by justsomedude 32 Replies latest jw friends
How many of you, when you were an active and zealous JW (assuming you were), were motivated by the paradise idea? I was basically born in, so I wasn't drawn to the religion, it just was.
The whole idea of the paradise never really exicted me though. I followed the religion and did what I did because I just believed it was the right thing to do and not so I could obtain the carrot on the end of the string.
How many of you felt the same way?
The New World was that thing somewhere off in the distance...we'd know about it when we got there. Even with 1975 I never really got that excited. Like you I was a Witness because it was the right thing to do. Had the inside track, liked it and could not imagine doing/being anything else.
The whole idea of the paradise never really exicted me though. I followed the religion and did what I did because I just believed it was the right thing to do and not so I could obtain the carrot on the end of the string.
It was my case too, although it took me some time before I realised and admitted that.
I often daydreamed of the paradise, it was very real to me. I wasn't serving Jehovah for that reward, but I was definitely looking forward to it. Build a house, have occupancy, plant vineyard, eat grapes. Pet a lion. Sounded dandy to me.
Dave
I was really drawn to the idea. I fell right into the trap of finally learning "the truth" about Gods purpose for the earth. I can honestly say that it was one of the harder doctrines I have debated in my mind when I first started to question the organization.
One thing has helped me the most in overcoming this. When I simply think about life, the boundries of space and time, and the many possibilites of what can or can not be the future of mankind I am humbled by how little not only I know but how little humans in general know. I live my life by the principles I have chosen to live by, and worship my creator the way I feel he has told me to through his word. I don't think that ANYBODY has enough information about Gods purposes to put forth such a dogmatic additude as to what the future of all life and existance will be. The bible just dosn't talk about such things in detail. Can anybody find one chapter describing what everlasting life will be like? Just my opinion.
It's weird, but i wasn't really drawn to the idea, I remember thinking that every picture of the paradise earth had woman and girls wearing skirts or dresses, and just thinking "man i don't want to wear dresses all the time" and thinking how boring it would be with out Tv and all lifes dramas
To be honest, this was another one of their theories that I never could get a handle on.
There were just too many inconsistencies - was there room for all the people? Who would do the really dirty jobs? Lions can really eat grass like a cow?...What happens when the sun burns out? Would fat chicks come back still fat? If not, would they be like the Stepford Wives? (I know - who cares - we are talking eternity without sex) Even if you had a perfect body which did not get sick, what would keep you from eventually having an fatal accident? (maybe die but instantly get resurrected?) What the hell was the point of just keeping all the good folks around forever in sort of a terrestrial zoo? What would be the point of doing science, medicine, art, etc. if we are so dumbed down that we just farm the fields? Eternal life without MEAT? The BOREDOM?
As Long John Silver said in Treasure Island - "HARRGH - Its them that dies will be the LUCKY ONES"
There were just too many inconsistencies - was there room for all the people? Who would do the really dirty jobs? Lions can really eat grass like a cow?...What happens when the sun burns out? Would fat chicks come back still fat? If not, would they be like the Stepford Wives? (I know - who cares - we are talking eternity without sex) Even if you had a perfect body which did not get sick, what would keep you from eventually having an fatal accident? (maybe die but instantly get resurrected?) What the hell was the point of just keeping all the good folks around forever in sort of a terrestrial zoo? What would be the point of doing science, medicine, art, etc. if we are so dumbed down that we just farm the fields? Eternal life without MEAT? The BOREDOM?
Thats funny. I think I too spent more time thinking about the downsides and problems associated with the whole thing that the potential upsides. Like when they say that there could be 2 acres of land per person, etc, etc. I was always thinking about what kind of brotherly love would be displayed when everyone was fighting for the beach property.
I liked the whole idea of a paradise. I too thought that it was the right thing to do. After seperating myself for a few years and got married and had a family, I began to be motivated by the fear of the big "A" and trying to save my own as well as my families skin.
Honestly, I always liked the idea. I didn't like the idea of heaven, and the thought of being able to keep living with no health problems in a cleaned up earth was great to me. I can't say how much I ever truly believed it would happen, but I did like paradise idea very much. I still wish it could be true, to some extent.
