The fact that all the writings of these "Holy Books", while claiming divine inspiration, are really products completely trapped in the prejudices and experience of their time. Looking back from our time of technology and real medical care, we can have nothing but compassion for everyone who lived in ancient times where crippling illness, suffering, injustice and death were their daily experience, just like a real god would have felt watching people live in ignorance and dysfunction, instead of raging at them. A real miracle would have been revealing the bacterial cause of disease. THAT would have been a truly loving act, relieving the suffering of billions of innocents in the intervening time. It would seem a divine author would have a real difficulty letting something like that not slip. Furthermore, considering the heinous events throughout history where the "gods" could have stepped in to defend "their name" or rescue countless numbers of people experiencing immense suffering, BUT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING shows that they do not exist. Any time spent parsing it is like being obsessed with something in a garbage landfill.
getanewplanstan
JoinedPosts by getanewplanstan
-
23
The folly of Watchtower's theodicy. Or, why would an all-powerful and all-wise God need to justify his sovereignty through suffering?
by Island Man inwatchtower says that evil and suffering exist at present to vindicate jehovah as being the only one qualified to govern; to bear witness to man's inability to govern himself independent of god and under satan's direction.
the claim is made that the questions raised by satan regarding god's motives as universal sovereign can only be answered by allowing humans to see the evil and suffering that results when man lives independent of god's protection and direction.. watchtower and jws seem to think that this is the best theodicy in the world.
but there are some serious flaws in it.. 1. such a theodicy suggests that all perfect and intelligent creation, up until the advent of adam and eve, did not know god and his ways well enough to be confident that his motives as universal sovereign are pure.
-
-
-
40
New Geoffrey Jackson statement on Royal Commission's webpage!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Viva la Vida incheck his signature... it looks kind of childish/feminine (at least in my part of the world)... is this a grown man's signature for you?.
http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/downloadfile.ashx?guid=9d0ca1dc-1bd6-41c4-9cfc-b1d616d1cc65&type=exhibit&filename=stat.0670.001.0001&fileextension=pdf.
-
-
getanewplanstan
If he is a "born in", he is like many of you, having learned in very early childhood that he had to live a fake life or IN ACTUAL FACT, LOSE HIS PARENTS! Here he is at old age, still living his life everyday with that very real PRIMAL FEAR just underneath, carefully living a life that is not the real him, BECAUSE IN ACTUAL FACT HE WILL LOSE HIS PARENTS if he does not! For all that have had this experience, you have my utmost sympathy and forgiveness. -
21
In 3 and one half-hours time..
by snugglebunny inin 3 and one half-hours time..queen elizabeth will become the longest reigning sovereign ever.. you go, girl!.
.
-
-
getanewplanstan
Her experience is much like a "born in" witness. She is going through the motions of an unreality, a figment, to be dutiful to her parents, grandparents and sacrificing a "normal" life, Always careful not to show her true self, knowing that everyone would not want that. Even though she appears to live in luxury, it is a prison of non anonymity, anonymity a far more valuable luxury. She deserves good Karma. Hopefully she was not a part of the nastiness during the colonial decoupling ... or sought forgiveness ...
-
14
Talk with a witness, my " Final Showdown"
by The Rebel inyesterday a witness friend asks why i don't attend the k.h anymore.. me:- " i don't say this often but your j.ws opinion is wrong" .
the end.. my reasons for this simple reply were:-.
a) i have grown tied of reading j.w crap.
-
-
getanewplanstan
Just say I'm doing great, how are you doing. There is no reason to explain. How can you explain that you grew out of it? Although missing the social life, once you realize you will NEVER go out in FS again, you realize, therefore, that there is no point in continuing going to the meetings. They are not at that point yet, you can't force it. -
20
I need some advice
by SpunkedTeen ini dont think ill be able to leave the organization,you see i have no close friends in or outside the jws and my entire family is part of the cult,if i leave my mom and the rest of my family will be heartbroken and i dont want to be the reason they are hurt.
im not particularly close to any of my family members but i still care for them.
i could really use some advice because i have no one else to turn too..
-
-
getanewplanstan
Good comments on this thread in spite of the originator being a poser. However, he/she is a stand in for real ones looking for advice. -
31
Having One Of Those "Pondering Disassociation" Days :(
by freemindfade inthere are a lot of things that make me have days like this, the utter embarrassment of being are part of a cult that protects child abusers, that enforces emotional brutality through shunning, and that lies constantly.
the lying i can tolerate, the world is built on bullshit, i have a high lie tolerance.
i can ignore it if it has no effect on me etc.
-
-
getanewplanstan
Don't DA! Your letter will only be read by at most 2 elders. Then it may not be read completely! They will see from the first paragraph where this is going, skip down to the last paragraph, see that you want to DA and that will be it! It won't be read to or made available to the other elders and the only point made will be, "another person did not guard themselves from apostates". The CO will not read it. The other elders will hear the announcement and there will be no curiosity about why. Either you are living an unchristian life or the apostates got to you. JUST FADE! And get on with your life! -
39
Are There Good People Out There?
by LaurenM ineven though i'm no longer mentally a jw (i still technically am) i do recognize that there are some benefits to being raised one.
for example, the first (and only so far) wordly guy i was involved with had to smoke weed every day and got drunk all the time and that was his idea of fun.
i couldn't help but feel bad for him.
-
-
getanewplanstan
Growing up in the "world" over 50 years ago, I was disappointed that everyone, including some in my family and everyone on the job were seemingly trying to outdo one another at being mean, angry immoral scumbags or alcoholic, drug abusing losers. I realize now that many were veterans of the 1st & 2nd world wars, Korean and Vietnam war suffering PTSD. Others were acting out "unresolved conflicts from childhood", because children in those days had less protection from dysfunctional families or sex predators. And I lived in an educated, middle class community!
For me, It really was easy to come into the religion when I first came to the Hall, because it was so refreshing when people did not manifest any of those attitudes.
Now being out, I am still trying to find the "good people".
Glad to see that you recognized that guy as a loser and are not going to try to spend a good portion of your life trying to "fix him". An old saying is "when a woman goes bad, the men go right after her!" The same is true of men, when they manifest bad boy attitudes, the women go right after them! Another saying is "When a man meets a woman, he wants her to stay the same, and a woman wants the man to change ". (you cannot change a person with passive-agressive anger. They are the some of most difficult people to deal with, they act with compulsion not thought)
Your comment sounds like you may have a higher than average IQ or a better developed prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is the grownup. We are often naturally drawn to people closer to our IQ, emotional or academic. Going to some college may bring you into contact with better people. Try to develop a screening process. Not acting promiscuous sexually, or giving it up easily will aid in screening. The popular culture is pure poison, don't imitate it. Build you own life and values and stick to them.
If you are young, verbal and attractive be careful of the zombies, that is those who are less in contact with reality, because of whatever, that causes them to live half their life in a trance, taking advantage of others. Not acting promiscuous sexually, or giving it up easily will aid in screening. The popular culture is pure poison, don't imitate it. Build you own life and values and stick to them.
-
69
Why Me?
by John Aquila indo you ever wonder why out of all the witnesses, you are the one that woke up?
i wonder many times why me.
i know many men and women that are much, much better persons than me; either they are much smarter, more humble, kinder, more successful, or just better persons all around.
-
-
getanewplanstan
There is an ancient saying that somehow did not make it into the bible: "It is easy to believe something is real if we want it to be real".
What good hearted person does not have difficulty coping in this world? What good hearted person would not want an end to suffering, death, injustice? What good hearted person would want to stand in the way of that?
You came to a point in your life where you were ready or able to accept the world as is is. It no longer was necessary for you to have this crutch. You grew up psychologically.
-
15
Should Charity Organizations Be Forced To Be Transparent As To Where The Money Goes? Watchtower's Financial Books Should Be Made Public
by Brokeback Watchtower ini know there is much encouragement for charities to have financial transparency and i'm all for it reguardless of whether they are a religion or whatever.
also lawsuit pay out should made easy identifiable on tax form too.
any charity should be accountable to the general public when funds are used to pay out lawsuits so that the general public is aware of where their money is going.
-
-
getanewplanstan
In the US, some States require non-religious charities to file financial reports, such as to the Attorney Generals Office. Reading them is interesting. The ones who do cold calling on the telephone make millions, but give only a token to their supposed charity. The rest are administration fees.
The reason Bethel facilities in the US are so big is because they found themselves with huge amounts of money coming in and nowhere to spend it. The more buildings they brought, required more workers, which required more buildings, etc. etc. A large amount of the jobs at bethel have low production expectations and the whole reason to be there is "to be at Bethel".
-
39
What went wrong in your congregation?
by The Rebel inthe target is converts.. why does it seem such an outrageous aim for a congregation to recruit new converts?.
in my old congregation, the enthusiasm was there but the knocking on doors produced zero " baptisms" in my final years.. a) why so little interests?.
b) was it the internet ?.
-
-
getanewplanstan
The people at the door instantly realize that they will be expected to also go D2D if they join. Not a motivator to people of European ancestry, among whom privacy is a higher priority, perhaps more so than other cultures.