Posts by maksutov

5

Is the student more qualified than the teacher?

by John Aquila in

what does the bible really teach page 110....

why does god allow suffering?.

the wt uses the illustration of a math teacher who is challenged by a student that the math problem can be worked out a different way.

New on here

by Tony Stark in

hey so i'm new on here.

just wanted to introduce myself.

in my 20's and was rasied one, and very popular among the jw community.

maksutov

Hi Tony,

Being shunned sucks, but congrats on finding your way out. Best wishes.

Russ.

13

WBTS / JW views never quoted as good source of information

by menrov in

not sure if my title is correct.

what i noticed is that in say secular bible research documentation, books, lectures etc, one never (or at least i have never read it) reads a quote from one of the former or current wbts leaders nor do i ever see a reference to one of their publication (unless it is article about the jw/wbts itself).. for example, if you read a book on a bible theme or topic written by a scholar or other bible teachers/professors from prof xyz, you will find often in these books a reference to publications / statements / quotes from other scholars or professors.

but never have i seen a reference to say a wt publication or quote / statement from one the leaders of the organisation.. so, despite the million page printed or conferences organised by the wbts, the material apparently is never considered of value to others or to use as reference material.. in my view, that says a lot..... or am i wrong?

maksutov

You are right, but they have no shame over that - I think they are quite proud of the fact that they are poorly regarded by 'the world'. They just quote 'the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God', and point out that the disciples were unlettered and ordinary.

15

I'm in a movie!

by avishai in

jw
friends

i'm playing pulitzer.. https://vimeo.com/118626005.

maksutov

Cool! Congrats.

55

Mays JW TV Broadcast/Your feedback is appreciated

by ToesUp in

jw
friends

i have a pretty good intuition but i have to admit i am going back and forth on the jw tv may broadcast.

i keep asking myself are they really in financial trouble (wishful thinking) or are they just grabbing for more money?.

i always appreciate reading everyone's thoughts and ideas on here.. let me know what you think.

maksutov

They have a huge amount of capital, but their expenses are greater than their income. Left as things were, the capital would gradually be eroded and they would go bust - eventually (I reckon it would be decades hence). Instead, they are restructuring, reducing expenditure, and pressuring congregations to contribute more in every way they can think of. End result of that should be slightly reduced capital, but with income at least matching and maybe exceeding expenditure. They can then start building up the capital again. I think it is likely sustainable for quite a while yet. I really really hope I'm wrong though.

39

I've just been disfellowshipped!

by maksutov in

apparently it was announced last night.

i was not informed (for 'legal reasons'), but they phoned my dad and told him.

i understand it is due to my apostate book.

maksutov

Thanks Onager, I would love that too, but I live in Peterborough which is quite a stomp from you.

39

I've just been disfellowshipped!

by maksutov in

apparently it was announced last night.

i was not informed (for 'legal reasons'), but they phoned my dad and told him.

i understand it is due to my apostate book.

maksutov

Not a surprise, but it still hurts even when you know it's coming.

39

I've just been disfellowshipped!

by maksutov in

apparently it was announced last night.

i was not informed (for 'legal reasons'), but they phoned my dad and told him.

i understand it is due to my apostate book.

maksutov

I just got word from my in-laws that they will not socialise with me any more, and are dropping out of the trip away we were supposed to be sharing later this month. My FIL (who is still only 'studying', not baptised) was the one who asked me my reasons for leaving, and he was the main reason I wrote the book. I made absolutely sure he really wanted to see it before giving it to him, he confirmed that he definitely wanted it, took it, I don't know whether or not he read it, but he continued to treat me normally for several weeks. Now that an announcement has been made though, I'm not fit to associate with any more. What a spineless hypocrite. My MIL is just deluded, which is perhaps a little more excusable.

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.

maksutov

Hi humblepotato.

Adjusting to atheism can take a while. For me, the initial adjustment was quite quick and a lot less painful than I thought it would be. I suppose the thought of spending the rest of my life knocking on doors and devoting all my spare time to JW pursuits was more painful than the idea of having my life back and dying in a few decades. Even so, going from "I'm gonna live forever!" to "I'm gonna die!" is never going to be easy.

After accepting my own mortality, I still struggled, in fact, at times, still do struggle, with the feeling that I am wasting time, or that whatever I do is futile as I'll be dead soon anyway. There are some things I find helpful in dealing with this - whether they will be helpful to anyone else, I don't know, but maybe you will find your own little helpers as time goes on. Here are some thoughts that help me:

1) When my wife's grandfather discovered he had terminal cancer, he said "Oh well, I've had a good life." - and he seemed very calm, almost content ('old and satisfied with days' you might say). I aspire to be able to say the same thing when my time comes.

2) Having thought about that a bit more, I realised that already I have had a good life. If I die today, I have had a much better life than the vast majority of people and animals that have ever existed. I have had some amazing experiences, and I cherish those.

3) The alternative to facing up to the reality of my own mortality is to deny it. If I do that, it might make me less anxious, but it also causes me to value my life less and waste the precious little time I have available. Knowing that I only have a short time at least lets me prioritise better and make the best use I can of the time I have. Denying the fragility of life also means denying its value.

4) I have started going to philosophy meetups, and this has helped me to view things, well, philosophically! I used to obsess over the fact that the present moment is in the past before I've even finished formulating that thought, that whatever I am doing right now is pointless because it will be over soon, that the future is just the past waiting to happen, that the rest of my life will be over in a flash, etc. But philosophy has helped me to see that the present is something you take with you - it is never in the past, it is always with you, and always will be. The present moment is the most important thing, and being attentive to it, excluding external irrelevancies can enable you to find a sense of contentment that is not dependent on other people, on the past, the future, or events outside your control.

5) Figure out what activities and pursuits bring you the greatest sense of pleasure and accomplishment, and prioritise them. This is not always easy, but if you can get into a state of 'flow' - where you are absorbed in an activity you enjoy (playing an instrument, riding a motorbike, even watching a gripping TV show), your level of satisfaction with life will increase.

6) Even when you are not doing something that you especially enjoy, being mindful of your surroundings and appreciating the natural world can also be therapeutic.

7) Try to find ways of helping others - donate to charity, do some charity fundraising, volunteer, even just answering posts on a forum like this.

55

why did man go from living 900 years to 90?

by sowhatnow in

i cant recall the scripture, where it says than only a few men will he live to be 80 years or so, can anyone recall that?.

so then im wondering, if it is a fact that men lived long years 900 in some cases, for what reason would god limit our lifespan if our time is so short compared to his?.

how on earth does man go from living 8 and 9 hundred years down to 80 to 100 ?.

maksutov

I thought the explanation was that some protective shield over the earth was lost during the flood.