by leavingwt 53 Replies latest jw friends
GrandmaJones: I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I really do think that you'd really enjoy the following essay, written decades before you were born. I read it during the time that I was struggling with some of the issues that you are struggling with. The author really spoke to me.
I would be most interested in your opinion of the essay, if possible.
Robert G. Ingersoll <--- Link to essay.
Good Stuff...
Good essay. And when you ask the modern Church goers what do they do so differently than a good Agnostic it gets down to the really really High spiritual stuff- pray and sing to God.
ok, we did that at the KH.
when you ask the modern Church goers what do they do so differently
As best as I can tell, Christianity is very concerned with "correct belief". By definition, therefore, the agnostic is SOL.
Joliette,
Even if some of these verses are symbolic, what is it that they symbolize? Rev. 20:10 for example.
Randy Watters did quite a study on the afterlife after he left the WT.
I think you can get a copy through www.freeminds.org.
If you'd like to PM about it, I'll be happy to discuss it with you.
GrandmaJones,
Regarding the exclusivity of the Christian faith, Jesus is the one who made these claims: John 14:6, for example: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Of course, anyone can claim anything, but to me that's where the resurrection of Christ comes in. If that happened, it authenticates his claim. If not, then the Christian faith means nothing anyway. 1 Corinthians 15:14: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."
I'd like to believe that most people who leave the dubs drop the whole religious fear thing completely.
I'm beginning to see hell as a dark and silent place where are the souls of those forever cut off from God. Since God is life and the source, being cut off from him is the ultimate punishment, it is like flesh burning perpetually.
Since the soul does not die, it will last forever in this dark and godless place.
I think that hell and fire and sulphur are ideas used to communicate to fleshly beings what this pain feels like to the soul.
A human that expesses no wrath would be far from perfect. Any human who did not express anger at unrighteousness would be most sinful.
I respectfully disagree. There are far better ways to deal with unrighteousness than expressing anger or wrath. But we're getting a bit off topic.
Amazing but not surprising you buy into this stuff Stephen. You are more like a Jehovah's Witness than most Witnesses.
Ding, In- According to Judaism Jesus would have been greeted by Adam who sits at the gate of heaven greeting all of his children. Now how can someone be cut off from God when God is suppose to be Everywhere, unless you want 'everywhere' to take on a new meaning.
