Posts by Hisclarkness

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

Pete Zahut said:

“ Do you think it's helpful to tell someone who did every kind of unpleasant job and struggled to get everything he got, that he's privileged? Especially when there are so many people of color who are doing well and wouldn't stoop to doing any kind of unpleasant job themselves?”

White privilege has nothing to do with your background, your education, or your wealth. Nobody is saying that white people don’t struggle or have problems. White privilege has to do with implicit bias and how you are perceived by others. IN GENERAL (because of course there are always outlying examples) a white person can walk down the street without someone assuming they are a thug, or a criminal, or uneducated, or a danger or a threat.

Pete Zahut said:

“ How awful....someone chose a poorly though out way of complimenting you.”

I mentioned that such comments do not affect my ability to work hard and succeed in life. Yet, it is this attitude, even at the smallest levels that continues to seep into overall mentalities and continuously feed on the stereotypes. And frankly, no stereotypes are good, even if they seem complimentary on the surface because it is lumping you into a group rather than letting you be judged as an individual.

Pete Zahut said:

“ Can't tell you how many times as grown man black people have told me that I dance pretty well for a WHITE BOY? You're kinda cute for a WHITE BOY ?? I didn't think White people liked spicy food.”

You’re right. It’s the same thing but towards you. The difference, however, is that it is white people who GENERALLY control the decision makings at the top . When they bring those implicit biases (oftentimes unintentionally) it contributes to a system of structured bias. How many times can white people say that they’ve been the only white person in any given space? Yes, I am aware that they are MANY white people who live in predominantly black neighborhoods or who use to go to a predominantly black Kingdom Hall, etc. I am speaking ON THE WHOLE. Most white people have never been in that situation. People of color face those environments on a daily basis.

Pete Zahut said:

“ I'm blonde haired blue eyed Brad Pitt lookin baby faced male and I can't tell you how many times women have crossed an empty street when they've seen me coming toward them. How many women have pulled their children in close when I got on an elevator with them. How many times I've been doing the speed limit and pulled over by a white police officer simply because I was in a sporty car and was young. I had a tail light burned out and was afraid I'd get a ticket so I immediately went into an auto parts store to get a bulb. I went outside and began changing my tail light and two police cars suddenly surrounded me and demanded my I.D and wanted to know what I was doing. I got annoyed with them and one of them lunged toward me but fortunately his partner pulled him back otherwise I'd have had my ass kicked. Another time I was driving through my JW friends neighborhood at night and the cops pulled me over because there had been a robbery and they wanted to know what I was doing in that neighborhood.”

Again, you are right. In my previous post I didn’t deny the fact that we ALL have implicit biases. I gave an example of an old women who would RIGHTLY take precaution against a younger stronger man. But there’s a difference between that and taking DIFFERENT precautions between a white man and a black man.

And with the police, again you are right. Policing and police brutality are huge issues. You will get no argument from me there. But there are also some racial elements in policing as well. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ALL POLICE ARE RACIST. I’m saying it is a complex issue that is often a COMBINATION police tactics, training, implicit bias, and yes, structural racism.

Pete Zahut said:

“ Just because you don't hear about police injustice to whites doesn't mean it doesn't happen. ”

I never said that. You are right. That would fall under the category of police brutality, which I have already acknowledged. That doesn’t mean that the racial component is not there.

In conclusion, I have not denied your experiences. Please don’t deny my experiences or the experiences of millions of people of color. Nobody is trying to point the finger at anybody. (Again, a general statement. Anybody can find outlying examples to the contrary of anything.) We just need to work together and collectively solve whatever issues we are facing as a society.

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

Long haired girl,

I am sorry for your experience. I truly am. And I don’t blame you for one second for having suspicions based on your experience. This is what we all have developed in us on an evolutionary level in order to survive.

And yet, this is the very thing that we have to root out of ourselves.

You experienced a mugging by two black men. So naturally you are suspicious of black men, especially ones “not so well dressed”.

And yet, black men are NOT inherently more dangerous than white men or asian men or Latino men. You have developed an implicit bias (through no fault of your own!) out of fear for survival.

So what to do?

The next time you are in the presence of a black man and those feelings creep up into your psyche, ask yourself, “Why am I afraid? Has this particular person given me reason for fear or is my fear based purely on my past experience? (Implicit bias)” Work to subdue the unfounded fears and don’t act on them. These are the small steps needed to work towards the bigger steps.

And to be clear: checking your implicit bias and taking proper precautions are two different things. An old feeble lady might take precautions against ANY younger stronger man regardless of race. But the caveat is; does she find herself taking MORE precaution against a black man than a white man? That’s the implicit bias!

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

Thank you, jp1692!

All I want is to have a productive conversation and not have people talking at and past each other.

Lets get facts and work together to solve our issues collectively.

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

It is hard to have a discussion on white privelege because we are talking primarily about perceptions and implicit bias which creep into society through policies and laws and social orders.

I can’t tell you about the many times someone has exclaimed to me, “oh, you speak so well!” which is code for, “oh! I don’t expect a black man to be so articulate! I’m surprised!”

I can’t tell you about the many times a white women has visibly clutched her purse as I joined her in an elevator, or the times I’ve been followed or closely watched in a store, or walked into a luxury department store and not been given the time of day because the salesperson assumed I wasn’t going to buy anything.And before you think it, I am very well dressed and presentable.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard car doors click locked as I pass by them on the sidewalk while they are waiting at the light.

I can’t tell you about the times people have assumed I like listening to rap music. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been greeted by a white person with a “yo, yo ,yo” or “wasSUUP” or any other stereotypical African American vernacular that the person assumed I spoke and tried to fit in an be “cool” with me.

Now, none of these things have to do directly with me working hard and achieving success. I am still able to do that. But the people who carry these perceptions are the same people in the board rooms and in the law chambers. These are the same people who determine whether or not I get that loan or job or whatever.

It is not explicit. It is implicit bias. Implicit bias is something we ALL have. In this case we are talking about implicit bias towards black people based on preconceived stereotypes and history.

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

This issue is not to guilt trip white people. White people should not have to feel guilty about being white. Nor should they have to feel guilty about the past. That is not what this is about. It is about acknowledging that these things happened and are still happening and that they must stop.

246

Black Lives Matter—Do You Agree With Their Philosophy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i agree with people who say all lives matter.

i think blm is a racist group.

if white people pushed an agenda saying white lives matter, some people would have a conniption..

Hisclarkness

Simon mentioned and acknowledged that in the past there were racist laws but that since these laws have been dismantled there no longer exists any form of systematic racism. This is not accurate.

Laws can change overnight but hearts do not. The racist hearts that enacted those racists laws still existed long after the racist laws themselves were gone. Furthermore, laws have a certain impact that doesn’t disappear overnight.

Let’s start with slavery. YES, I’m starting there. For hundreds of years, white people accumulated wealth while this country was being built up on the free labor of black slaves. Wealth, mainly land, is generational and is passed down. Black people had no land to pass down from slavery.

But slavery was abolished so black people were then able to work for themselves and build themselves up!

Not exactly! Once slaves were free where did they go? They owned no land. Ironically, in many ways they were worse off because now they were no longer someone’s property and were able to be arrested and killed for even the slightest (often perceived) offenses by groups such as the newly formed KKK and former slave patrol groups (of which our modern day police are direct descendants).

Despite this, black people worked hard to try and build and accumulate something for themselves. There was even a community in Oklahoma named the Black Wall Street in 1921 because of the number of wealthy black people who built up a prosperous city for themselves. But what happened? A white mob burned the city to the ground during the now infamous massacre. Black soldiers who fought in WWII alongside their white countrymen returned home to find that they were not able to secure the same benefits under the new GI bill which included educational opportunities, low interest, zero down payment loans for houses and businesses. This is another example of black people being denied the opportunity to accumulate wealth. Wealth is the key term here because it is generational and is why we talk about racism as SYSTEMIC.

Schools were segregated and access to equal education was non existent on a broad level until the late 50s. But even AFTER that, prejudicial ATTITUDES still prevented true access to equal education.

Redlining is a great modern day example of racism at a systemic level. Governments have redlined many mostly predominantly black neighborhoods as high risk areas which makes it more difficult to have access to fresh food at a local supermarket, secure better rates for loans,

or even be flat out denied banking and financial services. Redlining affects a person’s direct access to health care. Redlining affects how public schools are funded. A school redlined to a poor predominantly black neighborhood won’t get the same funding from taxes as a school in a wealthy neighborhood. This leads to more crowded classrooms, more underpaid teachers, and less access to quality textbooks, materials, and extracurricular activities. An overall poorer quality education.

This is why racism is systemic. Sure, the KKK and like minded individuals still exist. But racism today is less an individual problem. There is no one person to point the finger to and this is why the subject is often so hard to have.

Also, there is an argument to be made that this is not a race issue but a poverty issue; yet you only have to scroll up to see why poverty issues and race issues are intertwined.

Now, of course, there are plenty of examples of black people who have achieved much success despite these hurdles. That is fine and great. But that does not prove that the hurdles are not there.

And, of course, there are lazy people who conform to all the stereotypes. And there are people who make poor decisions in life. This too does not take away from the facts of structural and institutional racism.

The only way to progress is to ACKNOWLEDGE these facts and collectively work to change things.

And I haven’t even begun to touch on the issue of implicit bias (which we ALL have regardless of race) and police brutality ( an issue that is related to but distinct from systemic racism.)

36

Watchtower August 2020 Are they introducing new light?

by Listener in

the latest watchtower is now out and they make this statement -.

7 during the thousand year rule of christ, all of jehovah’s earthly children will have to make changes to please him.

so all of them will have true fellow feeling as they help the resurrected ones to combat sinful tendencies and to live by jehovah’s standards.

Hisclarkness

I think this is just more of a slip up on the writer’s part in not paying attention to their own doctrine. They didn’t even think about it that deeply. They just naturally referred to those ones as earthly “children” (which it should be) not even realizing that someone would read it the way you did. They do this all the time throughout their literature; say one thing over here and say something different over there. Just another example that these are just men talking out of their necks.

41

The ransom makes no sense

by BourneIdentity in

if mankind needed to be redeemed from sin and death, why didn't the redemption happen as soon as jesus successfully lived his entire life without sin and sacrificed his life?

if he was successful, the price was paid and we'd all be living forever.

it's all bullshit, or jesus fucked up and sinned, so it nullified his sacrifice.

Hisclarkness

The good news of the kingdom that Jesus and his disciples preached had nothing to do with a ransom sacrifice. Think about it - how could it?? The disciples had no idea Jesus was going to die and were heavily disappointed when he did. The good news was only about loving God and loving your neighbor.

The ransom sacrifice was a tool used by Paul to help convert Jews to Christianity. Instead of sacrificing animals all the time, Jesus died once and for all. Therefore you don’t need to sacrifice anymore because Jesus was your sacrifice.

It is similar to when Moses instituted the Law. Instead of sacrificing your babies, you should sacrifice animals. It was a step up in knowledge from previous belief. (The Israelites still continued to fall back into the belief of human sacrifice from time to time).

The ransom sacrifice was a tool but it was never intended to be the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The Christian faith was all about dismantling institutionalized religion and having a personal faith with God while loving everybody as a brother and sister.

18

racism

by Stealth in

jw
friends

having been raised as a jw, racism was something that was never promoted.

i now have a 9 year old that has been visiting her biological grandmother and my ex-wife.

it is my child because i adopted her.

Hisclarkness

Racism is not simply “another point of view” and it is in no way beneficial to subject an impressionable child to racist beliefs and thoughts under the guise of needing to let them see the reality of the world.

It is not my place to tell you how to proceed with your relationship with your parents. But you ABSOLUTELY should proceed with caution when exposing your child to racism. We are not talking about a grown person able to distinguish between right and wrong and make their own decisions about their life. We are talking about a moldable child who is still learning their place in the world.

It scares me that so many here think there is nothing wrong that a child is exposed to racism in the name of differing points of view.

39

Who make up the new memorial partakers?

by jwfacts in

when the doctrine regarding 1935 being the close of the calling was done away with in 2007, it was not unexpected to see the number rise.

over the next few years it went from around 8,500 to 10,500. this seemed to indicate that there were a couple of thousand people that may have felt they had the calling all along, but too shy to profess it.

for the 30 year period between the mid 1978 and 2007, parktakers had barely dropped.

Hisclarkness

When I was still attending meetings about 6 years ago there were 3 partakers in my congregation, myself included.

I started to partake because I simply came to understand that that was my obligation as a Christian and follower of Jesus.

The second partaker was an elder who had also started to partake the same year I did. It turned out that he had been partaking privately for about 5 years previously had had come to the same conclusions that I had reached.

The third partaker was a very well respected older brother who had been partaking since at least the 80s that I know of. He was also a Bethelite in the late 70s to early 80s. Imagine my surprise when I went over to his house one afternoon to talk about partaking and he confessed to me that he had been feeling the same way all these years. It turns out he was part of that “rogue” group in Bethel during the Ray Franz scandal but managed to come through unscathed. He’s remained a faithful witness all these years and would never confess a thing to a single soul unless he knew he could trust you.

Well, once our congregation had three partakers all of a sudden, the elders went on a witch-hunt and formulated some crazy story that we had all conspired together to undermine WT by partaking. The elder, not backing down, was disfellowshipped. I walked away (quick fade) and never went back, and the older respected brother moved to a different congregation. A couple of years later the congregation was dissolved.

I also know a brother who was in our congregation years ago who later switched to a Chinese congregation before moving to China as a missionary serving underground. I’ve been in contact with him since his move and he too is a partaker, having come to the very same conclusions as all of us.

My mother, who is still an active witness, is a partaker for these same reasons. She came to the same conclusions a couple of years after I did. And she too faced backlash from her congregation.

I’m telling you guys, many of these partakers are not crazy. They are just following the scriptures.