Posts by Check_Your

I was always partial to the one She said that "in a rational world there can be no contradictions, so if you arrive at one, you must go back and Check_Your_Premises."

I also like one where she said that anytime we experience pain it is because there is something about the world we didn't understand. I don't know if I share her opinion that we have that much control over our lives, but it is a damn good quote nevertheless.

I love Ayn Rand. She really laid bare the moral failing of the Marxist paradigm with an intellectual rigorousness that I don't think has ever been matched. She was a bit off, and she did carry the myth of certainty such that she became a bit cultish. Those who disagreed with her were not wrong or of another opinion, they were simply evil.

A really cool bitch though. I wish I could have met her.

CYP

3

JW's and the problem of pain

by Check_Your_Premises in

most jw beliefs and practices i have been able to trace down to some basic motivation of belief.

one that still eludes me is how the jw address the issue of reconciling the idea of a benevolent creator with the fact of human misery that nobody can expect to be immune from.

i am not talking about the kind of stuff we bring on ourselves by living self destructive lives.

Check_Your_Premises

Ah my old friends. I haven't seen you in some of our other haunts. I haven't been seen anywhere lately.

Actually I was aware of this book by C.S. Lewis and that is probably where I got the title for the thread. That book is on my very long reading list.

CYP

3

JW's and the problem of pain

by Check_Your_Premises in

most jw beliefs and practices i have been able to trace down to some basic motivation of belief.

one that still eludes me is how the jw address the issue of reconciling the idea of a benevolent creator with the fact of human misery that nobody can expect to be immune from.

i am not talking about the kind of stuff we bring on ourselves by living self destructive lives.

Check_Your_Premises

Most JW beliefs and practices I have been able to trace down to some basic motivation of belief.

One that still eludes me is how the JW address the issue of reconciling the idea of a benevolent Creator with the fact of human misery that nobody can expect to be immune from. I am not talking about the kind of stuff we bring on ourselves by living self destructive lives. I am talking about the kid who is born into some third world slum and forced to live as a sex slave. That kid never got a chance to ruin their life. It was already destroyed before he/she got a chance.

Now an orthodox Christian would rationalize it by saying that God is in control of all things. Even if evil exists, it is all apart of His plan that will eventually bring about pure justice. All things, even the evil ones, are serving to fulfill that purpose. Now this does make it harder to believe in a benevolent Creator. On the other hand it does take the performance pressure off of us. No matter what we do, there is no human misery that we should expect to be free from. And it also bring us some comfort when tragedy defies all reason.

The JW's are real touchy about attributing any evil to Jehovah. In their new publication they depict the world's sad state as a result of man's seperation from God. This evil is depicted as being "allowed" to prove the point that man cannot live without Jehovah's sovereignty. That is pretty consistent with orthodox views, but they are adamant to state that God doesn't allow evil, even if it is to fulfill a larger purpose of good. For instance my wife gets real touchy when someone starts to say, "this is all happening for a reason." If you suggested that a persons horrific death was an act of God, she would be equally offended.

So why this distinction?

16

How many themes are covered in the WT articles?

by Check_Your_Premises in

jw
friends

i love data.

especially in charts.

i can visually "see" things that i just can't by relying on memory and current perceptions.. i thought an interesting peice of data to track over time is the "type" of articles published by the wt.

Check_Your_Premises

MJ,

Good point.

Mega themes? Does this pretty much cover it?

Fear

Guilt

Obey

Hope

Appeal and claim to divine authority

Criticism of all other authorities

2

Addicted to judgmentalism

by M.J. in

here's something i got emailed to me from ptm ministries at: http://www.ptm.org/uni/resources/ptmupdate/ptmupdate.htm.

nice writeup by people who have nothing to do with the jws.

addicted to judgmentalism.

Check_Your_Premises

PTM ping. I love reformed cults.

16

How many themes are covered in the WT articles?

by Check_Your_Premises in

jw
friends

i love data.

especially in charts.

i can visually "see" things that i just can't by relying on memory and current perceptions.. i thought an interesting peice of data to track over time is the "type" of articles published by the wt.

Check_Your_Premises

Yeah the more I think about it, every article will utilize several themes. Carrot-Stick-Stick-Carrot-Stick

So maybe I should go back and read all the old WT. Ok, maybe not. I actually started reading them just to point out particularly egregious arguments.

CYP

16

How many themes are covered in the WT articles?

by Check_Your_Premises in

jw
friends

i love data.

especially in charts.

i can visually "see" things that i just can't by relying on memory and current perceptions.. i thought an interesting peice of data to track over time is the "type" of articles published by the wt.

Check_Your_Premises

Blondie (not you though, CYP)

Well what do you know.... the Watchtower from two weeks ago said I didn't have Jah's blessing, but I do have Blondies!

CYP

16

How many themes are covered in the WT articles?

by Check_Your_Premises in

jw
friends

i love data.

especially in charts.

i can visually "see" things that i just can't by relying on memory and current perceptions.. i thought an interesting peice of data to track over time is the "type" of articles published by the wt.

Check_Your_Premises

I love data. Especially in charts. I can visually "see" things that I just can't by relying on memory and current perceptions.

I thought an interesting peice of data to track over time is the "type" of articles published by the WT. I figure there are only a handful of themes really when you think about it. If we could identify those themes, then classify past and current WT articles according to those template themes, we could probably see some interesting trends.

So what are the basic themes of WT articles? Here is my list off the top of my head. Some articles could highlight multiple themes.

The first three I think are of key interest. I can imagine a trend where they are repeated more frequently at certain times. I also forsee a time when almost every week the article is one of these themes. That will mean the carrot isn't working anymore, and like all panicked tyrants they revert to their true nature and just rely on the stick.

Obey and trust the slave (or else)

Don't listen to apostates (or else)

Work harder (not smarter) for the slave

Jesus isn't God (or your mediator)

The Divine Name (Joseph Hovah is apparantly God's name)

Hell isn't hot

Jesus didn't die on a cross (Messiah on a stick)

No Blood (Unless it is very teeny tiny... fat is ok?)

Paradise Earth (pet lions, drink ice tea, and hang out with Jw's forever!!!!)

The end is near (nearer than last time we said it was near)

Be Upbuilding to eachother (nag, snoop, and use codephrases like "glad to see you" and "wanted to see if everything is ok" which are designed to sound like we care about you rather than care about guilt tripping you)

Christendom!!! (Satan apparantly is using these fools to teach his lie that salvation is through faith in Christ and not a publishing company)

The Bible is trustworthy (but some Bibles are more trustworthy than others)

Others?

CYP

Check_Your_Premises

Posts by Check_Your_Premises