Posts by THE GLADIATOR

said "god is love, reconcile that with...(the matter being discussed in the thread, babies in hell) and then get back to me".. my question is, was john saying that the god of scripture is "love" , for that is mighty hard to "reconcile", or was he saying that when we humans "love" we have found the divine ?.

THE GLADIATOR

Terry - don't you get tired of being right all the time? I will continue to value your posts.

I learnt about love from Terry. No, no, not like that! His posts helped me learn to be objective. Instead of looking to my emotions for answers, I learned that my emotions are a produce of my values. Examining my values helped me to make adjustments and appropriate emotions followed.

We could ask: Is Love God?

Well love may be King but that's no reason to go on a flight of fantasy.

282

Non-evidence reasons why people embrace Evolution.

by hooberus in

jw
friends

evolutionists always claim that the reason why they believe in evolution and reject creation is due to "evidence".

they frequently use the opposite term "no evidence" in relation to any type of intelligent design, or creation, (and especially to genesis creation and flood history !).

their advocated beliefs always tend to include whatever is necessary to believe in to intellectually "explain" the existence of the universe, world, and its creatures without needing god).

THE GLADIATOR

Life is change. Evolution and paradigm shifts are just part of the process. Living things are evolving and organisms tend to arrange themselves into more complicated structures. The whole universe is in a constant state of evolution and change.

I can't understand why some people think that one has to 'believe in' or 'embrace' evolution. Belief per say, requires faith; often faith in the unseen or unproven. An interest in new scientific discoveries about our world and its history, does not amount to a belief.

11

The power and assertive years ( approx. 30 to 45 )

by caliber in

jw
friends

my personal observation is that these (30-45) years are the coming together of physical, emotional and mental power, a time when.

most reach the desire , confidence and need to speak out to speak out about all injustice they see around them.. my personal opinion is that after reaching this stage in life you mellow out in your 50's .

i make this claim by personal life experience.

THE GLADIATOR

caliber In your opening post, I think you nailed it.

32

Flow Chart - How To Have A Rational Discussion

by cofty in

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THE GLADIATOR

If each person is unwilling to concede they are wrong, no matter what evidence is shown, the discussion is pointless. Are they arguing to strengthen their beliefs or to learn something new?

If a person's beliefs are irrational, it will not be possible to have a rational discussion. Most people discuss their pet beliefs in order to strengthen their cognitive dissidence. Others as an excuse to vent anger or gain attention. For these reasons, few discussion are worth the effort; though some can be helpful if conducted with the right spirit.

31

Voting a conscience matter??

by Cynisister in

happy new year one and all!,.

the local elders sent a letter home with my hubby, pretty much stating that after "many" attempts to visit and speak with me, this letter is once again asking to meet because it came to their attention that i voted in the last pres.

election.

THE GLADIATOR

Stop press – The following change of policy has now been introduced. Under the heading “Questions from Readers” in a recent Watchtower, the Society stated:

“As to whether they will personally vote for someone running in an election, each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience and an understanding of his responsibility to God and the state…There may be people who are stumbled when they observe that during an election in their country, some Witnesses of Jehovah go to the polling booth and others do not. They may say that ‘Jehovah Witnesses are not consistent.’ People should recognize, though, that in matters of individual conscience such as this, each Christian has to make his own decision before Jehovah God” (Watchtower –1st November 1999— Pages 27,28)

This sudden change of policy came as a surprise to the membership. Over the years the Society have quoted scripture to support their ban on voting. Does this mean that Jehovah ’ s Witnesses will now as a group vote at elections? How can they now disregard the “ scriptural proof ” that was used for many decades to support their ruling? If this issue is a matter of conscience, why was it made into law and enforced for so long? Could this be another attempt by the Society to conform to The Human Rights Act, as it is fundamentally against the law to deny people the right to vote in a democracy?

What of the many who left or refused to become Witnesses because ofthe original ruling? By saying that voting is now a matter of conscience there is no conflict with the law of the land. In some countries it is against the law to abstain from voting and this has caused many difficulties for members. In some countries, such as Malawi members lost their lives at the hands of the authorities because they refused to vote.

Is this really a genuine change of direction or will it continue to be made clear that a properly trained Christian conscience will stop one from voting? The Watchtower article, just quoted from, made it clear that members should stay separate from the world and listed five “ factors ” to be considered when making what is now a personal decision.

It appears that although voting is now officially allowed, the practice of voting will continue to be frowned upon, and Jehovah ’ s Witnesses as a group will continue to avoid voting, as a matter of conscience. There are a lot of question marks above, which sums up the present position that Witnesses find themselves in. The Society claim that truth is a bright light that is getting brighter and brighter but as in this case, and the position with regard to the use of blood fractions (dealt with in chapter 13) the light or guidance seems to be getting dimmer.

The above is taken from a book called: Opening the Door to Jehovah's Witnesses - by Trevor Willis. 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.

22

I'm lost

by Newborn in

jw
friends

i feel confused, empty, alone, sad, sensitive, hurt and so on.

more and more it seems.... will i ever find my place, my home and be content and happy?

sometimes it feels impossible.

THE GLADIATOR

Newborn

I feel confused, empty, alone, sad, sensitive, hurt and so on.

It could be that many of the feelings you have experienced in your life are still present in that part of your mind where painful experiences are stored. Rather than fight these feelings, you can accept them as a part of your unique self and just be with them, without judgement.

Feeling lost is freedom in disguise. Remember when you were trapped in a religion that no longer suited you? Remember the marriage that you left behind? Being lost or free, has its benefits. It gives you space to slowly reshape your life and outlook.

Though you may feel lost, there is no place you are supposed to be. You will find the place you are looking for is not a location or a situation but a state of mind.

All the best with your Journey.

76

Is God LOVE ?

by wobble in

the concept that "god is love" comes, for christians, from the letters of john.. on another thread p sac.

said "god is love, reconcile that with...(the matter being discussed in the thread, babies in hell) and then get back to me".. my question is, was john saying that the god of scripture is "love" , for that is mighty hard to "reconcile", or was he saying that when we humans "love" we have found the divine ?.

THE GLADIATOR

This question often comes up and I puzzled by the way some people view love, as though it's a separate entity. Once love is seen to have an existence or life of its own, it's a small step to see this entity as having a life of its own. Then think that love 'is' Perhaps God.

To me love is something inside ourselves; an emotion that we feel towards people and things that we value or treasure. It is possibly one of the strongest and most subjective emotions that creatures can experience. If an invisible creature that 'is' love, made us, then we may start to wonder if love is an invisible force that we can tap into.

Alternatively, if we are of the earth and come from it, love will come from us. It all comes down to whether we hold the view that we come onto this earth or out of it.

We can feel love and demonstrate love but we can never 'be' love. The opposite side of the coin is hate. Our ability to also hate rules that out. So -can any creature or being, actually be love?

95

Is Liberal Christianity Smug and Arrogant?

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

is liberal christianity smug and arrogant?.

the liberal christian finds himself in a belief system that would be unfamiliar to the overwhelming majority of christians who've lived and died before him, over the past two thousand years.

is the liberal christian, in effect, saying to these previous christians, "you were doing it wrong.

THE GLADIATOR

Every culture has formed its own gods to worship and look to for guidance. Little did those seeker of truth know, that their gods did not exist and answers they received came from within themselves.

Christianity is a remarkable concept because it spans so many cultures and has survived into our modern world. This is because it has always been prepared to adapt. Even to rewrite the rules if necessary. I am not an apologist for Christianity and have no belief in a personal God. Nevertheless, in keeping with topic thread I would like to repeat what I said on the 2nd post of this thread: "I don't see it as Smug or arrogant but a matter of expediency, if Christianity is to survive the demands of the 21st century."

I used to think that if the Bible is not inerrant, then the whole house of cards would fall. BTS debated with me some years ago and helped me to examine my view. PSacramento has also helped me to understand the nature of Christianity and its focus on belief in a living Christ. Tammy has also influenced me and demonstrated the positive aspects of Christian belief.

It's inevitable that in a changing world, Christianity constantly has to adjust, reinvent and redefine itself. It will ultimately reflect the needs of its followers and the demands of the society that it exists within. One of the benefits to Western civilization, is the counter balance it offers to the weight of growing Islamic influence. If we tear down Christian value, the space is likely to be filled with Islamic ideals, not atheism.