of us.
Accepting that we will die no matter what we do, means that we can live as we truly wish to. Knowing that we are mortal allows us to make choices without being influenced by trying to investing in an afterlife.
If we live in the hope of gaining the approval of a god, or any other being who can reward us, our choices will always be influenced by our desire to please that being. Jesus is reported to have said many times that he lived to carry out his fathers will not his own; that to follow him one had to become a slave. Muslims tell the same story with regard to Allah.
Free will is the possesion of free men and women who know that the only reality is now and how we spend it our choice.
22
Faith in God and the fear of death
by Nickolas in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
in his book die zukunft einer illusion (the future of an illusion), sigmund freud described belief in god as a collective neurosis.

he wrote that the religious impulse is essentially ineradicable until or unless the human species can conquer its fear of death and its tendency toward wish-thinking.. freud was a smart guy but he postulated a great deal on some things, fear of death in particular.

he was a committed atheist but did see the benefit of belief in god for the jewish people, of which he was a member.. but did he get it right?
THE GLADIATOR

I don't fear death - it's the end of both joy and pain.
I regret death - it seems such a waste.
35
Do you agree to disagree?
by cyberjesus in
1. jw
2. friends
sometimes in many conversations or debates, some people try to end it by saying "i agree to disagree".

if you have an inquisitive mind and critical thinking, are you comfortable disagreeing about factual information?

i am not referring to opinion.
THE GLADIATOR

Although I am sometimes overly sarcastic or critical on the forum in my persona as a gladiator, in real life I am rather more diplomatic. I would not agree to disagree because it is a way of agreeing that we disagree.
My usual response is to say, that's an interesting take on things. Or, I'll have to give your comments some thought. Even, it will take me a while to get my head around that.
My wife simply says, 'whatever' to any challenge or unwelcome comment. Most irritating! Thank you for letting me share.
89
Thanks and Goodbye
by brotherdan in
1. jw
2. friends
i really do appreciate all the help you guys have given me in this process.

but it's time for me to leave.

it was time for me to leave the wt (at least in my mind) when it became damaging to me.
THE GLADIATOR

brotherdan
You are running from reality. Reality is the fact that people hold different opinions. Challenging them leads to enlightenment. The alternative is to only associate with those that support the views you have adopted.
I hope you are able to sustain your illusions. Life without illusion is the path less travelled. More honest but less comfy.
48
God created all things. Does that mean he is worthy of respect?
by sabastious in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
revelation 4:11 - 11 you are worthy, our lord and god, .

to receive glory and honor and power, .

for you created all things, .
THE GLADIATOR

brotherdan WE are the ones that rejected Him...It's pitiful, really.
I never met him/her/it.
Your pity is appreciated.
48
God created all things. Does that mean he is worthy of respect?
by sabastious in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
revelation 4:11 - 11 you are worthy, our lord and god, .

to receive glory and honor and power, .

for you created all things, .
THE GLADIATOR

If God created all things then he would be worthy of acknowledgement. Respect is another matter. In between a risky birth and certain death, humans have not had an easy ride on this hostile planet.
More day to day, hands on help from God and his hosts of angels would earn my respect.
16
Why is it?
by JeffT in
1. jw
2. friends
i thought of this while working on my book project, and i realized i don't have a good answer.

why is the jw leadership so intent on conformity in all areas of everyone's lives?

lots of things they regulate have no religious significance.
THE GLADIATOR

JeffT
I know the obvious answer is control, but to what purpose?
It's a divine mystery. Members are supposed to obey not question Jehovah's faithful & discreet slave, his very mouthpiece.
You should go and stand in the corner just for asking!