slimboyfat

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Posts by slimboyfat

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  35

  The Label Of "Apostate" And It's Effects

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  in my psychology studies we've been examining the use of "labels" and how they influence peoples behaviour.

  i sometimes wonder if the gb or their helpers know exactly what they're doing when it comes to psychological manipulation.. it's been observed that by labeling someone or something it changes your entire perception of that person or thing.

  it colours it entirely, quite unfairly in some cases.

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  slimboyfat

  As I understand it the insight of labelling theory is that if you label someone as something then it prompts future behaviour in line with the label. It’s the reason, for example, why the justice system is sensitive about prematurely labelling young people as criminals. Young people who are labelled as criminals become criminals, whereas young people who are categorised as needing social support are less likely to become criminals. Labels are powerful.

  In this sense I think JW use of labels is pretty dumb actually. They prematurely label people who have doubts and questions as “apostate” ironically ensuring that they do in fact become “apostate”. This may have worked during a period of growth when they could afford to lose large numbers of members, but as decline sets in I think it’s a policy that will increasingly backfire.
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  58

  BOE-2018-04-16--Beards and Special Privileges!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2018-04-16-boebeards and special privilegeshttps://we.tl/qoxbkltp4latlantis!.

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  slimboyfat

  Since this letter we sent to an individual and his body of elders, doesn’t this necessarily already identify the source of the leak?
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  49

  Motherly Love, that "Unbreakable Bond"

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my father died a couple of months ago.

  he'd been ill for some time and had many health scares and heart troubles over the years but always managed to keep on going.

  then one time he didn't.. i'm glad i got to know him again and spend some more time with him after so many years missed because of the wts but those years will always be lost forever.

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  slimboyfat

  This is truly awful. Shunning policy will need to change one day, but it won’t be soon enough. They can’t undo the hurt that is already done.
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  9

  Heb. 1:2-3 Proof we should worship Jesus?

  by NikL in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  jw.org believes that jesus is not god but a separate entity.

  let's go with that for the time being.

  in the referenced scriptures the writer of hebrews says that jesus "sustains all things by the word of his power" and has been "appointed heir of all things".

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  slimboyfat

  It depends what you mean by worship. Even some evangelicals point out that the first Christians didn’t worship Jesus.

  For example James Dunn points out that while Jesus receives “worship” in the NT, only the Father receives “sacred service”.

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/DID-FIRST-CHRISTIANS-WORSHIP-JESUS/dp/0281059284
  
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  23

  interview with an apostate- morpheus

  by _Morpheus in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when i saw simons thread and the "interview" series of threads that came from it i really enjoyed reading the life stories of those that shared.

  a bump for newer people seems like a good idea and i figured i would add mine as well.

  again, thanks to simon for the concept of a guided interview thread and the template.. tell us a little about yourself and your family.. hmmm... easy question, hard answer.

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  slimboyfat

  Interesting Morph, thanks. But I was looking for explanation for becoming collapse denier.
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  13

  Fading with Confidence

  by gone for good in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  abandoning a damaging cult is not a crime, in fact it might be viewed as a moral imperative given the levels of abuse awaiting those surrendering to its teachings and worse –its "ecclesiastic authority".. it has always seemed counter productive to inform potential enemies when your life´s goals now conflict with their rigid agendas.

  disassociation letters and manifestos may be cathartic in the writing, but the outcome is a 100% certainty because of the inflexibility and lack of caring by the very group it is delivered to.. .

  "fading" from under "high control" seems an oxymoronic risk at best, and currently faders walk on eggshells and look over their shoulders for years during and after the attempt - fearful that the price of their freedom will be the destruction of their friendships and family ties.. perhaps a peculiar additional preparation to a fade can reverse the balance of power – and high control cults are all about power.. .. bear in mind: - .

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  slimboyfat

  There may be technical ways to avoid DFing, but as I discovered not so easy to avoid shunning altogether. If elders can’t DF they can just label you bad association informally anyway and it has a similar effect.
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  61

  Gerrit Lösch gives a special talk the Norval Assembly Hall in Georgetown Canada

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the first part was all about the the evils of higher education.

  i couldn't stand it and left.

  was anybody there today?

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  slimboyfat

  Given that the GB have the power to influence the lives of millions of young people, or rather, hundreds of thousands (let’s not get carried away), shouldn’t they take their responsibility a bit more seriously with relevant and up to date information?

  It strikes me that this sort of behaviour doesn’t really indicate fear of God, regard for other people, or even self respect.
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  61

  Gerrit Lösch gives a special talk the Norval Assembly Hall in Georgetown Canada

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the first part was all about the the evils of higher education.

  i couldn't stand it and left.

  was anybody there today?

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  slimboyfat

  I have reported this thread title for offences against the word “special”.
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  31

  Atheists - How Did You Become An Atheist After Waking Up?

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i consider myself an atheist.

  and right now i'm reading a lot on atheism in general (books written to answer creationists).. i'd be interested in knowing how you became an atheist after leaving the jws and how long did it take?

  was it instant or did your belief in a deity gradually decline?.

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  slimboyfat

  I read The Blind Watchmaker already around the year 2000 (on the banks of the river Ness on a summer day) and that dented my faith. It certainly made me think again about evolution. But the height of my atheism was a result of the Bozing Day tsunami in 2004. I could not believe God would let this happen. But since then I’ve become much more skeptical about whether God exists. Ironically it seems that being an atheist requires too much faith.
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  17

  Reaction to baptism figures

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  talking about tomorrow's wt study, that mentions over a quarter of a million baptized every year, a jw asked how many that is a day.

  i got out my calculator and answered over 778 a day.

  of course they were amazed at the growth, but immediatly i googled another statistic and read it aloud:.

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  slimboyfat

  I just checked: the peak year for baptisms was 1997 when 375,000 were baptised with the average publishers number at 5.3 million. Incidentally - this was the year I was baptised. I got in at peak JW.