I am a member of the Church of Parakeet. I am the sole member. I don't preach and teach, but I will answer your questions.
1. What happens to a person when they die?
They become dead.
2. Who is God and what is his name?
God is who he is, and his name is God. (This is not a doctrine of the Church of Paraket)
3. Why is there suffering in the world?
So we can recognize joy and happiness when they happen.
4. How did we get here?
Dunno; wasn't around when it happened.
5. According to the Bible, is it okay to participate in wars and politics?
The Church of Parakeet does not recognize the Bible as the sole authoritative source for answers to questions.
6. Is the Devil real? If so, where did he come from?
The Devil is as real as human imagination can make him (read Dante's Inferno for a good example of this).
7. According to your religion, is it okay to smoke marijuana?
The Church of Parakeet has no doctrines -- it leaves the matter up to the conscience of its sole member.
8. According to your religion, is it okay to have pre-marital sex?
Refer to the answer to question 7.
9. According to your religion, how do God feel about homosexuals?
The God of the Bible do feel homosexuality is wrong, but I does not.
10. Does God talk to you personally?
No, but Hubert the invisible dog does. I'm taking medication for it.
Curious about what ExJW's Preach and Teach
by BEROEAN 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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parakeet
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Big Tex
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?
I would not presume to speak for anyone else, so I will respond to your post only about myself.
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?
Yeah, it's called freedom of choice and personal responsibility. Freedom, in my opinion, is a double edged sword though. There is the ability to choose and the lack of constraints so one can explore and find their own spirituality. There is no big brother-based fear and/or guilt that drives my behavior. Having said that there is also no one who provides simple answers to complex problems. Yes I am free, but now I can no longer comfort myself with platitudes and fantasties about living forever. I started studying at age 9, and a year later my parents started. I've been out now since 1989 and I find the same person I was before, except different.
Frankly I miss nothing about Jehovah's Witnesses. For one thing, their standards of behavior are far too low and frankly dangerous for my taste. And if perchance there is an Armageddon and I am murdered by God/Jehovah/Allah/Higher Power/whatever then so be it. I'm not worried about that at all.
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?
Whoa! Pretty full throttle aren't you?
Interestingly the only person I've ever met who told me he liked having sex with animals (a cow if memory can overcome disgust) was this creepy old man who auxiliary pioneered every month. He got his jollies by telling stories and watching others' reactions (particularly women) while out in service. And for the record ... the elders did not intervene.
As I say, Jehovah's Witnesses have very poor standards for behavior. There are precious few I would trust.
But to answer your other question, no I do not make it a habit of "telling another person what to do". I live my life by my conscience and I raise my children by my truths. It's not my place to tell others how to live. Good lord, I've got enough problems just living my life, where do I get off trying to tell someone else how to live theirs!
What if your neighbor loved veal and kept baby calves in his basement? The blood-curdling cries at night sending shivers up your spine.
How do you come up with these weird and, frankly, nauseating questions? Seriously do you think the 6 billion people who are not Jehovah's Witnesses are all out slicing up calves and having sex with cows?
Okay, but to answer your question, well if I lived next to a slaughterhouse then yeah I'd probably hear stuff like that. Otherwise I would think I was a character in "Silence of the Lambs". Geez, I'd probably call the cops. What would you do?
What if you found out your neighbor and his "son" were members of NAMBLA? Would you report them?
How did I find out? How old is his son?
The police in my little town just ran a sting operation in cooperation with Dateline that netted 23 men who trolled around the Internet for children. Yes, of course I would report a sexual predator, or an adult behaving in a suspicious manner. AND I would expect the police to respond.
Unlike Jehovah's Witnesses. I reported my father, who is still a ministerial servant in good standing. After 2 years of shouting from the rooftops, complaining, arguing, cajoling, reasoning and anything else I could think of, the 3rd circuit overseer I told sat in my living room and told me to "shut up" or he would see to it personally that I was disfellowshipped.
The two witness rule is absolute evil and is designed solely to shut up victims and prevent sexual abuse from coming out. Why? Because otherwise it interferes with selling literature.
Chris
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Abaddon
1. What happens to a person when they die?
As far as we know, the person ceases to exist. The body is disposed of in a variety of ways.
2. Who is God and what is his name?
Is there a god and what is god seem to be two questions arising prior to debate about personality or name.
3. Why is there suffering in the world?
Because organisms experience various degrees of discomfort if the conditions in which they exist are not optimal. This discomfort can be termed 'suffering'. Mostly organisms will take action to stop being in discomfort, as discomfort warns of impending or potential injury or other harm. Thus discomfort, or suffering is an important survival adaptation that helps an organism stay healthy, thus being more liable to procreate, passing individual variation on at a higher rate than those organisms which are not so sensitive to such warnings. Eventually such a massively useful adaptation would be present in all (or as near as) organisms, as those organisms without it simply can't compete as well for finite resources.
4. How did we get here?
Cosmo genesis. Accretion. Fusion. Novae. Abiogenesis. Evolution.
5. According to the Bible, is it okay to participate in wars and politics?
By example, yes, although sometimes it says something different.
6. Is the Devil real? If so, where did he come from?
See 2.
7. According to your religion, is it okay to smoke marijuana?
According to me, yes. It is far less damaging than alcohol as regards behaviour of stoned individuals as opposed to drunk indivduals, and no more likely to cause social disfunction due to abuse. As such, it does not intrinsically harm others, and i a personal choice.
8. According to your religion, is it okay to have pre-marital sex?
According to me, yes. Responsible adults having pre-marital sex are no more likely to cause or suffer harm than individuals having marital sex. As such, it does not intrinsically harm others, and is a personal choice.
9. According to your religion, how do God feel about homosexuals?
See 2. I not know how do god feel.
Homosexuality is a natural part of the spectrum of normal sexual behaviour in our species (as with many others), and a homosexual is no more likely to cause or suffer harm than a heterosexual. As such, it does not intrinsically harm others, and is a personal choice, a biological inclination of varying degrees, or most likely a bit of both, mileage varying with the individuals.
It would seem therefore any god involved in our direct creation, thus having responsibility for this natural variation, would be an utter git if he minded.
10. Does God talk to you personally?
Unless it is by means of rainbows at appropriate moments, no.
And even if that IS some form of 'god', I think 'laughing at' is a better description than 'talk to'.
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GentlyFeral
Hmmm. I think I may be a Crumpetarian. ;)
GentlyFeral
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Crumpet
Lol gentlyferal! Maybe it is time I started my ministry up!
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?
YES! Only children need telling what to do. Have you no mind of your own?
And if so, at what point do you tell another person what to do?..
I don't, or only in a sexual context.
....Say, your neighbor likes having sex with animals....do you intervene?
Hell no - I'd compare notes!
What if your neighbor loved veal and kept baby calves in his basement? The blood-curdling cries at night sending shivers up your spine.
LOL - most bizarre scenario anyone has put to me thus far. But heck I am game...I love veal too so I'd buy some ear plugs and invite myself round for Sunday Slaughter.
What if you found out your neighbor and his "son" were members of NAMBLA? Would you report them?
Use your brain ...
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BEROEAN
Why am I contininuously being asked to leave this forum? I thought this was JW Discussion Forum, not ex-JW Discussion Forum? I'm sorry if some of you are getting frustrated at my queries, but there is a process and point to these things. Let me mention, when I first started studying I brought up the entire ordeal with Russell and his wife. My Study conductor, of course, dispelled any rumors and even showed me Russell's side of the story from WT Pubs. I asked him if the WTBS stuck it's nose in the "marital bed". He assured me, that perhaps at one time it did, but not anymore. Well, recently, there has been some information presented that I found disturbing. The info. presented was that oral and anal sex, even among married couples, was considered pornea. With difficulty, the brother giving this talk, struggled through it. Immediately, the question to my study conductor came to mind. Now, i'm not saying, but IF I liked oral/anal and my wife liked oral/anal, that is none of anyone else's business. This has only been mentioned once two years ago, and I'm waiting to see if this info. comes out in printed form. I guess what i'm getting at, is that i'm getting my ducks lined up in a row. Hence, the seemed "interrogation". My apologies.
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Crumpet
I dont want you to leave. You entertain me. Bring on even more bizarre scenarios!
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minimus
I see no reason why you should not be here so WELCOME!!! Having said that, most JWs do not start their own groups. a few might. But not the majority. I don't think most exjws will give a definite answer about anything that requires a leap of faith. We know that no one can prove this or that. If you choose to accept ANYTHING, then that's what you believe. Regarding sex, JWs have no right to tell married couples what to do. JWs are worse than Pharisees with their manmade rules.
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greendawn
Who asked you to leave Beroean? You chose the right name since you have an inquiring mind unlike many JWs, you don't accept everything at face value. The more issues you raise for discussion the better.
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Confession
Hey, I'm from Detroit! And it's mostly quite cold there...