I did, but not any more.
DO YOU BELIEVE ARMAGEDDON WILL EVER COME?
by Mary 49 Replies latest jw friends
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DanTheMan
Yeah, it doesn't always serve me well but I don't think that my apocalyptic outlook on the world is necessarily delusional or unrealistic.
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poppers
Maybe armageddon is a metaphor describing the destruction of one's false sense of identity, the ego structure. Once that happens on an "individual" basis what remains is the recognition of the unity of all things that previously were seen as separate from oneself. If so, that would mean that paradise is available here and now - the recognition of paradise is therefore dependent upon the state of consciousness of the "perceiver". Then anything less than paradise, including hell, would also be dependent upon the state of consiousness of the "perceiver".
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Sunnygal41
I find as I go about my daily life that most people are kind, considerate and helpful.
Gopher............really???? You should come driving with me on the interstates I take back and forth to work! Either that, or I need to move where you live! I remember poo pooing the fact that my mom didn't like driving on the highways and preferred taking back roads to get where she wanted to go........I think that a certain aggressive, self-centered personality type inhabits today's highways, for the most part, and it's become frightening to try to maneuver on them, if you are a kindly, moderate individual. I am now seriously considering going to the back roads and let the "animalistic" ones have the highways so they can mutually self destruct! That said, I don't believe in a Jehovah, or an Armaggedon as the Dubs or the Bible speak of it. It is interesting, however, if you do research into other societies beliefs and you will find many native cultures have "end time prophecies" also. The Mayans have a calendar that is said to end in 2012...........and the native americans in the US speak of a time when all will come back into harmony as at the beginning and the earth, people, and animal kingdom will all be at one again. I like to use this point with my Dub mom when she talks of the end, to make the point that the Dubs don't have the corner on this thing and in fact people who were here before the Dubs became "God's prophet" had those teachings and didn't use the Bible either.
Terri
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Pleasuredome
yep, but perhaps not in the way most xians believe it will happen.
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czarofmischief
No.
Armageddon is from Revelation, which in my opinion doesn't belong in the Biblical canon.
Besides, while things are often quite bad - Malthus has yet to be right, thank God. Most predictions of doom and gloom fail to take into account Mankind's endless innovative adaptability. Natural selection, if you will.
CZAR
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jgnat
Why would the full destruction of the earth be something we would look forward to, "wishful thinking"? I find this train of thought destructive, and the most ugly feature of fundamentalism. It is as if we hope for disaster, if for no other reason than to reassure ourselves that we were right and everybody else was wrong.
I lived too much of my life in fear of that ultimate destruction. Fear mongers have successively convinced me that the world by now would be destroyed in a Nuclear Winter, that the USSR would overrun our democracies, that the earth's resources would be exhausted from an overpopulated earth, that fossil fuels would be used up and I would be taking horse-and-buggy to work, that Global Warming would flood Alberta's prairies. I believe now, that this fear is built in to the psyche of man. In some generations, those fears were justified (we could have managed it during WW II). In our current generation, carrying these fears is just neurotic. It is now commonly accepted that infants will survive to adulthood. We are healthier and live longer than any previous generation.
The final straw was delivered by a well-meaning parishoner who confidentially whispered to me that there were satanic witchcraft covens operating in our small town. Wow. That had COMPLETELY ESCAPED my notice. What I had found since my arrival were a bunch of friendly, welcoming, nosey characters who insinuated themselves in to my life. How I loved that small town. That woman, however, was a miserable soul. I never saw her smile.
How does believeing in Armageddon help us to be better human beings? Does Armageddon-faith help us to look out for the good in people? Do we strive to improve the lives of the people around us, when we believe that Armageddon is just around the corner?
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Brownboy
Mary,
For a certainty it will occur. If you take time to browse the internet you will find that most, if not all, religions are on careful watch for the events currently taking place. It is for certain that Jehovah is acting in our time period. And if you study your bible you know that this is a glorious time period, as those that follow God and His principles look forward to a righteous planet earth. Many choose to ignore these facts and will be caught sleeping. This is a bold statement, and I stand behind it 100%. For those that choose to ignore Jehovah, it is time to repent.............................while there is still time.
Brownboy
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jgnat
Brownboy, at what point will you concede defeat of your worldview? At sixy? eighty? If you say NEVER, your bold statement cannot be effectively challenged, since you could conceivably go to your deathbed, believing. On the other hand, if you have a date in mind, I will offer a challenge. I will write you a letter, stamped and sealed, to be delivered on your Armageddon day. You may do the same.
I would also be interested in any answer you may have to my questions,
- How does believeing in Armageddon help us to be better human beings?
- Does Armageddon-faith help us to look out for the good in people?
- Do we strive to improve the lives of the people around us, when we believe that Armageddon is just around the corner?
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seeitallclearlynow
Brownboy, you can't be serious??
Good questions, jgnat.
Peace out.