The paper was brief and sample was small so of course it has it's limits in describing the experience of a larger set of people. The article still illustrates the variety of negative effects. Myself and my wife, we had the pain of losing some family but also the joy of reuniting with others. Intellectually it was a liberating experience overall. For some, obviously the world seems to be a scary place, and they struggle to embrace it's realities.
peacefulpete
JoinedPosts by peacefulpete
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43
Research paper on Effects of Shunning
by peacefulpete inafter being around this site for 21 years now, i've heard many recount their stories and feelings.
many times i can immediately relate but other times they seem to have had a very different experience with the church.
i'm sure that is because not only are all of us different in personality, but congregations and family dynamics vary as well.
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Did the ransom sacrifice even work?
by Sharpie inshower thought entered my mind the other day... jesus christ.
as per doctrine.
is still alive in heaven right now correct?
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peacefulpete
Hope for good things is healthy. Hope for impossible things is denial.
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where did I first hear these words together?
by enoughisenough infor many years the only place i heard the words " new world order" together or the words "new system" were in the meeting talks or maybe we endeavored to explain them to people we witnessed to.
i just find it interesting that the worldly institutions are using the same word terms.
i just saw an article of some 5 points that came out of this last davos meeting, and all five of these points were using the term "new system" in the changes they want to force mankind into .i am wondering what is the likelihood of the most powerful people on earth borrowing words from a "hated" religion.
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Research paper on Effects of Shunning
by peacefulpete inafter being around this site for 21 years now, i've heard many recount their stories and feelings.
many times i can immediately relate but other times they seem to have had a very different experience with the church.
i'm sure that is because not only are all of us different in personality, but congregations and family dynamics vary as well.
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peacefulpete
After being around this site for 21 years now, I've heard many recount their stories and feelings. Many times I can immediately relate but other times they seem to have had a very different experience with the church. I'm sure that is because not only are all of us different in personality, but congregations and family dynamics vary as well. Here is a simple study wherein the author interviewed a number of former JWs. (warning it may trigger memories and pain).
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Did the ransom sacrifice even work?
by Sharpie inshower thought entered my mind the other day... jesus christ.
as per doctrine.
is still alive in heaven right now correct?
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peacefulpete
Skeptics aren't suggesting that that the apostles and others died for their beliefs. They are asking Christians to believe that the apostles and others died for their lies, for something they KNEW to not be true; because they said they were eye-witnesses.
Nothing establishes a new movement like a few martyrs. Generously assuming that legends about their deaths are historical, all we have is a tale as old as religion. People killing and dying for their faith. Are to presume every visionary or prophet or who was killed must have been divinely moved?
First we have Paul, like DisiJW just said Paul claimed only to have been fated, chosen before birth to be a visionary.
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…
He also claimed to have had visions of the layers of heaven (as was commonly believed see Enoch) and heard secret unspeakable things that he kept to himself. (2Cor12)
After years of preaching Paul goes to Jerusalem, to get to know a Cephus. More than a decade later he returned to Jerusalem again, met with Cephus, a John and a James. He did not mention anything about "eyewitnesses" only that they 'were esteemed to be pillars' in their church. The gospels had not yet been created so as to give these names a significance beyond that.
Concerning the Gospels, we have a late anonymous narrative (Mark) filled with OT midrash that was anonymously redacted and expanded with even more midrash and legend. If this was the work of eyewitnesses, they surely would not have needed to cut and paste Mark and the OT as is evident the writers did.
The only mention of eyewitnesses I can think of is in 1Cor 15 that leaps out as a formulaic creedal interpolation. It reflects a later layer of mythmaking not even seen in the Gospels and Acts.
I know this review is not going to change your mind, but at least stop misrepresenting the position of those who are not convinced of the miraculous claims in Xtian writings.
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My Explanation of Why They Got it Wrong About Blood Using Only the NWT
by cofty in10 " any israelite or any alien living among them who eats any bloodi will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.
12 therefore i say to the israelites, "none of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.
15 'anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.
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peacefulpete
To my knowledge the writers of the OT never heard of female orgasms.
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My Explanation of Why They Got it Wrong About Blood Using Only the NWT
by cofty in10 " any israelite or any alien living among them who eats any bloodi will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.
12 therefore i say to the israelites, "none of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.
15 'anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.
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peacefulpete
Lol..Vanderh..., you'd make a good Rabbi.
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My Explanation of Why They Got it Wrong About Blood Using Only the NWT
by cofty in10 " any israelite or any alien living among them who eats any bloodi will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.
12 therefore i say to the israelites, "none of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.
15 'anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.
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peacefulpete
Lev 20:18 If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and has intercourse with her, he has laid bare the source of her flow and she has uncovered it. The two of them shall be cut off from the people.
Lev 15:24“’If a man has sexual relations with her and her monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean.
Same book, evidently different hands and views.
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Another Tidbit regarding Acts 15
by peacefulpete inacts 15 has an interesting backstory (and textual history) that has been touched on elsewhere so here i will only say, the purpose of the section, and much of the book, is to re-envision the history of the early days of xtianity.
the deep schisms, (some might say even different origins) are made to appear superficial and inconsequential.
this theme contiues with the choice of two 'prophets' from jerusalem traveling back to antioch to share with paul and barny, named judas (yes another one) and silas.
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peacefulpete
Some other links. Another of the 7 deacons was Philip the Evangelist who according to Acts hosted Paul on a different trip to Jerusalem.
8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him.
Note the unmistakable effort to remind the reader that Jerusalem and Paul were friends.
At least 2 of the other names (Prochorus and Parmenas) are those described by tradition as being bishops of Antioch/Asia Minor. Timan was believed a bishop in Syria, stretching the roots of Syriac Xtianity???
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Another Tidbit regarding Acts 15
by peacefulpete inacts 15 has an interesting backstory (and textual history) that has been touched on elsewhere so here i will only say, the purpose of the section, and much of the book, is to re-envision the history of the early days of xtianity.
the deep schisms, (some might say even different origins) are made to appear superficial and inconsequential.
this theme contiues with the choice of two 'prophets' from jerusalem traveling back to antioch to share with paul and barny, named judas (yes another one) and silas.
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peacefulpete
I kinda regret the ellipsis regarding Silas not being in the Paulines. It opens a whole other box of unresolvable puzzles. While it is everywhere stated that Silas and Silvanus are the same person, (even some translations substituting Silas in the Paulies) it is not as simple as that. They are different names with different roots. Suffice it to say, at least many believe the names were originally intended to identify the same character while a minority hold the connection to be secondary but found useful . I admit it could be either way.
If the identification of Silas with Silvanus was originally intentional it might be another example of the author intending to unite the churches which were historically rivals. If the traditional linking of the names was secondary it serves the same purpose.
Earlier I referenced Acts 6:
5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
Here Acts includes a certain Nicolaus a proselyte (meaning converted to Judaism) of Antioch as among those authorized to dispense food equitably (7 deacons by Catholic tradition) when "Hellenists" declared they were being treated discriminately. Even here we see a cultural/religious division reported but presented as being corrected by the leaders of the Jerusalem church. "Hellenists" likely was a reference to a branch of Xtianity with affinity to Paul's particular brand. Further the Nicolaus of Antioch was a Paulinist who had his own branch of Xtianity. According to Irenaeus:
3. The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Wherefore the Word has also spoken of them thus: But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
Hippolytus describes him:
But Nicolaus has been a cause of the wide-spread combination of these wicked men. He, as one of the seven (that were chosen) for the diaconate, was appointed by the Apostles. (But Nicolaus) departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency of both life and food. And when the disciples (of Nicolaus) continued to offer insult to the Holy Spirit, John reproved them in the Apocalypse as fornicators and eaters of things offered unto idols.
Surely we see a pattern, Paulinist positions are being refuted while at the same time alleging the various branches had a peaceful united origin.