Posts by myauntfanny

63

An experiment in self-empowerment - Any Volunteers?

by Frannie Banannie in

jw
friends

i need volunteers for this experiment, but i'll explain what it's about first....you'll find it's gonna be easier for some than others.

this is about the power of sound and the power of written and/or spoken words and their affect on our environment.

within the last 30 years an instrument called an eidophone was discovered.

myauntfanny

I would really love to see one of those eidophone things. I'm with you Frannie, I NEED to start being more positive. I posted affirmations on yellow post-its all over my house a few years ago, and it does help loads. Although it's embarrassing when people come over and find a message stuck on your toilet lid saying things like "I'm okay just the way I am". Especially in England where they just DON'T do that kind of thing.

Gumby

Another reason I disregard Evolution

That's no reason to disregard evolution! It makes perfect sense in evolutionary terms. The birds need the trees to live in, don't they? The birds that help the trees grow by singing will have more trees to live in, and more bugs to eat, and so on, and they'll be the ones that have more resources to breed more birds. Doesn't explain how it all started, but then, nothing does.

Also, I'm not sure you should stop saying bastard, because from here in cyberland that looks like one of your positive words. Not that I know, but you always say it in such an affectionate way.

32

Words to Live By - What are Yours?

by pettygrudger in

jw
friends

in trying to deal with the everyday realities of our existence, we usually pick "catch phrases" or principles with which we use to try & guide our life, growth & development.

in my case, the #1 thing that i try to live by is to take what is mine & own it.

yep, i didn't have the best circumstances growing up, and had some pretty crappy things that happened to me as a child.

myauntfanny

There's always more than one way to do things.

You can have anything, but you can't have everything.

Nobody knows better than me what's best for me.

Reality is friendly.

213

WHAT IF WE DIDN'T POISON CHILDREN'S MINDS WITH FANTASY?

by Terry in

every baby born seems to have a giant helping of fairy stories, talking animals, outrageous exaggerations parading as "fact" and an endless stream of cartoons, science fiction and make-believe.

the laws of nature and physics are violated every few seconds in film and tv!

is it surprising that children are not only ignorant of how things really work-but, they don't have patience and an appetite for fact when they get to the schoolroom.

myauntfanny

I'm not a rationalist materialist, and I think fantasy is not poison at all, but essential to the human spirit. If we don't let them have fantasy, what will they have to fall back on in hard times? And doesn't fantasy allow us to dream of change too? It has a dark side, but to get rid of entirely would be throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

For me, though, Santa Claus is a different story. I have known a number of people who said that realising their parents had deliberately lied to them about Santa was a big and traumatic turning point in not trusting their parents' fundamental honesty anymore. I also don't like the reward/punishment aspect of the Santa story.

And most of all I worry that if I set up Santa as a benevolent, fatherly, all-knowing character (he knows if you're naughty or nice, that is a god-like fantasy), she'll be vulnerable to anybody who dresses up in a Santa suit till she's old enough to discriminate for herself what lies behind the beard.

We were at a Christmas market recently where this Santa guy was going around talking to the kids, and giving out presents. Then he started talking to my daughter, and what he was saying was appalling: that he was Santa and Santa knows more than all the daddies in the world and rubbish like that. She had been enchanted by him, but when he started in on that she got confused and disturbed. Of course we rushed her away immediately, with a few choice words for Santa, but it gave me a first hand look at how much power you could give the ikon of Santa by creating him as a real figure in your child's inner life. It scared the hell out of me.

I don't judge other people for doing it, but for me it's not worth it. She can have other magic. She can have angels and fairies and borrowers and tesseracts, but I will never tell her that Santa is more than a story some people tell for fun. Anyway, she'll still get the presents, which is actually the only thing I really missed as a JW child.

5

Save Britains Capital!!!

by Gadget in

jw
friends

thornborough henge - britains 5000 year old capital?.

the people of britain 5000 years ago built circular monuments called henges to celebrate their religious life.

these were the focus of festivals, the people who came set up camp around the henge, creating a widespread ritual landscape of burial grounds and spiritual sites surrounding the henge.. thornborough is the last remaining part of the largest henge complex in britain, it is our only triple henge monument and is the only henge site in the world modelled on the constellation orion - 1000 years before the great pyramids of gaza followed the same design.. thornborough henges are protected by law but the surrounding area is not.

myauntfanny

the last remaining titual settlement

I'm sorry. I care about the henges, I really do, but this made me laugh. (Or is that actually a real word and I'm just too ignorant to know it? Couldn't find it in the OED.)

63

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON INTELLIGENCE?

by Terry in

an intelligent person--describe them for us; what are they and what are they not?.

who are your hero-types of intelligence?

great thinkers, writers, philosophers or ordinary people?

myauntfanny

Gumby

Me thinks intuition is a "type" of intelligence and is mearly a byproduct of intelligence of a certain type.
I repeated myself...didn't I?

Yes, well, I'm a little confused, because I don't know what intuition is either. It might just be the process of reasoning below the conscious level, then it really is just a subset of whatever activites make up intelligence. Uuuurrrrkkk. This subject makes me want to lay down and have a nap.

47

A challenge to all atheist?

by meggidon555 in

i love rpgs .

here is the setting.

a time ago proof beyond a shadow of a dought that god does not exist was released to the world.

myauntfanny

Megiddon

DAMN!!!

(That was just to get your attention, cuz you said throw in a cuss word)

I think I am beginning to understand the true nature of your question. You are saying that if there is no god, then there is no soul. If there is no soul, what gives our existence intrinsic value? If our existence has no intrinsic value, only utility value - what we can contribute to the world - then what happens to those who can't contribute anything? Are they less valuable? If there are limited resources, should they be the ones left out when stuff gets passed around? If only one of two people can live, do we throw away the one that is less useful?

That's too heartless. I personally refuse to live that way. I believe that every human being alive has a soul, and that all souls are of equal value. But I think I could believe that without believing in god, if I wanted to. It would be similar to believing in god, in that there can be no logical proof one way of the other. But I don't think these sorts of beliefs NEED logical proof. You don't have to convince others, you only have to live them yourself.

63

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON INTELLIGENCE?

by Terry in

an intelligent person--describe them for us; what are they and what are they not?.

who are your hero-types of intelligence?

great thinkers, writers, philosophers or ordinary people?

myauntfanny

The topic of intelligence always baffles me. I read a book a few years ago about how there are 7 kinds of intelligence, and I read Goleman's book, but I have no better idea than before what intelligence of any kind actually is. When I meet people who give me a certain feeling, that they'd be able to grasp any concept they chose to, then I have the feeling they are intelligent.

I'm with Craig, I think intuition is more important than intelligence for survival, and for happiness too. Some people who have no interest in ideas at all do just as well, rather better in fact, than people who are fluent with ideas and concepts.

47

A challenge to all atheist?

by meggidon555 in

i love rpgs .

here is the setting.

a time ago proof beyond a shadow of a dought that god does not exist was released to the world.

myauntfanny

Meggidon

who says what is good and what is bad the majority, the chosen leader, or blind chance (evolution)

Hey, it's a good quesiton, maybe the best question. Many of the great philosophers have grappled with that (and not gotten anywhere really).

106

Should Anything Exist????Says Who???Should Nothing Exist?? Says Who?

by frankiespeakin in

should anything exist?

that is a question that nobody can answer with authority.

if any one says they have the answer, i ask:"says who?

myauntfanny

Poppers

So it's like we think we're the words, but we're really the page the words are typed on?

27

I can't believe I am doing this again

by Mulan in

jw
friends

i am canning today.

i got rid of all my jars, my pressure cooker and other canning paraphernalia years ago.

it seemed so silly to can anything for dave, myself, and our one remaining child at home.

myauntfanny

Jez

Any chance of getting your salsa recipe? You can't get a decent salsa here in Europe. I don't have a garden but even if I make my own with vegetables from the store I'd still be better off than I am now.