Like GrreatTeacher, I too tested consistently 2 grades ahead. When I was in the 3rd grade the school psychologist wanted to move me into the 5th grade. My IQ tested in the 140's but my 'die hard Witness mother' didn't want to move me up in grades because it wouldn't be good for my socialization. (This same unbalanced woman that masqueraded as a mother) beat me for walking home from school with a non witness. (Go figure) At any rate, when I was in the 9th grade I drew some of the highest honors that year which included 2 Junior High Schools. She wouldn't allow me to accept them. We moved to another state and I had enough credits to graduate in the 10th grade. This being the 1970's there were not many progressive school districts and so the school denied me the opportunity to graduate early and I quit school to pioneer and become a Bethelite. (This in itself is another story) The sad thing about all this is that my Grandfather knew of my abilities at a young age and wanted to pay my way through university to become a lawyer. I wanted to become a Doctor. Long story short I never went to university but went into business for myself and semi-retired at 47 years old. My die-hard witness mother died in the year 2000 still thinking that Armageddon was going to come any day.........even while she was still in the hospital.
sparky1
JoinedPosts by sparky1
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119
How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell ini'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.
as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?
surely education should come first.
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Reinstatement via Old Cong.
by startingover13 ini've applied to be reinstatement in a new city after attending meetings for a bit.
i wrote my letter and they heard my case.
they were very helpful.
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sparky1
"7 Bozos in Brooklyn"-Oubliette...................................................PRICELESS!
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How much of our mind is our own?
by jgnat inmargaret singer, pioneer in the study of cults, chaired the alberta psychological association (apa) task force on deceptive and indirect methods of persuasion and control (dimpac) from 1983-1987. the final report of this task force was rejected by the apa, and has not been published.
the apa noted that the brief characterized the theory of brainwashing as not scientifically proven and lacking scientific and methodological rigor.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apa_task_force_on_deceptive_and_indirect_methods_of_persuasion_and_control#reported_conclusions_of_the_dimpac_task_force.
the apa has since dismissed the use of the word "cult" and switched to the term "new religious movements".
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sparky1
Sometimes 'scientists' or adherents to 'scientism' forget that Occam's Razor cuts 'both ways'!
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48
How much of our mind is our own?
by jgnat inmargaret singer, pioneer in the study of cults, chaired the alberta psychological association (apa) task force on deceptive and indirect methods of persuasion and control (dimpac) from 1983-1987. the final report of this task force was rejected by the apa, and has not been published.
the apa noted that the brief characterized the theory of brainwashing as not scientifically proven and lacking scientific and methodological rigor.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apa_task_force_on_deceptive_and_indirect_methods_of_persuasion_and_control#reported_conclusions_of_the_dimpac_task_force.
the apa has since dismissed the use of the word "cult" and switched to the term "new religious movements".
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sparky1
Oubliette........if you want to train your thinking in a NO NONSENSE style, then Thomas Szasz is for you. www.szasz.com is a good place to start. If you want to'dip your toe' in Szaszs' thinking and reasoning style read his book "Words to the Wise:A Medical-Philosophical Dictionary". It is a book of aphorisms and concise statements on his view of life and human interactions. If you want to dive in DEEP right away then you will want to read his book "The Meaning of Mind". Actually I highly recommend this book but it will take three or four readings to digest it fully. His observations on 'mind' and 'minding' are why I believe in 'free will' and cannot fully subscribe to the current neurological 'brain as mind' paradigm. I respect the paradigm and can see why Apognophos believes in it. And I see why he defends it so fully because I believe (and I could be wrong) that it is based on a Utilitarian / Naturalist model and proposes that the simplest explanation without adding in peripheral or extra information is the one closest to being scientifically correct. At any rate, I cannot recommend Szasz highly enough.
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48
How much of our mind is our own?
by jgnat inmargaret singer, pioneer in the study of cults, chaired the alberta psychological association (apa) task force on deceptive and indirect methods of persuasion and control (dimpac) from 1983-1987. the final report of this task force was rejected by the apa, and has not been published.
the apa noted that the brief characterized the theory of brainwashing as not scientifically proven and lacking scientific and methodological rigor.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apa_task_force_on_deceptive_and_indirect_methods_of_persuasion_and_control#reported_conclusions_of_the_dimpac_task_force.
the apa has since dismissed the use of the word "cult" and switched to the term "new religious movements".
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sparky1
Oubliette-Yes I have read "Mans Search for Meaning". In fact I have read most of Viktor E. Frankls works including his autobiography. I have many tapes of his talks and VCR tapes of some of his lectures. He was a brilliant man albeit a product of his time. Sometimes he is paternalistic and authoritarian in his outlook but I think that it is because he was raised in a very stratified and structured society. He was a great humanitarian and a very loving human being. My own personal outlook on life is a combination of Frankls' ideology and Thomas Szaszs' Libertarian outlook. I walk the middle ground between the two.
jgnat-Thanks for posting the video of Viktor E. Frankl. More people need to be exposed to his balanced humanitarian outlook on life. He certainly was nobodys fool.
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How do we set up a "Used New Bike Fund" for Terry?
by BucketShopBill inis there any way we can try to start a crowd-fund to help terry get some wheels quicker than he currently can?
with craigslist and a couple of bucks from a few members we can help terry get moving.
does anyone have any ideas how we can do a "theists for terry" bike fund raiser and challenge the atheists to a bucket-head challenge?
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sparky1
Terry....you might need a new matching wardrobe for when you ride your bike. Perhaps if someone steals this bike you can help them to have a 'religious experience'..........................Best of luck!
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The New World Translation
by Coded Logic inone of the jws foundational doctrines is their belief in the inerrancy of the bible.
there are several methods they use to try and support this position including their claim that the bible, as it exists today, is the exact same bible that has been around for thousands of years.
they teach that gods word has been perfectly preserved.
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sparky1
I think the attraction with Eherman is because he was a Born Again Christian whose studies led him to became an Agnostic, so it seems that he would be able to see things from 'both sides of the fence'.
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48
How much of our mind is our own?
by jgnat inmargaret singer, pioneer in the study of cults, chaired the alberta psychological association (apa) task force on deceptive and indirect methods of persuasion and control (dimpac) from 1983-1987. the final report of this task force was rejected by the apa, and has not been published.
the apa noted that the brief characterized the theory of brainwashing as not scientifically proven and lacking scientific and methodological rigor.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apa_task_force_on_deceptive_and_indirect_methods_of_persuasion_and_control#reported_conclusions_of_the_dimpac_task_force.
the apa has since dismissed the use of the word "cult" and switched to the term "new religious movements".
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sparky1
"A human being is a deciding being."-Viktor E. Frankl M.D. PhD
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."-Viktor E. Frankl M.D. PhD
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48
How much of our mind is our own?
by jgnat inmargaret singer, pioneer in the study of cults, chaired the alberta psychological association (apa) task force on deceptive and indirect methods of persuasion and control (dimpac) from 1983-1987. the final report of this task force was rejected by the apa, and has not been published.
the apa noted that the brief characterized the theory of brainwashing as not scientifically proven and lacking scientific and methodological rigor.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apa_task_force_on_deceptive_and_indirect_methods_of_persuasion_and_control#reported_conclusions_of_the_dimpac_task_force.
the apa has since dismissed the use of the word "cult" and switched to the term "new religious movements".
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sparky1
Free will works like this:
If I make the conscious choice to not go to work on any given day, I pick up the phone, call my boss and tell him that I won't be in to work today. End of story.
There is certainly nothing complicated about that.
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Finally some good news for JWs from science!
by Pinku innow jws can ask: what is the big deal about bringing changes in teaching!
did not such a great scientist, stephen hawking, create ripples by saying that his most famous discovery of black holes did not actually exist, after all?
and hawking is only a tip of the ice-berg!
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sparky1
The difference is that Hawking doesn't claim to speak for Jehovah God.
