JamesThomas

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Posts by JamesThomas

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  37

  Evolution of Richie: Post JW

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have many hopes for this post.

  ideally, it will be an eloquent explanation of my actions, more for myself than anyone else.

  also, i hope that there are tons of others out there who have, or have had similar feelings and experiences who can contribute insight to the discussion.. as a witness, my mind was relatively closed.

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  JamesThomas

  You already knew it.
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  37

  Evolution of Richie: Post JW

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have many hopes for this post.

  ideally, it will be an eloquent explanation of my actions, more for myself than anyone else.

  also, i hope that there are tons of others out there who have, or have had similar feelings and experiences who can contribute insight to the discussion.. as a witness, my mind was relatively closed.

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  JamesThomas

  As usual Richie, your post is eloquent.

  I can only suggest that you continue to watch the mind -- in an open and nonjudgmental way -- as it labels and categorizes people. Just as labels and stories that people construct about you, Richie, are not you, neither are your stories and labels about others what they genuinely are. If we sincerely desire to live a life of integrity and honesty, then we need to step beyond this way of falsely isolating and categorizing people and things.

  Not labeling and constructing mental stories about people allows us to simply be openly present with them and experience a deeper undefinable sense of what they truly are. Try it, you'll like it. This does not mean we necessarily enjoy the company of all people; certainly for some people it is healthier not to be around them...and most always these "toxic" people we can see are drowning in some outrageous story about themselves and others. Seeing this, rather than hate them, there is understanding and compassion...as you bid them sainara.

  Not labeling and telling stories about people and life, opens the way to experience the genuine richness of life. It's a simple fact that many people never come to know. This glorious moment of conscious existence is always open and waiting for us to know.

  j
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  27

  The Eden Story

  by choosing life in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the garden of eden, god supposedly didn't want adam and eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.

  he preferred they remain innocent and incapable of deciding for themselves what is right or wrong.. along comes satan who wants them to eat of this tree and says they will become like god, knowing good and bad for themselves.

  he says they will be like god.. as we all know, they chose to eat and find out what they were missing.

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  JamesThomas

  What if we look at the trees within the garden of Eden metaphorically; by bringing the story into our own life here and now? Is there a pertinent lesson here?

  It can be said that when we awaken to Reality, there is realised a boundless oneness and wholeness of life in-which our fragmented and broken sense of isolated "self" is seen as illusory. This awakening could be symbolised as eating from the Tree of Life. So then eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil could then symbolize the unquestioning acceptance of -- and so identification with -- the ever-changing duality. Most of us eat from the good and evil Tree every moment of every day. Blind to our true nature we live the chaotic rhythms of good and bad, up and down, sick and well, etc. We see "self" as a mere object being tumbled about within a hostile and unforgiving universe.

  Nature does manifest in rhythmic ways, but what is aware of the dual "good and evil" nature of things? Does IT change? What/who is the foundational Self, really?

  As far as the two angels and spinning sword back into Eden that we may eat from the Tree of Life, as far as my own journey I would say this implies that we must die of all we believe our-self and existence to be. Everything false must be let go, that what is True be lived and breathed.

  j
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  23

  "There's nothing else out there"

  by yaddayadda in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a friend of mine is returning to the meetings.

  his reason is "there's nothing else out there" (meaning out in the world).

  if i had a dollar for every time i've heard a jw say this.

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  JamesThomas

  My dad used to ask me: "Jimmy, what day was it you planted your head three feet up your ass which places where it is now?"

  I never could recalled exactly what day.

  j
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  23

  "There's nothing else out there"

  by yaddayadda in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a friend of mine is returning to the meetings.

  his reason is "there's nothing else out there" (meaning out in the world).

  if i had a dollar for every time i've heard a jw say this.

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  JamesThomas

  What's "out there" is an INFINITE expression of life and universe that does not give witness to a nonsensical tribal deity as its Source. An overwhelmingly threatening atmosphere for nonsensical deity worshippers, who probably have not a genuine clue as to why they race to plant there head back into the sand.

  

  j
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  7

  Religion Makes Good Men Evil?

  by zack in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i watched chris hitchens last night on a show with tim russert.

  while i disagree strongly with most of what hitchens says, he did say.

  one thing that struck me as profound.

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  JamesThomas

  My sense is that religion is not so much about "good" and "evil", as it is about simple self-preservation.

  In religion we are programmed to identify the health and longevity of "self" to be contingent upon appeasing or staying within the good graces of our chosen little deity. According to whatever god or religious dogma we prescribe to, this may require less than desirable acts be performed upon others.

  Not knowing who/what we truly are, we place our definition of a "self" in the hands of religion. Perhaps not the wisest of moves.

  j
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  47

  Ever been lied to by anyone on this forum?

  by snarf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you all know how it works...you post a few topics, comment a few times and pretty soon people get to know your name, then they p.m. you and you start talking, then suddenly you find out through their posts and comments that they were lying to you.

  has this happened to you?

  did it make ya mad?

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  JamesThomas

  Cog,

  So are you saying that is a common, normal occupation of heterosexual men to polish one another's nutsacks?

  OK, lets get this straight once and for all. I don't polish nut sacks; Gumby does. He be the polisher, I be the polishee.....that's if it had happened as promised...but it never did. It never did.

  Honest.

  I didn't even get a shave.

  There should be a law. There should be a broken-promise-to-polish-prison.

  j
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  47

  Ever been lied to by anyone on this forum?

  by snarf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you all know how it works...you post a few topics, comment a few times and pretty soon people get to know your name, then they p.m. you and you start talking, then suddenly you find out through their posts and comments that they were lying to you.

  has this happened to you?

  did it make ya mad?

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  JamesThomas

  Not to worry. I'm probably even less gay than LittleToe, cause I don't wear a skirt.

  A sack shine is a humorous, strange, but good natured term of endearment that good old Gumster started that even us pathetic womanizers can use as it has nothin to do with ones sexual orientation.......

  at least I never thought it did

  j
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  28

  Richie's Random Thoughts: Moral Ambiguity

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in high school, it was sad day when "beloved" by toni morrison hit my desk.

  the book was thick and worn, with a bright purple cover that was sure to smile up at me mockingly from my bag whenever i looked in it.. the teacher who dropped it on my desk was a wise woman.

  she was young, and had just finished her phd.

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  JamesThomas

  First, that was a hell of an eloquent post. It's as if there is a 180 year old wise man living in there with you.

  Richie:

  Where does gray become white or black?

  As has already been mentioned the potential for all and everything is here. However, the solidification into stark blacks and whites may appear when our opinions and beliefs become incorporated into our sense of identity. There is a sense of comfort and security for the egoic-self when it makes its stand on what it casts into rigid and concrete structures of "certainty". On the other hand, grays are murky, uncertain, unpredictable and since they do not offer the protection of our solid walled black and white little boxes they are -- frightening. IMO

  j
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  53

  The Origin of Fear

  by purplesofa in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  maybe you can see how the jw religion uses fear on its people.

  how it is effective.

  how it works.

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  JamesThomas

  Purps:

  Here is where I like what Tolle says about how this is usually attained right before death, and that the way to live is to be as you have already died(i think that is what it said)

  So as much life as we can live experiancing this before death the richer and deeper our lives will be, and truely eveyone that we come into contact benefits.

  Yes, when the body and brain are dying, there is no energy left to hold on to all that was believed and conceptualized to be true about "self" and "other" (all the rest of the universe seemingly separate from the physical body). The lies fade and dissolve. The pristine foundational reality, remains untouched. Ahhhh, here I am; the way, the life and the truth. The gloriously pristine peace and wholeness that a life time was used futilely trying to attain. We truly already are what we seek. Why wait until death. Die before you die, and live this expression of life in the deep richness and unity that really IS.

  This is easy to say, but a lot of stuff can arise that is being held tightly onto, and this can unfold as a great deal of fear. It's as if the false self does not want to die, and so self-preservation mechanisms can sometimes kick into high gear. Personally I have experienced -- at times -- terrorizing fear because of this. One way to lighten the load is to assure the mind, the ego, that it need not fear. The ego can come along to, it's just that once our authenticity is realised, the thoughts, beliefs, memories and emotions that make up the false-self of the ego are seen for what they are: a chimera. They lose their power. So, I generally do not choose to use terms like "death of the ego". It's more a way of gentle allowance rather than violence or some kind of force. As I recall Eckhart was one who was key in helping me see it this way.

  Good for you, Purps. It's fun to see you catch on to all this, and you have a sweet and, ummm, sensuous way about it....but then there is revealed a very fine and deep richness that was missed before; and the senses like it a lot.

  Got another cigarette?

  j