I heard this very story from my nephew, who is studying for his Phd. in history. He found this in one of his text books. As for scurvy, there is an absolutely fascinating book on this:
poppers
JoinedPosts by poppers
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20
Manure....
by upside/down inmanure .
in the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizer, so large shipments of manure were common.
it was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by product is methane gas.
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Ingrained Belief Systems.
by Blueblades inwe all know how hard it is to transcend an ingrained belief system.
that is something that many people are not willing or able to do.
at least not quickly or easily, if not at all.
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poppers
That's great to hear, paws!
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Ingrained Belief Systems.
by Blueblades inwe all know how hard it is to transcend an ingrained belief system.
that is something that many people are not willing or able to do.
at least not quickly or easily, if not at all.
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poppers
Most people are unconsciously bound to belief systems of every sort - in a very real sense they are sleep-walking through their lives because of this. Rather than seeing things as they are, they are looking at events through the varied belief systems that have been accepted. One's very identity is enmeshed with the beliefs that are held. So, to challenge a long held belief system is to challenge one's own identity.
To actually challenge a specific belief system is quite courageous because doing so is fraught with peril, for the very direction one's life takes can be at stake. But any kind of change can be very scary for people, for this means stepping into unknown territory. Usually what happens is that one set of beliefs is substituted for the ones held. The irony, of course, is that the new set of beliefs carries with it another confining viewpoint, even though it may be different - this is bondage, and this is the foundation of separation and suffering. What to do? I suggest that it would be wise to go to the root of the dynamics of accepting/rejecting beliefs of every kind.
What usually gets overlooked in all of this is the careful examination of just who it is that is holding onto any belief. In other words, just who am I anyway? We think we know, but do we really? If one is sincere and truly wants to know, one can begin with this basic question. Who/what am I? Try to find out by asking yourself this and see if you can find out. See if you can find out specifically who or what you are beyond any belief in who or what you are. Everyone has ideas about who they are, but are these anything but ideas? Can you be an idea, something which is subject to change, or are you something else, something which doesn't change, something which isn't subject to suffering and which isn't separate from all that is.
Asking this question "Who/what am I?" challenges the root belief system that usually goes unchallenged by the vast majority of people - the belief in 'me' as a separate and distinct entity. Most who will read this response will dismiss it out of hand as something rather silly. Of course they know who they are, goes their thinking; why should I bother with asking a question which has such an obvious answer? This attitute is rather typical, but in reality, it is an unconscious evasion of a subtle, but core fear - the fear of discovering that the 'me' I take myself to be doesn't actually exist. Who wants to be confronted with the fact that they don't exist? Almost no one is willing to make this examination, because to do so is to come face-to-face with their core belief, the belief in me, and the frightening prospect that they don't exist as a separate and distinct entity. To do so presents them with their greatest fear, the fear of facing life without absolutely any beliefs at all.
However, those who are willing to make this sort of self-inquiry will discover something literally unimaginable. When the discovery is made of just what one is comes a life that is fulfilled, a life that is rooted in unshakeable peace, and a life that is truly free. Henceforth, belief systems of all sorts are easily spotted as just that, beliefs that are held by imaginary characters; characters that are no more than thought forms that congeal around a bundle of ideas that are taken to be 'me'. What one is lies beyond all beliefs, beyond the mind and senses. What one is is unbounded by space or time, not subject to change or injury. What one is is eternal and free, and can be discovered this very moment.
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You Can Tell, Can't You?
by prophecor inwomen, you seem to always be able to admit that you can spot an attractive woman and be ok with it.
no need of having any fear of homosexual tendencies, not that there's anything wrong with it...but guys, will you ever admit that you can look at another man and know that he's attractive and good looking, with no fear within your inner being that you may be gay?.
i was in converse with my wife and mentioned to her how attracted men are to other women.
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poppers
It doesn't bother me one bit to think or say that another man is good looking - and yes, I am straight. If your self-concept rules your life you are a slave to it. If you have dropped your self-concept then what is there to fear?
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poppers
Yeah. It didn't work for Billy Crystal's character either in When Harry Met Sally.
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hanging onto old thought processes
by rebel8 inas a jw child, i learned to use the following "logic":decide what you want to believe before you research or learn about it.
(at the time, it was whatever the wts told me to believe.
)when you come across anything that supports your belief, accept it.when you come across anything that refutes your belief, reject it.repeat steps 2-4 indefinitely.. as far as i recall, i pretty much realized this faulty thought process before i left the jws and stopped doing it.
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poppers
"They are not using it to solidify their beliefs in religious/philosophical things anymore, but they are using it to confirm their beliefs in other life issues."
Yes, that seems to be a nearly universal phenomenon, and it is the reason people remain trapped in delusion and suffering. If one wants to find true freedom one must question all beliefs. Most people find such a proposition scary because to do so confronts one with the core belief: the belief about who they are. To look for ways to validate other beliefs ensures that one won't face the core fear that lies at the heart of the core belief: that they don't actually exist as a separate individual.
In the discovery of what you truly are exists unconditional peace, contentment, and fulfillment. But rather than make that investigation, most are content to cling to what is familiar even if that means they remain trapped in delusion. Giving up the idea that they don't exist is frightening, for if they don't exist (their reasoning goes) then what are they? Who is willing to do this? At what point will this willingness arise? Start small - look around you, be present with what is in this very moment, be present with what is without retreating into any ideas which arise about what is unfolding. When you do this, where is the idea of "you' and where is fear to be found? When you do this where is separation from others, from anything whatsoever? Look and discover directly for yourself.
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What is Spirituality, and why do I need it?
by Nosferatu ini've heard so many people (jw and non) tell me that i need to maintain my spirutuality because it's healthy.
it seems i don't have any since i no longer believe in god or the bible.
so, what the hell do i need spirituality for?
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poppers
That to which the word spirituality points to is what you are in reality. Discover what you really are and you have discovered spirituality - you don't need it, you are it.
Religions and philosophies attempt to give you what is assumed you don't already have. Though their motives may be good, they are misguided, because their premise is based on a falsehood, the idea of separation from all that is. In their attempts to give you what you already have, separation gets fixed in place rather than seen through. They attempt to enlighten while all the while ensuring delusion.
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**MUST READ** AlanF's email to Knocking.org
by sf inthis is a must-read that, hopefully, will stay an "active topic" for all seekers and lurkers, by bumping it to the top as often as possible.
alan wrote it in randys {dogpatch} thread regarding knocking.org documentary and in reply to the email mr. engardio sent to barbara anderson.
however, it is so vital a read that it indeed needs its own thread:.
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poppers
It is writing like this that makes it a pleasure to read such a long post. Great job.
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50 years from now, How will The Watchtower Change?
by VM44 indo you think that the watchtower organisation will still be in existence 50 years from now?.
if it is still around, will there still be thousands left of the annoited, partaking each year at the memorial?.
how will the watchtower have to change in the next half century?
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poppers
2055: Bendrr is recognized as a true prophet despite winning the Pulitzer Prize for creative writing; a significant portion of those who remain as JWs break off
to establish a new religion based on his prophecies. -
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Happiness is...
by jeanniebeanz inhappiness is .
what is happiness to you?
this tormented me as a witness.
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poppers
Yes. Happiness is. It's that simple. To look for it covers it up. Not to see it means it's simply being overlooked. Stop looking, and there it is.