Intolerance - a new breed of ex-JW (page 6)

AuldSoul

There is a very big difference between tolerance and acceptance. While I don't think anyone has to justify their boundaries of acceptance to anyone else—so long as they don't infringe the rights of another—in my opinion tolerance should go quite a lot further.

Some people carry the anti-religious crusade to the point of zealous fervor, dumping imperious dung all over threads started by those who believe and feel strongly about what they posted. I wonder sometimes whether they ever consider exercising their right to ignore a thread that offends them.

I am a believer in more than tangible reality and my posts reflect my beliefs. That is not an excuse for someone else to bash my beliefs, or my intellect/maturity for possessing those beliefs. I don't mind when people post from the standpoint of their personal experiences, but I do mind when it crosses the line of attacking the validity of the experiences of another person.

To all the people who have ever snidely commented that it is impossible to prove a negative: If you know you can't prove a negative, prove you know that by studiously refraining from writing as though you can. You have no place sneering at the experience of others, everyone's identity is shaped by experiences—it is a person you are sneering at and belittling.

At the least, try and remember a time when you didn't feel as superior as you do now, before you learned better. Or when you felt more superior than you do now, and then you learned better. Either way, recognize that you didn't leap into the understanding you now possess.

And then think about whether you've stopped changing your understanding of things. Hopefully not. You will be different a year from now. So, who is absolutely certain you want me to become like you were last year? Show of hands? We can argue, we can discuss, we can rage against entities and mindsets, but lets try to keep that out of support and/or investigation threads. There is an appropriate way to vent, but beating up on a rapidly changing idiot isn't one of them.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

Sunnygal41

Wait a minute... I like personal tirades! That's the problem LT your too nice!

Actually, LT is our own resident Chiron, known in mythology as a wise Teacher/Healer of the Centaur Tribe. He was actually an exception, as further study reveals that they were also known for their warrior characteristics............I guess LT has "evolved" rather nicely.......with alot of personal application...............

diamondblue1974

My observation of this is similar; I know from my experience when I left that I had to revisit my core values; my views on other religions; others sexuality and indeed my own. (Although LT as you know I am very comfortable with my sexuality )

As witnesses we are conditioned into believing that other world views are wrong; that others with different sexualities or normal but arguably different sexual habits are wrong and in many other areas of life also. Its natural that some of those views remain when we exit as they can be so entrenched into our mindset.

I found that systematically breaking down my belief systems and learning to objectively and critically analyse my views, intolerance became less and less a part of my personality; acceptance becomes easier in my view.

DB74

ballistic

How did we get onto sex?

diamondblue1974

You can blame that one on me hehe!

Intolerance comes in all shapes and sizes though!

DB74

stevenyc

Steve:Wassup, not gettin any?

Hey, not fair! We don't have as many woolie friends in the big apple as you Hebredean types.

steve

jgnat

I found that systematically breaking down my belief systems and learning to objectively and critically analyse my views, intolerance became less and less a part of my personality; acceptance becomes easier in my view.

Diamondblue, I think this is a necessary step in full healing from the WTBTS. Some people stop short.

On the other hand, as I get older, I'm more quick to declare "that's stupid", based on my experience. How do I explain to my twentysomething daughter, in shorthand, that refined sugar is highly unlikely to do permanent damage to Naomi?

Narkissos

Justin

As has been pointed out, people should be met where they are. I don't think it's helpful, for instance, if someone asks how the WTS knows how many of the 144,000 are left, for them to be told that the whole subject is mythological anyway - that there isn't even a God to pick the 144,000, let alone a heavenly kingdom, etc. Let those who are willing to deal with the subject on its own terms attempt to help those people. In the same way, I don't think that someone who has declared themselves an atheist should be told by a believer to "try Jesus"! If we imply that what matters to people is actually irrelevant, then I think we are also implying that the people themselves are irrelevant.

That's very insightful.

However sometimes a shift of paradigm is required, and only a person who do not share a "common ground" with the first poster can bring it about.

Many xJWs' questions are based on wrong premises (vestiges of JW doctrine), and they need to be questioned rather than answered. E.g. "How do the anointed know they are?" "Was Jesus perfect like Adam?" "Is the WT part of Babylon the Great?" Such questions cannot be adequately answered without questioning the underlying JW definitions (respectively "anointed," "perfection" and "Babylon the Great"). No more than you can answer the question "did you stop beating your wife?" if you never did.

Of course there is no need to do it harshly.

Pistoff

My objection about religion has to do with CONTROL.
So many religions are about behavior control, thought control and the like.

Yes, people may be intolerant or racist, but when it comes from the radically religious of any stripe, it has the power of GOD behind it.

It is sickening, and the U.S. seems to be trending more toward this than away from it, sadly.

LittleToe

Pistoff:

I agree with what you say, but what I'm gettin at is our own intolerance to one another for holding beliefs that others believe to be awry.

Wide sweeping generalisations seem to be the order of the day.

Intolerance - a new breed of ex-JW

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