"So am I getting this right that most of you just want to do whatever YOU want to do and make up your personal rules as you go along? And if so, at what point do you tell another person what to do?......Say, your neighbor likes having sex with animals....do you intervene? What if your neighbor loved veal and kept baby calves in his basement? The blood-curdling cries at night sending shivers up your spine. What if you found out your neighbor and his "son" were members of NAMBLA? Would you report them?"
what someone does in the privacy of their own home is none of my business... nor are their beliefs. everyone must render their own account to the higher powers at the end of their days. judge not lest ye be judged. i believe in being a good person, that's all.
Curious about what ExJW's Preach and Teach
by BEROEAN 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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TheKings
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daystar
I've noticed many of you that have your own ministry. I'm curious as to what doctrines you teach. Is it "Jesus is Love." and that's it or does it go deeper? If you could, please post your basic beliefs concerning these topics:
I don't teach. But I profess "Do what thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, Love under Will".
1. What happens to a person when they die?
Eventually, the body returns to the ground. What happens to that person's identity? *shrug* There are only guesses, no matter how strongly a person professes otherwise.
2. Who is God and what is his name?
No one knows, everyone knows. There is no god but man.
3. Why is there suffering in the world?
Solve et coagula. What cares the volcano that destroys the village?
4. How did we get here?
Many people have many different theories. Why waste life in angst over such a question that has as many possible answers as there are people on the face of the earth?
5. According to the Bible, is it okay to participate in wars and politics?
Apparently so.
6. Is the Devil real? If so, where did he come from?
As real as any god is. From within us, the same as the rest.
7. According to your religion, is it okay to smoke marijuana?
I am not a member of any religion.
8. According to your religion, is it okay to have pre-marital sex?
See my answer to # 7 above.
9. According to your religion, how do God feel about homosexuals?
See my answers to #s 2, 6, 7 above.
10. Does God talk to you personally?
See my answer to # 2.
These are my more or less serious answers. And that's the truth, or they're all lies, take your pick.
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PrimateDave
1. What happens to a person when they die? Like all lifeforms on earth, we cease to exist. Anything beyond this is pure speculation.
2. Who is God and what is his name? Is there a God or gods? If there is, why believe that the Judeo-Christian tradition is any more worthy than the Hindu or Buddhist? What's in a name? Indeed, why is the God of the J-C religion male? Why are all the angels in the J-C tradition male? Whatever happened to Yahweh's wife Asherah? Do men make God in their own image?
3. Why is there suffering in the world? Because living life is a violent process. Because humans are primates, intelligent animals with a complex culture. Because Empire culture has been spreading for some 5000 years. Because religions like Christianity promise a better life later for submission and obedience to authority now, thereby promoting systems of domination on the planet.
4. How did we get here? We evolved. We continue to evolve. This is how the universe works. This is how life works.
5. According to the Bible, is it okay to participate in wars and politics? Depends on which part you read.
6. Is the Devil real? If so, where did he come from? No. It's the carrot and the stick. He's part of the stick.
7. According to your religion, is it okay to smoke marijuana? If I could, I probably would. Heck, I'd like to try some of those brownies I've heard tell of. The problem as I see it is that the U.S. Federal Government thinks it owns my body.
8. According to your religion, is it okay to have pre-marital sex? If two consenting adults...
9. According to your religion, how do God feel about homosexuals? Shoot. God himself must be Gay. I mean all those male angel hunks up there around Him all the time. I mean, WTF, some of those guys hadn't seen a pretty woman in I don't know how long, if ever. And then God got pissed when they decided to go on vacation on Earth to check out the pretty babes! LOL!
10. Does God talk to you personally? I'm not schizophrenic or anything. But maybe if I got some good weed.
Dave
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BEROEAN
Amber,
No ulterior motive. I'm not some "secret op JW" trying to convert the masses. You're all adults and make your own choices. My curiosity is trying to find if there's a reverting back to a former religion, adopting bits and pieces of several religions, or (like some) becoming an athiest. As one that left a church of christendom, i've retained my skepticism. Perhaps, that's why I don't fit into the mold of 70's / 80's JWs. And i'm not alone. Most of us that never had previous ties to JWs are more balanced and "open minded" than 2nd and 3rd generation witnesses. Many of us have already left a religion and aren't afraid to leave "the truth" if we deem it necessary. There's no shunning from family members because we're the 1st generation to come into the truth. Again, my monicker should say it all. I must say, I do like the cut of your gib though!
I must say, many of you have paved the way for this "new and improved" organization. I liken you to the first hour slaves and, yes, I know how rough it was. Even today, some "old timers" will comment with this sort of resentment that "they had to endure 8 day assemblies sitting on wooden benches for 12 hours." while assemblies today are 6 hours in air conditioned arenas. Of course, imagine what Joshua and Caleb complained about to the generation allowed into the promised land.
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nvrgnbk
God is absent today. I believe He was yesterday as well. Oh, and the day before, and the day before, ad infinitum.
If one can shed dogma, focusing on what surrounds us, one can become aware of a connection to something amazing and wondrous.
Why limit oneself to an apocalyptic cult's very narrow interpretation of reality?
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reneeisorym
I was a 5th generation JW. I still have faith and God and in the Bible. I found that Baptists were the closest to what seemed to be the religion the Bible was talking about to me. But I don't think that only Baptists are right like I did think about JWs when I was a JW. Baptists don't freak out about the details but decide that God will reveal things when its time. They hold strict to the identity of God and salvation by faith alone. I have learned that was was important to a JW is not important to me now. And what wasn't important to me as a JW is important to me now. Jesus is central to my life now but as a JW I hardly knew Him... So there's one person to add to your statistics.
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TopHat
If I were to return to any religion after leaving the JWs,,,It would be The Baptist.....BUT, I have no plans to return. I am happy reading the Bible and learning what I can understand on my own with the help of God's Holy Spirit.
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Amber Rose
Borean, what is your purpose for bieng here? You stated that you are a free-thinking JW. That means that you have more than one foot out the Kingdom Hall door. Conventions warn against "the snare of independent thinking", and KMs warn against the dangers of the internet, especially chat-rooms. I've heard of examples of "faithful brothers" who "studdied themselves right out of the truth". If you want to remain a JW you should leave this forum and forget you were ever here and keep your eyes glued to your sanitized-for-your-consumption Watchtowers and Awakes. I at one time thought I was ok to have my own ideas. I found out that's only true to a very limited degree. I left the WTBS to gain a broader perspective of christianity. There is no one answer. The bible is not literal. It was written to explain spiritual, non-tangable ideas to physical beings. Like explaining color to a person born blind. We cannot fully grasp many of the concepts discussed in the bible. I come here to discuss my family situation (made difficult by leaving the orginazation) with others is similiar circumstances and see how they deal with it. Why are you here? In another one of your posts you stated the same excuse used by every JW "they are imperfect men". Aren't all churches made of imperfect men? What makes JWs any better or any different?
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ex-nj-jw
I've noticed many of you that have your own ministry. I'm curious as to what doctrines you teach. Is it "Jesus is Love." and that's it or does it go deeper? If you could, please post your basic beliefs concerning these topics:
I don't think anyone here has their own ministry. To the contray, many do not believe in religion or god, that is after the negative experience of being a JW.
1. What happens to a person when they die?
Don't know, but when I find out, I'll be sure to let you know. I suspect we just rot!
2. Who is God and what is his name?
Why does he have to have a name, if he/she is actually a being?
3. Why is there suffering in the world?
Why does everything need to be defined, some things just are!
4. How did we get here?
I suspect evolution, but does it really matter?? We are here make the best of it.
5. According to the Bible, is it okay to participate in wars and politics?
I don't read the bible, if you want to participate in war and politics go for it.
6. Is the Devil real? If so, where did he come from?
As someone else said, as real as any other cartoon character.
7. According to your religion, is it okay to smoke marijuana?
Don't have a religion, it's against the law so therefore it's not ok.
8. According to your religion, is it okay to have pre-marital sex?
Pre-marital sex is a personal choice, I would not buy a car unless I test drove it first.
9. According to your religion, how do God feel about homosexuals?
Again, I don't have a religion. It doesn't matter to me, why should I worry about someone else's business. Not my concern.
10. Does God talk to you personally?
Nope, never has never will I suspect. If he does I hope he apologizes for subjecting me to the cult called Jehovah's witnesses,
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dedpoet
I've noticed many of you that have your own ministry. I'm curious as to what doctrines you teach
No ministry or doctrines here. I left that bs behind when I woke up and
left the watchtower.No beliefs in any religion either, I'm an atheist.