JamesThomas

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Posts by JamesThomas

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  70

  Wife fully awake.

  by cappytan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i learned this past week that my wife is now awake.

  i just shared the pbs newshour segment with her with no comment other than something along the lines of, "jw story on pbs.".

  she is furious at the arrogance of these men.. thats what happens when you get a momma angry!.

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  JamesThomas

  We are trying to figure out where to go from here.

  Cappy, this is indeed good news. Anything further I say here is not meant to pee on your parade. Just perhaps a little premature. That said, it may be helpful to give you some sense of direction on “where to go from here”.

  If one leaves the JW religion but still embraces the unquestioned belief that a ruthless tribal deity is responsible for everything including your future, then IMHO any 'change' is only superficial and you are still in for a lot of trouble.

  I suggest you both exchange time spent with Bible reading and religious texts, with long hikes and walks in the woods, along with a gentle practice of being silently present in and with the moment.

  Congratulations!
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  19

  Trying to find Faith

  by Lostfromthefaith in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hi im a 14 year old former catholic trying to find a religion and or faith my parents will drop me off at a service they support me no matter what i was wondering if anyone can prove to me their is a god cause right now im confused!

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  JamesThomas

  Dear Lost,

  What brought a 14 year old Catholic to here, I wonder.

  I suggest you forget about religions and having faith. Instead learn to simply be silently present with the REALITY of nature and life in and around you, and discover what it has to teach you.
  

  Then, when you are older -- no religion will fool you.
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  24

  The desert god is a real A hole in this weeks bible reading

  by _Morpheus in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so this week dubbies read that the mean bad philistines were punished by the desert god for having his ark.

  the desert god punished them with (drum roll please)....... hemroids and rats.

  yep.

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  JamesThomas

  And still today billions of people unquestionably believe that this painfully brutal and infantile deity is responsible for all life and universe.

  Gives me hemorrhoids just thinking about it.
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  46

  Groanfest. Share your daftest jokes .

  by jhine in

  1. social
  2. humour

  lots of serious stuff being discussed on site .

  i thought!it would be nice to make each other groan/ smile for a change .please share your corniest ,punniest , or daftest joke .. i will start with this shocker , borrowed from tim vine .. vandalism in a multi story carpark ....... ...................................,............................ wrong on sooo many levels !.

  come on now share yours.

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  JamesThomas

  Two cows are standing at a pasture fence looking out over the neighboring meadow.

  After some time passes, one cow says to the other: “I hear that Mad Cow disease is going around again”. To which the other replies: “What do I care – I'm a helicopter”.
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  21

  Effect of reading here.

  by New day in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  saomebody mentioned in a recent thread here i think that the more they read here the more they feel angry at the wt.

  personally, as an ex-elder (only resigned a few months ago) i feel that it is more like suddenly being on the outside looking in at a whole group of people playing parts.

  the zealous pioneers answering all the time.

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  JamesThomas

  New day, your post is a good observation; and I feel that Oubliette is correct by taking it further.

  The mind is continually weaving an identity out of beliefs, concepts, fears, desires, and memories of phenomenal happenings. That's why it is very hard for most people to leave a belief-system – such as the Jehovah's Witnesses – because it has been woven into our identity, and to leave it, is in a way, to die.

  Seeing this, the question then becomes: what mental generated fabric is making up my “identity” right now? Am I nothing but concepts, beliefs and ideas? Who/what am I, really? What observes the mind???

  
  
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  34

  Pick your belief system

  by Giordano in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i think we've all noticed a ton of newbe's these past months.

  one part of escaping or thinking about escaping the jw's is coming to terms with what you believe now and/or what direction you are leaning towards.. here is a site that has a quick quiz that may be of some worth or just for fun.

  i took it when i first signed on here and the results surprised me because it was pretty accurate.. you don't have to sign up for anything and when you finish you will get a percentage answer on 20 major belief systems.

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  JamesThomas

  Viviane, thanks for posting the chart. Too cool.
  
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  26

  Rational Buddhism?

  by cappytan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does a type of buddhism exist that doesn't include the metaphysical aspects of traditional buddhism?

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  JamesThomas

  I'm not hoping to find anything. Someone recommended meditation to me, and said that Buddhists were non-theists. I looked into it and liked everything I saw about Buddhism, except for the supernatural rebirth stuff.

  I can appreciate that.

  You may like reading some Eckhart Tolle. Along these lines there is kind of a 'mindfulness meditation', which can be done all during the day.

  You basically just practice on being more aware of what is going on within the present moment. No beliefs, no scripts, are involved.

  You come to be more aware of physical feelings, like the multifaceted experience of breathing, etc. Also can come a clearer seeing of how thoughts, beliefs, and emotions are just passing cloud-like things, and in no way define your authenticity. In this way one can come to a deeper awareness of ones true and deeper being, by clearly seeing what we are not.

  It's not a forced thing, but rather a way of kindness and patience.

  Many people have found it to be life-changing.

  Good luck.
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  57

  How many of you still believe in God or are still Christians?

  by JWCartPusher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hello, i asked a new but old friend how many people are still christians after leaving the watchtower's mind control agency, for statistical purposes do you mind if i do a survey and see how many of you are believers?.

  please don't post if your not a believer out of respect for this poll, we need to sharpen each other's sword and help build each other up and meet new friends over the internet with faith in god or some other force of the universe.

  i asked another person how we can still manage our faith after getting burned by the high group mind control, he had a few ideas but he's not really involved with god because of how life burned him.

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  JamesThomas

  I'm not sure as to where I fit in, if at all in your post.

  I have relinquished all beliefs in any circumscribable “God” or deity; especially the brutal tribal deity I was raised to believe in. The amazing beauty of life and universe does not give witness to such menial characters in regards to its infinite wonder and presence.

  So, I guess, any beliefs in a personal “God”, have been replaced by a growing appreciation and admiration for what I do not know, but can somehow sense as always more than anything I can imagine.
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  37

  My wife is frightened about the end/ What to say without sounding Apostate?

  by suavojr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife called me at work saying she is scared after reading today's daily text.

  i don't read it anymore, therefore i went online and found this.. tuesday, march 3 .

  those days will be cut short.matt.

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  JamesThomas

  As long as we foolishly and unquestionably believe that the infinitely wondrous expression of life and universe is due to a savage and brutal, tribal deity, there is going to be trouble. Deservedly so.

  Go to the root of the problem, or prepare for a continual stream of shit hitting the fan.
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  26

  Rational Buddhism?

  by cappytan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does a type of buddhism exist that doesn't include the metaphysical aspects of traditional buddhism?

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  JamesThomas

  Cappy, what are you hoping to find under the rock of Buddhism?