Had to bump this up in sections. We are having a freaky a$$ snowstorm in the middle of May in the Sierra Nevada mountains right now. Power got knocked off for a few minutes then came right back on and I lost my initial responses to you folks I just wrote to. So posting this in quick sections. The winter that never ends over here. Jesus Christ
After Exiting the Witnesses - Are you O.K. Not Knowing about the Future ?
by flipper 76 Replies latest jw friends
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OUTLAW
Good Morning Flipper!..
As a JW I never knew the Future..Right now I don`t know the Future..
Not much has changed with exception of..
"Now I know,I don`t Know"..
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...OUTLAW -
Jadeen
Since leaving the org physically and mentally, I feel free to plan for the future. You hear all the examples at the assemblies about "wait on Jehovah and he'll provide" crap, and they make you feel guilty for having a retirement or savings account. People acted as if planning for the future meant that you didn't have faith.
Being a witness is kind of like living in Limbo- just waiting for God to fix everything instead of taking responsibility and helping yourself and others out.
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Bungi Bill
The short answer - Yes, quite okay about it;
- the JWs didn't know the future, anyway, they only thought that they did (or at the very least , tried to fool themselves - and everybody else - into believing that they did!)
Given the choice, I would much rather own up and admit outright that the future is an unknown - than be shackled to an outfit that only thought it knew what the future held, but in reality knew no more than anyone else did. That is a much more harmful situation to be in, as you only end up frittering way your present.
PAST = a canceled check.
FUTURE = a promissory note
PRESENT: cash in hand - use it while you have it!
Bill.
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Wasanelder Once
The future? There are predictors, ie: health, finances etc. but to have a theological outline of what will happen? Don't need it. Anything that happens will probably have happened before so I guess its not much of a future so much as a repetition of the past. I just want it to be less difficult than joyous. I'm working on behavior that will make it joyous.
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geli_heart
Hello everybody,
I am new here and just have to say WOW! if I had only known about this place before. I grew up as a Witness too, but left when I was 18 when I went to
school. I'm now 32, live very far geographically from my family who are mostly all still witnesses, even though I still talk to my Ma and Dad sometimes.
As far as the topic, I struggled as many others have with the programming for years even after leaving the witness way of life behind.
These days I don't think of it much although I would be kidding myself if I told myself I never do (after all I am here right?). Regardless of what the witnesses
or many others say however, I don't see things getting better for our collective planet but that's just being realistic.
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slimboyfat
Don't know the future? What have you guys never read Ray Kurzweil's The Singularity is Near?
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Scully
When I was a JW, I just thought I knew what the future held. It made me rather stupidly arrogant. I like myself better not being stupidly arrogant, and, yes, I'm OK with not knowing what the future holds. All I know for certain is that I will have taxes to pay, and one day I'll be dead and won't have to pay taxes anymore. I'm fine with that.
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Quentin
There are two things I know about, well three really.......1. At some point in the future I will die....2. In about two hours from now I will start making supper....3. We as a family live from day to day, we make plans for the future and HOPE those plans will mature for our benefit.
As to the future, well, it has a tendency to change. Just found out my grand-daughter will not be here for supper, see, my future has already changed, since that will effect what will be prepared for supper. Might not even fix supper, let everyone else forge, graze for themselves. Whatever I decide I will decide in the future, even then something else may effect what gets done. Two hours from now, or two years from now the future will be the present, that's when you make your decisions.
So, I'm OK not knowing about the future. Can't change the past, can't foretell the future, all you can do is wrestle with the present, and have hope for the future.
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flipper
SIZEMIK- I agree- the economic situation looks bleak. In some parts of America we have 13 % unemployment and thousands have lost their homes in foreclosures. As you state land ownership and self sufficiency will help people to get through these had times. Grow our own vegetables, cut wood for warmth if the electrical grid goes out. Lots of things we can do.
20571- I understand and am aware of what you are posting about as my wife and I pay attention to alternative news. Not much we can do to stop it except help our own families be prepared when it happens.
SLIMBOYFAT- Exactly. We just didn't realize as Witnesses that we DIDN'T know a thing about the future. We were told we had all the answers.
HEAVEN- Good point about Cuba. We can only hope it would move America forward as well- however I have real doubts due to the global elitists motives on keeping the population poor.
BLACK MAN- Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it !
SINIS- I am quite sure the global elitists will push the American public to the brink of desperation where riots will occur in time. At that point it will be every man and woman for themselves - yet if we hang close to friends and family we will get through it and try to take care of each other. It's all we can do at that time
