Posts by OneEyedJoe

11

Another Elevated Group of J.W.'s Now?

by The Searcher in

why are only pioneers allowed to do "metropolitan witnessing"?

why do they need "special training" to stand like a zombie for hours, speaking only to their fellow elite?.

even a pioneer's mother couldn't answer me!.

OneEyedJoe

Cults have a hierarchy for a reason - if you put someone new or someone that's less indoctrinated/invested in a position that exposes the cult in some way then it's more likely that they're going to wake up from it. I think the cart witnessing is like that - it was always fairly apparent to me as a lowly publisher that we didn't use methods of preaching that were likely to be very productive, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Just imagine what a publisher that already thinks that a little would think after a day of watching people pass by him. This could be enough to wake someone up a little, or at least send them on a path of inquiry.

Also, it seems that they intend to trumpet the success of the cart witnessing at conventions and such, so it's best of if only the super indoctrinated are aware of the fact that these experiences are either fabricated or by far the exception.

Plus, as others have said, it's a reward for the pioneers and might make some strive to pioneer thinking that it will be easier now because they can just stand by a cart. The pioneers are more likely to just be thankful for the easy time and not ask questions.

21

New Light on HOLIDAYS and BIRTHDAYS? (September 2015 Watchtower)

by FusionTheism in

watchtower-- simplified study edition, september 2015, "is your conscience a reliable guide?":.

in ancient rome, some christians had different opinions about certain foods and celebrations.

what advice did paul give them?

OneEyedJoe

This is just the standard article about how you're guilty if you stumble someone, but if someone stumbles you it's still you're fault that you got stumbled. There's just not enough guilt for them to heap on you if you're only responsible for yourself, so they make you responsible for everyone else too.

Then, for good measure, they tell you to make your own decision on health care, and accept responsibility for it. I guess they're a little uncomfortable being responsible for the needless death of thousands, and they're trying to convince everyone and themselves that these deaths were the personal decision of the victim and that the responsibility lies there.

52

i committed the unforgiveable sin

by 060702015 in

everyday i wake up with knots in my stomach and trouble breathing.

my life continues to go into a downward spiral.

in the past, i had my dependence on god.

OneEyedJoe

Thanks for sharing your experience.

First of all, you're not bad or evil or without value. You've had the grave misfortune of having been raised in a toxic, controlling and stifling environment. While you're upbringing is by no means a normal situation to have had to endure (and the resultant extreme emotional turmoil is therefore completely understandable) it's not unique. What's more is that there are many, many people (quite a few of them, here) that have been through a very similar experience and are now living happy, healthy, productive lives. If you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll get there too.

I highly recommend you educate yourself on Steve Hassan's BITE model for control (www.freedomofmind.com) as this is the weapon that's been used against you. The good news is that just understanding it and recognizing it's use will do the bulk of the work of disabling it and undoing it's effects. A portion of the control you've been under has been designed to influence your thoughts and convince you that you are guilty of some crime for the mere act of thinking something. This is an incredibly stifling way to live and is designed to prevent you from seeing a way out from under the control.

I hope you stick around here for a while. If your experience follows mine, you'll find many people here who will show you greater love and genuine support than you've ever found from your parents or in a kingdom Hall. Please know that you're an individual with intrinsic value. You're not going to be punished for lashing out in a difficult situation - and any god that would enact punishment for that would not be worthy of your worship even if he would reward you for it. I wish I had something of greater value to say to help you... I'm sure you'll get lots of support from the many kindred spirits you'll find here.

Keep going and you will find the peace you deserve.

18

Passive aggressive circuit overseer talk

by hoser in

jw
friends

i went and listened to the circuit overseer talk last night.

he started off by saying how many jws are in prisons in other countries and how we need to be prepared for when we are persecuted by the governments because it will happen "soon".

near the end of the talk he got into how our own minds often imagine the very worst case scenario and that this isn't good.

OneEyedJoe

The lingo about Satan luring more away from the org by material things. I remember how they said that jws would be faithful when in prison and then when they got out fell away to material things.
Both sides of the mouth

Which if you think about it - it fits perfectly into the CD model of how cults control people. When they're currently sacrificing everything for the cult (i.e. being in prison for it) they can't possibly come to terms with the idea that it's false. When they're out and free and comfortable, it's an easier thought to deal with and they're more likely to explore it.

18

Passive aggressive circuit overseer talk

by hoser in

jw
friends

i went and listened to the circuit overseer talk last night.

he started off by saying how many jws are in prisons in other countries and how we need to be prepared for when we are persecuted by the governments because it will happen "soon".

near the end of the talk he got into how our own minds often imagine the very worst case scenario and that this isn't good.

OneEyedJoe

There's got to be some term for this: one who creates a bad situation, then offers to "fix" it. I don't know what it is, but WT is very good at it

When the mob does it, it's called racketeering.

18

August 2015 Awake! FML

by InjusticeSystem in

i'm gonna have to stop reading this shit just for my own sanity and the survival of my computer.

august 2015 awake!.

can we please destroy this box that they keep publishing with some actual facts?

OneEyedJoe

Yes. And that is adaption. That is micro-evolution, not macro. Our friend Mr. Bacteria is still Mr. Bacteria.

This statement is like looking at pluto and saying "yes, it's moving, but it's moving so slowly that it'll never complete an orbit of the sun!"

There is no distinction between small adaptations and evolution other than the timescale.

18

Passive aggressive circuit overseer talk

by hoser in

jw
friends

i went and listened to the circuit overseer talk last night.

he started off by saying how many jws are in prisons in other countries and how we need to be prepared for when we are persecuted by the governments because it will happen "soon".

near the end of the talk he got into how our own minds often imagine the very worst case scenario and that this isn't good.

OneEyedJoe

Whatever you do, absolutely never, ever imagine that you're going to be put in jail for being a JW! Just don't do it! Definitely don't picture being tossed in, and having the bars clank shut behind you while you turn around to look at the bare cot and your unscrupulous cell mate. You absolutely should not imagine anything of the sort!

1

Apostate on Inside Amy Schumer

by OneEyedJoe in

on tonight's episode of inside amy schumer she interviewed a comedian (kurt metzger) that was talking about having an open relationship with his wife.

at one point he said (paraphrasing) 'i was raised to believe that a monogynous relationship is the best thing there is ... i guess that's fine if you're going to stay in your doomsday cult all your life...'.

looked him up and sure enough he was a born-in.

OneEyedJoe

On tonight's episode of Inside Amy Schumer she interviewed a comedian (Kurt Metzger) that was talking about having an open relationship with his wife. At one point he said (paraphrasing) 'I was raised to believe that a monogynous relationship is the best thing there is ... I guess that's fine if you're going to stay in your doomsday cult all your life...'

Looked him up and sure enough he was a born-in. It's crazy how many there are out there.

18

August 2015 Awake! FML

by InjusticeSystem in

i'm gonna have to stop reading this shit just for my own sanity and the survival of my computer.

august 2015 awake!.

can we please destroy this box that they keep publishing with some actual facts?

OneEyedJoe

Simon - I don't understand your concession that evolution can't be reproduced. It can, and has been reproduced. Obviously no one has gotten a line of chimps to eventually give birth to a human, but there have been plenty of demonstrations that bacteria evolved to better exploit the resources in their environment. That is evolution and it's been reproduced in a controlled laboratory environment. Since we can reproduce it, it's obviously observable.

It also has made numerous predictions that have been accurate. Darwin himself predicted the existence of a moth with a super long tongue based on his observation of a flower that had an extremely long tube leading to it's nectar. This prediction was later found to be true. There have also been lots of predictions in the areas of genetics, embryology, paleontology, psychology and other fields that have been shown to be accurate.

It's funny that even a cursory look at their argument is all that's needed for it to fall apart. Also, by their criteria God doesn't even qualify as a theory...

19

So I overheard a discussion that my son and wife were having about creation yesterday

by My Name is of No Consequence in

so i am getting ready for bed yesterday night and i overhear my teenage son and wife talking about how the evidence of creation far outweighs the evidence of evolution.

i heard my son say that evolution has so many holes and how could something happen from nothing.

i wanted to open the door and ask them both how the creator happened from nothing just to see what they would say..

OneEyedJoe

I plan on talking to my son when my wife is not around and tell him not to allow himself to be spoon fed everything that he hears and is taught. It is difficult because he is my stepson and my wife has legal authority in virtually all of the decisions that involve him. I am going to try to encourage him to do his own research and to arrive at his own conclusions.

This is a great plan, in my opinion. Telling him "evolution did it" vs his mother saying "god did it" isn't going to seem like either of you are any different, so he'll just stick to what he's decided. Telling him "don't trust anyone" vs her implicitly telling him "take my word for it" will be quite a contrast and might be enough to make him question why you have the confidence that he should figure it out on his own, while she (and the cult) insist you simply trust them.

On the topic of the earth's apparent perfection for suitability for life, the creationist argument can be defeated without even appealing to natural disasters. If life requires a fairly narrow set of conditions to exist (this can be argued for the life we see here, but might not be the case for all forms of life) then it would make sense that any life that formed would do so in a place that is apparently perfect for it. Furthermore, specialization over 4 billion years would be expected to result in life that appears to be perfectly suited to its environment. It's not that the earth is perfect for life, it's that life has become more or less perfect for the earth.