THE GLADIATOR

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Posts by THE GLADIATOR

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  76

  I used to be a JW! Shocking, I know

  by NewChapter in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it's true.

  i used to be a jw.

  i was duped.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Over the years I have had some heavy debates with Christians on this forum, both as Gladiator and under my real name. Whenever I quoted bible versus that contradicted their assertions, they would state that the bible is not inerrant or reliable. At other times they would quote from the same bible as the final authority to support their beliefs.

  Whenever I questioned the duplicity of this contradictory behaviour, I was told that I was stuck with a Jehovah's Witness mentality that affected my attitude towards the bible. They urged me to embrace a more elastic view of the bible and belief. A flexible, slippery, imaginative attitude that perceives the bible as a no more than a metaphor.

  As it happens I see my time spent as a Jehovah's Witness as a positive experience. It has enabled me to smell bull a mile off.
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  13

  Belief in evolution begets belief in God

  by yadda yadda 2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a strange statement i know.

  but consider.... if humans evolved, and humans are a relatively recent evolution, then would it not make sense to believe there might be other far more ancient intelligent beings (who would appear to humans to be like gods/a god) who began evolving long before humans?

  in a sense, to believe in human evolution hardly refutes god's existence, unless you believe that us humans are the only thing in the entire universe that has evolved into a salient, intelligent, self-aware being.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  NewChapter I don't know what you are on today - but I want some!
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  13

  Belief in evolution begets belief in God

  by yadda yadda 2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a strange statement i know.

  but consider.... if humans evolved, and humans are a relatively recent evolution, then would it not make sense to believe there might be other far more ancient intelligent beings (who would appear to humans to be like gods/a god) who began evolving long before humans?

  in a sense, to believe in human evolution hardly refutes god's existence, unless you believe that us humans are the only thing in the entire universe that has evolved into a salient, intelligent, self-aware being.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  Why do humans feel a need to believe? We can take in facts, knowledge and then just say uh-hu.

  I don’t believe in the sun - I see it. I don’t believe in thunders storms - I witness them, therefore I know they can occur. I have never been outside of the Solar System but I know there are other galaxies because I have seen the evidence.

  I can study evolution, visit a natural history museum and see that evolution is supported by evidence. Details have yet to immerge but scientists are on the right track. No belief is required.

  There is no need to refute the existence of ‘God.’ I have seen no evidence that such a concept exists. The same goes for demons, devils, imps, pixies, leprechauns and so on. Once we start to imagine what might exist, our imagination can run wild.

  Sticking with the facts and adding to our knowledge as new information is presented does not require belief, just patience.
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  50

  Being publicly religious is a lot like being a NUDIST

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  nudists let it all hang out.. "look at me!

  " is their motto.. being the center of attention doesn't bother them as much as it encourages them to be all they can be...in full public view.. .

  in fact, exhibitionism is at the core of this personality.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  When it comes to nudists (they prefer to be called naturists but what the heck) I am not bothered by people with attractive bodies baring all but the ones with ugly bodies should keep it to themselves.

  The same applies to religion. People that have nice beliefs and love everybody are fine. Ugly religious beliefs, like hell-fire and damnation, should be kept to oneself and not aired in public.
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  251

  Evidence for God...

  by tec in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  life come from the living, and this is a universe of life.

  his teachings are truth.

  which is why i weight it against the truth of the teachings (and one other thing that i will get to).

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  THE GLADIATOR

  passwordprotected To Christians, Christ personally contacting them is evidence to them, which as you say, makes it subjective evidence. According to the bible Christ spoke his followers in person and after his death, so this is what is expected. At the end of the day, one believes this happens or they don’t. I'm lucky if the bin man speaks to me.
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  10

  Christians Expect Too Much of God Compared To Witnesses?

  by passwordprotected in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my wife and i were chatting about this last night.

  having left the jws, we quickly became heavily involved in a born-again christian church, and the culture associated with it.. i've completely jettisoned any faith in supernatural god beings, and we were chatting about how intense christians are about god and how much they expect their version of the sun god to do in their lives.. however, as witnesses, you always had a fairly low expectation of jehovah, right?

  you never really expected him to "show up" and help you, did you?.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  passwordprotected Good to see you are still around and posting.

  I read your post on the Evidence for God thread which expanded on what you are saying here.

  I agree with you. Nothing I can add.
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  267

  The true, unsung hero of the Bible....

  by Unlearn in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  my undisputed hero of the bible is known by several names, depending on who you talk to...devil, satan, lucifer, etc.. read it, and you'll find that he was the only one who really stood up for you.. he asserted that you could make decisions for yourself...and told you the very real truth that, just because the piece of meat in your chest stops thumping, you positively do not 'die'.. he was your hero.

  he stood up to a daddy-maniac and said, 'just because you made us doesnt mean you have the right to tell us what to do.

  i thought we were free?'.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  soft+gentle Perhaps you are looking too deep and projecting modern thinking on to an ancient culture. The answer could be very simple.

  The snake is an unusual creature it swallows its prey whole after poisoning it with deadly venom. It is feared by humans and animals alike. It is a prefect symbol for evil. Snakes have often been viewed in a negative light and are associated with black magic. Snakes or serpents have also been consider guardians of temples and holy places. Many tribes have used the snake as a totem .

  The same people that decided the snake was an ideal symbol for evil, wisdom, and ceremony, also though that thunder was god’s arguing in heaven.

  The human race has moved on just a tad.
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  17

  “How can everything we’ve learned be a lie?”

  by bats in the belfry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a reporter tracks down the remnants of harold campings apocalyptic movement and finds out you dont have to be crazy to believe something nuts.. .

  an excerpt of his write-up:.

  another engineer i came to know had spent most of his retirement savings, well over a half-million dollars, taking out full-page newspaper ads and buying an rv that he had custom-painted with doomsday warnings.

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  THE GLADIATOR

  " How can everthing we've learned be a lie?"

  Because we had the wrong teachers.
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  55

  Would you die for your current beliefs?

  by SweetBabyCheezits in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  THE GLADIATOR

  My belief is that I shall die.

  So I have a feeling it's all going to work out very neatly.
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  251

  Evidence for God...

  by tec in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  life come from the living, and this is a universe of life.

  his teachings are truth.

  which is why i weight it against the truth of the teachings (and one other thing that i will get to).

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  THE GLADIATOR

  As far as records go, Jesus was on trial for sedition, stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. The Israelite nation was under Roman control. The Romans allowed the Scribes and Pharisees to remain because they kept the Israelite nation in line and gave the impression that Israel had a measure of freedom. Jesus was a political agitator. He began to be viewed as a king by some, hence the palm branch episode. He talked of his followers joining him in his kingdom, very dodgy and also a prophecy.

  One of the ways he caused agitation was by making prophecies that undermined the established order. He spread unrest and a hunger for change, p rophesying the destruction of Jerusalem for example and the demise of the Pharisees for being hypocrites.

  Things in life are seldom black or white - so Tammy & NC it seems you both have a valid point of view.