Posts by OnTheWayOut

50

Overwhelmed

by Freedom rocks in

does anyone else feel overwhelmed on what to believe?.

i've been doing lots of research on beliefs, evolution, creationism but i feel no further forward about what i truly believe.

for example i looked at the fossil record and tiktaalic and thought great it proves a lot but then i've seen counter arguments on youtube of people basically saying its a load of rubbish and doesn't prove anything.

OnTheWayOut

Perry:
My basic premise is that while all people are equal, ideas are not equal. And, while we cannot go back in time and see for ourselves what happened, we can try to ground certain conclusions with things we know to be facts (premises) now. Things like:

1. All life comes from previous life

2. All information comes from a mind

3. All books have authors

Etc.

A Transcendent God (one outside of our 3 dimensional universe) conclusion doesn't contradict the premises I listed above.

See, there is an example of self-imposed nonsense. Perry feels he needs to know and demonstrate that the creator exists, so he falls for the "outside of our 3 dimensional universe" theory. That really means "I have no answers, so my god is exempt." I don't point this out to poke fun at Perry, but rather to demonstrate that you are better off to accept "I don't know, and that's okay."

31

Bill Cosby Gets Sentence Of 3 to 10 Years!

by minimus in

jw
friends

wow!

i thought he might get less than 2 years incarceration..

OnTheWayOut

To me, the conviction was the victory. A short term sentence is okay with me. He is sick and would cost taxpayers more money to be locked up a long time. Let him pay for his own medical stuff.

18

I'm considering putting off my leaving

by paradiseseeker in

jw
friends

i just wanted to share with you the thoughts that i've had lately.. my plan was to get a job, become independent and then leaving the org throughout this year 2018. i'm going to achieve the first step in a matter of weeks, the second one soon afterwards but maybe i will wait a little longer for the last one.. one year ago a friend of mine was reinstated.

we weren't very close friends back then, although we got along well.

but, since no many jws in my town want to hang out with him (because of his being a former disfellowshipped), we started to talk and go out more often and in a matter of half a year we've become very close friends, like brothers.

OnTheWayOut

All are free to do as they see fit. It's really a matter of what you can stand that will guide you.

I lingered for years within the organization, but I wasn't convinced it wasn't the truth. Once I knew what I needed to know for sure, that it wasn't the truth, I was completely physically out within 9 months. But in my case, I just couldn't waste time in that organization and I didn't care to hold on to local "friends." I did feel bad that I lost my best friend (who lived 500 miles from me) over this, but I had hoped better from him before that happened.

50

Overwhelmed

by Freedom rocks in

does anyone else feel overwhelmed on what to believe?.

i've been doing lots of research on beliefs, evolution, creationism but i feel no further forward about what i truly believe.

for example i looked at the fossil record and tiktaalic and thought great it proves a lot but then i've seen counter arguments on youtube of people basically saying its a load of rubbish and doesn't prove anything.

OnTheWayOut

I needed an answer as to how life, the universe, and everything came to be. And as I satisfied SOME of my need, I came to realize that the need itself was self-imposed nonsense.

If I didn't know whether life itself has a purpose, it doesn't stop me from making my own purpose.
If there are gaps in any explanation, speculation is okay.

Some may say they need to find the right path to please their "creator" but that is self-imposed nonsense too.
Even if there were a creator needing our worship and obedience, I would figure he would let us know what he wants, or be satisfied with our path of curiosity and understand how we got out of that cult and give us some slack.

Personally, I am satisfied that there is not a creator demanding certain things of us, but he would know my cell number if I am wrong.

28

What are they trying to hide

by UnshackleTheChains in

ok. we are all aware of the scandal around the non reporting of child abuse cases to the authorities by the elders and how it was part of watchtower policy.. this has probably been discussed before, which i apologize for now if it has.. the obvious view that most of us make as to why the gb are so reluctant to comply with the authorities by revealing their database around child abuse allegations, is that the leadership at watchtower hq likely were trying to safeguard the reputation of the organisation.. however, (just a theory) are they hiding something more sinister which could in effect devastate the organisation ie could it be they are hiding some things within the gb itself, whether it be some individuals within the gb of the past or even present who might have had some serious allegations made against them which the authorities are never going to know about?

i mean why the hell are they going to such lengths to hide everything???.

any thoughts?

OnTheWayOut

As already said, it is probably as simple as them lambasting the Catholic Church for this very problem, using it as proof that that organization is "from Satan." Then they realize their own problem stemming from their 2-witness rule has caused the situation to be just as bad (worse percentage-wise).

We already know there has been some high level problems with this. But I doubt any current new pedophiles cover-ups would go too high.

13

The "Faithful And Discreet Slave Class" is it still a Doctrine / Belief ? of Jehovah`s Witnesses today ? 2018 ? or is it old light.

by smiddy3 in

i have listened to steven unthank`s podcast and found it very informative and interesting and thought i would ask this question for anyone who is still a practicing member either a pimo or a pomo who only goes along for a family member ,whether this doctrine is still a part of the religions teachings ,or whether it has been dropped altogether .. your replies are much appreciated ..

OnTheWayOut

Most any "anointed" members outside of branches and headquarters are old coots looked at as kind of unusual, or they are viewed as fake anointed or mentally disturbed people seeking attention.

So I highly doubt members really had a problem when GB seized the "class" and dismissed the rest of them.

Edited to add: Including the GB, I think they really are faking it or are mentally disturbed people seeking attention.

25

First year with baby!

by Darkknight757 in

i wanted to share a few recent pics of izabella with everyone.

this week marks her one year since her coming home from nicu.

she has been growing and changing so much these last few months in particular.

OnTheWayOut

So glad you took care of your special person without Watchtower instructions.
Thanks for sharing.

37

God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both

by moley in

i consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.

i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.

could be imagined could be real.

OnTheWayOut

Wiki: Afterlife is the concept that an essential part of an individual's identity or the stream of consciousness continues to manifest after the death of the physical body.

Some beliefs include something like a soul living outside the body and some include reincarnation to another body.

My spiritual path of research has taken me to looking to science rather than religion and philosophy for such answers. Science tells me that our individual existence (what makes us who we are inside our body) needs to include the physical portion of our brain. Neurons firing within that particular housing in their particular ways is what makes OnTheWayOut the person he is. Remove the housing and lose the individual.

I do not believe that the personality can survive outside the brain in any way as a ghost or soul or energy on another plane of existence.

Despite science fiction finding ways to overcome that, primarily by downloading the individual to a computer or seizing another body/brain, I doubt that such things would allow retention of the personality.

23

Does Disfellowshipping only prohibit spiritual contact with a DF family member or friend?

by Isambard Crater in

all through my life, now in my 40's, i've seen df people get completely shunned by family and friends, but an ex elder showed me the stfog book that says it's just spiritual contact that stops.

so what's the crack?

i'm mega confused, as i want to go p.o.m.o or ideally da but don't want to loose family..

OnTheWayOut

The literature will say both things, that you should not have spiritual contact with a person and also that you should not even say hello to them.

"… a simple "Hello" to someone can be the first step that develops into a conversation and maybe even a friendship. Would we want to take that first step with a disfellowshiped person?" Watchtower 1981 Sep 15 p.25

They will show the one thing to government officials and curious people who think they are a cult, that they allow normal family relations and only refrain from spirtual discussions, therefore their work should not be banned and they should not be viewed as an extremist group. Then they will remind members of the other thing- any contact can lead to being misled by Satan's wiles.

Current literature still says shunning is necessary:
"Despite our pain of heart, we must avoid normal contact with a disfellowshipped family member by telephone, text messages, letters, e-mails, or social media." Watchtower 2017 Oct p.16

8

Theramin Trees: Becoming Fools | A Visit From Some JWs

by pale.emperor in

excellent video from theramin tree's.

it's funny that we can relate entirely to the jw's in this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewehb4qm1hg.

OnTheWayOut

That video was brilliant. While it should be a sweeping generality to apply it to all JW's, we know well enough that the statements about JW's apply virtually universally to them. This reminds me quite so of why I don't really bother with the average JW. With a loved one, we might have time to overcome obstacles, but with a JW acquaintance, they just stop thinking when their message is challenged.