Posts by adjusted knowledge

14

Education is 'HARD', first test after 27 years

by The Marvster in

well, in an effort to completely rebel against all things 'watchtower', i decided that since i gave all my years since leaving school to the borg, and listened to their admonition to avoid 'higher education' i have just started... right from bottom.... today i took a 2 hour maths test to see if i would be eligible to go on a course to re-take my gcse maths exam (this is the qualification you study for here in england in the last 2 years of compulsory schooling from ages 14-16).

back in may 1988 i did no revision, and didn't study hence a complete flop of all exams.... and seeing that 'education' wasn't on the agenda back then, and has always been warned against, (unless it was perhaps trade oriented) it was wiped from my mind... yep a jw mind-wipe occurred here, i've decided to go back to school, just for the challenge of it, f**k the org, i might have wasted decades swallowing their philosophy, but i don't have to let that past control me now... the test was 'really' hard going... and i don't think i passed, but can still get on a more basic course to start me off if i don't get on the main course.... the tutors were so warm and enthusiastic about me taking up the study at aged 43, it was so nice to hear someone get excited that i'm going to study (never in 29 years with the borg) .

i've also learned something else; jw's talk about the 'highest education' that the watchtower supposedly teaches... bullshit, that 'call and response' crap that you do in watchtower study and other meetings, that parroting, has got to be the lowest form of education there is, you don't use your brain, you don't have to analyse or think or deduce or calculate, or use savvy... it's just call and response, and nothing more, pure repetition, answer what's in the paragraph.

adjusted knowledge

Congrats on going back to school and higher education. I was lucky enough to leave early and do the traditional route of higher education at a younger age. I'm located in America.

I am currently going back to school for a 2nd career change. My original degree was in business. I'm now 38 years old working on a Bachelors in Nursing. I'm surrounded by 20 and 22 year old students, but there are a few second career people in my class also.

My wife is from another country and just started college here at age 36. She had to do remedial Math and English this summer. It isn't easy but it is also exciting pursuing higher education. Especially professional degrees that teach valuable and marketable skills.

What I love about higher education are the programs and professors that focus on critical thinking. My nursing exams all have scenario/case examples that require critical thinking to answer. You can't pass these exams by mere memorization. It really is a tool the Watchtower doesn't want developed within its members.

30

Debating evolution, intelligent design and cosmology with a JW

by Thestumbler83 in

ive been having an email exchange with a jw family member and the discussion seem to have become a bit heated and im not quite sure why.

i dont think ive said anything obviously offensive and ive been very careful with my wording.

but i think im sometimes a bit tone deaf with these things.

adjusted knowledge

I know this will sound insulting in regards to your father, so I apologize in advance. But if someone becomes a JW at age 40ish than I don't think there is much logical reasoning you can do.

33

Guardians Of Doctrine (GOD) and the Governing Body

by punkofnice in

i don't know if gb member g jackson really meant the gb were 'god', with his 'guardians of doctrine' comment at the arc.

it's nice and conspiracy to think so, i suppose.

i honestly don't know.

adjusted knowledge

His left eye seems to be squinting all the time.

11

Watchtower can cite their sources after all

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

as far as i can remember watchtower has been notorious for not citing their sources in their literature.

the most they will do is to cite their in house, long living expert by the name of scholar.

after 40 + years all i've ever read is the mantra "one scholar says" ad nauseum.

adjusted knowledge

I've only heard "GB reviewed and approved" at the kingdom hall.

96

Ray Franz was an Idiot

by vinman in

ray franz who gave us insight into the gb due to a crisis of conscience was an absolute moron, with absolutely no critical thinking skills whatsoever like all of us have.

i mean, to have a conscience based on some magic man in the sky.. how stupid can you be?

in search of christian freedom?

adjusted knowledge

Ok I detect a lot of bitterness. You wouldn't happen to be a former Elder that wasted most of your life to this cult?

Ray Franz used his critical thinking skills to recognize the religion was BS, and he left. Not all turn to Atheism when they leave.

28

A Green Handshake

by dgp in

jw
friends

i just learned that sometimes people give "green handshakes".

is this the same as bribing your way up?.

thanks for any posts..

adjusted knowledge

I never knew about this and I actually didn't find out about from this site. I found out last year from the mouth of two local elders that visited my house. I brought up the point how CO are able to support themselves in retirement. The elders told me it was common for the COs to get $20 here and there from members. One of the Elders mentioned some CO will get land donated to them and other high dollar items.

It wasn't until after they told me this that my eye would catch the attention to topics on this board about "green handshakes". Can you imagine some of the "handshakes" the GB get?

52

Helen Keller is not a hero

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

few realize just how wicked some of the most revered people in history were.

helen keeler (1880 to 1968) was a wolf in sheep's clothing, no hero.

keller was a communist.

adjusted knowledge

Haha! Hoover kept dirt files on everyone, Including John Kennedy. He knew pretty well how many women this American hero was rooting. So what?

Was about to post the exact same thing.

When I read the OP post I thought he/she was writing a satire. Reminds me of the satire video spin on original Karate Kid being the bad guy.

21

Did You Ever Hear a Non-Witness Opinion After They'd Attended Their first Meeting?

by snugglebunny in

i was about 12. i took a friend along to a meeting and he said he didn't mind learning stuff but it was a shame it was so boring.. i was about 14. i had my very own bible study and took him along.

he just kept whispering about the girls there that he fancied.. i was in my early 20's.

i took along a lady that i knew.

adjusted knowledge

I left in my late teens, so most of my experiences are with my non-jw teen friends. They all found the meetings to be extremely boring. They wonder why there was no program just for children.

I'm glad JW don't have a Sunday school for children. Could you imagine the pedo perv running that school?

17

Some Bethelites are Jackasses

by Old Goat in

rachael de vienne is one of the authors of separate identity, a history of the watch tower's earliest years.

she's received low grade harassment from the watchtower for years.

she posted about it on her personal blog.

adjusted knowledge

Simonsays is so funny. She is so obsess with her fellow apostates and what we write.

83

What woke you up?

by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

in march of 2014, i was a very active jw, a ministerial servant, gave a public talk, was an attendant for the memorial, and one of 4 cleaning captains for an international convention of 40,000+ attendees.

so what woke me up?

an innocent comment from a co-worker about the candice conti court case rang a bell that could not be unrung.

adjusted knowledge

I posted this before, but my awakening began on my baptism day at age 15. It was 1992 at Plant City, Florida. My friend was watching a door or hallway can't recall, but needed to use the restroom. I volunteer to guard the area while he left, but the Elder in charge ask me if I was baptized. I told him yes, I got baptized today. He informed me it wasn't long enough and I was denied the "privilege" of guarding a door. Later that day I went to see the same friend, he was an Elder's son. He was in a room where his father was counting money. Again I was told I couldn't enter, only Elders allowed in. Inside this room were Elder's wives chit chatting, and young Elder's children running around playing tag. I learned right then they were no different than any other religion with hierarchy. I knew with a non-witness father and a "spiritually weak" mother I would be a 2nd class citizen in this religion.

In 1995, when I was 18, the last straw was the generation change. So both the double standards I witnessed and false teachings was enough for me to leave. So glad I got out early