Just Tell Us In Plain English

by headisspinning 71 Replies latest jw friends

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  headisspinning

  To Mad Sweeney... I didn't mean 'I want THIS religion' when I said 'I don't want another religion.' What I meant is that if I am done with THIS religion, that's it for me in terms of religion.

  Here is what I know right now - and it's not much...

  - I believe in a higher power that I hope I can call 'God'

  - Someone or something has shown a vested interest in me throughout my life, although I'm not sure why

  - I have a strong urge to listen to what my inner person is telling me to do - I have ignored her for far too long

  - The idea of allowing 'love' to govern all I do from here on in, is very appealing to me

  That's all I have to say for now (after pouring over everyone's comments to all of my threads from yesterday).

  Thank all of you!
• 

  strymeckirules

  islam, jew and christian all have the same god.

  it all goes back to abraham.

  and as far as i can tell, abraham's god is the almighty god. the one who created everything.

  the one whose side you want to be on. the winners side.

  abraham had 2 kids. one founded judiasm and the other islam.

  try reading the quran. suprising information in there.

  i believe everyone that was a jdub and found out the sham and got out was chosen by god.

  what you choose to do once you are released from the mind control is your new test. are you angry with god or are you thankful to him for releasing YOU and for some reason, not the others.

  and if he did choose you, why are YOU so special?

  i'm sure the jdub annointed ones are frauds, so who are the "elect" ones spoken of in scripture?

  research will connect all the loose ends that are troubling you.
• 

  LV101

  tec: let me see if i get this. btw, always love your posts and they seem so helpful. so, if we're showing forgiveness and mercy to those who wrong us, does this mean one has to go out of their way to be around said, hurtful, toxic, person (like attending extra social events, birthday parties, etc.) or can one just be kind and loving-like when one has to be around them. the boundary thing --- if one has them and you draw the line in the sand for how much time you can go around them/put up with them --- yet you're forgiving and trying desperately to "love" them --- is this good enough. the love and the boundary thing really baffles me because it limits one's association w/someone who is hurtful/manipulative (i think the boundaries are a real protection) yet, technically, we should overlook anything and just not think about it and go around them KNOWING THEY WANT EVERYONE AT THEIR PARTY because we are, THUSLY, doing unto others (making them happy) as we would have them do unto us. OH, MY! hope this makes sense because i'm confusing myself.

  appreciate any/all comments. and they say it's tough to set boundaries --- well, this "love" is not the easiest w/some people.
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  J. Hofer

  > Love is the answer!

  to what question?

  in real life, love is indeed important, but hate, disgust and similar so-called "negative" feelings might be just as important.
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  Terry

  The New Testament is almost entirely written in Greek.

  Jesus spoke Aramaic. Nationally, Jews largely spoke Koine (common) Greek and Aramaic.

  Hebrew was practically a lost cause except in extreme hermetic circles (Hassidim)

  Jews had lost Hebrew from two hammer blows historically

  1.Babylonian Captivity 2.Greeks conquering the "known" world and Helenizing

  With the above well in mind, I have to ask: WHY are the words of Jesus (except for two brief instances) only given in Greek?

  Wouldn't you want the EXACT words of the Son of God?

  Fact of the matter is, Jesus' exact words were lost early on in the ORAL transmission.

  Otherwise EVERY word would be given UNtranslated first: "Eli Eli lama sabachtani" 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

  If Jesus exact words were lost--only the GIST of what he said remained. To what degree we cannot determine.

  The garble should tell us something signficant if we are willing to listen.

  How can anybody argue the MEANING of Jesus sayings if we don't even really have them?

  We have half-remembered approximations!
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  tec

  LV01 - First, thank you.

  Second, what you should do depends largely upon what you are able to do. There is no set answer for every person. What are you comfortable doing, and what does love motivate you to do? That is what you should do. I don't think you can fake it. For example, and using your example: Such as saying, "I should go to this party and be around this toxic girl because I think that would show love, and she wants me to go," but at the same time not really wanting to go.

  Let love motivate your decisions. "This girl has no one to show her what love truly is, and she has no true friends. Perhaps she is mean and bitter because of it. I might not ever be friends with her, but I will go and try and show her some kindness, simply because she needs someone to do that. She needs someone to show her what love is supposed to look like."

  Then you're going because you want to go, because love or sympathy or compassion has motivated you to go.

  At the same time, if nothing motivates you to go, it does not mean you don't have love. Perhaps love motivates you to be kind when circumstances force you to be around this person, but you cannot be around a toxic person by choice. It all depends on you. Love also grows from love; what you might not be capable of today, you might be capable of doing tomorrow. Just act sincerely... rather than out of what you think love is supposed to act like. I don't think showing love means being a doormat, either.

  Even Christ spoke for (defended) himself at times. He also left areas/people that would not welcome him, and instructed his disciples to do the same.

  I, personally, do not go out of my way to be with toxic people. I hope they find peace and happiness, and if I am around them, I will do my best to be kind show compassion. But I will not permit myself to be abused. I will leave if that is happening. Showing compassion and keeping your calm is easier to do when you realize that who you are is not dictated by what someone else thinks of you. Especially someone else who is so unhappy, that what comes out of them is anger, bitterness, and 'toxicity'. I would make more of an exception for family, but I already love them and have a vested interest in helping them. I would still defend myself from abuse, and/or leave an abusive situation, though.

  Hope that helps,

  Tammy
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  J. Hofer

  your christ also beat up some hard working jews, insulted everyone who made a living and damned all who didn't view things as he saw them.
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  lifeisgood

  headisspinning,

  Why do you believe in 'God'?

  Which version of 'God'? There are several versions.
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  tec

  your christ also beat up some hard working jews, insulted everyone who made a living and damned all who didn't view things as he saw them.

  He drove out those who were making profit off of God and forgiveness (Would you have a problem with someone putting a stop to the funds that pay for the CO's and such, or to the Vatican - though they at least have a lot of charity work as well...?) As for the rest he didn't insult anyone who made a living (unless they made their living taking advantage of the poor and the weak), and he never damned (condemned) anyone. And how did He see things then? That we should show mercy and forgiveness, love and compassion? Help the poor? Be honest, don't judge, do good to all? How many people do you want to be around who see things opposite of these?

  Tammy
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  designs

  tec-

  Everytime your Jesus showed up to a Jewish religious service they were already happily engaged in worship. Maybe something is just a little amiss in the NT retelling of Jewish life and times hmmmm