after leaving, i still couldn't wrap my head around evolution (after the years of seing "intelligent design" in everything around me).. there's a series of videos that give a good intro to evolution and critical thinking.
they've probably been posted here before, but, for any new members, these are worth watching.. evolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdddbyilel0.
critical thinking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6olpl5p0fmg.
After leaving, I still couldn't wrap my head around evolution (after the years of seing "intelligent design" in everything around me).
There's a series of videos that give a good intro to evolution and critical thinking. They've probably been posted here before, but, for any new members, these are worth watching.
Evolution:
Critical thinking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLPL5p0fMg
30 that seems to put jw's at a cross-roads?
i've known so many who have decided to abandon ship at either the age of 30 or either after 30 years of being baptized.
i fall into the former category.
Happy hardcore dub until the age of 30!
Then some major internal conflict as doubts started springing up. Desillusionment, the nagging feeling that there were so many holes in my belief system. Still managed to pioneer another 4 years while battling/ignoring my doubts. I remember many times thinking that if it didn't end up being true, it still was the best and happiest way to live life (propaganda works). Had a full blown crisis (my darkest hours) and full awakening at 34. I think that finding my first grey hair and realizing that I actually had a "biological clock" was enough to face the fact that if this belief system wasn't true, I had to know. I also started seeing that the promise of happiness in the org wasn't usually delivered. In the matter of a few weeks, deconstructed all my beliefs.
I'm in college now, and free thinking has me feeling almost high some days!
are you moving on?.
i see some have a very hard time in life because of their witness past..
I had been regular pioneering since high school, kept going until the age of 34 when I awoke - at the time and for a while after most DEFINITELY viewed my life in ruins because of the JWs.
But, now, I can no longer say my life is "in ruins" because of the WT... I've rebuilt / am rebuilding...
Sure, if it weren't for the WT, I'd probably be at a different place right now, but I realized that dwelling on it was useless. Some people have come out of situations that were much worse than my own, due to all kinds of circumstances, and have come out living inspirational lives.
definition: a thought-terminating cliche is a commonly used phrase, sometimes passing as folk wisdom, used to quell cognitive dissonance.. here's mine: we don't believe that way ..... we are christians in this home..
definition: a thought-terminating cliche is a commonly used phrase, sometimes passing as folk wisdom, used to quell cognitive dissonance.. here's mine: we don't believe that way ..... we are christians in this home..
just by knowing what will happen, that doesn't mean that we can prevent or cause something to happen.
my knowing that does not prevent them the free will of making the choice.. it's the same with god.
if god is not restricted to existence in the present, then the future is known by god because god indwells the future as well as the present and the past.
just by knowing what will happen, that doesn't mean that we can prevent or cause something to happen.
my knowing that does not prevent them the free will of making the choice.. it's the same with god.
if god is not restricted to existence in the present, then the future is known by god because god indwells the future as well as the present and the past.
Foreknowledge implies that there is only one outcome (whether God "chooses" to see it or not is irrelevant, the outcome is there, should he wish to see it).
This implication removes free will. We don't have a choice if it's already "written".
This was one of my husband's HUGE issues with the WTBTS's explanation of foreknowledge while we were still believers. The foreknowledge explanation resembles the teaching of predestination.
it has been a long time since i have posted here, so, here it goes.
i have been back and forth for the last two years on whether or not to stay in this religion or not.
most of me wanted to stay for the same as many others, fear.
That is great that your wife is on the same page as you!
But I know how tough it is to deal with the backlash when the word leaks out that one is leaving the org. We hoped for a quiet fade when we moved to a new city. But word went around that we weren't going to meetings, and within a few days, we were barraged with old friends wanting to "help" us or was angry at us - it was overwhelming for both of us. I'm a calm person, but that bit did a number on me. For a while it was a real emotional roller coaster ride.
I don't know how it will be for you, but I can tell you from experience that after you ride out the storm, life gets much, much better, and much more interesting!
Hang in there!
for those of you who have already done research on this, have you been able to find information that proves jesus was based on dionysus?
do we have proof that any of the following was written prior to 1st century: dionysus turning water into wine, born of a virgin mortal, sent by zeus to save mankind, dead and resurrected (or any of the other parallels).. note: i'm agnostic/atheist, but i'm still curious about the historical details.
was dionysus based on jesus, or is it the other way around????
For those of you who have already done research on this, have you been able to find information that proves Jesus was based on Dionysus? Do we have proof that any of the following was written PRIOR to 1st century: Dionysus turning water into wine, born of a virgin mortal, sent by Zeus to save mankind, dead and resurrected (or any of the other parallels).
Note: I'm agnostic/atheist, but I'm still curious about the historical details.
Was Dionysus based on Jesus, or is it the other way around????
I know Dionysus as a mythical figure pre-dates Jesus, but as for the parallels, were they added later, as claimed by author on about-jesus.org. Has anyone debunked the claims that Dionysus parallels were actually based on the Jesus figure??
during my recent trip to dallas, i stopped by an old haunt, half-price bookstore, and picked up jermaine jacksons book "you are not alone - michael: through a brothers eyes.
" it has several interesting observations, but one of them has me puzzled.
on page 204 jermaine is describing a mural that michael had painted on one of the walls.
No such book. The author maybe confused it with "the secret of family happiness". There was another one called "Is this life all there is?". Can't remember the colour of either book though.