The one about the WTS miraculously getting the rationed coal in wartime as a miracle verifying the Lord's work isn't quite a legend... I don't remember it being cited in the publications, but I seem to remember it in MacMillan's book Faith on the March.
Phantom Stranger
JoinedPosts by Phantom Stranger
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17
JW 'urban legends'
by Steve Lowry ini was thinking about some of the old jw urban legends that we grew up with and believed in as jws.
most of the ones i remember revolved around stories about demons, and jws being "attacked" when they would do something wrong.
some of these legends scared the crap outta me when i was little.
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research article on Jehovah's Witnesses
by Stephen Cox indear friends,.
this is to announce a long research article that i have published in the latest (sept-oct) issue of "liberty" magazine.
("liberty" is a libertarian intellectual journal and is available at barnes and noble, borders, etc., or from po box 1181, port townsend wa 98368. its price is $5.
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Phantom Stranger
Professor Cox, I am assuming you are the same person that is quoted on the back cover of the paperback In Search of Christian Freedom, by Ray Franz. Perhaps you could illuminate the board about how this came to pass and what directed your attention to Jehovah's Witnesses.
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Were you psychologically abused into going to meetings/service ???
by run dont walk inwe have all read and watched so many of the child abuse / sexual abuse scandals, and it makes us all sick to our stomachs, i want to touch on a different kind of abuse, i am not trying to draw a parellel between child abuse and being abused.
the abuse i am talking about is just as bad but so different.
i remember growing up a jw, basically having no choice, whether i wanted to go to the meetings or in service, and i always resented this in my parents.
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Phantom Stranger
uhhh waiting for the rambling. Nicely said, Charms. Welcome.
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Pick one.....The lesser of two evils.
by Adam inif you had to be born into a religious family and stuck in it 'till you finally broke free, would you rather it be mormon or jw?
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Phantom Stranger
Wait, I forgot one: They only go door-to-door for TWO YEARS!
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"Raised in the Truth" or What the Hell Was That Anyway?
by Perry inabout the only model that i've found that helps define the experience of being born in the truth (bitt), is one used in studies on addiction.
basically, that model says that people who are addicts form maladaptive relationships with things, experiences, and i'd argue ideologies as well, in a vain attempt to achieve "closeness".
of course real "closeness" or "psychic validation" as i prefer to think about it, is only truly achieved during and after the interactions between two mutually accepting and non-judging people who possess intimate knowledge of one another; starting with one's primary caregivers... or parents.
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Phantom Stranger
I just read this fascinating book titled Destructive Emotions - How Can We Overcome Them? A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. It's "narrated" by Danial Goleman (Harvard prof and author of Emotional Intelligence) and it's a bit less condescending than his other books. He is narrating a conference with neuroscientists, philosophers, psychologists, the Dalai Lama, and some other Buddhist monk dudes from various school (both Western-born and Eastern-born).
Fascinating book, I highly recommend it as a great way to get familiar with some Eastern thought without feeling too ex-JW-weirded out. ;)
Anyway, there's this guy named Paul Ekman who studies physical expression of emotion - he can determine what are called microemotions, and he trains other to do so (this is the guy that trains the Secret Service to detect liars). Let me now quote from page 131 of the hardback edition.
"Paul later told me that he had been struck by how openly and freely the Dalai Lama expressed his feelings. His face, Paul saw, was unusually expressive, revealing moment - to - moment changes not only in his emotions but in his thoughts: You could sense in his face when he was concentrating, doubting, understanding, agreeing....
...But Paul was also struck by how quickly he (the DL) recovered from distressing emotion - and that his more typical mode of response to others was always seeing the potential enjoyment or amusement, the positive side of whatever was occurring.
...While most people acquire a self-conciousness that leads them to restrain the free expression of their emotions, the Dalai Lama appeared completely unself-concious about showing them...Most children by age four or five have come to feel shame about certain feelings, and so begin a lifelong pattern of restraint in that portion of the spectrum of emotion. But the Dalai Lama appeared to Paul never to have learned to be embarrassed about how he feels - something that occurs only in the most fortunate of children."
Not that the DL is typical...but I think this is in the vein of what you were referring to, Perry. At least, I hope someone finds it relevant.
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Ever get the feeling your just not "normal"?
by logansrun ineven when i was a dub i felt this way.
i mean, i would just stand there at gatherings and feel that i was in my own world -- that, somehow, everyone else was "in" and i was "out.
" i never felt this way at formal gatherings -- meetings, assemblies, etc -- only in most social settings.
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Phantom Stranger
Like Nietzsche...you mean dead? ;)
Well, sounds like you're doing great with it... sorry it didn't work out.
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Question: What keeps the Watchtower Society going?
by Vitameatavegamin inhello folks, it's been awhile since i have posted, hope everyone is doing well!
i have a question, though, if the society is not paying the governing body, or other "big wigs" in ny large salaries, what would be the motivating factor for the society to continue to exist?
i am not saying that money is everything, but if none of the money is going into pockets, then the society must really feel that they are god's chosen channel, or something to that effect.
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Phantom Stranger
No one said there'd be math involved...
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Would You.....?
by Frannie Banannie in.
would you reveal info about what you consider to be the worst turnoffs re: people you've dated?
frannie b
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Phantom Stranger
Turnoffs:
Bad teeth.
Tattoos on the upper arms. Dated a woman once who turned out to have tattoos covering both shoulders - not visible with short sleeves. Very visually disconcerting. I have no issues with ankles, backs, etc., but this really threw me off.
Righteous, controlling, preachy conversation. (Think the Coors Light "Wingman" ad).
Religious beliefs (I'm OK with Western-flavor Buddhists, but I haven't dated any who lived up to their claims of Buddhism).
Anger. I've gotten to the point where I can detect it like the dogs could smell my fear in service.
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Pick one.....The lesser of two evils.
by Adam inif you had to be born into a religious family and stuck in it 'till you finally broke free, would you rather it be mormon or jw?
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Phantom Stranger
Mormon for two reasons (well, three):
1) The Mormon girls in my hometown were hot. I didn't know how many hot JW girls there were till I came to this board).
2) The Mormons can make money with no shame.
3) They can go to college.
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58
Ever get the feeling your just not "normal"?
by logansrun ineven when i was a dub i felt this way.
i mean, i would just stand there at gatherings and feel that i was in my own world -- that, somehow, everyone else was "in" and i was "out.
" i never felt this way at formal gatherings -- meetings, assemblies, etc -- only in most social settings.
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Phantom Stranger
Dude, either the date did not go well, or this is not the thing to be dwelling on immediately prior to it.
So... have you been on the date?
I think that every human feels this at some point... we had more reason than most, but the sensation is a human one, not unique to us.
You are normal, dude - you're just not average.