Posts by sparrowdown

22

Dead Wrong (A Tolerance for Ambiguity)

by TerryWalstrom in

what is your level of tolerance for ambiguity?.

ambiguity is a clunky, uncomfortable word, imho.. .

ambiguity means "open to more than one interpretation".

sparrowdown

Religion is actually very good at making the ambiguous concrete. I think religion loves ambiguity it does snow angels in all the ambiguity that abounds around anything "unprovable." Religion, whilst appearing black and white, and, some religions are more black and white than others, actually makes very clever usage of grey areas in people's minds, gaps in knowledge and the general uncomfortableness people have with ambiguity actually serves religion, scammers and confidence tricksters very well.

I was reading only recently about the "raven paradox" and I thought to my nutty little self wow stuff should make sense backwards and forwards of course it should. I always knew that and didn't know I knew that! Applying this to religious "theory" would help clear up any of the ambiguity religion likes to hide in and clear up any falsified "theory" put forth by black and white religions.

Generally speaking -of course 😊😉😆

16

Session #8: "Bullet in the Head"

by Brian J in

so at the phd today with my wife and me, and in slowly getting to the heart of matters (like peeling an onion if you ask me), the dialogue in part went like this: .

phd: if it came down to it, would you take a bullet in the head instead of giving up membership in your organization?

wife: absolutely, i would die for my faith.

sparrowdown

Brave words but TBH I think most JWs who claim they would "take a bullet" have never actually come face to face with an actual bullet from an actual gun before otherwise they would know how devastatingly traumatizing it is and wouldn't be so free and easy with their hubristic declarations about "taking a bullet."

12

Did you become more antisocial after waking up?

by paradiseseeker in

jw
friends

i've been shy my whole life, but during my teenage years and early 20s i managed to be more comfortable socializing and made many friends in different parts of my country (jws of course).

that was before i woke up, because i saw myself being a jw for the rest of my life and thus i made an effort to meet new jw friends.

however, after i woke up, i lost interest in meeting new people because knowing that when i leave they will be gone... feels like a total waste of time and energy.

sparrowdown

I wouldn't call it "antisocial" but after years of enforced "socializing" with people I had nothing in common with except religion I'm just trying to be more authentic and realistic about myself and others.

30

Praying in the name of Michael the archangel instead of Jesus

by krismalone in

just wondering what would happen if a brother saying a prayer in a meeting did it in the name of michael the archangel instead of closing the prayer with "jesus christ".

since jw's believe michael is jesus would he be counseled?

what if a brother used the name michael the archangel in their public talks instead of jesus?

sparrowdown

The JWborg have perfected thought/word policing to an art form.

Their org their rules.

30

Praying in the name of Michael the archangel instead of Jesus

by krismalone in

just wondering what would happen if a brother saying a prayer in a meeting did it in the name of michael the archangel instead of closing the prayer with "jesus christ".

since jw's believe michael is jesus would he be counseled?

what if a brother used the name michael the archangel in their public talks instead of jesus?

sparrowdown

Apply the same question to the "model" prayer that starts with "Our Father..." why can't JWs just pray to "father"?

16

Eulogies

by redundantcartworker in

i recently attended a non jw funeral at a local church.

during the service, a couple of friends/relatives of the deceased eloquently spoke for a few minutes about the deceased with some of their fond memories and gave heartfelt, respectful tributes.. would i ( a non jw) be given a few minutes to speak at either of my jw parents funerals at the kingdom hall ?.

i guess i already know the answer, but if the answer is "no", then why not and how would they hide the heartlessness of refusing ?

sparrowdown

Hell yeah bennyk. Jesus was undignified all over the damn place. Him with his bitches and his tax collector buddies and overturning the money tables in the temple and shit. Whooo that boy was indignified af. Lol.

21

Wives With Unbelieving Mates

by minimus in

jw
friends

i knew many witness wives with unbelieving mates who pretty much led a double life.

“my husband says i have to go the workplace christmas party.” or my mate tells me i have to make a thanksgiving dinnner.

or “ my mate insists i do things in the bedroom that i know the watchtower has talked against.

sparrowdown

If you have no qualms about being JW at the meeting and "worldy" at home with your "worldly" spouse then why the heck would you want to or even need to be a jw at all?! God, religion is stupid.

16

Eulogies

by redundantcartworker in

i recently attended a non jw funeral at a local church.

during the service, a couple of friends/relatives of the deceased eloquently spoke for a few minutes about the deceased with some of their fond memories and gave heartfelt, respectful tributes.. would i ( a non jw) be given a few minutes to speak at either of my jw parents funerals at the kingdom hall ?.

i guess i already know the answer, but if the answer is "no", then why not and how would they hide the heartlessness of refusing ?

sparrowdown

"...we had the kingdom hope and were to be 'dignified'..."

Which is why I hate that word now. It's a shut down word, a silencing word, a feeling-shaming word. A word meant to shame someone into shutting up.

"Dignified" in JWspeak meant : you are not allowed unapproved and unchecked thoughts, feelings and words.

In ex-jw speak it means : you should never ever ever offend or "attack" the delicate snowflake JW with regular human questions and words.

Now, I prefer to leave the controlling of other people's thoughts words and emotions to groups like WT and maybe SJWs.

10

Rolf Furuli Mental Health

by oppostate in

rolf foruli, scandinavian academic and watchtower apologist, has come out with a video at times quoting figures on mental disease from the 1930's and 40's, in support of his allegation that the rate of mental problems and depression is actually only a third of what it is among the entire population.. there are numerous holes in his presentation.

for one, when jw's are da'ed or df'ed they're no longer considered jw's and only active jw's are part of the results.

those who were victimized and suffered the most mental trauma as jw's aren't even considered in the studies he mentions.. watch his video: "the mental health of jehovah´s witnesses" r. furuli, on youtube:.

sparrowdown

WT does it's own peer review it's called the writing committee.

127

PORTUGAL: Filed a petition to the parliament to erase the legal entity of the Jehovah's Witness

by EdenOne in

based on legal arguments that revolve around violations of several articles of the portuguese constitution, and of the law of religious freedom, a petition to the portuguese parliament has been set in motion to extinguish the legal entity that represents the jehovah's witness in portugal and remove this community from the national register of recognized religions protected by law.

the petition does not seek to ban the jehovah's witness as a whole in the country.

the petition denounces the institutional policy of shunning former members as a violation of basic human rights and psychological torture, and asks the portuguese legislators and judicial authorities to take action to stop this abuse, and suspend legal recognition to the branch office entity until the policies of shunning are changed.

sparrowdown

Shame on WT for having a "rule" that you must shun disfellowshipped family or face shunning or disfellowshipping yourself. Shame on parents that comply.

DFed or DAed may not have a choice if they are shunned by others as you cannot force someone to acknowledge, greet or show common decency towards you, but, JWs do have a choice whether they shun or not. It might not be an easy choice and there will be consequences but it is still a choice.

Anyone who chooses to stand up and do the right thing will face the consequences of disapproval by others who don't like it.