Bonsai

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Posts by Bonsai

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  133

  Why Are You Here?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

  as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

  as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

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  Bonsai

  I went from belieber to agnostic to atheistic in probably the course of one year. I find all established religions to be old, crusty, obsolete and a waste of time and intellect. I'd like to move to a country where I never have to hear a believer whine about being criticized. I'd like to move to a land where I never saw a burqa, cross, church or JWBOrg again in my life.I do find more and more of an attraction to non denominational buddhism, but buddhism on my terms, not Buddha's. If there is a god it is the earth. The angels are the flowers, butterflies and songbirds that own the sky.
  

  I'm quickly tiring of religious debates, philosophical debates and debating for the sake of listening to one's own voice. I wanted to help newbies make the transition from a cult to a life of freedom, but I feel like many of them would be offended by my disgust for faith and religion. Perhaps my run here is winding down. It's been a good run though. I owe a lot to this forum...
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  Bonsai

  I actually, come to think of it, AM a believer. I believe that our mother earth is the closest thing we have that fits the definition of god. Without her we don't exist. She is beautiful and has all the attributes of man: gentle, harsh, violent, thrilling, awe inspiring, etc. Why don't we worry more about believing in and healing our earth before we wade into whether or not there is an intelligent being above us in the universe? I think any god worth a darn can respect the atheist/theist who treats this planet (and the things on it) with dignity and respect.
  
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  Tried One Last Time In The Kingdom Hall...

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so last thursday was meeting day.

  my wife knows my thoughts on this religion and respects my fade and is completely ok with it (which surprised me, and also made me love her even more).

  i think she must know it's all crack-pot stuff but seeing as her whole family are all in and about 98% of them cant even explain their beleifs without a watchtower on hand i think she's just going along for the friends/family/social side of it.

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  Bonsai

  I had a similar experience to yours when I went to a meeting after having faded for two months. It was disturbing how weird and programmed (automated?) the people in the hall were. Their words were chosen carefully. Their laughter was fake. They wanted to have us sit towards the front and i brushed the attendant off and sat in the back. After the meeting I sat there watching these strange, alien-like people interacting with each other, bobbing their heads like doves (they all bow to each other three times a minute here in Japan) and bleeting superficial platitudes and small talk.

  The bible reading that night was Deuteronomy 18-22. The irony of 18:20-22 was lost on all the sheeples who attended that night, but it was not lost on us. Never went to another meeting after that...
  
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  29

  Welcome y'all from JWR - any questions?

  by Simon in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  i just wanted to take a minute to say "hi" and welcome to the site for anyone who's come here from jwr.

  i can imagine the site being shut down suddenly was shocking and unsettling for many who relied on it and sometimes you don't realize how much you do rely on something until it is gone.. hopefully you'll see some of the same familiar names appearing and be able to reconnect with people you knew via this site and continue your journey together.

  i don't know what the posting policies on jwr were but know it as a moderated site so can't imagine them being hugely different to the ones here.

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  Bonsai

  I'm curious to know if JWR was more theistic in nature for those who were on the way out,or out, but were wanting to maintain some kind of faith in god. I find (happily so) that JWD tends to be more atheistic in nature. I'm curious to see how JWR'ers will react to the fiercely skeptic, agnostic/atheistic nature of this forum. I hope we don't put you off or scare you away. I enjoy respectfully debating with theists, as well as keeping track of Watchtower's devious activities. Maybe I should have started a new thread on this topic, but there are always an avalanche of threads as it is...
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  Bonsai

  Why believe in God? Those who are not satisfied with reality and mortality need to believe in god. That's fine. Death isn't pretty. Evolution won't tickle your ears or fill you with fantasies that distract you from the hard core realities of this universe. For every species that successfully evolves to continue to survive and adapt to its ever changing environment there are dozens of species that go extinct. The universe can be a real (insert colorful word here) and I get why some people need the opium of religion. Believer, May your belief in your deity bring you strength and comfort!
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  Bonsai

  What does genocide accomplish if god were to destroy 99% of the human race? If perfect angels disobeyed and rebelled against god, if perfect humans rejected god (Adam and Eve), what will killing all these "imperfect" humans accomplish? Won't the cycle just repeat over and over and over with god having to commit mass genocide every few thousand years to cull the dissident ones who can't get with the program?

  Without even stopping to analyze the evidence against a moral god, I find the bible to be completely illogical.
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  Bonsai

  Any super being that would be above the problems and bad inclinations that inflict us fleshly beings would step up to the plate and physically and openly help us to see without a doubt that violence, killing and intolerance are not what he is about. A responsible super being would take an active role in clearing up the confusion that we have about this theoretical god. Any god that can't take the time to do that is not worth my time.
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  Bonsai

  Hi Believer,

  I read your OP(but not the following 6 pages yet) and I respect the fact that you choose to hold on to your beliefs. I question my beliefs as an atheist all the time. I'm always looking for evidence either way. I have found a mountain load of evidence that strongly indicates that we evolved randomly and by accident. I have found very little indication that we were created and ZERO evidence that a loving, caring, fair and just super being created us.

  I have to agree with some atheists that religion is a problem, but I don’t agree that God is the problem. I can separate the two.

  This is the crux of my problem with allowing myself to even day dream that there exists an intelligent god worth worshipping. There are thousands of religions on earth today claiming to represent and be represented by god. The fact that god has let religion decay to a clumpy confusing blood spilling child sacrificing mess shows me there is no god. I have a problem with a god who let's people do terrible things in his name(s).
  
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  123

  Message from Designer Stubble to the former JWR members

  by Designer Stubble in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  message from designer stubble to the former jwr members.

  first of all i am glad to see that many of you have found your way to this great forum, facilitated by simon.

  i am sure that after the dust of the jwr shutdown has settled, you will find this to be a good new home.. i would like to apologize for the sudden closure of jwr.

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  Bonsai

  I was thinking of branching out to JWR. Glad I didn't waste my time over there! I think the way they cruelly shut it down with such cold calculation shows you what kind of people were running that site. How very JWish of them!

  I also think that those mods and administrators who came over here to apologize and take feed back shows you that they are quality people. Think about it, they could just walk away never to be heard from again. But they come over here, express their regrets, take their lumps and bow out with humility. I can respect that!
  
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  23

  How to wind up a JW

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  tell him that jesus probably didn't get married or it would have mentioned it in the bible, but at the same time we can't be 100% sure he didn't get married because it doesn't specifically say he didn't get married.

  stand back watch fireworks.. i thought it was a pretty reasonable thing to say.

  pop.

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  Bonsai

  If you see Jesus in my post, give me an AMEN! Hit me with it people!