peace to you all!.
for some time now, i have been arguing and debating and discussing matters of god and the spirit (who is christ).
i have tried to share as he has given me to share whenever he gives me something to share.
Come... take the free gift of the water of life
Secular scientists it seems are saying essentially the same thing, albeit in very different words:
The Healing Potential of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness (http://www.stanislavgrof.com/pdf/Healing%20Potential%20of%20NOS_Grof.pdf)
Science and Spirituality: Observations from Modern Consciousness Research
and on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn-P-S6eFxQ
okay i know that there are people who began careers in medicine, law, etc.
then later got into the truth.
i know that pursuing a higher education is not forbidden but a personal choice.
In essence what cofty said.
okay i know that there are people who began careers in medicine, law, etc.
then later got into the truth.
i know that pursuing a higher education is not forbidden but a personal choice.
Dear elisaporquien
A warm welcome to JWN, where you doubtless will meet many varied, interesting and fine specimens of the human race.
Medicine it seems can be a very big and varied field especially if you take an "Integrative Medicine" approach.
I would hesitate to let such a small detail (such as blood transfusions) get in the way of my confidence and passion.
Yes, I know that Western medicine is in its infancy and we still have a lot of learning, growing and developing to do.
Mistakes have been made and will continue to be.
You should be free to be guided by your conscience and to reject bad medicine.
Psychiatry for example has a rotten history. Yet quite a number of Psychiatrists became involved in "anti-Psychiatry" and "Transpersonal Psychiatry" which defies the orthodox, reductionist, destructive and materialist mono-dimensional Western bio-medicine model.
I know, see and accept that there is a lot of hypocrisy, arrogance, authoritarianism and deception in Western bio-medicine. A lot is made of "evidence based medicine" yet the evidence of failure is simply ignored. For example 9 out of 10 Australians have a 100% chance of getting Chronic Disease and dying from it. The revolving door phenomenon in mental illness is somehow also not acceptable evidence of failure.
Still a passionate optimist can make the world of difference. As Margaret Mead observed: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Australian Professor Barry Marshall was once a young, brash medical doctor who came up with the insane and unheard of idea of performing a biopsy on a stomach ulcer. Go figure! The medical establishment was positively mortified at this astounding and impertinent heresy which led to the most unfortunate discovery of the "Helicobacter Pylori" bacterium. Well after 23 years all the egos and chest beating had finally died down, and poor old Barry was awarded a Nobel prize for his shocking forays into medical heresy. Now let's not get started about all the avoidable stomach ulcer related deaths caused by the medical "orthodoxy of the moment"...
Having been a Watchtower religionist for more than 40 years, and having now come to faith, I can confidently assure you the Watchtower is dead wrong in seeking to prohibit blood transfusions, fractions and donations on any sort of spiritual basis where your prospects of eternal life depend on their latest whim and interpretation.
Medically however I would accept that a whole blood transfusion is (much like) an organ transplant with serious attendant complications and an avenue of last resort. I would also accept that the bumbling and stumbling Watchtower may have uncovered some worthy alternatives in use by surgeons who seek to pursue bloodless surgery where possible. Plasma Volume Expanders and so on...
Best wishes on your chosen field of study and career
Fernando
that text reminds me of one of a handful of problems peculiar to the ex-jw community.
second only to the wild beast's internal divisions, is the divided makeup of the ex-jw populace.
you know the one thing that indicates jehovah's blessing upon the worldwide association of kingdom proclaimers, is not only the continued success of the preaching work, but along with it the unity and love amongst the brothers and sisters.
SFPW how long have you been a "publisher of the Good News"?
If you are sincere and honest you may want to explore why the "Good News" according to Paul is not in your heart and not on your lips.
Is it true that more than half your Bible's references to "Good News" are by Paul?
How many times does Paul mention "Good News" and "Kingdom" in the same sentence?
.
i believe they do.. loislane.
I too was one of the 7-14 million who defended my (spiritual) captors and the (spiritual) jail they kept me in for more than 40 years.
I too had spiritual Stockholm Syndome.
... i joined this forum.
well... 11 months and 23 days ago to be more exact.
why this post?
A challenging question indeed: "why does God permit evil?"
I have pondered if we have possibly been asking the wrong question.
What if God has played his ultimate trump card to end evil legally and permanently?
Could it be that we simply have to accept and pursue this solution?
Should we be asking: "why do we permit evil (by ignoring God's solution)?"
There was a seismic shift in the sociological landscape almost 500 years ago in 1517 when one man was so emboldened by this solution that he launched a solo challenge against the status quo.
He articulated a startling and frightening vision that ended up unleashing unbelievable freedoms which resulted in a much safer world for many of those in the west.
What would happen if we took his vision to the next level and then to its zenith?
Watchtower Awake Kingdom Enterprise - Utopian Paradise
has anyone else read this or seen it?.
www.leavingjehovahswitnesses.org .
i am curious what anyone thinks of this ......
Excellent website and message.
Modest and humble approach.
Conveys a sincere desire to motivate and inspire others on a journey of healing and freedom.
there seem to be many ways to explain the difference.
the one below seems moderate - even neutral.
your thoughts?.
There seem to be many ways to explain the difference. The one below seems moderate - even neutral. Your thoughts?
"First, a word about the distinction between spirituality and religion. On this point, many contemporary scholars have achieved a fair consensus. Spirituality is a broader term than religion (Astrow, Puchalski, & Sulmasy, 2001). Spirituality refers to an individual's or a group's relationship with the transcendent, however that may be construed. Spirituality is about the search for transcendent meaning. Most people express their spirituality in religious practice. Others express their spirituality exclusively in their relationships with nature, music, the arts, or a set of philosophical beliefs or relationships with friends and family. Religion, on the other hand, is a set of beliefs, practices, and language that characterizes a community that is searching for transcendent meaning in a particular way, generally on the basis of belief in a deity. Thus, although not everyone has a religion, everyone who searches for ultimate or transcendent meaning can be said to have a spirituality."
Taken from page 25 of "A Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Model for the Care of Patients at the End of Life" (link)
whilst the site was down it came to mind just how important, healing and liberating it is to be free to question, discuss, express and associate.. jwn i imagine exists and flourishes because of this.. yet the controlling, authoritarian, venomous, hateful, spiteful and deceitful wbts/gb would die a sudden death if it dared to offer the same.. i just love how jwners "attend" jwn "meetings" voluntarily without reminders, propaganda, veiled threats and guilt-tripping.. how is it that jwn can accomplish so much more with so much less?
go figure..
Whilst the site was down it came to mind just how important, healing and liberating it is to be free to question, discuss, express and associate.
JWN I imagine exists and flourishes because of this.
Yet the controlling, authoritarian, venomous, hateful, spiteful and deceitful WBTS/GB would die a sudden death if it dared to offer the same.
I just love how JWNers "attend" JWN "meetings" voluntarily without reminders, propaganda, veiled threats and guilt-tripping.
How is it that JWN can accomplish so much more with so much less? Go figure.
