They upset me and depressed me :~(

by Spectrum 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  JamesThomas

  NowImFree:

  You shouldn't be angered by someone because they choose to believe in Jesus and I won't be angered by you because you don't.

  The difference being my not believing in Jesus does not reduce you to worthless meat and fodder for eternal torment as yours does me. The difference being my not believing in Jesus in no way divides the world in to those deserving of life and those not, and thus offer up more reasons for mans inhumanity to man. If you perceive anger in my words it is not directed at you, but rather at beliefs which disunite us and so add much unnecessary fear and suffering to the world.

  If you don't believe in God's promises of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus, what hope is there? What hope do you have for the future? Do you feel alright with just believing this is all there is and when you die, that will be the end of it and you will never see any of those that you love? I am just truly curious because without my faith and hope in the future and believing God's promises, I would be extremely depressed. I don't think I could handle life if I believed this was it because I have had a hard life in a lot of ways and it would have been unbearable if not for my hope in the future. I have children so to think that someday when I die, I would never see them again and they would never see me, and that this short life as all there is, I wouldn't even care to go on. I am being totally honest so hopefully you will be totally honest. How do you face the prospect of death for either you or the people you love? I know these are hard questions but I am curious and really wondering. I have always wondered how atheists handle death because I couldn't handle it wasn't for my faith. And if you are not an atheist, what do you think happens to people at death?

  You're not "handling life" now. Instead of meeting with and being with the only reality there ever is: this very moment, you have placed your focus and significance out into some mind generated imaginary "future". Instead of living life you are lost in endless abstract questions, fears and what ifs. People who are concerned with death, are generally not much alive now.

  What if you surrendered all your questions dear NowImFree? and filled the remaining empty space with your kind and loving attention and presence with what the universe is presenting to you right now. Perhaps there is life and sweetness here that you have missed. Perhaps the reality and actuality of existence and being extends infinitely beyond the prison of your mind that you now seem to dwell in.

  If you believe your beloved God to be the way, the truth, and the life -- then why not silently meet with life and the truth of this moment, and see what divine essence can be found here.

  Be still, and know...

  j
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  JamesThomas

  Shootist, I have enjoyed your comments in this thread. You seem like someone I would greatly enjoy sitting down with over a few beers.

  j
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  NowImFree

  Well J,

  I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Your beliefs would never satisfy me and my beliefs would not satisfy you. Do you think I am happy with the thought that based on what the bible says and what God promises, many will be saved but also many won't? God himself says he wishes that none would perish. No, I would wish that all would be saved. But I am not God and it's not my place to judge. I just believe that what he says will come to pass. That is why we are all individuals, we can either believe or not believe. And no, I am not a prisoner of my thinking any more than you are. You have researched and have come to your own conclusions about God and the bible and I have come to mine. Christianity is not a cult, the JW organization is a cult. I have been in both and believe me, there is no comparison. I am free to read whatever I want and talk to whoever I want and research whatever I want and be friends with whoever I want. I am free to follow my God given conscience instead of having to listen to the authoritarian demands of a bunch of old men in Brooklyn. I am free and don't feel the heavy heavy burden I felt as a JW, the burden of always slaving for a manmade organization and never feeling like I was good enough. That was a prison. Now I do things because I want to, not because I have to. I have gotten involved in missions for the homeless and teaching migrant workers to speak English so they can get better jobs. To me, serving others is the most rewarding thing, just like Jesus said. He told us to feed the hungry and help the poor and the suffering. To me, this is freedom and the most wonderful thing I have ever been involved in, because I have realized the truth in the saying it is better to give than to receive. This sums up Jesus and his exampe of how he wants us to be. To reach out and serve people in need and to be able to show them caring and love is the most freeing thing I have ever experienced. I was suffering depression all the time as a JW, but now that I am out of that, I have not been depressed since that time and it has been almost 4 years.

  Take care and bless you,

  NowImFree
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  JamesThomas

  I have gotten involved in missions for the homeless and teaching migrant workers to speak English so they can get better jobs. To me, serving others is the most rewarding thing, just like Jesus said. He told us to feed the hungry and help the poor and the suffering. To me, this is freedom and the most wonderful thing I have ever been involved in, because I have realized the truth in the saying it is better to give than to receive. This sums up Jesus and his exampe of how he wants us to be. To reach out and serve people in need and to be able to show them caring and love is the most freeing thing I have ever experienced. I was suffering depression all the time as a JW, but now that I am out of that, I have not been depressed since that time and it has been almost 4 years.

  Dear NowImFree,

  There is within you a beautiful and shore-less kindness and warmth, and it's not surprising you find joy in helping and giving to others. Tell me NowImFree, do you teach only the migrant workers who will in some way admire or praise you for your help and assistance? Or do you help everyone without a care or thought of how they think about you? Unconditional kindness and love like this is beautiful to behold. Certainly, the true God's loving kindness should be infinitely greater than than that of a mere man, and never less....should it not?

  Though you are indeed free not to see it, all I am saying is your own love speaks of a limitless love far greater than the "divine love" presented within the pages of the Bible which is willing and ready to kill or eternally punish us for lack of admiration.

  j
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  NowImFree

  J,

  Your question about my motives for helping people who want to learn English and I also do homeless outreach, I have a answer for you. I would help them regardless of who they are. I love these people. It is very humbling to me to meet a homeless man with no legs living in his wheelchair on the city street and find him to be content and not at all feeling sorry for himself. It makes me realize that when I am feeling sorry for myself, I need to remember that I have no reason to feel sorry for myself. They help me also. Thanks for asking your question.

  NowImFree