Posts by conflicted

28

Questions for our brand 'Newbies'

by LDH in

jw
friends

could you please tell us all how long you lurked before you decided to join us?.

.

and if i missed anyone, i'm sorry.

conflicted

I found this site via Freeminds, lurked for a day, and began posting the next.

80

Nov. 8 Awake - Wife Beaters-Sick

by MrMoe in

jw
friends

i will let you all hang who ever the heck wrote this crap.

november 8, 2001 awake page 9: some battered women may need to seek assistance from the authorities.

at times, a point of crisis-such as intervention of the police-can cause an abusive man to see the seriousness of the action.. page 12: should the battered wife leave her husband?

I grew up in a house like this - I've told my story a few times on this board, so I'll not bore you with it again, but suffice it to say the elders knew all about our situation. They did nothing to help, but alot to encourage the situation to continue - it was my mother's fault, it was the fault of the 4 kids in the house, never his fault. And he didn't even study, he got to do what he wanted with the elders support, and he didn't even have to attend meetings and field service for the priveledge.

Makes me sick!

35

Star Trek: Enterprise: What did you think?

by slipnslidemaster in

jw
friends

ok, i know that i'm not the only star trek geek out there.

i know tons of dubs (ex dubs) that love star trek because it's one of the only interesting shows that they are allowed to watch.. anyway, did you watch the first episode tonight?

i'm pretty sure with the one scene, that the dubs will be reproving some for masterbation tomorrow night.. oh and what's your favorite kingdumb song?

conflicted

I really like this show. I am a star trek fan from way back, love the original, love Next Generation, but I didn't get into the other two shows (DS9 and Voyager).

I like the idea of it being near future, and the beginning of Starfleet, it's gonna be good.

I think they did a good job of making the technology look less sophisticated than the original - that is essential to make the series work, but hard to do since the original had some pretty lame equipment made from cardboard cutouts and tin foil.

Overall I dig it.

67

God's image

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

we are made in god's image and he is a person, not just some invisible, omnipresent force.

here is some more research for those who love to ask questions yet won't do the digging.. the bible consistently portrays god as a passionate individual, whose inner experiences of love, compassion, grief, delight, joy, peace, anguish, and moral outrage at atrocity dwarf ours in the extreme.

the bible makes no apology for this, but rather exults in the living one, in contrast to the dead and lifeless idols that surrounded its writers.. one scholar put it thus:.

conflicted

tdogg,

I've given thought to that point myself - the greatest examples of faithfull followers had proof.

God personally spoke to many people in the bible, as well as performing miraculous acts.

I guess my quandry with faith now is that I don't trust anymore. I had faith, and with that came trust in god that what he promised would come to pass. I was wrong in following the JW's, but now I find it hard to trust any organized religion. This lack of trust or faith has nothing to do with god, but with the religous leaders who claim to speak for him. I've read the bible on my own, without someone to interpret it for me, and found that I still couldn't believe.

I looked, but did not find. So now I am searching elsewhere, I don't have a vast accumulation of info yet, as my search has begun just recently, but I think I'm progressing.

I hope you find what you are looking for, but in my search I am finding that what I am looking for changes depending on what I find along the way.

67

God's image

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

we are made in god's image and he is a person, not just some invisible, omnipresent force.

here is some more research for those who love to ask questions yet won't do the digging.. the bible consistently portrays god as a passionate individual, whose inner experiences of love, compassion, grief, delight, joy, peace, anguish, and moral outrage at atrocity dwarf ours in the extreme.

the bible makes no apology for this, but rather exults in the living one, in contrast to the dead and lifeless idols that surrounded its writers.. one scholar put it thus:.

conflicted

I have a question for you. Do you feel that searching is only a means of finding your path, or do you believe that the search is the beginning of your path, and that the search will in some way always continue?

The answer to this depends upon what one is searching for. I started out looking at the basic teachings of the major religions solely for educational purposes. You can't carry out an informative conversation of the worlds religions without at least a rudementary knowledge of their teachings - that's what I was looking for. When I looked up zen-bhudism I learned that they are separate. Bhudism and zen can be taught independant to one another, so I chose to read up on the zen part first.

I was very interested in what I was reading, and my search changed to one of a more in-depth search this one subject. I suppose that one day will come when I will learn all I want from zen, and I'll move on to something else.

But I believe I'll never stop looking for answers, educationally, or religiously.

41

I D Cards First Step Down Slippery Slope?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

the uk government has announced that it is very serious about making it compulsory for citizens to carry an id card in view of the risk of subversive activity increasing.

it seems to me that this is the thin edge of the wedge.

i spent years trying to get out of a repressive organisation, and then even more years getting that organisations brain-washing out of my head.

conflicted

I guess I'm missing the point, the last time I checked the US was a democracy of the people, not socialist order, not a police state, not a fascist society.

Apparantly a national ID card makes us one of those - take your pick as to which one fits your far-fetched scenarios.

I have heard the news reports regarding these cards, nowhere have I heard anything about it being manditory to carry it - like a drivers license, you carry it when you need it, don't carry it when it isn't necessary.

I guess I'm naive, because you all seem to know where this will end, whereas I can't foretell the future. Do you really think a voting, democratic society is going to let George Bush become the next Hitler or Musolini - give me a break!

67

God's image

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

we are made in god's image and he is a person, not just some invisible, omnipresent force.

here is some more research for those who love to ask questions yet won't do the digging.. the bible consistently portrays god as a passionate individual, whose inner experiences of love, compassion, grief, delight, joy, peace, anguish, and moral outrage at atrocity dwarf ours in the extreme.

the bible makes no apology for this, but rather exults in the living one, in contrast to the dead and lifeless idols that surrounded its writers.. one scholar put it thus:.

conflicted

sunstarr, I must commend you on your openmindedness. I have heard and dealt with the other end of the spectrum far too often.

So many 'christians' are ready to condemn people who don't believe as they do. It's refreshing to discuss topics of a religious nature with someone who believes differently and not get into a pissing match.

Okay, back to the subject at hand.

I do, however, believe that those searching for faith will be given a measure of help from God to make the journey a little less difficult. But again, it must always be a personal decision to search or not.

I will comment on this part of your response, as it pertains to something I am doing right now. I post here regularly, but have never revealed my spiritual nature other than my question in my belief in the christian god. After I left the witnesses I was happy without any religion - I'm happy now. The difference between then and now is that now I am searching. And I am finding quite a measure of peace in zen teachings. Not necessarily bhudism, that is a misconception of western culture, zen and bhudism are for the most part practised together, but they are mutually exclusive. And I find the teachings of zen to be enlightening and peaceful. It is about finding balance in the world, in others and in yourself. It is not a religion, but a way to bring peace and tranquility into your life.

I don't know how this relates to faith or god, since zen isn't a religious practice without bhudism, but I don't feel alienated from my spriritual self the way I do with christianity.

I don't know what I said, but I said something.

41

I D Cards First Step Down Slippery Slope?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

the uk government has announced that it is very serious about making it compulsory for citizens to carry an id card in view of the risk of subversive activity increasing.

it seems to me that this is the thin edge of the wedge.

i spent years trying to get out of a repressive organisation, and then even more years getting that organisations brain-washing out of my head.

conflicted

When I hear 'National ID Card' I am picturing a card - a piece of plastic. It says who I am, That I am a citizen of the US, my age, and a picture of me on it.

I assume that it would be used to identify myself in the event that I try to board a plane, and the security wants to know that I belong there.(example)

What I am hearing described here is fear of a police state where officers are storming into our houses and demanding ID before our property is trashed or confiscated.

I don't think that is the intention of the government when the issue of these cards came up, do you?

41

I D Cards First Step Down Slippery Slope?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

the uk government has announced that it is very serious about making it compulsory for citizens to carry an id card in view of the risk of subversive activity increasing.

it seems to me that this is the thin edge of the wedge.

i spent years trying to get out of a repressive organisation, and then even more years getting that organisations brain-washing out of my head.

conflicted

I guess you are more sensitive to the issue than I am - you have that right, and I won't fault you for you opinion.

The question now is "Why won't you carry your card?"

Is it because you feel you are being oppressed?
Do you feel it isn't in your best interrest to have one?
Do you want to make waves?

I agree that I don't see how it can help, but how does it hurt?

67

God's image

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

we are made in god's image and he is a person, not just some invisible, omnipresent force.

here is some more research for those who love to ask questions yet won't do the digging.. the bible consistently portrays god as a passionate individual, whose inner experiences of love, compassion, grief, delight, joy, peace, anguish, and moral outrage at atrocity dwarf ours in the extreme.

the bible makes no apology for this, but rather exults in the living one, in contrast to the dead and lifeless idols that surrounded its writers.. one scholar put it thus:.

conflicted

sunstarr, you made a good point - the begining of my post was more of a rant than anything else, kind of on topic, but unanswerable notheless. Thank you for keeping me honest.

As to my question of the difficulty of faith - I too know many many people who 'claim' to have faith, and yet they lead their lives to the contrary. I also know many people who lead fruitful, content and peaceful lives without the benefit of religious convictions.

I directed my question specifically to you as a person who seems to have an abundance of faith and my lack thereof could benefit from your experience, or you from mine. So please bear with me if I go off topic, I'll return eventually.

I was a person of faith at one time. I beleved in the promises that god made, I believed in the sacrifice of Jesus - all of it, I was a believer and I defended my belief to those of little faith, as you do now. Then I found out that my beliefs were wrong.

Some people leave the JW religion and find it easy to put their faith in another belief system, I do not.

I take faith very seriously - it is a relationship between a person and god. Going through the motions and not really believing isn't good enough, you have to believe with everything you are, and I did. Some people are rewarded for their faith, I was punished for mine. I don't blame god for my negative experience with the JWs, but my faith is broken - I can't fix it, I don't know how.

Faith is the hardest thing we can give. Putting everything I have and believe on the chopping block and waiting to see if I chose correctly, what could be harder than that?

You said you think faith is like an extra sense that allows you to be closer to god. What happens when that sense is covered by experience - my relationship with god has foundered to the point that I don't even know if he exists or not.

I don't know if you are going to respond, or how, but in this light how can you say faith is easy?