good article on the minds of our still in loved ones.
these experiments show that when peoples beliefs are threatened, they often take flight to a land where facts do not matter.
in scientific terms, their beliefs become less falsifiable because they can no longer be tested scientifically for verification or refutation.. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-fly-from-facts/
Good article. Nothing earth shattering here, but a good read for those that maybe are new(er) to the concept of critical thinking.
This certainly explains why otherwise rational people resort to poor reasoning when confronted with facts that oppose their belief system. Awareness of the concept of bias and how it works helps, but as the article points out, education is needed. Unfortunately, those that need this education the most are the least likely to get it.
d4g
i have a pretty good intuition but i have to admit i am going back and forth on the jw tv may broadcast.
i keep asking myself are they really in financial trouble (wishful thinking) or are they just grabbing for more money?.
i always appreciate reading everyone's thoughts and ideas on here.. let me know what you think.
It depends on what is meant by "trouble". In terms of operating expenses, no way. Lett told a bald faced lie about that.
They do obviously have capital initiatives that require a certain amount of capital to make possible, and this is likely why they are asking for money. They are clearly restructuring also, (they have been doing this since they did away with the book study in 2008, if not the Bethel layoffs starting in 2002), and moving towards a more regional business model. This too both requires capital for the restructuring projects and allows them to save operating costs longer term.
They know most JWs do not understand any of this, so it is easy for them to get away with. This is one of perks of maintaining an uneducated member base.
So they are being deceptive and manipulative at best.
d4g
i'm sorry if this has been posted previously, but i haven't noticed it.. this was posted on reddit.. has anyone seen this moneysuck video:.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ylee4u_yu.
Even though I have been out for almost 10 years, this makes me angry when I think about it...
I cannot even think of a parallel, (religious or otherwise), where a song was used to ask for money...
Sick manipulative shit.
Disgusting.
d4g
the may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
Just watched the video , (now that I am home from work). Wow! What a manipulative mindf@ck! Worse than I even would have thought...
d4g
the internet is the archive for civilization.. watchtower cannot hide it's history.. are we seeing the beginning of a mass exodus out of her?.
Steve2 - You do not have to become apostate in your thinking to leave; it is far easier simply to slide into an increased level of apathy - which is a bigger threat to the organization's viability than apostasy.
Apathy is certainly a more practical threat. Unfortunately, it is still a big departure from people actually "waking up". Many of the apathetic count would defend the organization in a heartbeat if we were to openly criticize it in some manner.
That said, the apathetic serve their purpose. They typically contribute very little, (in time or money), tend to be a distraction to the efforts being made by the organization, and alas, it does not take much for them to wake up, when the time is right.
d4g
i hope that writing this, there will be some lurkers that i can shake.. if you have not listened to mays tv broadcast, please do.
it may wake some up.. note @ around 21-22 minutes into the broadcast lett brings up the the kingdom halls/assembly hall loans have been cancelled and the congregation can now send in what they can afford.
wow...how many banks would do that?.
Bradford - I wish it would wake up a whole mess of people but who are we kidding. This cult stuff works.
I agree with that. However, it was never about a "mass awakening". What this is more about is speeding up a process where the best and brightest have been slowly awakening. Most of the changes that have taken place over the last few years have been doing just that. Just look at how many intelligent folks have found there way here. Many have been in many, many years.
The WT will not implode anytime soon, but eventually will be reduced to the lunatic fringe. It is well on its way.
d4g
the may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
For all of those who have said these guys are doing more damage to themselves with this than we ever could, you could not be more right. I think many of us saw this coming with jw.org.tv, we just didn't expect them to go off the rails so soon...A year ago I would have said no way.
Its still a marathon folks, but they sure seem to be shortening the course a bit...
d4g
the may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
Their desperation is palpable.
d4g
this was the reason that our 12 year old son gave us for wanting to be baptized.
my wife and i actually agreed that he should wait a little longer, thank god!
by the time he was 13 he was running wild.
You need to stand up to your wife and be there for your daughter, (yes openly, sneaking around your wife is not good enough). Your wife will respect you for that later, if she is worth keeping. Some self reflection is in order on this one.
This thread has nothing to do with microphones. (I also edited this post significantly, FWIW).
d4g
does anybody know if ray franz ever addressed his thoughts on atheism?
from what i've read, he was a diligent reader of the bible.
if anybody has any info and sources about this, it is highly appreciated.
Ray remained a Christian with beliefs that did not change much from JW in many areas, (still rejected the Trinity, for example). I always thought this a bit odd, but now I think I understand it to be just how far the conditioning affects a person. Ray was just human in the end.
d4g
