Posts by Bonsai

475

What is the alternative to JW?

by Formerbrother in

i mean this with all due respect, i would like to hear from genuine people who think jw have it wrong and then what is the truth?.

im not talking about silly little quibbles here and there.. is jehovah real?

the the bible is word?

Bonsai

For example, when Jesus said "this is how you can identify my true followers, those who have love amongst themselves" which other organisation apart from JWs can also say that, in almost every nation around the world?

What love have you experienced so deeply from them? If you have experienced this unprecedented love, why are you here? I have experienced individual love from them. But as a whole, I have seen that the more intimate JWs get with each other, the more they start to eat each other. All that condescending judgement, pious facade and conditional love really ate at me to the point where there was no alternative other than to puke them out of my life. You can only be a brainless yes-man in that organization for so long, but go ahead and give it a try! Maybe you are the personality type that just loves to lap all that stuff up! Hopefully not.

475

What is the alternative to JW?

by Formerbrother in

i mean this with all due respect, i would like to hear from genuine people who think jw have it wrong and then what is the truth?.

im not talking about silly little quibbles here and there.. is jehovah real?

the the bible is word?

Bonsai

We all know they tried to replace the divine name with titles such as lord or god, but the original YHWH is the divine name, we just have do the best we can translating it in each language, we may not get it quite right as we all say it differently around the world.

No, actually we don't. Why force a translation of a name that even Jesus never used? If it was so important to make a modern, hybrid version of the tetragrammaton why didn't Jesus do so in his day? Where is the written record of him using the divine name? Why not just call god "father" or "Lord"? Truth shouldn't have to be forced or manipulated or modernized to fit the agendas of men. If god does indeed exist, then he/she/it knows who he/she/it is no matter what name/title you choose to call he/she/it.

72

CEDARS (Again) Is it really about religious beliefs?

by Listener in

jw
friends

john cedars has posted his latest blog "the trouble with apostates (and why it shouldn't put you off becoming one)".

i acknowledge that he is entitled to his opionin just as we are ours but i am disappointed in some of his comments.. at this stage i'll try to be objective about it.

he is defending his own position after all.. what bothers me most is his comments about athiests and christians which he seems to identify as being in conflict with each other.

Bonsai

Evangelical activists are annoying and, at times, can be downright repulsive. That's just the way it is. They don't take no for an answer. And when you stand your ground they abandon logic and immediately try to employ guilt tripping, fear mongering tactics to beat you down. An atheist/agnostic would never do that. They might be persistent in showing you scientific evidence. They might laugh in your face and laugh at your beliefs. They might even call you a hopeless zombie, but they would never try to psychologically terrorize you with the threat of eternal torment or the wrath of some deity in a triumphant, arrogant manner like the Evangelicals do.

Not every ex - JDub is going to get along and see eye-to-eye with your particular brand of truth. Big deal. I would rather spend my time with those who respect me for who I am and not what i believe, or more importantly, don't believe.

475

What is the alternative to JW?

by Formerbrother in

i mean this with all due respect, i would like to hear from genuine people who think jw have it wrong and then what is the truth?.

im not talking about silly little quibbles here and there.. is jehovah real?

the the bible is word?

Bonsai

The alternative would be to stop making assumptions, follow the evidence. I think humanism is a good alternative to JWism. If you want to believe in an invisible, uncommunicative god, why do so on other people's terms? Why be affiliated with an organized religion at all? The blind will lead the blind (and your wallet as well).

15

A True short story

by Terry in

____a true story___.

shortly after the incident, i drove back along the pacific coast in a euphoric daze of confusion, tears, and exhilaration; there was no place for it to go inside my head.

i pulled over on the shoulder of the road and sat in stunned silence.

Bonsai

Lovely account of a miraculous event!

Moments later, thoughts inside my head still reverberated as though I were a bell struck into vibrations beyond control. I trembled. My hands were shaking. I was laughing and nodding my head: first “yes” and then, “no.” It happened. No, it could not have happened.
And yet—it did!

I thought you were going to go on about how you had lost your virginity! Then you totally through me a curve ball out of left field with the whale experience.

6

I am a Sceptical Rationalist, and an Atheist, yet I have Faith !

by Phizzy in

i lead an evidence based life, in that, if i have to make a decision over buying something, or a certain course of action, i will look at the evidence.. if someone tells me something is true, i examine the evidence, using critical thinking skills.. and yet i have faith, not faith as some have, believing that something is true without satisfactory evidence, but i have faith that all humans are of equal value, that the right way to live is doing the most good and the least harm, that love is better than hate, that peace is better than war.. so, i am a sceptical, rational,humanist, atheistic person of faith..

Bonsai

Hear, hear! That's the best way to live!

25

converting to catholic

by SloppyMcFloppy in

hello i was wondering if any ex jw have converted to catholic?

i have been tossing the idea around a bit and wondering if it was woth it from personal experience?

thoughts?

Bonsai

I'm not a Catholic, but...I've heard Catholicism is great! Church twice a year, Christmas and Easter. You can get away with almost anything as long as you confess your sins. Do the sign of the cross on your chest once in a while to show your piousness and BOOM! your saved. Cheap ticket to heaven eh?

91

Science Will Never Contradict The Bible

by Perry in

so claims nuclear physicist

Bonsai

Perry, glad to see you back in action. you've been through too much this year. I hope things quiet down for you.

11

The Watchtower are humans

by WireRider in

the watchtower are humans.

they have never had any conversation with any god, let alone one by a made up name.

they never had any power at all bestowed upon them.

Bonsai

You can apply those statements to very single religion on this planet. Find me a religion that hasn't evolved and revolved around money, politics and building religious empires to promote the agendas of men. You won't find one, no, not even the hint of one.

71

Which bible character do you hate the most?

by Bonsai in

the more i think about it, the more i feel an extreme dislike for the apostle paul.

he was on par with hitler in his treatment of the jews before he "saw the light".

he replaced jesus teachings of love and mercy with a more legalistic, pharisaical concept of devotion to god.. any evil person can come to believe in god and worship him if the scales were literally and miraculously removed from his eyes.

Bonsai

As a man, I just can't make myself hate Solomon. I do like Proverbs... and all those women! I bet he treated his mistresses like queens, too.

Simon, great description of the NT! Couldn't have put it any better!