Well, at least you weighed the two options, and you've made up your mind. You say "tom-ay-to" and i say to-mah-to" that's all.Have a good one.
Leaving JWs Has Made Me Intolerant of Stupid Thinking - How About U?
by Seeker4 57 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
garybuss
An interesting time for me was when I was challenging my own core beliefs and the assumptions that supported many of those. Now I don't have much appreciation for conversation stoppers, like "We have the TRUTH.", or, "Where else will you go?". I recognize straw men and red herrings, and I tend to challenge those.
My current policy is not to discuss religion or Witnessism with a believing Jehovah's Witness unless I'm specifically asked. When a Witness uses a chant on me like "We have the truth!". I'll ask them how has that improved your life? Or I'll ask them how has that improved your personal relationships? Their responses to those questions is usually silence and they virtually never answer. They move on to their next memorized chant or cliche. You have the *truth* and *how's your life?* are two unrelated subjects to them.
Another of their favorite cliches is, "The organization has some problems, but they have a lot of things right.". I again take them back to my question, "How's that fact made your life better?". They are looking for an argument and I take them to the next level. They are not prepared to go in that direction.
When they ask me what I *believe*, I ask, "About what?".
I think it's as easy to reason with a believing Jehovah's Witness as it is to talk a drunk sober. It tends to piss off the drunk and it's a complete waste of time. -
Seeker4
SNG,
Pretty similar backgrounds, you and I, on this point. Talk origins made a huge difference for me. One of the most important places where I researched my science and Bible questions.
Gary - Interesting thoughts. I'll try to remember them in the unlikely circumstance that I actually ever get to talk to a Witness again.
S4
-
seattleniceguy
Hello seeker,
Yes, that site is really a great resource. I also found Stephen Jay Gould's books in the series that contains Ever Since Darwin and The Panda's Thumb to be very enlightening.
SNG -
Seeker4
SNG,
Gould and Sagan. Yes. Maybe existentialist should start there...
S4
-
diamondblue1974
Yes I have become intolerant of people who blindly follow when they should learn to challenge, test and critically assess...a friend of mine has some way off idea's (in my view) but if he can put a logical argument forward as to why he believes what he does then thats good enough for me...not good enough to accept hes right but good enough to accept that hes different and there lies the difference.
However if I come across someone who cannot say why he believes what he does and offers no reasons or basis for his belief or his beliefs are on the basis of poor and ill thought out reasonings which dont make any semblence of sense then I tend to walk away as they are a waste of my time.
When it comes to reading; I used to be able to cope with skimming through a watchtower or awake but nowadays the lack of references or bibliography annoys me...I could write the crap that appears in the magazines and nobody would be any the wiser;
The witnesses describe their magazines as 'journals' and that is a mistatement or misrepresentation of the truth; I read 'Journals' daily in my profession and none of the ones I read would dare ever go to print without references and or a bibliography.
DB74 of the intolerant of stupid thinking and stupid writing.
-
Seeker4
dblue wrote:
"However if I come across someone who cannot say why he believes what he does and offers no reasons or basis for his belief or his beliefs are on the basis of poor and ill thought out reasonings which don't make any semblence of sense; then I tend to walk away as they are a waste of my time....DB74 of the intolerant of stupid thinking and stupid writing."
Yes. That was what I was referring to. Want to discuss, debate, exchange some well thought ideas, or maybe just work on some not so well thought out ideas and be willing to compromise on those as they are dissected - WELCOME!
S4
-
funkyderek
People are free to think whatever stupid thoughts they wish, and I will leave them alone. Even if they choose to express their stupid thoughts, I will still be tolerant, just as I expect them to be tolerant of me when I laugh or snort derisively at them and loudly exclaim: "What nonsense!"