Posts by azor

53

Spirituality

by Jonathan Drake in

if you are a current practitioner of some religious faith i would appreciate it if you abstained from this thread entirely.

im curious if anyone has had what could be discribed as a spiritual experience.

i'm currently reading sam harris book waking up and it's very good so far.

One of the things I appreciated about Harris's book is his approach to the subject. He is an atheist, neuroscientist, and part of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. He gets heat from both sides of the divide with his premise. Theists for taking their cherished religious enlightenment experiences and applying the scientific method to it. Atheists for using the term spirituality in anything but negative terms.

He postulates that the only way to help people get free from religion is to address their woo and apply the scientific method to it. Much like religion stated that they hold the only means to morality. He also shows how near death experiences are similar to those in deep meditation.

I believe the only way we can win this battle against the evil of religion is to confront it on every front. Scientists like Harris, are doing this. Harris with the micro or inner workings of the mind and Krauss with the macro with the beginning of the universe. These are the areas theists and religionists use as a last resort to end discussions. Once these are fully vetted out there will be no other arena for them to go.

88

Damned if they do, Damned if they don't

by FusionTheism in

jw
friends

i see an attitude among some people here which is not very helpful.

i can understand it, but still, it's not constructive or helpful.. if you condemn the society for not changing, but then you also condemn them when they do change in a positive way, what incentive or motive does that provide for the people at the society to ever want to change for the better?.

also, what does that attitude look like to current witnesses who are having doubts?.

azor

Fusion theism. They are damned either way as they have much blood on their hands. Have you lost a loved one to their insane blood policy or from a shunning induced suicide? I almost lost my young child because of this group.

I was a faithful true believer for most of my life. Pioneered, served at bethel, was an elder for nearly a decade. I bought it all hook line and sinker. My circumstances forced me to open my eyes to the cult this organization truly is. Due to not being exposed to the indoctrination on a regular basis because of my child's condition the double speak and manipulation became more and more apparent.

I get the sense that you are still regular at meetings and trying to see how you and perhaps others that are like minded can make it better from within. It is a fools errand. For goodness sake a member of their highest order couldn't do it. The birds are coming home to roost.

The jw cult must die. There is nothing it can do to make up for the damage it has left in its wake. Again much blood is on their heads.

53

Spirituality

by Jonathan Drake in

if you are a current practitioner of some religious faith i would appreciate it if you abstained from this thread entirely.

im curious if anyone has had what could be discribed as a spiritual experience.

i'm currently reading sam harris book waking up and it's very good so far.

azor

Just finished listening to it on audio book. The full version is available on YouTube.

130

Atheist Miracles

by Perry in

jw
friends

i reworded a variation of a common critique of atheists to my own liking.

no, i do not hate atheists, i love them!

they keep me from getting bored.

azor

I have noticed that many who leave this cult have great difficulty letting go of gods. I know from my circle that many consider it a moral failing. Family and friends that say you leave god when you leave his "true organization" applies tremendous pressure to prove them wrong.

In my research I have also noticed a strong correlation when atheists come out to their religious families and that of JW's leaving the cult. The way they are treated is atrocious. Depending on the religious fervor of their family many of them lose most of their previous contacts like many of us here.

The arguments that believers in gods make are tired like the one above. They are not sound just like the witness that makes the statement "wait on jehovah".

To all believers in gods on this forum please do your research. It is painful. But we know pain since we have gone through or are going through the pain of leaving this cult.

Do your own research. Don't trust what you want to believe. You have seen what that can lead to for you are here because of it. Follow the evidence. There is an abundance of peer reviewed documentation on evolution and mythology of the bible and many more related subjects. Or you can start on YouTube if you don't like to read.

32

Would you call JW HQ???

by DATA-DOG in

i have a friend who is still in.

this friend is a partaker, but has serious doubts about the org.

this friend wants to stand up as a man, and wants to call wtbts hq.

azor

Remember what they did to Ray Franz is all I have to say on the subject. If someone at the very top could not affect change how can he.

72

Coping With Atheism (Long-ish Post...sorry!)

by humblepotato in

jw
friends

long time lurker (2009-ish), first time poster.

first of all, i want to say thank you everyone who contributes to these boards and provokes stimulating conversations and thought processes.

all the opinions and different perspectives are very enlightening.

azor

Perry it sounds like you are one of those ridiculous pre-suppositionalists.

You and they have no authority to speak on subjects of deism. Ignoring any and all evidence is a cop out of epic proportions.

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

azor

I have grown to hate when people like esse come on this site and spew their vile over others. His experience as mentioned before is just that his. There is nothing wrong with that. Where I take issue is when he and others like him start casting his experiences upon others as though they had similar or the same upbringing.

What about those that have been abused. Had a friend or family member commit suicide. Have a close friend or relative die because the parents refused to allow their child to have a blood transfusion.

It is for this reason that he and others like him are FUQIN A**HOLES. People are dying here. Stop being like the KINGS of FUQIN A**HOLES those at the top of this cult that continue to kill people.

Stop telling people how they should feel, act, or otherwise. It's not any of our places to do so. Everyone here are at different places depending on the extent of indoctrination and personal experiences. People like esse drive me nuts because they can push someone already on the edge looking here over that edge. I personally want others like me who are starting to come out to not have to continue to endure others judgemental attitudes.

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

azor

To everyone that agrees with esse.

The issue is his judgement of others by telling them to grow up and get over it.

His experience is just that, his experience. For those like him and me by the way that don't have many childhood complaints for not knowing any better. That is fine express that.

It disgusts me when people like him come on boards like this one and blast others. Everything up to his last statement was fine.

It is because of the last statement that he is a FUQIN A**HOLE!!!

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

azor

Esse. I will keep this short.

YOU ARE A FUQING A**HOLE!

24

They only care about themselves......

by dubstepped in

jw
friends

i've watched the reaction to the nepal disaster for the first time with eyes opened.

lots of comments about praying for the brothers and sisters affected.

the official release on the website references only the sister and her two children that died, along with the impact on the brothers there.

azor

I recently participated in a 5K drive for Ronald McDonald house charities that help children and their families with cancer. Providing a place to stay near hospitals while children are in the hospital and camps that let kids be kids.

The only group that didn't contribute were my witness family and so called friends.

My son has leukemia and they all know him personally. Most of the people that contributed have not met him.

You are right most JW's have the humanity beaten out of them.