Blueblades

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Posts by Blueblades

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  20

  Freedom from choice?

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just a few reflections as i announced on blueblades' thread about 'the commands to love and free will'.. what is freedom?.

  i think it is practically impossible to give an absolute (= timeless, or contextless) answer to such a question.

  there is both continuity and difference in the use (hence meaning) of notions like "freedom" (or "liberty") from one language, culture, civilisation, period of history, to another.... we can, to an extent, provide contextually defined answers -- and those will be mostly negative: to the ancient world "freedom" would have been construed as the opposite of slavery, or captivity, or foreign rule (for instance).

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  Blueblades

  We are all captive to any number of things. Death is the great equalizer. With death, there is no freedom, no choice. While living, it depends where on this earth we are born, that plays a role in our not having freedom from choice.

  I believe that we begin that captivity from the moment of birth and are thrust into this world. We are a thinking product of what we have learned from years of experiences. We are taught, we are read, we see and feel life all around us. Who has knowledge of this or that, what is right or wrong, who do we follow, who do we read, who can explain all these things in it's simpliest terms?

  Ultimately we make a choice, even when we let others make that choice for us. There is only one freedom from choice, and that is , we cannot choose not to die. Other than that, there is no freedom from choice. Choice is forced upon us, even when we give it to others.

  Blueblades
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  10

  Tell Us, now that we are coming to a close.

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  tell us, in a nutshell, now that we are coming to a close, has this jwd discussion forum helped you to come to a conclusion or does the uncertainty still exist' on the following issues:.

  god: does he exist or not, or you still don't know?.

  jesus: was he a real historical person or not?

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  Blueblades

  Hi sKally and CoCo! I did not mean it the way it sounded. Maybe I should of not included the words "coming to a close"

  I just wanted to know how JWD has helped us in the areas posted over the years. I thought that many would of wanted to share and tell us how they have gotten closure on some of these topics.

  I too have spent many hours over six years here and have shared much here. My intention is honorable, and I am not grieving and am not asking about closure of this site. I am asking about closure of the five main topics that have been discussed here over the years.

  I am sorry if I offended you or anyone else.

  Blueblades
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  10

  Tell Us, now that we are coming to a close.

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  tell us, in a nutshell, now that we are coming to a close, has this jwd discussion forum helped you to come to a conclusion or does the uncertainty still exist' on the following issues:.

  god: does he exist or not, or you still don't know?.

  jesus: was he a real historical person or not?

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  Blueblades

  Tell us, in a nutshell, now that we are coming to a close, has this JWD discussion forum helped you to come to a conclusion or does the uncertainty still exist' on the following issues:

  God: Does he exist or not, or you still don't know?

  Jesus: Was he a real historical person or not? Was or is he God or man or neither?

  The Bible: Inspired of God or a history of men written by men?

  Creation or Evolution, or a little of both?

  Life after death or nothingness?

  Much has been written over the years by many believers and non - believers on these, what I consider to be just five main topics.

  Have you received any closure on these topics from the many who have posted their thoughts and given their own very personal reasons for such answers?

  For me, I'm Agnostic when it comes to the question of God.

  When it comes to the question of Jesus, there could of been a man like him in history, I still don't know.

  The Bible to me is a historical document written by men.

  Creation or evolution? I believe there was a first cause, but, I don't know what or who it or that was.

  Life after death or nothingness? I'm still open and for selfish reasons want life to continue.

  Those are my thoughts, in a nutshell, from reading and contributing on this JWD discussion forum for 8 years.

  One thing I do know for a certainty, is that, The Watchtower Society is a man-made organization and has nothing to do with a spirit-directed organization. It took me 33 years to realize that.

  Now, I'm not Minimus, but, just make believe that Minimus asked these questions and not Blueblades and I expect a lot of responses, before we come to a close.

  Blueblades
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  13

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 08-10-08 WT Study (FLEE)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  woops.

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  Blueblades

  They remind me of the war days when the Chinese used water torture on the heads of their victims, pow's, while they were strapped down.

  They, the watchtower's so-called spiritual water, they keep on dripping unto the heads of their captives while they are strapped into their chairs at the kingdom Hall.

  One drip at a time, slowly. this must be torturous to some of them. They must flee from what the society itself does not flee from. They must flee into the Kingdom Halls.

  They can't have a life of their own.

  Blueblades
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  11

  The Two Greatest Commandments and Free Will???

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when those who wrote the scriptures command the readers and or believers to obey by command the two greatest commandments.

  you must love god, you must love your neighbor, etc.

  are the writers of scripture understanding what the true meaning of free will is?.

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  Blueblades

  Hi Jefft! The two greatest commandments, love God and your neighbor are based on Agape and should be a deliberate choice not forced.

  If I choose not to love God or my neighbor, is that wrong, unethical.

  Blueblades
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  11

  The Two Greatest Commandments and Free Will???

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when those who wrote the scriptures command the readers and or believers to obey by command the two greatest commandments.

  you must love god, you must love your neighbor, etc.

  are the writers of scripture understanding what the true meaning of free will is?.

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  Blueblades

  Hi Sammielee'swife. I agree with some of what you say, however free will goes beyond being subjective.You make the point that it, the use of free will, depends upon your station in life and that is why it is subjective. While that is partially true, it is not completely true.There are those who regardless of their station in life are not forced to use their free will subjectively.

  People can use free will to gain something out of this life or use it to give something to another's life. All in all anytime one uses free will there is always an attachment to it.

  Blueblades
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  11

  The Two Greatest Commandments and Free Will???

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when those who wrote the scriptures command the readers and or believers to obey by command the two greatest commandments.

  you must love god, you must love your neighbor, etc.

  are the writers of scripture understanding what the true meaning of free will is?.

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  Blueblades

  Hi Narkissos! My point is that the command to do something against your will because of fear of punishment and or death does take away your free will in that it removes the real free will action you would otherwise decide. Yes, it is true that you still are using your free will to obey or disobey, however, is it truly free will when it is tested by a command that threatens you into action that you otherwise would not consider, hence, imposing on your true free will not to obey a command without receiving a punishment of some kind.

  As for love, I believe that it cannot be commanded. One chooses to love because one has reason to love without a command to do so and enforcing that command if you do otherwise.

  My questions are in a religious context because as I noted in my original post, the writers of scripture are telling us that God/ Jesus are commanding love from us and if we don't love them we suffer punishment and or death. It is in this context that I believe our free will is not free but forced to do otherwise.

  When someone says that they love God /Jesus, is it because of the reward to come or the fear of punishment to follow if they don't love God, Jesus,and their neighbor.

  In the end I believe that neither God nor Jesus command this kind of love. I believe that man wrote this in scripture putting words into the mouth of God and Jesus.

  Blueblades
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  11

  The Two Greatest Commandments and Free Will???

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when those who wrote the scriptures command the readers and or believers to obey by command the two greatest commandments.

  you must love god, you must love your neighbor, etc.

  are the writers of scripture understanding what the true meaning of free will is?.

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  Blueblades

  When those who wrote the scriptures command the readers and or believers to obey by command the two greatest commandments. You must love God, you must love your neighbor, etc. Are the writers of scripture understanding what the true meaning of free will is?

  Are they negating free will by force of command and pain of punishment if you refuse to obey these commands?

  How can one express her/his free will and disobey any command without pain of punishment.

  Can the command to love someone be forced, thereby negating ones free will by using pain and suffering to gain that love if one does not obey.

  If you follow the command and give up your free will not to follow it, is it really true love or fear of the penalty to come because you did not obey the command.

  I feel strongly that no one can command the love of someone else. That love has to come freely and from the heart.

  So, God, Jesus, the writers of scripture nor anyone else can force us to obey any commandment without inteferring with free will.

  What are your feelings and thoughts about this?

  Blueblades
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  12

  Do you remember Febuary 25 1990?

  by IreallydidwalkoutofaKH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i remember it as the "great disapointment.......it was a date broadcasted during the "service and school" and was to be a moment families should be together when the "instructions were provided"!...........

  realize everyone........ reading.....this was 1 year and 56 days after the january 1st 1989 wt was in circulation.

  this had to be the "begining of doom!

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  Blueblades

  That was when the society began the double dipping. We paid for the literature with our donations and when the public gave us a donation we had to turn it over to the society. They got paid twice for the literature, once from us, then, from the public donations.

  Blueblades
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  18

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 08-03-08 WT Study (PROGRESS)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  comments you will not hear at the 08-03-08 wt study (may 15, 2008, pages 21-25 (spiritual progress).

  review comments will be in red.

  wt material from today's wt will be in black.

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  Blueblades

  Hi Blondie! Your labor of love shows here. You have helped many to see and understand the watchtower study for what it is. As long as you enjoy doing this and it does not add to your health concerns, I and many others will continue to benefit from your sacrifice in time and effort.

  Don't let the negative talk of a few take away your labor of love for us. Besides "Comments" you have given us an abundance of other materials by your other topics and post's that you have responded to.

  As a former watchtower study conductor, I know the work and effort that goes into preparing for these study articles. You are to be commended.

  Blueblades