Posts by cognizant dissident

45

Any 'Humanists' here?

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

care to share your particular weltanschauung ?.

how do you approach life in general?

how do you convey to others your opines on life, love and laughter?.

cognizant dissident

I think I can agree with all of those tenets of Humanism. Sign me up!

I don't find anything particularly egocentric about those beliefs. They certainly did not say that the freedom of the individual human is the highest value. I think there was an acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of humans with other species and the planet and that are futures are intertwined.

Randy: that was an interesting article on science. I agree, the bias of the researcher can never be fully removed from that which is researched, that is why scientific methods must have methods of measurement that are falsifiable and repeatable and why they are subject to peer review. While humans may never be able to achieve 100% detachment in their rational and reasoning, I don't think scientist claim that they do, or that they are without ego. However, the scientific method of analysis is an attempt to remove bias, and draw rational conclusions about our world through measurable evidence. Just because it cannot guarantee to accomplish this 100%, is no reason to abandon the method and go backwards, basing our decisions on anecdotal evidence and superstition.

The scientific method is still superior to what preceded it and until a better method of drawing conclusions comes along, it makes sense to use it and try to improve upon it.

139

Atheist believe there is no God? Yes we do, strongly!

by bohm in

jw
friends

there seem to have been a strong increase in entymological arguments lately, more precisely regarding the term atheist.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/198111/1/lets-settle-this-for-once-and-for-all-is-atheism-a-belief-a-non-belief-or-an-anti-belief.

i have reread the thread and i think i see where it goes very wrong.

cognizant dissident

As an atheist, I have yet to hear another atheist say that they believe "there is no God". All the ones I have read or talked to say, "I don't believe in God". They then qualify by saying that's because they have seen no evidence or reason to believe in God and when that evidence is forthcoming they are open to changing their beliefs. That is a far cry from making a definitive statement, "there is no God".

It also irks me when believers in God try to define the belief of atheists. Beliefs, or lack thereof, are subjective and exist (or don't exist) in the minds of those who hold them. For someone else to come along and say "You believe this" because you call yourself an atheist, and that's MY definition of atheism, is the height of arrogance in my opinion.

Actually, I find it incredibly arrogant when anyone tells me what I believe. Until I share my beliefs, or lack thereof, with another, they have no way of knowing. This irked me even when I was a JW. I would stand on the street corner, and sometimes apostates or born again christians would come up to me and say YOU don't believe in Jesus Christ. Huh? I've always believed in Jesus. How arrogant is it to walk up to a complete stranger and tell them what they believe instead of listening to what they believe?

284

To new Christians on JWN

by brotherdan in

i wanted to make a few comments to those of you that have recently begun to question or have already left the wt and made their way onto this site.

this site is a great resource to learn how others are coping with leaving the organization and moving on into a fulfilling life.. i wanted to write this post because i think reading something like this would've been helpful to me to understand where a lot of people that comment on this site are coming from.

you are going to hear from a wide range of people that have moved on to a diverse range of beliefs.

cognizant dissident

GaryNeal this site is no more hostile to Christians than it is to atheists. It's just that when the Christians throw their stones at the atheists they call them "love" bombs.

48

Voluptuous Vixens Looking to Lose!

by StAnn in

jw
friends

thanks to beks for the title.. i can't stand being a fatty-fat-fatty anymore.

my son is getting married, allegedly next fall, and i want to look good for the wedding.

and i want to look good for myself.

cognizant dissident

Hey, just got a good idea from Jimmy Pages zen thread. If any of us have any inspirational anecdotes, stories, positive meditations on weight loss, let us include them in our posts, not just weight stats and recipes. This could become such a force for positive change for so many. If one or two or having a down day or time of it, there could be so many others to encourage to stay on the wagon.

2

Zen Living Part Twelve (summarized): Eating, Moving, Breathing- Maintaining a Zen Lifestyle

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

maintain your meditation by committing to very short periods twice a day, then gradually working up to longer periods.. alternate sitting meditation with walking meditation to train yourself to meditate under different circumstances.. you don't have to be a vegetarian, eat brown rice, or be anyone you aren't already to live zen in your daily life.. you know you should exercise.

zen can help you cut through all the dread, pride, and other things you attach to exercise so you can "just do it".. every day, indulge in microzazen moments and stop what you are doing, breathe, and pay attention to the present moment..

cognizant dissident

Oh, there is a weight loss group starting on JWN and I think it would be very nice for me to incorporate some nice meditation sayings in my poststhere to help people stay in a zen frame of mind about it all.

48

Voluptuous Vixens Looking to Lose!

by StAnn in

jw
friends

thanks to beks for the title.. i can't stand being a fatty-fat-fatty anymore.

my son is getting married, allegedly next fall, and i want to look good for the wedding.

and i want to look good for myself.

cognizant dissident

I'm a Voluptuous Vixen (aka: Fatty McFatty), so I'll join you guys. I was going to start Sept 1 anyways, and then just happened upon this thread. How serendipitous! Perhaps this is a sign that I'll finally stick to it and do it. They say people who lose weight with a buddy or in a group do better than the loners and heretofore, I've always been in the loner category and not successful at long term weight loss. So hopefully this will make the difference.

I should just like to say, that my life is in a really good place right now, and I can't think of anything that I'm unhappy with or would change. Now I would like the outside of me to match the inner peace and confidence and strength that I think I've acquired in the last few years.

I also have a copy of the South beach diet on my shelf from when my sister went on it 6 years ago and I've never even cracked it open. I don't even have to buy the book. How fortuitious! It's serendipity I tell you, serendipity! This is coggy getting all psyched at having a free weight watchers group to join

45

Any 'Humanists' here?

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

care to share your particular weltanschauung ?.

how do you approach life in general?

how do you convey to others your opines on life, love and laughter?.

cognizant dissident

We are Randy, and so are the Gods whom we fashion after ourselves.

284

To new Christians on JWN

by brotherdan in

i wanted to make a few comments to those of you that have recently begun to question or have already left the wt and made their way onto this site.

this site is a great resource to learn how others are coping with leaving the organization and moving on into a fulfilling life.. i wanted to write this post because i think reading something like this would've been helpful to me to understand where a lot of people that comment on this site are coming from.

you are going to hear from a wide range of people that have moved on to a diverse range of beliefs.

cognizant dissident

Brother Dan

In your very first post on this thread you quote a Bible verse that says those who don't believe in God are fools. Then you say you believe in the bible. That is the same as saying you believe those who don't believe in the Bible are fools. Then you/the Bible speculate about their beliefs being due to immorality and an excuse to sin. So after starting your thread with this insult to atheists, you make a disclaimer saying you didn't mean to be insulting. Then you say you are sick and tired of being made to feel foolish and being insulted by atheists.

I, for one, am sick of this kind of hypocrisy on the part of many believers, whose very holy book insults and condemns to death EVERYONE who doesn't believe in it, milleniums before evolution or atheism were even words. Do many believers think atheists are amoral fools? Yes! Do many atheists think believers are delusional fools? Yes! Don't try to sugarcoat it with some superficial layer of fake niceness and "love". Call the fruitage of your beliefs whatever you like, but it still smells and tastes like insult and intolerance to me.

Cog

45

Any 'Humanists' here?

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

care to share your particular weltanschauung ?.

how do you approach life in general?

how do you convey to others your opines on life, love and laughter?.

cognizant dissident

I'm not sure if there is an official Humanist Organization and what their list of values is. I guess I would have to read that before I would agree to label myself as one. I was exposed to some humanist philosophies in nursing, and for the most part, I didn't find any too objectionable. I didn't agree with the poster who said that the freedom and movement of humans was the most important thing, though. If that is a humanist value, then I guess I can't call myself that anymore. I agreed with Randy, that's a very egocentric (and somewhat dangerous) viewpoint if you think of all the harm that could be justified using that philosophy.

The problem with labels and definitions is that so many people's definitions differ for the same label. I found some wisdom in some of Solomon's proverbs, so does that make me a Solomnist? Christ said some things in his sermon on the mount that I try to live by, so am I a Christian? I know I'm an atheist but not dogmatic about it so probably an agnostic as well, and I'm really "into" the Buddhist philosophy right now, although I don't believe in all of it, (reincarnation). If hard pressed, I bet I could even find a few verses in the Koran to agree with. So, I guess I'm all the "ists" rolled into one person.

There are a few things in each of those philosophies that I don't agree with too, though, so can I be all of those labels and none of them at the same time? Who am I, really? I'm so confused? Can someone help me find my true identity? Come up with an "ist" that describes me perfectly? If I didn't have something external to myself to define and label myself with, but just sat quietly and tried to determine it from within, without prior conditioning, who would I be? It seems "I" only exists as a figment of mind, mine or someone elses. It seems I am everything and nothing at the same time. This duality is the horrible conundrum of human existence. This endless struggle to define ourselves. Some define themselves right into the psych ward....

After reading all the wisdom in the previous posts, I think Belbab described the true nature of man, most eloquently and most accurately.

9

I don't Know what to do anymore!!

by LucyA in

jw
friends

i'm afraid of people and ive really tried for fifteen years the rational part of mind keeps telling me im being stupid i've worked with these people for seven years i trust them there all really really kind none of them have done anything to harm me and when i'm at work and hanging around them i'm fine and happy and talkative but the moment i get into a situation where i have too be socalable i start having panic attacks and i cant breathe i tried talk to my dad (non jw parent) he told me to get over it that i've been out fifteen years and i cant blame my mothers religion for everything.

i'm starting too wonder if thiers somthing wrong with me!

the worst part is while the rational part of my brain is telling me my reations stupid the irrational part of brain is screraming and my hearts beating so fast i cant feal or control my reations.

cognizant dissident

Social anxiety responds very well to treatment. A combination of medication to reduce the physical arousal of the panic attacks and counseling to help you to address any core issues or beliefs that may be contributing to the anxiety usually work the best. One can often stop medication after one has learned to reduce the symptoms of arousal on their own.