truth_b_known

Joined

• started 34 topics
• posted 2,612 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by truth_b_known

• 
  10

  Happy New Year

  by HappyDad in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wishing all of you a happy and prosperous new year.

  my wish is for everyone to find happiness.

  for those of you who are still having to keep up appearances (pimo's) because of family who are still in, my wish for you is anything that will open the eyes of your family members and finally be set free.. tonight here in minnesota, happydad will be celebrating with a bloody mary, right here at home in my sweats.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Happy New Year to all. May you be happy & well.
• 
  18

  Article to discuss or argue over: Buddha, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammed: Larger-than-life historic figures or largely legends?

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've posted a link to an article that contains important food for thought.

  as we search for information to free our minds and hearts of cult-like thinking which entails being able to critically think, we need to ponder research that is available to help us to make important decisions.

  we need to allow ourselves to consider other possibilities, something that jw’s are discouraged from doing.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Sea Breeze:

  The time stamp is 4:49 on the first video you posted in regards to the doctorate panel's instruction to the then future doctor. He was told that he could not use the New Testament as evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.

  A book a read make a statement that really struck home with me -

  First, you must have faith that your religion has truth. Second, you must have doubt in your religion. Third, you must have dedication to find the truth, whatever it may be.

  Referring to doubt, the writer stated to have doubt, but not be skeptical. There is a difference. A skeptic is looking for anything to disprove something. A doubter simply seeks the truth. It also means not clinging to an idea and seeking to only prove it to be true. There is a balance. A middle way.

  I am open to there being a historical Jesus. It would even be reasonable that such a man was executed for his teachings. It would be reasonable that a religion would be born from that man's teachings.

  I also know that the Jesus story is built on the foundation of a belief in a future Messiah who would liberate the Jews from their never ceasing line of foreign conquerors. The Old Testament was written by a people who were constantly having their religious beliefs influenced by the conqueror of the day. Egyptians, Persians, Macedonians/Greeks, and then the Romans. Persian Zoroastrian religion gave the Jews a monotheist religion. The Greeks gave the Jews an afterlife.

  That is why the sects of the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to be. It was their job to keep the Jewish religion pure from outside influence. That is why they attacked Jesus because his teachings did not align with theirs. That is also why there are those who theorize that when Jesus spoke about his father, God, that it was not YHWH Jesus was speaking of. That the Jews had left the worship of their true god for the worship of another, YHWH.

  I am off track here. My point being that Dr. Haberman provides sound arguments, but not evidence. That is what apologetics is - it is reason based argument, only. Reason based argument can show things are possible. That doesn't mean they are.

  It is like the Scooby Do argument - you can use reason based argument to show that there is most likely some sort of consciousness that fits the description of what some call "god". However, to make the statement that the consciousness spoken of is god "X" requires evidence. That the one true religion of "X" is "Y" takes a tremendous amount of evidence. This is where the honest believer has to admit that they substitute evidence with belief.

  I commend you, Sea Breeze. You obviously are actively seeking truth. Belief is holding on to an idea regardless of the evidence presented. Faith is letting go of all idea and accepting the truth as you experience it. Have a little faith. The Apostles did.
• 
  10

  No rational reasoning with cult elders

  by UnshackleTheChains in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://youtu.be/elm5y8t3pjs.

  this is why i can't in good conscience go back to the organisation.

  you are pressured to bring others into the cult and then for them to wake up and find they are caught in a web of rules and policies such as shunning.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  "Because the Bible says so." - Attorney

  "Yup!" - Terrance O'Brien

  That is partially true. Those who leave are considered to be apostate, "runaway slaves," according to the Apostle Paul who created this arrangement according to scripture.

  The real question is "If you are a professed Christian will you obey Jesus and show love or obey Paul and shun?"
• 
  6

  Poll abouth new media center

  by asp59 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  lets take a poll abouth new media center.

  maeby its gonna show how well it's gonna be accepted in the congregations.

  you can only choose this two options.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Does anyone else here get dressed up in business attire to attend the most recent blockbuster movie?
• 
  19

  So many are waking up. Pandemic gave jws time to think.

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is not about stats, but "actual experiences" happening world wide in the organization.

  there is about 156 comments of what some jws are seeing in their congregation.

  feel free to read and come to your own conclusion on whether the watchtower organization is turning pimo but no one says anything in order to keep family relations.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  This makes sense to me. My father who is PIMI shared with me back when I first started my fade that typically Witnesses who become inactive and stop attending meetings rarely return. I wish I remember his exact statement as his wording made sense. It had something to do with a person's way of thinking.

  What my father didn't realize what he was actually sayings was "The more time you spend away from Witness activities the more you will see the truth about the Truth."
• 
  18

  Article to discuss or argue over: Buddha, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammed: Larger-than-life historic figures or largely legends?

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've posted a link to an article that contains important food for thought.

  as we search for information to free our minds and hearts of cult-like thinking which entails being able to critically think, we need to ponder research that is available to help us to make important decisions.

  we need to allow ourselves to consider other possibilities, something that jw’s are discouraged from doing.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  I watched some of Dr. Habermas lecture. It was interesting. I found it intriguing that this body of scholars told him he could not use the New Testament to prove the resurrection of Christ and his response was "I will find a way around your system so as I may use the New Testament to prove the resurrection of Christ."

  It seemed the good doctor does what most apologetics do - use philosophical argument based logical conclusion in the place of evidence. I get it. Good argument. Makes sense. Not evidence.

  I realize a problem is that what we view as evidence today was not available in time of antiquity. It makes it difficult to prove anything. What could we possibly have?

  Well, I found Apostolic Succession interesting. Every ordained Catholic priest can trace their lineage of ordination back to the original 11 Apostles. There is a similar practice in Buddhism. Ordination or Dharma Transmission for a Buddhist traces the line of teachers all the way back to Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century BCE.

  The problem for most Christians, especially Evangelicals, is that would mean accepting the Catholic Church as the one true church.
• 
  18

  Article to discuss or argue over: Buddha, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammed: Larger-than-life historic figures or largely legends?

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've posted a link to an article that contains important food for thought.

  as we search for information to free our minds and hearts of cult-like thinking which entails being able to critically think, we need to ponder research that is available to help us to make important decisions.

  we need to allow ourselves to consider other possibilities, something that jw’s are discouraged from doing.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Thank you for sharing the article. Here is an important part that I would like to share my thoughts on -

  If we understand the birth and evolution of religions as natural processes, we can predict what kinds of religions may emerge in the future. For example, any emergent religion right now would have to be science compatible, or science-proof. As Robert Wright pointed out, as societies and religions become more interdependent, grow bigger and bigger, they have to be more inclusive, or they simply won’t be able to compete with those that are.

  Philosopher Ken Wilber speaks about his Integral movement in religion. There are those who are pathfinders in making Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism come into agreement with science as well as be inclusive as modern society is. Obviously the hard nosed evangelicals have heartache with this. A study of Martin Luther, his Reformation movement, and how it is roadblocking this is all too apparent in the U.S.

  What find interest is this article mentions Buddha/Buddhism right from the get go, but never speaks about it. The reason for this, as Ken Wilber shares in his first book on the Integral movement, is that Buddhism is the first rational religion. Only now is it becoming apparent with modern psychology studies and quantum physics how Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha and founder of Buddhism, had it right all along. I appreciate how Gautama stated he was not a god, was not to be worshipped, and to not take his word alone as being true, but rather test his teachings to be sure they are valid. There is no god or personal creator in Buddhism.

  I appreciate Anony Mous comment So in my opinion, these stories are very important and valuable, it’s very evident that this is a compendium of almost 250,000 years of human and pre-human wisdom that has been filtered and compressed and needs to be taken serious. You don’t take it as fact, you take it as a lesson.

  As one outspoken Atheist has brought up (I wish I could find the quote again) that Antitheism is proof of ignorance as religion does have a valid purpose. Any person who claims all religion has no value does not understand religion well enough to know better.
• 
  20

  Love one another intensely...avoid partiality

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower—study edition | march 2020. study article 13. love one another intensely.

  if we have intense “love for the whole association of brothers,” we will avoid being partial.

  7 jesus urged us to keep treating others the way we want to be treated.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Self-incriminating article to say the least. I experienced this all too well while I was a Witnesses. Love is the only metric required to prove or disprove a religion.
• 
  141

  My Prediction Regarding New Space Telescope That Will See Back to 100 Million Years From the Big Bang

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a new space telescope launched a few days age that will supposedly be able to see to within 100 million years of the big bang.

  wow... only 100 million years from the big bang.

  that is pretty early given the 12 billion year age of the universe assigned by scholars who adhere to naturalism.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  I am excited to see what images come back to Earth. I have no expectations. What is, is and has always been. Otherwise it could not be.
• 
  16

  Do Jehovah's Witnesses shun non-believers and those who leave the faith?

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  graeme hammond writes:.

  in his 2002 book that examined the behaviour and practices of jehovah’s witnesses, english sociologist andrew holden devoted an entire chapter to the trauma and friction experienced by those who choose to leave the jehovah’s witness religion.

  “those who do eventually break free,” he concluded, “are seldom allowed a dignified exit.”.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  truth_b_known

  Why would Jehovah's Witnesses be required to shun members who disassociate themselves?

  To hide the truth from active Jehovah's Witnesses.