JamesThomas

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Posts by JamesThomas

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  24

  I'm struggling with God's existence -- and here is why.

  by Morocco in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in mark 13:30, matt.

  24:34, and matt.

  23:36 the bible makes the following statement: .

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  JamesThomas

  Morocco:

  I can't help but feel that maybe we make our own answers and, at the very least, the Christian God (or maybe all others) just simply don't exist

  You know there is a lot of wisdom in your post.

  Could it be you simply see a serious problem with attributing a gloriously infinite universe to a contrastingly small and limited deity? I mean certainly the real Source of such wonder and grandeur must be unimaginably more vast and beautiful than anything religion has to offer; especially to what's found within the pages of the Bible.

  I suggest you honor your innate wisdom, and let go of images of gods and deities gleemed from a page or playing upon the screen of imagination, and instead focus on what it is to be alive in the present moment. Dive into the reality of your most intimate sense of being and existing. Discover what is at your core. Accept only what is undeniably real.

  j
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  39

  ex JW atheists

  by Bobhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know we were sold a lie in believing god was only dealing with the wt and to obey them is to obey god.

  what puzzels me is that in rejecting the wt so many also reject their belief in god.

  surely they believed that god existed as witnesses.

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  JamesThomas

  james thomas - if you weren't already married I'd be proposin' right now!

  I'm not.

  j
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  16

  Do You Really Need to Know the Truth Again?

  by Clam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are we better people when were looking for the truth, rather than when weve found it?

  when i thought i knew the truth it didnt make me a better person, it didnt give me peace of mind or facilitate self discovery.

  if anything it released negative qualities such as arrogance and misanthropy.

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  JamesThomas

  Perhaps there is a problem in that generally we come to think up truth. Truth, becomes something conceptual and believed. Truth becomes an idea or image that is some how viewed as separate and apart from what we actually are.

  The truth is that nothing the mind thinks up is the authentic and genuine Truth we seek; it's only interpretive abstraction. Giving great credence and importance to the minds mirage, we lose sight of the reality, actuality and truth of our own being within the immediacy of the present moment.

  As long as we shrink and narrow truth down to a specific person or group of ideas, we are toying with realities antithesis.

  j
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  57

  Hi I am new - Lovelylilly's husband

  by ROC in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife has been keeping me up to date on what goes on in the forum.

  i finally decided to join myself.

  i am not as knowledgeable in the scriptures as my wife.

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  JamesThomas

  Welcome, ROC.

  Harboring no beliefs or fondness for gods, deities and demons, you would probably consider me one of your lowly "atheists". I have had a few interactions with your dear wife here, and she has always been kind and open minded to the fool.

  Glad you joined us.

  j
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  26

  guilt feelings sometimes

  by amara in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was raised as a jw from the age of 4, my father was an elder for 18 years, was a auxillary pioneer for years, been there done all that and decided to leave at age 30, i have chosen a pagan path and am very happy but sometimes i feel guilty for no reason, does anyone else ever have this problem?

  if you do, how do you handle it?

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  JamesThomas

  Oh, and WELCOME!
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  26

  guilt feelings sometimes

  by amara in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was raised as a jw from the age of 4, my father was an elder for 18 years, was a auxillary pioneer for years, been there done all that and decided to leave at age 30, i have chosen a pagan path and am very happy but sometimes i feel guilty for no reason, does anyone else ever have this problem?

  if you do, how do you handle it?

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  JamesThomas

  Live in peace knowing that a tiny tribal war god is in no way responsible for the reality of conscious existence.

  j
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  24

  I'm struggling with God's existence -- and here is why.

  by Morocco in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in mark 13:30, matt.

  24:34, and matt.

  23:36 the bible makes the following statement: .

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  2. 
  3. 
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  JamesThomas

  Morocco,

  In my opinion what you're struggling with is simply words on the pages of some archaic old book someone told you was important.

  Earnestly investigating into the Divine is a journey far, far wider and deeper than this.

  Good luck.

  j
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  31

  Why don't YOU believe anymore?

  by Crumpet in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  someone on another site was asking "what if they are right?

  " which made me think about why i know that they are not and i wondered what was your epiphany or road to damascus moment or moments that just made you realise - hey i've been led up the garden path here!.

  here was my response but i really think a list of reasons on one thread for easy reference for newbies would be good.

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  JamesThomas

  There can come a time when the wondrous and infinite nature of existence is mysteriously felt; and in that moment it is clearly seen that attributing the beauty of Infinity to a tiny tribal war god (or any deity) is grossly disrespectful, harmful, and insane.

  There is no question that all gods and deities are simply flaccid creations of the mind which when believed in as real, only numb and blind us to the bottomless and vibrant reality of the present moment. They are lies which hide the truth.

  I stopped believing because I chose reality.

  j
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  24

  Pharaoh's drowned army - arqueological proof found?

  by Abishai in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i wanted to get your thoughts on the claim that pharaoh's drowned army was discovered.

  the claim comes from ron wyatt.

  he seems to have a cult following and some critics to his claims.

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  JamesThomas

  Welcome, Abishai.

  Is it important to you that the Bible be proven correct?

  j
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  39

  ex JW atheists

  by Bobhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know we were sold a lie in believing god was only dealing with the wt and to obey them is to obey god.

  what puzzels me is that in rejecting the wt so many also reject their belief in god.

  surely they believed that god existed as witnesses.

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  JamesThomas

  Welcome to the forum, Bob.

  What puzzels me is that in rejecting the WT so many also reject their belief in God.

  What is this "God" you think others are rejecting? The murderous-anthropomorphic-tribal-war-deity found within the pages of the bible? Is this what you mean?

  For some it is clearly realized that any and all deities are too limited and moronic to have anything to do with the existence of Reality. So they simply stop believing in them. Besides, beliefs are only shallow mental images, anyway. You're not letting go of anything real.

  What you are interpreting as a puzzling, may actually be the sign of awakening intelligence; for certainly if there is a true God it must be far, far grander than any little deity the mind creates.

  Perhaps you are heading in this direction yourself, which is why you bring up the question. Watch out, you may awaken one day to find yourself an atheist; and in my opinion you will then be open to a far vaster sense of the Divine; one too, too vast for the mind to grasp.

  j