Cognitive_Dissident

Joined

• started 19 topics
• posted 203 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Cognitive_Dissident

• 
  29

  Why Christianity is all about judgement!

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this joke was written by the comedian emo phillips.

  what makes it funny is that it captures christianity to the exact point we all should know.

  enjoy .... voted the funniest religious joke of all time.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  that's fantastic. Wraps it up very nicely.
  
  no, not at all! everyone is going to the same place when we die: no where.
  
  Tetra, that reminds me of a good Tom Waits lyric:
  
  What does it matter, a dream of love
  Or a dream of lies
  We're all gonna be in the same place
  When we die
  Your spirit don't leave knowing
  Your face or your name
  And the wind through your bones
  Is all that remains
  And we're all gonna be
  We're all gonna be
  Just dirt in the ground
  
  from the song Dirt in the Ground
• 
  51

  Elder school notes, Part 2: hysterical screed against education continues

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  continuing this morning's notes, in the same format.... talk 5: overview - organized to do jehovah's will - brother bethel-coot.

  synopsis: general high level review of contents of new "organized to do jehovah's will" (od) book.

  pointed out how to use index (duh!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  "Following the guidelines in this book promotes peace and unity among the body of elders"
  
  Wow, that is ridiculous.
  
  I mean I know they push to read the bible, but only look to them to tell you what it means, but holy crap, that's just outright.
  
  Just think what would happen if I were to say in a talk that it's more important to follow the Organized To Do jehovah's Will than to follow the bible? Actually, what am I saying, they'd probably give me a medal and make me a CO.
  
  CD
• 
  22

  I wasn't even my choice...should it count?

  by findingmyway in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i can't help thinking that if i had never gotten baptized out of loyalty and fear of disappointing my parents (and fear of having my flesh eaten by birds of prey after being destroyed in armageddon), i would not be in this situation.

  i have several family members and former friends who were raised as jws, but never got baptized, and they never have to experience the angst and pain that i have to experience.

  i was baptized and never dedicated my life.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  They should make provisions for people to admit that they skipped the "dedication" step, so that they can be considered the same as people who were never baptized.
  
  Unfortunately, I think they would be even harsher if you used those exact words. I can't think of a specific quote from a publication, but the gist of what I'm thinking is this - they would say that a person who got baptized without actually dedicating themselves committed a grievous sin. I remember when I got baptized, at 17 (still not old enough to know what I was getting in to), and they hammered it in to me that baptism was not something that one entered in to lightly, and would be very bad if I were not doing it out of "the right heart condition". Of course I wasn't sure exactly why I was doing it, I wanted to believe it was my own choice, and did my best to convince myself of that, but in reality I did it because I was 17 and people were starting to wonder what was holding me back. I think it's sick that they even let kids as young as 12 get baptized, I've even known a few people that got baptized at 8. That's just plain wrong.
  
  I think if they were reasonable enough to take what you ask in to consideration then none of us would be in the situation that a lot of us are.
  
  CD
• 
  20

  Former Bible Study Wants to Talk...

  by tall penguin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  okay, here's the update.

  i sent an email to my former bible study after a phone conversation we had where i told her i'd disassociated myself.

  in the email, i included information about the shunning practice (which she had no idea about).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  And even though you may not have anything to offer them to replace the "answers" that they have now, it will probably be enough for them to see that that the group they're with now is dishonest, corrupt, and criminal.
  
  CD
• 
  10

  Irma Brown's School of Discipline

  by Frannie Banannie in

  1. social
  2. humour

  http://www.bygbaby.com/ghettomess/beatthatass.wmv

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  that was great! Muchas gracias.
• 
  11

  Stupididty is not a crime...(Heinlein)

  by upside/down in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  robert heinlein once said taht " stupidity is not a crime, however, it is often fatal.

  " he also said lots of other cool stuff.

  i am free, no matter what rules surround me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  Wow, the only thing I ever read by Heinlein was Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, and that was when I was like ten or eleven. I think I'll have to check out some of his other books now.
  
  CD
• 
  40

  "Grateful for God's Protection"

  by Scully in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just unsubscribed from a crafting newsletter that i have been receiving for a couple of years.

  all along, i have been willing to overlook the "uber-christian" leanings because they offered some neat things like free fonts and cute scrapbooking ideas.

  but today they had a feature called "customer spotlight" that just irked the heck out of me:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  In fact at the end she gave thanks for the protection of the entire community (not her family) that she felt was protected by God and everyone's prayers.
  
  good lord, how could this person not see that it's exactly the same thing?! As you said, Scully - "There were still hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were RUINED forever, because of "God's" willy-nilly brand of "protection"."
  
  Blech. You just can't fix dumb.
  
  CD
• 
  40

  "Grateful for God's Protection"

  by Scully in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just unsubscribed from a crafting newsletter that i have been receiving for a couple of years.

  all along, i have been willing to overlook the "uber-christian" leanings because they offered some neat things like free fonts and cute scrapbooking ideas.

  but today they had a feature called "customer spotlight" that just irked the heck out of me:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  You're definitely not alone, Scully. That type of sentence, which people invariably spit out after some major disaster, makes me want to projectile vomit all over them, and then ask, "Where's your God now?"
• 
  10

  Service Meeting for Week Starting October 3, 2005

  by TheListener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  song 54.

  5 min: local announcements.. 20 min: "help others to become 'obedient from the heart.

  '" * as time permits, invite audience to comment on the cited scriptures.. 20 min: making jehovah's heart rejoice.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  Among the things that might be mentioned are diligent personal Bible study, regular meeting attendance, association with other loyal ones, whole-souled participating in the field ministry, heartfelt prayer, and avoiding unwholesome entertainment.
  
  Oh, that's rich. First of all, I like how they use the word "might", as if the guy giving the talk is gonna read that and say, "Well, it says 'might', so I don't really have to talk about that list of things there, I'll talk about something else." If he did that you can bet he wouldn't be doing service meeting parts for a while.
  
  And in view of the "new light" that was just given at the last district convention about not taking for granted that a JW is good association just because he's baptized and regular, pretty soon they're gonna have to post a list of who's loyal and who's not. Otherwise people might unwittingly find themselves hanging out with wolves in sheep's clothing. You know, like the elders.
  
  It really gets to me how Proverbs 27:11 is tossed in as the scriptural punctuation for just about every crackpot piece of "counsel" they throw out. The way they use it basically allows them to say, "Do what we tell you or you're going to prove yourself unwise, and you'll probably make God cry you miserable little ingrate."
  
  CD (of the I'm trying to quit smoking, and am feeling particularly caustic tonight class)
• 
  8

  Book Study Wk 15 10/03: pg 105-107: A RIDDLE SOLVED

  by ithinkisee in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  *** dp chap.

  7 four words that changed the world ***.

  a riddle solved!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Cognitive_Dissident

  :Oh, and how about this fiction that the witnesses believe: that religion is losing it's power over people.
  
  I think they keep spouting that just to try to reinforce the belief in active JW's that they're in the "True" religion. Call everyone else a bastard son of Satan and by default you come out smelling like roses, right?
  
  Man, the more time I have away from reading and studying the JW drivel, the more it stands out as being completely desperate and insane.
  
  CD