after going through real one's last posts and his favorite 'i'm only quoting scriptures' argument (regarding homosexuality), i wonder whether you agree on this one:.
it's impossible to be a moral person when you consider biblical rules as inspired.
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What is your moral authority, FD?
And when it makes a ruling, do you obey it?
I won't try to speak for FD, but for me, I try think how others would feel if I carried out XYZ, how would I feel if they treated me or my family XYZ. I have a number of times gone agaisnt my better judgement, and I have regretted it each time. No kitties were killed, no volcanoes exploded, but I felt regret at not acting on what I felt was the better choice.
i've been with someone for over ten years.
sounds like a long time to be engaged, but we were perfectly happy with the arrangement, knowing that some of the circumstances in each of our lives needed to be worked out before we could marry.
one day she told me that she wanted to investigate the jws.
Sorry you're in this sucky painful situation.
You've got alot of good advice here, read it over every day for a week. Think about it.
Definetly read the Steven Hassan book about releasing the bonds. Also -VERY IMPORTANT- inoculate yourself against the JW beliefs and learn how they work. Crisis of Con is a good read for that, much of it may not make sense to you as you were never a JW (?) but if you choose to go in on a rescue mission the information will be dormant but useful.
Make no mistake, this is a very delicate procedure, not to be udertaken like a bull in a china shop. Sometimes the best action is no-action.
the song "i want to" is running incessantly in my brain.
My condolences.
after going through real one's last posts and his favorite 'i'm only quoting scriptures' argument (regarding homosexuality), i wonder whether you agree on this one:.
it's impossible to be a moral person when you consider biblical rules as inspired.
.
real one of course has no morals at all. All he has is obedience, the opposite of morality. Someone who obeys rules simply because they come from an authority figure can make no pretense at being a moral person.
I love that statement.
i know from my own life experience, that repressed sexual expression leads to externalizing that repression and projecting it upon others.
fear, anger, and self loathing is the bottom line.
when i finially was freed of the jw beliefs, and then later came out to friends (actually, i was outed), i had a new awareness dawn on me one day.
Billy, don't be scared, I'll hold your hand. Don't feel bad about your man-crush on jstalin, he has a bewildering beauty. I myself have sort of a girl crush on Leolaia, she's so smart, it just warps my mind.
Ninja, I'll chase you, you evil from the future bunny. If you want to stop and put on your cowboy hat first that's no problem.
Ver- I used to do that alot, but much less now: denigrate the femmy guys. I flame to be funny or show off, but rarely as that is not my natural mode. I've actually been harassed before for not acting gay enough. There's that word though: acting. If by acting we mean behavior, I try to just be my natural self. I do not apologise howeverr for pointing out childish imature destructive behaviors when I see them, mostly I just ignore those people.
realone. Your god is to be mocked. Kermit the Frog with a beard is more real than your concept of gawd. I don't hate people like you, I feel great pain and empathy for people like you. I was once you. I can not go back in time to help my younger self, but I can help those in the now who are like how I was. There is a precious nugget in the words of Jesus, but the rest of the babble is ossified dead words, and we are all trying to move on to something better, something living.
Morality, and laws and rules are for people who do not know how to naturally behave in kind, loving, human ways. They can give such people a framework, but it can not change or teach them to be better people. We have to choose to do that on our own.
ok i posted a couple weeks ago that my uncle was dying.
i just found out today that he passed away on february 28th (yeah i know, i'm always the last to know these things).. ok, here's the problem - his funeral is scheduled for march 15th.
they couldn't have it this saturday, apparently there is something going on at gillead and people that would be attending the funeral will be there instead.
Grasshopper Bumble Bee, therein lies your answer:
Soooooo, do I forego the funeral and stick with the plans I already have, or do my familial duty and attend the funeral? (As a side note, none of my counsins came to my fathers funeral, not that that should be a deciding factor in the matter.)
I would feel this way about not wanting to go even if I didn't have the plans I do.
You have already fullfilled your obrigation, glasshopper.
i know from my own life experience, that repressed sexual expression leads to externalizing that repression and projecting it upon others.
fear, anger, and self loathing is the bottom line.
when i finially was freed of the jw beliefs, and then later came out to friends (actually, i was outed), i had a new awareness dawn on me one day.
I really applaud you writing from such an informed and rational perspective. Whenever I read or hear about homophobia, I know exactly where it is coming from and it does more harm than good.
Thanks Layla, I was having one of my rare lucid moments. I do feel that it is important to state, that no topic concerning humans can be distilled or simplified down without loosing great nuances of meaning. Like the Tao Te Ching states, the thing that can be named is not the true thing. Another way of saying that is that the label or name is only a reference, it has none or little of the essence.
i know from my own life experience, that repressed sexual expression leads to externalizing that repression and projecting it upon others.
fear, anger, and self loathing is the bottom line.
when i finially was freed of the jw beliefs, and then later came out to friends (actually, i was outed), i had a new awareness dawn on me one day.
If I'm considered to be "homophobic", then know this---I was much less homophobic before I ever accepted that I was SSA'd. My "homophobia" is more or less a reaction to my dealings with the homosexual people/culture.
As far as I know, I never once said anything negative about the homosexual lifestyle, no preaching, no judgementalism. It wasn't until the crappy way I was treated by the gays and the atheists, that a backlash ensued.
I have been insulted beyond belief on this board by several posters all because I don't buy into their political agenda.
JG- thinking back now, I remember the various threads where you and others have gotten into it. I know you've met some not cool gays in real life, lets face it they were bitches. Move past them, not all of us are like them, although today I am kinda feeling the goddess.
To your middle comment, it just goes to show that any group of humans can be so stuck in their own box to not see the bigger picture, or treat others with dignity.
If I've insulted you, I'm sorry, I'll say it again, my comments were not aimed at you. When I was composing that you were not even on my radar.
Politically, I think we'd be better served by wiping the slate clean and starting over. I hold to no party, but I can see how others will think me liberal.
i know from my own life experience, that repressed sexual expression leads to externalizing that repression and projecting it upon others.
fear, anger, and self loathing is the bottom line.
when i finially was freed of the jw beliefs, and then later came out to friends (actually, i was outed), i had a new awareness dawn on me one day.
JG- My comments were not aimed your direction.
Let me reiterate that I don't believe that all homophobes are gay. And I also agree that the term itself is contrived and overused. But its the word that is in common usage and most people understand what's being spoken about.
For men that don't like gay men, speaking about it may be normal, but going off on the topic every hour or so, repeating what Rush Pigbaugh spews, and trying to pin the label liberal so and so to it...to me that's just protesting too much. Why would sexuality be on somone's mind unless it was something that really got into their craw so to speak?
if it was me, i'd rather have the truth up front.
i went through an experience where someone didn't tell me the truth about a situation, thought that by not being totally honest, my feelings would be spared.
maybe at the time, they were, but afterwards when i found out the truth i was deeply hurt and confused.
Piont blank truth. I wouldn't want somone's interpretation as that could muddy things that I need to use to make a choice.
If I need to cry about it then fine, I'd still want the truth or reality of what ever it is. for me, to not face the truth would mean that fear has taken hold of me and I am then on the path to lieing to myself.
I can see how some would prefer their feelings be spared, and I believe that path is valid as it is their path, their choice.
