Many of the atheists are doing better than religionists!

by anointed1 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  anointed1

  I got up today to listen to the shocking news that Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was assassinated at an Ankara art exhibit, and assassin was acting in the name of God.

  It seems things have evolved to the other extreme that atheists are doing the work of religionists and vice versa. While religionists take delight in killing fellow humans in the name of God, there were many atheists who followed very elevated morality. The French existentialists and writers Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus were some of them. Most Greek and Roman philosophers and writers like Diogenes, Epicurus, Sophocles …. etc. never believed in the gods of Greeks and Romans and yet they were great moralists, who followed universal values. Gautama Buddha never believed in any god or supernatural power. In fact, the core of Buddha's philosophy is atheism. Yet, Buddha is still considered to be an epitome of compassion and rectitude.

  In contrast, many who believe in God have no problem in trampling upon the rights of others either in a violent way or in a subtle way as some do by refusing even to greet their former associates (which is worse than physical killing).

  It seems there is no solution because people have lost their ability to understand. Many read in their Bible that Jesus was the “servant of God” (Act 3:13) yet they understand that He was God himself. Then there are other who read that good people of old testament will go to “heaven” (Mathew 8:11), and understand heaven as earth.
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  The Rebel

  anointed1, you say Gautama Buddha, " never believed in any God or supernatural power" I am not sure this is true, to my understanding the Buddha and his teachings were simply to learn to live in this life, and dont concern yourself with discussing mattters if they will cause contention and can't be answered.
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  George One Time

  anointed 1, you quote Mathew 8:11.

  The new Jesus-The Way - book says:

  Hence, natural Jews who do not accept the opportunity offered first to them to be part of the Kingdom with Christ will be rejected. But Gentiles will be welcomed to recline at his table, as it were, “in the Kingdom of the heavens.”

  So because it does not fit Watchtower theology, it is interpreted as a symbol only. This way you can explain everything that does not fit your ideas.
  
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  anointed1

  The Rebel

  Buddha remained silent when asked about God. If he were a believer in God—whatever may be his belief—that was most favorable opportunity for him to speak of his mind about God—but he did not
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  anointed1

  George One Time

  “as it were, “in the Kingdom of the heavens” is your belief rather your interpretation—taking Jesus words and giving your meaning to it.

  This is like saying: Jesus said: Traffic Red light means STOP.

  Now if you were to interpret, you would say: ‘what Jesus said is Traffic Red light means “STOP” as it were. Thus you get totally a different meaning.
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  punkofnice

  Humans are nitwits. Human society is run by nitwits. Expect foolishness wherever you go, if you encounter a non-nitwit, happy days.
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  anointed1

  punkofnice

  I agree with you: Everything is a joke.

  See what believers in God do--they make God feel USED (just like carpet), not loved saying I want this, that ...etc. Some people praise Him as though he is in need of their validation.
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  David_Jay

  The problem is that people think that subscribing to a creed or philosophy of any sort will make them better because they subscribed to it. This is a lie that attracts people to the Jehovah's Witnesses, and it is often something exJWs take with them upon leaving the shadows of the Watchtower. If I just change my religion (or leave it), I will be a better person (or I am a better person because now I use Brand X, whatever that may be).

  Atheists have just as bloody and monstrous a record of violating human rights and slaughtering innocents in the name of their views as people of religion do. Whether it is North Korea where religion has been totally outlawed, the People's Republic of China where freedom of religion is guaranteed as long as you freely practice according to that government's strict guidelines (or else face persecution, imprisonment, and sometimes forced conversion to the religion of China's choice) or the inhuman treatment of the various communist regimes that ruled under atheism with a iron but very blood fist, people with no religion are just as capable of decapitating, gutting, and denying what they do to humans as people who claim to believe in God can.

  The idea that "my brand of thinking" or that of any other is some kind of guarantee or deterrent from wishing evil upon your neighbor and then following through in the name of that brand is a fool's lie. You don't have to start the Spanish Inquisition in the name of Catholicism to act as violent. You can act just as evil without a clerical collar or belief in a God.

  Having a creed (or lack thereof) and saying that it somehow makes you better than those who believe differently is the real problem. You don't stop smelling filthy just because you change clothes, no matter how well the clothes look or are made or how much they cost. If you don't bathe and clean yourself up, you are just a stinking bum wearing good clothes.

  The same goes for being a theist or agnostic or atheist: Wearing the badge of theist or atheist or agnostic (or wise-ass) doesn't change the fact that under the badge we are still the same filthy pig rolling around in the blood and guts we spilled out of the guy next door.

  Unless we clean the guy we are under the badge, the badge we wear means nothing. But if you do believe that wearing a certain badge makes you better than someone who wears a different one, then you might as well go back to the Watchtower and drink their Kool-Aid. The man makes the suit, the suit does not make the man. No suit will make you more moral or less violent or more enlightened than any other. If you can't be this way naked, without a badge, finding one you want to subscribe to ain't gonna make you pretty.

  All the clothes and makeup in the world can't pretty up ugly of the heart.
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  scratchme1010

  It seems things have evolved to the other extreme that atheists are doing the work of religionists...
  

  That's making the pompous assumption that religionists always make about them being the only ones right and righteous and that non-believers are supposed to be amoral and careless.

  IMO, there's no difference of how things have been all along, except for the fact that religionists cannot continue hiding all their hypocrisy. It's all now in the open.
  
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  anointed1

  David_Jay

  You say “People with no religion are just as capable of decapitating, gutting, and denying what they do to humans as people who claim to believe in God can … No suit will make you more moral or less violent or more enlightened than any other.”

  I was just contrasting [not about labels]. A person who does not believe in God has no obligation to care for anyone whereas a person who believes in God feels obliged to care for others. In this context one can ask: How can atheists care for others whereas religionists go in opposite direction? Situation is similar to Fire-force personnel who shy away from putting out fire on somebody else’s property whereas the passersby venture into and put off the fire.