Posts by JamesThomas

19

I feel uncomforatable when my children ask about God....

by flip4diz in

i don't know what to say.. for some background: .

i have been out for 10 years.

it was the birth of my son, who just turned 11 ... that brought me out.

JamesThomas

Hi, Flip.

Tell them the truth. Tell them you don't know.

What we do know is, is that there is an infinite universe (and there may be countless universes). It's true Source and Sustenance must be at least as wondrously vast, and so unknowable by the restrictive limits of the mind.

To give credit for everything to some tribal deity, may not only be extremely foolish, but may diminish and dim our sense of reality by shifting conscious attention from the actuality of the present moment, to a fictitious story in our mind.

Prolly best not to know, than think and believe that you do.

j

22

Who is Jesus

by soulfinder in

hey everyone, i'm new here and i would really like to discuss your views on who jesus is.. please feel free to list any scripture, and i will do the same.. here are a few scriptures that may help:.

1. in the book of isaiah 7:14 jehovah prophesied that there would be a child born of a virgin, and that his name would be immanuel, which means god with us.. 14 therefore the lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him immanuel (which means god with us).. 2. in the book of john, jesus also encourages us to pray to him by saying "if you ask anything in my name, i will do it.".

john 14:14. if you askanything in my name, i will do it.. 3. here are a few instances of people worshipping jesus:.

JamesThomas

Welcome, Finder.

Please tell me, if I choose not to accept or worship your chosen deity, what do you believe my future holds?

j

16

Is there such thing as a true belief?

by The Dragon in

or does the belief turn into truth once proven and verified?

JamesThomas

Perhaps there is a problem of semantics in the phrase "true belief".

There are correct beliefs; for example: I believe that if I stand in the path of a speeding truck, that this body will sustain great injury and perhaps death. In the phenominal universe two things can not generally occupy the same space at the same time without problems.

When it comes to truth/reality, is a belief or thought about a tree, a true tree? Are beliefs about a friend, really your friend, or are they just mental interpritations and drama created in your mind?

When it comes to the actuality of Truth and Reality, there are no true beliefs. Truth is too immediate and vibrantly alive to be captured or circumscribed by a belief or a system of beliefs.

Ponder on what I am saying, and investigate into the dynamics of being, that you may clearly differentiate between a metalized interpretation, and REALity.

This is why there can be great harm in religion. We come to believe that our beliefs are true and real....which they are not. So, we live a lie, and suffer. The mind creates a story and characters which it then fools itself into believing is true, and then worships it's little drama. To worship a deity, is to worship your own imagination. Mental masturbation at it's acme.

IMO

j

11

The Birth of Christ

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

posting this under friends, as it is not about beliefs and religions.

the birth of christ.

there is that which is not a separate deity too small and limited to be present, but rather that which is presence itself.. there is that which is not a distant savior whose love is conditional and restricted to faith, but rather is the very presence of unconditional love itself.. there is that which is not a creatural spirit who offers peace for acts of faith, but rather that which is peace itself.. there is that which is not a god gleamed from a book believed by some to be alive and true, but rather than which is all-embracing life and truth itself.. there is that which is not a spiritual-being who some day may arrive, but rather that which is the living present-moment of beingness itself.. there is that which is not a separate lord who is holy and pristine, but rather that which is purity itself.

JamesThomas

As it is Christmas, I thought to place this in the active topics, yet again.

j

43

lost

by depressed in

just wondering if anyone else feels the same way.. i've been out of the organization for about 4 years, but i still love jehovah and jesus, and i want to serve them the right way.

does anyone here feel a great sense of religious confusion now that you are not attending meetings?.

at the moment, i feel miserable, since i'm going through a divorce.

JamesThomas

Welcome, agent7.

I hope you post an introduction, that all may welcome you.

j

24

God Is Love

by under_believer in

jw
friends

a meditation on love, using only scriptures.

from the nwt, for easy readability for any witness readers out there.

1 john 4:8 - he that does not love has not come to know god, because god is love.. .

JamesThomas

Abr, actually our feelings toward life, are no so different; and ultimately, there is no difference at all.

j

43

lost

by depressed in

just wondering if anyone else feels the same way.. i've been out of the organization for about 4 years, but i still love jehovah and jesus, and i want to serve them the right way.

does anyone here feel a great sense of religious confusion now that you are not attending meetings?.

at the moment, i feel miserable, since i'm going through a divorce.

JamesThomas

You are certainly not alone; and depression, under the circumstances, may be a healthy sign.

The problem with religion is it mistakenly reduces our major significance to an object or deity(s) separate and apart from the reality of our being in this present moment (the only reality there ever is). Such beliefs are inherently depressing, isolating and painful. Good news is, it's all a lie.

Though dedicated deity-worshippers seldom comprehend what I am saying, it may be time for you to stop accepting the religious notion that what you seek is so limited, conditional and tiny as to be absent from the truth of your own immediate existence. Stop giving credence to nameable images formed from the dust of someone else's imagination (the Bible), and look deeper into the truth and actuality of your own intimate sense of being and existing. Spend less time lost in the drama weaved by the mind, and give more silent attention the what it is to breath and be alive, right here, right now.

j

13

Has anyone read any Echart Tolle?

by new boy in

"the power of now".

"a new earth".

i must say both books blew me away.......................life changing!

JamesThomas

In my opinion, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, is one of the most enlightening books ever written. That said, there is no truth in it, and Eckhart is up front about that.

Purps, don't feel bad about having to read it again; I read it seven or eight times and still pick it up and read a bit now and then. It never gets stale.

j

24

God Is Love

by under_believer in

jw
friends

a meditation on love, using only scriptures.

from the nwt, for easy readability for any witness readers out there.

1 john 4:8 - he that does not love has not come to know god, because god is love.. .

JamesThomas

Dear Biblereader,

What I feel you are no getting here, is that just because people find the diminutive Bible interpretation of "God" to be inadequate and vile, does not mean they do not have a love for the Divine. In fact the very opposite may be true. I for one stopped reading the Bible because I could not accept it's limited little deity as the true Source of an infinite universe. I knew that our real Source and Sustenance, must be far greater still.

That you find solace in the Bible god, so be it. Just don't think all the rest of us are God-hating fools because we don't.

Peace to you, dear; and again I have no desire to offend you.

j

7

Not sure what to do.

by nonamegiven in

i talked to my mom yesterday.

she asked how i was doing.

i told her i'm having a hard time with the whole df'ing thing.

JamesThomas

Dear Given,

She cares for a dissabled husband and I'm sure what keeps her going is the thought of this great reward of life on earth in paradise and on and on. I don't know if I should take that from her.

There really is no problem here, is there. Looking at what you have written, it seems fairly clear that you do know what to do. Trust your heart and listen to your own wisdom. Often times the best action, is no action.

Be patient. Be kind. Don't attempt to take away your dear mothers hope of paradise until you have something better to offer her. Let her be, and focus on your own education and enlightenment.

j