done4good

Joined

• started 24 topics
• posted 1,841 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by done4good

• 
  67

  How do you feel about religion as a whole?

  by FatherFirst in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it just seems to me religion in general primarily makes truly bad people worse, not genuinly good people better; and in many cases has even made good people do bad things in the name of their religion.

  just curious, a personal poll if you will.

  what are you guys' current views on religion as a whole?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  JeffT- I've pointed out what the churches have been doing for the homeless (among other things, but the homeless camps are a good example). You have countered that people don't need a religion to get together and accomplish good things. I agree they shouldn't need it. The trouble is, at least around here, they don't seem to actually DO something. There is lots and lots of talk, the problem gets studied from all angles and everybody agrees that we should give the homeless a home - in somebody else's neighborhood. The thing the churches do best is convince the faithful that some degree of personal sacrifice and/or inconvenience is necessary to do good.

  I agree that on a localized, practical level, religion may very well serve to enable some people to do good works that may otherwise be difficult to organize. They key word is difficult, and not impossible.

  Many things work well on a local level, (as the saying goes, think globally act locally), however realistically not all things scale well, and extrapolate linearly. On a large scale, (or the "whole", as the OP brings out), more harm is done than good by religion. One doesn't need look too far to back this up empirically.

  d4g
  
• 
  67

  How do you feel about religion as a whole?

  by FatherFirst in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it just seems to me religion in general primarily makes truly bad people worse, not genuinly good people better; and in many cases has even made good people do bad things in the name of their religion.

  just curious, a personal poll if you will.

  what are you guys' current views on religion as a whole?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  Religion has served its purpose for humans. At this point in human historical development, it works against progress, and probably for the most part has, since the beginning of the Age of Reason. I really am hard pressed to think of anything good for society that is not already done secularly, that religion currently provides. I am sorry, but the argument that "my church feeds the poor", is a weak one in modern society. The most effective programs are largely secular in nature.
  

  What religion does provide society that secularism does not by its nature is: bigotry, hatred, war, ignorance, etc.

  I have no need for it.

  d4g
  
• 
  36

  Has This Site Ever Hurt You In Your Journey Out Of The JW Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this site has gone through many metamorphosis over the years.

  i believe it is a kinder, less edgy place tan it was a few years ago.

  i wonder how many people were helped versus turned off by this place.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  Sir82-"Trevorgate"

  There was a long time poster here named Trevor who made post after post about his wife who was dying of a terminal illness, There was a lot of emotional investment by a lot of posters. Some even went so far, I believe, to send him money for something or other (medical treatments?).

  Her condition improved, then went down, then up, then down, and so on. One day finally the wife died, and the board went into mourning.

  Soon thereafter, Trevor admitted it was all some sort of bizarre twisted joke. There was no wife, no illness, no nothing - he just made it up and played it out. Not only that, he kind of posted the reveal as a "you all are a bunch of idiotic suckers for believing it" post.

  I think it stretched over years.

  It was even worse than that. The fake wife was a new poster, (with her own identity on the board). She was a recent learner of the TTATT, hooked up with Trevor, they married, then yet another 3rd fake person was also added to the mix, (with her own identity on the board). She too learned TTATT, then the fake wife became sick, in and out of the hospital, then died.

  If I remember correctly, Nathan Natas somehow figured out that the whole thing was BS, and called Trevor on it. He took a lot of flack for this at first, by those who were sympathetic to the fake wife. Soon the whole thing was uncovered and Nathan was vindicated. Very, very, ugly, and many were emotionally attached to the whole thing. I am not that much of a touchy feely guy, and I stayed away from here for months because of it.

  d4g
  
• 
  7

  i will just set this right here.

  by Defianttruth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-you-get-tricked-into-believing-stupid-things/

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  A simple explanation as to why people respond to cognitive dissonance the way they do. A good read, and realistic.
  

  Vidiot-

  It actually made me kinda depressed.

  Cynically, I agree with you.

  d4g
  
• 
  36

  Has This Site Ever Hurt You In Your Journey Out Of The JW Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this site has gone through many metamorphosis over the years.

  i believe it is a kinder, less edgy place tan it was a few years ago.

  i wonder how many people were helped versus turned off by this place.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  No.

  However, while I was already out for a year or two by this time, "Trevorgate" proved to be a bit of a test...It was a a cautionary wake up call I believe for many of us here at the time.

  Overall my experience here has been very positive, on several levels.
  

  d4g
  
• 
  104

  The Secret is out....but nobody cares

  by MrTheocratic in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been looking on this site for some time but never posted.

  i'll give a little about myself, but not too much.

  i'm a ex-bethelite ( brooklyn )and currently serving as an elder (10 years) (thinking about stepping down) on the service committee.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  I agree with the OP.

  
  This really comes down to a cost/benefits analysis. There is certain cost associated with staying in. While I agree that in more conservative, less educated, and poorer areas, "true" believers are more common, most in more liberal areas "believe" as long as the cost is not too great. That was me for several of the last years I was in, and probably true of many of us here.

  The cost generally becomes too great when a personal situation arises, (whatever it may be), that allows one to realize that staying in is more expensive, (usually in terms of personal freedoms), than leaving.This is more common amongst the more liberal areas, since these generally have greater opportunities presented to JWs outside of the organization.

  In most congregations I was associated with in the northeastern US, many JWs have college educations, careers, families with children, homes, etc. This is not the case everywhere. I also went to college in the Midwest, and saw a very different lifestyle amongst the JWs there, and that was 20+ years ago. The liberal folks, (and I was one of them), tend to remain JW, (in many ways a hedging of a bet), as long as it makes sense to. I think the GB know this, and hence, a big push against higher ed recently. People don't leave because they go to university, they tend to leave later in life as the opportunities presented allow a person to see they can have a good life post-JW. As soon as something happens, (a divorce, some injustice in the congregation, etc.), a person with such a life can easily come to the conclusion that putting more time and effort in the JW life is throwing good time and effort after bad. This is a much more difficult conclusion to come to when one's options are limited.
  

  d4g
  
• 
  145

  Why attack?

  by newqatarjob in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  as someone brought up as a jw and been an elder and been disfellowshipped (twice!!!

  ) i find it difficult to understand why ex jws have to attack the religion, yes religion, not cult or sect.

  i am no longer disfellowshipped just do not want to practice anymore.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  Let me be perfectly clear about something. Folks do not come on here to attack JWs. The discussion that takes place here, is a combination of therapy, cautionary warning to others, and education and assistance to those who have left or trying to leave, and dealing with the baggage. I left 9 years ago, and still have a need for all or some of these things at one time or another.
  

  As far as "attacking" the WTBTS goes, well that is fair game. Karma is a bitch.

  d4g
  
• 
  104

  The Secret is out....but nobody cares

  by MrTheocratic in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been looking on this site for some time but never posted.

  i'll give a little about myself, but not too much.

  i'm a ex-bethelite ( brooklyn )and currently serving as an elder (10 years) (thinking about stepping down) on the service committee.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  Good thread. No time to read all of it now, (at work), but will and add my observations later.

  d4g
  
• 
  7

  College Quote - Help Needed

  by kp138 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i don't post on here for often, but i read posts almost daily and i love our little community of ex-jw's.

  a little bit of a background i was raised in as jw but was never baptized but was a publisher and believe it wholehearedly.

  my father was very strict when it came to the religion and although i really quit going in my early 20s (which broke his heart) it held a power over me until i was close the to 30. at 30 i decided to enroll in community college while working full time and got my aa last year.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  When I wrote my personal statement to go back to school for my masters, I did include some references, (no direct quotes), concerning my upbringing. Since it was honest and purely my take on the matter, I wrote the statement in about 2 hours, complete with proofreading and editing, (I needed to edit very little).

  PM me if you want to see what I wrote as a guide.

  d4g
  
• 
  74

  DC2015 New Release: Brochure "Return to Jehovah" for those who faded/left

  by Designer Stubble in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it appears that a new 16-page brochure, with the title "return to jehovah" is to be released at the regional convention (dc) this year.

  it would be written specifically for those faded or da/df.chapters are:a letter from the governing body1.

  the lost one i will search for2.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  done4good

  It's also for the beneifit of the media. Non-JW's are often astounded when they hear of the harshness of disfellowshipping, I'm betting that the WT will respond by saying that they do all they can to help the DF'd ones to return and quote this booklet.

  I would agree that this has much to do with it also. They organization is taking heat in the media these days for both their child abuse issues, (primarily), and secondly for their shunning policies. Even through it is nothing more than a re-hash of a 2008 article, the fact they feel the need to address it again, fits the context of an organization that is trying to save their image.

  d4g