top 50 countries .
with highest proportion of atheists / agnostics.
(zuckerman, 2005)below is a list of the top fifty countries containing the largest measured percentage of people who identify as atheist, agnostic, or non-believer in god.
No education, the get tested to the hilt so they never get a good education until colledge. Which most can't afford.
No offense 5go, but with that spelling, and sentence structure, I wouldn't be talking about lack of education on anyone else's part. I trust you were just trying to make a point here...
Jason, (Of the tired of all of the USA bashing class), and yes, a proud agnostic.
Working from home this week...Picked up the goodies yesterday. Humidor, lighters, cutter, and an assortment of stogies. Gonna light up a Mac now, in fact.
j
Nvr, my take on the subject is this:
Probably the most convincing aspect of "the Lie", to most dubs, is that there really is a "top down" belief in the rhetoric they teach. In other words, a person who truly believes in what they preach is a very good salesman, no matter how wacked out thier explanations may be. Hence, I would say that as a group, they believe. (Can't get red to turn off, damn, the idosyncracies of this website drive me nuts sometimes!!). As individuals, they can and do disagree with what the org. officially teaches. This, unfortunately, is built in to their system. They are allowed to do that, so they see nothing wrong with it, and can remain true believers as a group.
I knew Dan Sydlik on a personal level somewhat, and he often had his own ideas on things, privately. He also saw nothing wrong with telling others these things. The trouble is, as a group, they believe in the "group think" concept, more than anything else.
Jason
i was in heavy doubt about the organization, but still in the back of my mind i was a bit hesitant of posting because it was the "unforgivable sin".
i think it took me 20 minutes to type my first post.
i still felt that once i submitted my post that a bolt of lightning was going to come down upon me, so my hands were shaking as i was typing.
That said, just looking at the cover of CoC when it arrived, scared the $%!t out of me!
j
i was in heavy doubt about the organization, but still in the back of my mind i was a bit hesitant of posting because it was the "unforgivable sin".
i think it took me 20 minutes to type my first post.
i still felt that once i submitted my post that a bolt of lightning was going to come down upon me, so my hands were shaking as i was typing.
By the time I started lurking here, I already had been visiting Freeminds and had already read CoC and ISOCF. Posting within a day was rather easy.
j
if you go back to the original posts, it looks a whole bunch different than it does now.
the posts are like being at a sunday kingdom hall greeting session.. anyone care to comment?.
I think it's a marvellous story; and exactly what WBTS are afraid of! This is the brave new world.
My thoughts, exactly. If people are given an open forum for discussion, the REAL truth can't be hidden for long. Those control freaks in Crooklyn know that all too well.
j
i spent my first 25 years in the jws and could never figure out who the fds was.
today it was bugging me - why can't i relate to the fds even though i now know it is nonsense, but even more important, why can't jws understand who the fds really is?.
let's look at some facts.
I don't think Gary means that an official Doctrine has been stated, but rather that the last paragraphs 01. May 2007 QfR completely eviscerate the authority of any F&DS class members outside of the Governing Body.
Thanks, BennyK. That DOES figure.
j
i spent my first 25 years in the jws and could never figure out who the fds was.
today it was bugging me - why can't i relate to the fds even though i now know it is nonsense, but even more important, why can't jws understand who the fds really is?.
let's look at some facts.
The anointed as the FDS went away May 1, 2007.
Gary, I didn't realize that was officially changed also. Dosen't that just figure...
j
when i was a teen, i aspired to be an elder.
from my pre-teens until i was 18, i was in every circuit assembly and district convention----having either ministry school talks or parts or experiences.
at 20, i conducted a bookstudy in the afternoon, also regular pioneered, was the theocratic ministry school overseer in the 2nd school and regularly taught the main school.
I eventually reasoned that God would not have to listen to me, He could do what he willed with the person and we were just applying "Bible law" as best we could .
BB, I had a serious discussion with an elder friend of mine, and he used a similar line of reasoning when I questioned him on the subject. Frankly, I was very disappointed with him, as he was the one jw I knew that actually knew how to think rationally. The point that disfellowshipping somone would ruin their current life as far as a relationship with their family and friends was concerned went right over his head. I hope I at least made him think.
j
i spent my first 25 years in the jws and could never figure out who the fds was.
today it was bugging me - why can't i relate to the fds even though i now know it is nonsense, but even more important, why can't jws understand who the fds really is?.
let's look at some facts.
Cultswatter, I think your failing to understand who the FDS is in jw speak. They are the remnant of the 144,000, period. Blondie was trying to make a point that the remnant are not solicited for ideas or instruction to be used by the GB. The GB are the FDS in REALITY. They GB dosen't give a damn about what some 90 year old great grandmother has to say concering the organization.
j
