Utopian Reformist

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Posts by Utopian Reformist

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  151

  Christianity promotes a helpless victim mentality...

  by logansrun in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i'm going to be a man of few words here.

  christianity, in it's truest, fundamentalist form, promotes an unhealthy and non-productive victim mentality.

  the christian feels helpless on his own -- condemned by sin and absolutely unworthy.

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  Utopian Reformist

  Alan:
  
  The answer most fundamentalists will give you is probably the explanation that despite the Genesis account lacking pure logic, it is an issue of that magic word "faith".
  
  They will say that like the bible says, humans trap themselves in human wisdom and human philosophy, therefore the simplicity of God's plan cannot be grasped because they keep blinding themselves searching for impossible answers. Because it requires faith to accept the account, the book, the authors and the deity, you and I are not able to grasp the beauty, the magnificance, the sheer love of God's ransom provision as outlined in Genesis.
  
  How sad for us. Good thing I love the heat!
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  15

  why? water baptism

  by lurk in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  been thinking about baptisum (and decided to look it up .

  does anyone know why we carry on having water baptism?

  im wondering because after reading up on baptisum johns water baptisum does seem to have been replaced by the holy spirit and fire baptism that john said would come.

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  Utopian Reformist

  I believe the most permanent and monumental changes in life occur on a personal level. I say because it is a religious "crutch or penchant" to associate any growth or progress with a ritual or public display.
  
  I know the bible readers will say that you are supposed to make your progress manifest and declare your faith publicly, but I humbly ask you to stop for a second and THINK.
  
  Why is it so important to attract attention and display your personal growth? Who is to be impressed or influenced into following your example? If your example is followed, are the followers making personal decisions or surrendering to group dynamics and peer pressure?
  
  It is the goal of all religious leadership to market their products and display them to attract new customers. Using a well crafted and almost cleverly designed written manual to organize followers into place and delegate and promote fear, superstition, paranoia which can only be prevented by becoming a member of the group.
  
  All religions require a ceremonial induction to symbolize the power of the beliefs being represented and the appeal of the group. Be careful.
  
  If there is a baptism of sorts, I would think it would be a personal spiritual baptism. The kind you make in private when you finally determine to make certain changes or progress in your own life. No one is there in private when you are alone with yourself and are being introspective. That is where the real baptism takes place.
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  84

  The US military INTENTIONALLY KILLS innocent people??? Where?? When???

  by Stan Conroy in

  1. social
  2. current

  this question was posed by yeru in another post.

  i have no interest in getting involved in that post, but this is an interesting question.

  supporters of the us feel that there country alone is on the moral high ground, and incapable of such an act.

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  Utopian Reformist

  America is simply the "new" and "modern" Rome, that's all. The sun will set on the US as it did in Rome. Perhaps the barbarians the US will face might be the chinese, russians or a combination of the two.
  
  But, make no mistake, all powers/empires collapse at some point. They reach their peak and begin their decline. I only wonder if we will live to witness part of it.
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  24

  The real reason 9/11 occurred (not what you think)

  by berylblue in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  fruit punch.".

  "there is no fruit in it.".

  "there is no fruit in here!!!

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  Utopian Reformist

  I know from my experience as an immigrant that the mass marketing machine in this country does offend foreigners.
  
  One thing that truly offends and disgusts me is any commerical where infants, toddlers and children are "smearing, throwing, groveling and playing" with food. I assume the intellectuals scripting these commericals believe that small people reveling in the abuse of precious food while millions starve around the planet is good for business.
  
  If I were starving overseas and watched american TV commericals I would hate people who could just waste food like boasting about excess surpluses while we die. Responsibility needs to be forced upon the marketing and entertainment industry, otherwise we may just anger the entire uninformed uneducated world.
  
  I have traveled five continents and understand the difference between the youth/student population of a country desiring our music, styles, entertainment and pop cultures. I am talking about the depressed, disenfranchised, oppressed and impoverished.
  
  We are seen as a consumption-oriented society.
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  73

  if you still believe in the bible ... please tell me why

  by frenchbabyface in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why i can't anymore : sorry for my poor english, but i've tried hard !!

  since the beginning of the time, till the 19th century and more, most of stories and songs for kids, was made to scary them with a moral at the end.

  to me, the bible is one of kind of that type of book (for children we are inside).

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  Utopian Reformist

  Elephants are definitely amazing!
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  84

  The US military INTENTIONALLY KILLS innocent people??? Where?? When???

  by Stan Conroy in

  1. social
  2. current

  this question was posed by yeru in another post.

  i have no interest in getting involved in that post, but this is an interesting question.

  supporters of the us feel that there country alone is on the moral high ground, and incapable of such an act.

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  Utopian Reformist

  History is a rollercoaster ride for countries and their residents. While the US/UK have taken a downturn politically and possbily morally, there are still millions of reasons to be proud of the americans and brits.
  
  Holding our leaders acocuntable is a very time consuming and intensive process. However, there is still life after current affairs, we must remind ourselves to also make time to reflect on the amazing things that make something "british" or "american".
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  49

  Good Experiences as a Jehovah's Witness

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  instead of bringing out the negatives about being a witness, let's relate some good experiences!

  i'll start.

  i remember a sister that brought up all her kids up in the "truth" and her husband was very opposed but later he started studying and he even got baptized.

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  Utopian Reformist

  I always got choked up during the baptism song 203 and during quick builds. I am almost ashamed of myself, but then I remember the people working so hard and ignorant of the real truth.
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  84

  The US military INTENTIONALLY KILLS innocent people??? Where?? When???

  by Stan Conroy in

  1. social
  2. current

  this question was posed by yeru in another post.

  i have no interest in getting involved in that post, but this is an interesting question.

  supporters of the us feel that there country alone is on the moral high ground, and incapable of such an act.

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  Utopian Reformist

  Thanks to the declassification of secret documents, eyewitness accounts, authors and modern investigative journalism, we have now learned the following:
  
  1. The USS Maine was NOT sabotaged, but rather an explosion in the steam/engine room caused the munitions in the next room to explode. Ships are not designed this way any longer.
  
  Irregardless, the incident was used to feign injury and wage war with Spain to gain Cuba, Puerto Rico, Phillipines and Guam. The US gained economically and politically while eliminating any european presence in this hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine prevailed.
  
  2. We know that in WW1 the german submarines had warned the allies that civilian ships would not be torpedoed UNLESS they possessed weaponry. We now know that british naval secretary Winston Churchill ordered the guns and cannons exposed on the cruise liner Lusitania to provoke german submarines. The Lusitania carried over 100 american passengers, and thus after sinking was the excuse for the US joining the war in 1917 to support the british.
  
  3. We now know that FDR & his cabinet were well aware of Japan's pending attack upon Pearl Harbour and chose to ignore that information. The 2500 dead sailors & marines were the perfect catalyst for joining the war. And the defense industry machine began it's reign.
  
  There is no point in rambling on about Vietnam. September 11 was the excuse for getting revenge for Bush Senior, acquiring contracts for Halliburton, jumpstarting the dormant defense industry, pleasing Israel and making the cabals more rich and powerful. Meanwhile our relative and friends die every day far away from home.
  
  Treachery, deceipt, machinations, schemes, plots, are just parr for the course in American and all international politics. It is up to the common man, the individual citizen to stand up like the french during their revolution, like the minutemen of 1776.
  
  When the "Macchiavellians" work their plans, we must expose them and challenge them for the sake of the future.
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  73

  if you still believe in the bible ... please tell me why

  by frenchbabyface in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why i can't anymore : sorry for my poor english, but i've tried hard !!

  since the beginning of the time, till the 19th century and more, most of stories and songs for kids, was made to scary them with a moral at the end.

  to me, the bible is one of kind of that type of book (for children we are inside).

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  Utopian Reformist

  If I may, I would like to share my most recent opinion concerning the bible.
  
  I have resigned myself to accept that human beings possess some unexplainable characteristics which cannot be rationalized or attributed to science.
  
  Some basic examples are "sharing". How often have you offered a stranger some of your food or drink in public? How often have you dropped some loose change into someone's can or basket? How often have you purchased candy or cookies from school children and girl scouts? I know I always do these things. Sharing and helping others are examples of "paying it forward" like the movie with Kevin Spacey & Haley Joel Osment.
  
  I have never read or seen an example of a hyena sharing food with a hungry lion or vice-versa. I have never learned about any creature willfully building shelter for different species.
  
  So, I have concluded that humans have certain qualities which prove intelligent design beyond mere physics and anatomy. Now, the question is who is responsible and how do we know?
  
  I for one find the bible has some appealing accounts if human interest, like many novels, movies, other holy books and writings, humans are unique in recording, documenting and passing on legacies of their presence on this planet. The animal kingdom, as far as we have discovered, does not do this for themselves or their progeny.
  
  Now, can we rely on the bible? I do not believe we can place blind confidence in a book written by humans, with a laundry list of inconsistencies, flaws, controversies and speculations as the "divine inspired word".
  
  When I visit this forum, I am inspired by other humans to communicate and share my ideas. That is not from God. The quality may be "god-given", but the individual application is not inspired.
  
  I do not believe the bible was inspired. I am an agnostic due to logic. How could a supreme mathematician of the highest order create the universe and time, and then allow the eating of a fruit to become the decisive factor for the death, misery, pollution and corruption of a planet for six thousand years. It is not logical to make decisions of that nature. None of us would gamble that way with our own children.
  
  If god exists, we may someday find out or perhaps he is already here and no one knows it. The question is very vague and ambiguous. Some say there is no greater or noble cause than to search for god, while others say there is no greater waste of time.
  
  I am somewhere in the middle, if possible, keeping the door open for new information while trying to "pay it forward" in this life.
• 
  151

  Christianity promotes a helpless victim mentality...

  by logansrun in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i'm going to be a man of few words here.

  christianity, in it's truest, fundamentalist form, promotes an unhealthy and non-productive victim mentality.

  the christian feels helpless on his own -- condemned by sin and absolutely unworthy.

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  3. 
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  Utopian Reformist

  Perhaps Logan was referring to the "personal application of christianity"?
  
  Although many will profess a certain belief, the actual execution of the worship may be performed altogether differently from one individual to the next. I have personally witnessed such differences in my catholic family. Many of my relatives have developed their own personal "version" of faith and practice it accordingly.
  
  I have met christians who are very happy, positive, outgoing, gregarious and successful. And yet, I have also met those who are very timid, mild, apologetic for living at all and searching for more sacrifices, more tasks, more rituals, and seeking to please others and carry their "cross".
  
  I do agree that religion in general is dangerous, mentally crippling, demoralizing, and bad for self-esteem, some humans seem to thrive under it and ignore the danger.