JamesThomas

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Posts by JamesThomas

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  21

  If Adam and Eve were perfect, why did their immortality have to be sustained by the Tree of Life?

  by I_love_Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it was access to this tree that kept adam and eve in a "perfect" state.

  that is why they were kicked out of the garden.

  actually, they may not have found the fruit at the time of their expulsion.

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  JamesThomas

  Trying to equate logic or reason with the Bible is a fools errand, don't you think?
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  23

  Help! I'm drowning!

  by vinman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my wife and sons don't know how far i have gone in withdrawing from the organization in my heart.

  i've been faking family worship.

  i got angry and almost showed it while watching the march tv.org.

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  JamesThomas

  With eyes that can not see and ears which can not hear -- we follow the minds foolish images, concepts and beliefs of anthropomorphic deities that are as convoluted as the confused little minds which creates them; all-the-while ignoring the majesty and reality of life in and around us.

  Sometimes we deserve to drown.

  The life preserver is always here, but lost in the mind, few have the silent wisdom to embrace it
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  50

  If The Witnesses Try To Get You Back To Jehovah...How Will You Respond!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am most curious.

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  JamesThomas

  Anyone, anyone, who has even the faintest glimpse of the beautiful intricacy and wonder of life and universe – and believes that all this came about via some ancient and brutal tribal deity (Jehovah) – is more foolish and irrational than any words can describe and they do nothing but insult and belittle the Divine (IMHO).

  If you fit into this description, I suggest you wake up from your coma by abandoning your insane mind-generated religious beliefs, and become intimate with the silent presence of life in and around you....and come visit me so I can slap you upside the head.

  
  

  That is how I would respond.
  
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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.