sonnyboy

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Posts by sonnyboy

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  21

  Transference of delusions

  by Satanus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  transference of delusional feelings/beliefs.

  the danger of destroying delusions.

  this has been mentioned before, and i think it's worthwhile to have it's own thread.

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  sonnyboy

  These feelings sound familiar.

  I can only speak for myself, but this seems due to a shred of belief still in existence. My mind tells me that most of what they teach is wrong. My mind tells me that, judging by all the contradictions in the bible, God doesn't exist at all. However, part of me still believes everything. Many of us have been conditioned to believe certain things from birth, and it's hard to get out of that mindset. I think that's why many people are afraid to challenge the existence of God: They 'feel' his presence, but don't consider the possibility that this is due to years of brainwashing. They don't want to discover that everything they'd believed in was a lie.
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  17

  ESP Proof?

  by skyman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yesterday i read all the posts under the thead "i need some skeptic input... dreams that come true' by googlemagoogle.

  i could not help but see that some people were very opinionated one way or the other.

  most just felt it was true because they had a dream or know some one who has.

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  sonnyboy

  It makes sense to me. I don't believe that psychic phenomena are necessarily due to "evil spirits" like the JWs, but possibly something within ourselves that we've yet learned to master.

  I can't even count the amount of times that I've thought of random, insignificant subjects and immediately saw something directly related on TV. Almost every day I mistake someone on TV for someone else or mistake one movie for another, only to flip the channel and see the very person or movie I was thinking of. Also, I'd say 70% of the time, I get an extremely anxious feeling just before the phone rings, whether I'm expecting a call or not. The list goes on.

  We may never find a definitive explanation for such happenings. Why doesn't this appy to everyone? Why can't everyone control it?

  Most likely, believing is the first step. We live in a society that bases reality on proof, which is beneficial for the most part, so it's hard to be open to something for which proof doesn't exist. Our senses seem to highten when we believe in or are expecting something, whereas denial forms a mental block. It's sort of like a scary movie: When we think something's getting ready to jump out of the cupboard, we jump when it happens. If we're not expecting much from the movie, our reactions are less intense.
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  10

  SMURFS: Do all JWs think they're evil?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm wondering if there are any urban legends passed around at your former (or current) hall, like the one we had about smurfs.

  an elder told us that smurfs were created by satan worshipers and were evil.

  he then told us about a young girl who brought a plush smurf doll to service at a local hall.

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  sonnyboy

  Most people didn't question it; everyone was all agasp.

  I was sort of excited by the fact that Satan could bring toys to a whole new level.
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  10

  SMURFS: Do all JWs think they're evil?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm wondering if there are any urban legends passed around at your former (or current) hall, like the one we had about smurfs.

  an elder told us that smurfs were created by satan worshipers and were evil.

  he then told us about a young girl who brought a plush smurf doll to service at a local hall.

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  sonnyboy

  I'm wondering if there are any urban legends passed around at your former (or current) hall, like the one we had about Smurfs.

  An elder told us that Smurfs were created by Satan worshipers and were evil. He then told us about a young girl who brought a plush Smurf doll to service at a local hall. Supposedly, Papa Smurf jumped from the girls lap and walked out during prayer.

  After that I begged my parents for a magical walking Papa Smurf doll, but they said it was too evil to bring into the house.
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  22

  Sexual orientation proven genetic

  by drwtsn32 in

  1. social
  2. current

  the evidence is compelling!.

  http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=644275.

  sexuality determined by nature or nurture?

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  sonnyboy

  I'm sure that most Christian sects, including the JWs, will say that it's still a sin to practice homosexual sex regardless of the research. You know, long-suffering and all.

  They'd rather have someone live with their head buried in the sand with a hot poker up their ass than go against the New World Translation.
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  45

  Music that debases

  by katiekitten in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  which albums did you throw out after that landmark talk at an assembly round about the mid 80's?.

  i got rid of:.

  elo (widely regarded as having back tracking on one song).

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  sonnyboy

  I remember breaking my Alice in Chains: Dirt CD in half.

  I bought a new one.
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  43

  Why did you leave?

  by greendawn in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if someone asked to state briefly why you left the jw brotherhood what would you say?

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  sonnyboy

  I left 10 years ago when my parents stopped going to meetings (not that I ever wanted to go in the first place).

  I was told that field service was a requirement for baptism, which was one of the many things that bothered me. I remember some sort of checklist that had to be completed before you could take the dunk. Who are they to say when anyone feels ready to be baptized? Isn't that between the person and God (humoring the possibility that He exists)?

  Now that I look back on things, the JWs seem to be nothing more than a controlling cult, devoid of Christianity. Back then they seemed like the most righteous people on earth, nearly perfect in every way.

  Never underestimate the power of brainwashing.
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  121

  i need some skeptic input... dreams that come true

  by googlemagoogle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  listen to this: the other day my wife was talking in her sleep and she said "sister xyz died".

  i just thought, well she's dreaming.

  the next day one of my friends told me "sister xyz died yesterday".

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  sonnyboy

  being close-minded and dogmatic is one thing. being a skeptic is another thing.

  You're right. Something told me not to post after drinking a worldly beverage...my message sounded ridiculous. I shouldn't have called Jeffro closed-minded, but skepticism can come off as calling someone a liar. Perhaps that's appropriate in some cases.

  Everyone is skeptical at times; I'm not asking anyone to be gullible. I know there are plenty of people who make up outrageous stories of supernatural events to get attention, or perhaps the event is coincidental and they construe it as something else. I'm don't often take things at face value myself; I try to see things from every possible angle, including the events I described. In my case, I don't see how the dream could be coincidental and I have no desire to get attention (at least not consciously); I'm usually the low-profile type. I'll try to be more careful with what I post in the future.
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  121

  i need some skeptic input... dreams that come true

  by googlemagoogle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  listen to this: the other day my wife was talking in her sleep and she said "sister xyz died".

  i just thought, well she's dreaming.

  the next day one of my friends told me "sister xyz died yesterday".

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  sonnyboy

  Your veiled insult is noted and appropriately ignored.

  Oh, please. Your judgmental comments could be construed as nothing more than insults.

  Save your condescending rhetoric for someone who cares. You are indeed very closed-minded, and there is no veiling that fact. You've made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion.

  I'm not asking you to believe anyting. Personally, I don't know you nor do I care to. I'm simply stating a few deeply personal experiences in my life while you condemn them as trivial. What you choose to believe is ultimately your choice. It makes no difference to me.
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  121

  i need some skeptic input... dreams that come true

  by googlemagoogle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  listen to this: the other day my wife was talking in her sleep and she said "sister xyz died".

  i just thought, well she's dreaming.

  the next day one of my friends told me "sister xyz died yesterday".

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  sonnyboy

  You are suggesting that there is a mystical spiritual force that gave you premonitions of an incidental event that had no real significance. If these experiences are attributed to such a powerful force, why can't this amazing powerful force do something a little more worthwhile than giving vacation previews.

  I believe the dream and the event did have significance, although I'm not exactly sure what it could be. That's not the only dream I've had of the place...I won't go into any more details since your mind doesn't seem very open, but it's made me rethink my stance on reincarnation (or at least be more objective about it). I've been compelled to return a few more times and see something 'new and familiar' every time I go there. This is just one of many examples I could give of possible psychic phenomena I've experienced throughout my life which go beyond deja vu. If there is a spiritual force at work, perhaps it's not a cognitive lifeform, but an extension of ourselves.

  There's nothing wrong with being skeptical, but we should at least be open to the possibility that the world may not exist in black and white.