Posts by Spook

25

Political Discussions

by beksbks in

jw
friends

even though i try to hide it, some of you may notice that i love the political debate on this site.

it gets very heated, and sometimes downright nasty.

as i was working in the yard a few minutes ago, i had a thought.

Does Psychiatry Truely understand JW Post Traumatic Stress Disorders?

by The Berean in

jw
friends

the professionals i have visited don't seem to get it.

they believe you can just get over it and move on .... what say you?.

I have to ask if you have received a PTSD diagnosis. Certainly some JW's do have this - the ones that experienced there time as a JW as "traumatic" in that sense. Many others have common diagnostics such as

-Adjustment disorder (a temporary situation - what I was diagnosed with as I sought a counselor after leaving JW's years ago.)

-Character or personality disorders (a long period of skewed perception imbalance in learning to interpret the actions of others.)

If one did have PTSD as a diagnosis then I would have thought your doctor would be prescribing medication and also recommending you see a counselor or social worker. That is what I'd recommend to a friend. Generally a psychiatrist does not spend as long in conversation due to billing limitations.

19

Confirm - SWINE FLU only killed eight so far - No need for panic! Spanish flu's Example

by Witness 007 in

don't panic!!!!!!!!!

7 died in mexico and 1 in america.....but hang on, one mexican infant died visiting america from mexico so technically 8 mexicans have died so far.

who is doing a great job being careful.

Spook

I don't understand why some are so quick to call "scam" as in a purposeful deception. This seems to be just another case of bad understanding of science.

More than 50,000 people (.19 per capita) die in the U.S. of flu each year. Mexicao city based on its size should see 4000-5000 flu deaths per year for that city.

Swine flu is worth keeping an eye on - yet it is hard to ask people to keep their heads up without causing a panic. On the flip side, if the media is reporting and the government says nothing, then people blame them for that too.

The real deal on swine and avian flu:

1. First generation contact with pigs (or birds, respectively) is EXTREMELY virulent...very easy to catch and likely extremely powerful.

2. Second generation contact relies on mutations which may or may not happen as the virus evolves. This is less virulent most probably for a variety of complex reasons.

3. Third generation contact is usually where a new flu stops. Enough people are developing resistance to the disease at this point.

However the WHO ane CDC are doing their job to be prepared. Because it is an unknown virus, epidemiologists do not know the magnitude or frequency of common mutations in the virus.

We now have enough science and media that we'll always know before a big event would become a pandemic. Because we always will know before, there will always be hype.

I thought it was nice that the President gave a tip of the hat to the Bush administration in his address last night. Former President Bush did help better prepare us to deal with such issues.

7

I enjoyed life as a JW

by Luo bou to in

jw
friends

life was comfortable familiar sense of belonging.. brotherhood..direction..meaning..save the world etc.

so why don't i go back?

i don't trust mother(org )any more.. she is a cruel egocentric lying bitch incapable of loving anyone but herself.

Spook

I did enjoy many aspects of my JW life. I had many many friends as a young man and was very popular. This didn't apply to everybody. I really tore up the midwest in the early 2000's. Of course, there were huge sacrifices which I don't think were worth it at all. When I realized it wasn't true, there was no longer any value in sacrifice.

Then again, I would have been just as popular at school as I was with JW's if I hadn't alienated everyone by being a stupid screw!

On the serious side, the psychological solution for the "belonging need" is to form individual identity. Those raised as JW's will often suffer from a lack of individual identity.

23

Did you know JW's who worked in SALES?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

the brothers and sisters that i knew that worked in sales did great in the congregation.

their presentations, their talks, their knowledge of all the publications, they were really on top of things.

those that worked in other fields sometimes really struggled at placing literature and in getting studies.. one brother in my hall used to have special sessions with those that wanted to improve their presentation.

Spook

I was one. This was instrumental in my leaving JW's. I read some classic golden oldie texts on sales, language and influence and realized that the literature was basically (true or false) propaganda from the use of passive voice generalities alone and the whole organization was structured to maximize social pressure. One day I told an elder in field service that was impressed with my placements

We convince less than 1 in 1000 people. I could convince 1 in 1000 people of anything. I could make many more repeat placements if the magazines weren't written for child-like readers.

He didn't like that very much.

I always had the courtesy to tell the sales prospect (house holder) exactly who I was and why I was there - then ask for their permission. This worked better than retarded leading questions ever did.

8

So many ex-Bethelites here...

by jws in

jw
friends

just thinking back over some of the many, many posts here.

it seems there are a fair share of ex-bethelites here or ex-branch office workers.. what percentage of jws actually go to bethel or a branch office?

it's gotta be under 1%.

Spook

I think the more passionate and studious a JW was, the more likely the would be to end up as a vocal opposer. Those who were never really serious and just drifted away may not have as viceral of a reaction. I sometimes feel it's harder to reason with JW's who treat the religion more like normal people treat their religions (no FS, lot's of meeting absence). I had many friends who drank, smoked and were sexually active that didn't take the religioin seriously, had a low guilt complex and just sort of plodded along like a catholic who may laugh at going to confession.

38

Did being raised a JW retard your career or cost you BIG $$$?

by The Berean in

jw
friends

i was offered a journalism scholarship at ohio state ... mom made me turn it down cause "armageddonwas near"... ended up a janitor!

.

Spook

Yes and yes.

I graduated at the top of my H.S. class and had a free ride just about anywhere. I wound up going to a local university and living at home. I count my self lucky I at least got a B.S. in engineering and am doing well financially. I will always regret not leaving JW's sooner and going to a more prominent university for law or medicine. I've tried to go back for a field that interests me more since, but being six years out of school has limited my options significantly. I now have a job that is secure, but which I stumbled into by default not passion.

I think the inhumaneness of killing one's passion is terrible. Life is so short. I always beat up the dubs who debate me when they tell me "what else would I do?" I realize for some it's too late, but I purposefully DA'd myself not for any moral reason but specifically because I fully intended to live a secular life to the fullest and wouldn't waste any time pretending to be a JW.

29

How Will Armageddon Strike?

by african GB Member in

will it happen at once the world over?.

will jw's be told to be at certain areas during that 'hour'?.

what about the df'd who might happen to be among jw's?.

Spook

It will strike like a theif in the night...who you dread is coming...and thus stay up all night...missing your dreams and ruining the next day...only to be repeated....until the things you value are no longer worth saving...and no thief comes...and you die.

Bibamus, Moriendum est!

(Death is inevitible, let's have a drink.)

17

Taxes, tea-parties and the economy

by Spook in

jw
friends

i've jumped in on several threads about the issues contained in the title and not gotten real responses.

i'm not attributing any meaning to this or saying it means the proponents can't defend this.

i still want to know from those whose view entails the following set of propositions just what your arguments are.

Spook

Amazing,

I understand your point.

clearly bias as an example of what I mean when both sides talk past one another.

I know what you mean - but bias as apparent doesn't mean bias indeed. I think a lot of the talking past each other happens here becuase...

1. Economics and politics are actually astoundingly complex yet...

2. They deeply impact everyone, so...

3. Most people feel justified having very strong opinions about broad ranging issues.

So thanks to both you, Amazing, and beks, for responding. If anything I'd like this thread to illustrate how deep some of these questions really are. So no "victory" will be declared, since I'm not really arguing anything here. I just would like to fully understand some of these positions without me making assumptions. Like I've said, it's not for lack of trying.

Cheers!

17

Taxes, tea-parties and the economy

by Spook in

jw
friends

i've jumped in on several threads about the issues contained in the title and not gotten real responses.

i'm not attributing any meaning to this or saying it means the proponents can't defend this.

i still want to know from those whose view entails the following set of propositions just what your arguments are.

Spook

Beks, all women are created equal, too. Whatever that means!

If the conservative defenders can't tell me how "economic liberalism" as invisioned by Adam Smith eventually became economic conservativism then they may be missing the whole question!