in some religions, there are many gods, which are believed to be powerful spirits.
see gods.god as a proper noun is the word most commonly used to refer to the ultimate power across all religions.
as an improper noun, the word "god" means a deity who has supernatural powers.. belief in god is commonly called by the term theism.
The book "A History of God" provides a strong evidence that men describe their gods/god in ways that fill specific needs or project the personality traits or qualities of the worshipper on their god. If there is a god - he is not doing that great of a job. I hold a place in my heart and mind that he exists - but I become more and more doubtful each passing day.
zarco
i do not believe at all in the existence of the supernatural, etc.
i was a roman catholic in early childhood and catholicism is deeply rooted in my culture and community.
my happiest childhood memories are from that time, when life was normal and our family was not torn apart by jwism.
Purps
It seems that religion has adapted itself to meet the needs of populace throughout history. There is certainly nothing wrong for us to use religion from time to time to fill a human need for fellowship, a place to think or "magic".
It is probably only the Witnesses and a few others who assign deep meaning to attending a service. Glad that you went...... in some ways it shows that you have power over it and use it as you see fit ...
zarco
there was a poster named jt that i'd read and relate to.
he was very experienced and i very much respected his point of view.
he left all the praise and authority he had because he simply knew it was all a crock.
Three posters have really helped me grow as a person:
Leoleia – for the encouragement to research and examine the motives, situation and contemporary writings when assessing beliefs and the bible and for reinforcing the fact that any spiritual search is path that unique to each individual.
AuldSoul – for proving from the Bible that many of the Witness' beliefs are false. What comes immediately to mind are his comments on baptism, the Bible Teach Book, the other sheep…… and many others.
Alan F. – for doing the same thing as AuldSoul but from a scientific perspective. He has a blog somewhere with a wealth of information pertaining to the flood of Noah, the Creation Book and similar subjects.
Thanks to all three of you!
Warm regards,
zarco
the choice to name the headquarters "bethel" is a reflection of the shallow scholarship that plagues the religion as a whole.
while insisting the name choice is because of the story of jacob resting his head on a sacred stone and having visions of a "ladder" (ziggurat) and thereafter piling stones for el (cannanite chief deity) to reside in, hence the name "bet-el", it seemed they were unaware that the same word "bethel" is the name of a deity possibly equated with chemosh.
of all the names to call the wt headquarters they chose a pagan deity's name.
Karen Armstrong in her book A History of God posits that Abraham was a worshiper of El the High God of Canaan. She suggests that El is much different than Yahweh in that El is Abraham’s friend. The account in Genesis 18 shows a startling familiarity between Abraham and his god.
She also suggests that Jacob had a similar relationship with El both in his faith in the promise from El for protection wherever he would go and in the all night wrestling match between Jacob and El (angel for Witnesses).
Yahweh seems to be much different than the kind familiar god of Abraham in that he seems more distant and violent as evidenced in Yahweh’s treatment of the Egyptians during the exodus and his dealing with Moses – lightning flashes, trumpet blasts and fire. His showdown with Baal is another example of his personality.
Interestingly, the Bible writers quote Yahweh several times saying he is the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… seeming to suggest that Yahweh is trying to reinventing himself as El.
Just some food for thought. The book the History of God is a fascinating read. Sorry for resurrecting old threads, it is part of the education of Zarco. And yes, beth El mean the house of El or the Canaanite High God…..
Zarco
it's a danish film with subtitles about a 17-year-old born-in dub girl who falls in love with an unbeliever.. if you haven't seen it and would like to, i won't spoil the ending.
but there is a scene where the girl is called in before the judicial committee and grilled about whether or not she and her boy friend had sex, whether and where they touched each other, whether she spent the night with him, etc.
they had her in tears by the end of it.. scary, scary film.. .
It is a wonderful movie. One scene the “worldly” boyfriend questions her beliefs in a clothing store asking if other shoppers will die at gods hand, a mother, a child, others…. It illustrates the absurdity of the belief that “ we are the best – god will kill the rest”.
Lots of other interesting scenes showing the hypocrisy of the disfellowshipping doctrine, the creepiness of judicial committees and much more.
We plan to watch the film again.
Zarco
If he would have been addressing his disciples then one might be able to stretch.......... to the Witness teaching. But he is clearly addressing the Pharisees. Sometimes I am angry at myself for believing the Witnesses sometimes I am angry at them.
If you note John 9:40, you will see that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees. In this context he states "I have other sheep" - obviously he is talking about Gentiles to a Jewish audience.
It is frustrating to see the Witnesses distorting such a simple scripture.
Best.
Zarco
startfragment.
the following is partly based on comments from the book the gnostic gospels on page 123.. why do some leave and others stay?.
some seek their own interior direction, they reject religious institutions as a hindrance to their progress.
The following is partly based on comments from the Book The Gnostic Gospels on Page 123.
Why do some leave and others stay?
Some seek their own interior direction, they reject religious institutions as a hindrance to their progress. I think I am tending to viewing the JW religion has a hindrance in my quest for understanding and progress.
Others willingly participate in religious institutions, regarding the religious institution as and instrument for their own self -discovery. Or more likely, for a Witness, as a social instrument to keep family and other social ties intact. It is understandable that it is so difficult to leave friends and family. It is sad that one must choose between current relationships and other choices.
Zarco
on another thread, ak-jeff shared an interesting perspective........ "i don't know is my belief.. .
i care.
but typically, i get no answers when i ask.
Thanks, AllTimeJeff. "I don't need to know or have all the answers. I am at peace with what I don't know, as well with what I do know."
I hope to know what I don't know, or at least to get a reasonable approximation...... At times the amount of things I do not know is so voluminous that what I do know I know pales in comparison.
churches got together to raise funds to pay this jw's mortgage and assist with building her a new house.
where were all of her fellow jws?.
http://www.fresnobee.com/updates/story/1150039.html.
All too often the Witness response is to help the disadvantaged to assist them to apply for Government programs rather than to step in with real help. The Regional Building Committees will step in if you sign over an insurance check. But in this case, no insurance check was available- so no RBC. The generosity of Witnesses is limited to a few good individuals; it is certainly not a characteristic of the religion.
Zarco
