I cannot believe they actually had the audacity to quote Richard Dawkins again, after he slammed them for quoting him out of context in the old Creation book, in his work, The God Delusion.
Talk about f@cking clueless.
d4g
august 2015 awake .
quote in title taken from article footnote.. anyone have information on who gene hwang and yan-der hsuuw in the article are?.
why do they repeatedly state that apes turned to humans when that's not what evolutionists teach at all?.
I cannot believe they actually had the audacity to quote Richard Dawkins again, after he slammed them for quoting him out of context in the old Creation book, in his work, The God Delusion.
Talk about f@cking clueless.
d4g
is the governing body's methods and practices all that much different from the way scientists work?.
some prominent scientists and big media in the 1970's were pushing imminent disaster from global cooling.
now its global warming and they all sweep the global cooling fiasco under the rug and act like it was just one or two rogue individuals.. other examples can be given: scientists being wrong on the eternal universe, black holes, whether eggs or coffee are healthy or harmful, presenting fake fossils, etc.
Some prominent scientists and big media in the 1970's were pushing imminent disaster from Global Cooling. Now its Global Warming and they all sweep the Global Cooling fiasco under the rug and act like it was just one or two rogue individuals.
Let me guess...Faux news?? Hannity? Rush??
In any case, you are missing the point. Understand what science is first. It is a methodology, not a ideology. IF, and I think it is a big IF, scientists said such back in 1970's, it was based on limited information that needed to be tested through a hypothesis. When that hypothesis proved this supposed theory wrong, it went the way of a flat earth. In this case, or in any other, science does not make claim to absolute "truth".
Science moves on, when new information proves a theory wrong, science adjusts and does not dogmatically bind itself to ideology. Comparing the WT to science is about the most ignorant thing I have read on here in some time. The WT simply moves the goal posts, and claim "they never said that".
d4g
in my quest to always understand why jws get so f%$@ed up (yes oubliette, lets review lol) i discovered something today.
in speaking with one of my fellow heathen friends from this site i was talking about maslov's hierarchy of needs in an unrelated subject but i had an epiphany.
witnesses are held at the third level and never make it to the oh so critical top two sections.
So true.
The ones that do make it to the fourth level usually leave at some point. Most struggle to maintain the second level, and hope for the third.
"Acceptance of facts" is the big actualization factor, that the rest of this level pretty much hinges on, so if someone at the cusp of leaving does so because of this reason, they are not too far off from achieving self-actualization at some level.
Btw, Maslow never suggested that one level must become "fully" realized to advance to the next. The idea is to become "mostly" realized at any given level, before one can "care" enough to advance to the next. This also explains very elegantly why many cannot see TTATT, despite intelligence.
d4g
if you are a current practitioner of some religious faith i would appreciate it if you abstained from this thread entirely.
im curious if anyone has had what could be discribed as a spiritual experience.
i'm currently reading sam harris book waking up and it's very good so far.
I don't consider myself "spiritual", unless of course by spiritual you mean zoning out in the family room with Alan Parson's Tales of Mystery and Imagination, (insert other prog. rock album here), a glass of wine, and well...
d4g
ok every one raves on at how miserable and tight wt is, while they are literally swimming in money and assets.
although this may be true this isn't the real issue or the problem to begin with.
the problem is having a long term survivable business plan.
I agree that the many of the organizational changes have to do with helping to ensure their long term solvency, but I don't understand the "think before you open your mouth" part...Just a tad confrontational, and unless you actually took the time to understand the big picture yourself, I doubt you or anyone else would logically come to such a conclusion. That is why your otherwise likely accurate observation was shot down. Use a little tact next time.
Here is why this you are likely correct:
1. The organization has been cutting expenses since they adopted the so-called "donation" arrangement in 1990, (to avoid taxes to begin with), and is now at a point where cuts are hard to come by without massive reorganization.
2. Donations are likely down significantly.
3. Pending abuse lawsuits loom large, (especially in the long term).
4. Also since the "donation" arrangement, the organization must now finance itself through real estate flipping. They have realized how significant the total property values they own are, and how easy it is to get local congregations to fork over both liquid money and assets, and do so within "legal" limits.
They are not so interested in "growth" anymore. They are doing what all corporations do when they plateau from a revenue perspective, they cut costs and focus on profitability. Since they likely do not have an immediate cash flow problem, most of these changes are based on trends that can be extrapolated and forecast. Those forecasts likely do not look too good, mostly due to the intensifying importance and impact of the four issues above.
d4g
our current co has not been in the org all that long, less than 10 years, and already quite a respected overseer.
i know of a few married couples in the spanish congs that are doing everything right, you know, with the theocratic schooling, the pioneering, etc., and... nothing!.
how do some seem to reach certain posts so damn quick, while others cannot make it?!
TTATTElder has it correct.
To some degree or other, the same applies almost anywhere, (in the corporate world). WTS is a corporation, so this should come as no surprise.
d4g
i received an email from one of the elder in the local congregation.
i am not dfed so there is not a problem there, i am just an aggressive fader.. one of the last things i said to this elder before i stopped all activities was that i do not agree with the borg taking all the assets from the congregations.. here is what the elder said in the email:.
"i recently saw something while looking through the jw broadcasting for the month of may and i though about you.
He clearly does not understand your actual thoughts on the matter, and additionally, is not ready for TTATT. If you are looking for the most aggressive fade possible, then go ahead and respond. Otherwise, I would just let it sink in on its own when he is ready. Otherwise, all you will do is raise his CD, and that may close the door to his mind actually opening at all.
Sorry, but that is the way it works.
d4g
i'm up to date with what the wt taught in 2006 but have no idea what has changed since.. do tell..
I left early the same year, (actually the very end of 2005, I believe). The organization is unrecognizable to me today. It is more authoritarian today than ever, at the same time with a heavy veneer of commercialism and "mainstreaming".
To summarize:
1. The GB are virtually worshiped, and demand complete adherence to their leadership.
2. JW.ORG is gigantic re-branding effort, and has brought all sorts changes in of itself.
3. A new bible has been released that I would assume is going to be used as the basis for watering down or changing doctrine.
4. Any last bit of critical thinking has been squashed.
d4g
we've all read, heard and have seen in the videos where jw's and their leaders talk about the "huge" growth that is taking place.
they've talked about how many kh they needed, branches etc... .
our co last visit he mentioned how quickly the organization is speeding up and the huge growth they are seeing.
The trend will only be more of the same. They are already proving it. Probably 20% of the overall message will be about donating now. For whatever the exact reason, they have figured out they do not have a working plan for long term solvency. All they can do is beg and guilt the R&F for more.
d4g
i am sort of new here, used a different username for a while but things got 'difficult' at home so i've since been lurking.... what i would be really interested to know, if you don't mind sharing, is what it was that triggered your doubts and initial research which led to awakening, was it a bad experience, injustice, changed doctrine?
for me, it was seeing mistreatment of young ones in the congregation, they're under so much pressure and as soon as they go even slightly astray they are shunned, either informally (as bad associations which pushes them further into the 'world') or formally - with elders dying to throw the book at them so they even lose their family.... ...then reading about child abuse issues in the press.... ...which led me to silentlambs.
...then jw facts, this forum and coc, wham!
Just to add a bit of irony to the above...
The elder that committed the violent act and subsequently not disciplined, was later removed for letting his son come back home to live with them, as the son was DF'd by this time. I believe his wife drew the line over the situation, since their son had some serious issues at the time. No thanks to elder father.
Totally f@cked up cult.
d4g