with all the recent changes to this religion, what really is the purpose of being a jw?
especially for those who have been in and witnessed all the changes and still no sight of the end.
for these ones in particular (35-55 year olds) they must be in a state of confusion.
Village Idiot has it closest to the truth, from the perspective of the organization.
From an individual JW's perspective, it is pretty much the same as any other belief system. It is mostly about survival. Keeping one's worldview intact is a key component of that, for many.
The two means working toward either end make for system that entraps leaders and followers alike. It is what allows all authoritarian systems to perpetuate themselves.
d4g
i even hate to use that word worldly tm.. any way i'm probably the worst.. 1 when the jw s come to my door i say i'm not interested .
2 i have gone to many churches and volunteered.. 3 i shredded all my jw books and magazines out in the woods.. 4 had the mormon elders over and studied with them.. 5 tried pot (its legal here).
6 open carry my fire arm every where (legal here also).
I think critically and the rest just follows.
d4g
it seems that the bounty expected from the brooklyn hq sale may not be as bountiful as thought.
how is that going to affect their shaky finances?.
http://nypost.com/2016/02/23/jehovahs-witnesses-selling-watchtower-building-for-220m/.
On this one, I would consider the source. NY Post is a tabloid, and a bad even for a tabloid.
They are making lots of $$$ for properties long since paid off, that they bought for pennies on today's dollar. WTS would not be selling at all if they thought they could do better.
d4g
i find it curious why so many here on this site, in the face of factual evidence for things such as evolution and the impossibility for anyone to make a coherent interpretation for the bible, would still prefer faith to knowledge?.
can any believer attempt a defence of this position?.
Faith, (or belief in the more general sense), is an artifact of survival instincts, (fight or flight instincts), that are millions of years old, (an extension of cognitive functions beyond what our five senses can provide). Belief is an example of what happens when those survival instincts cross with human conscious awareness. As others have mentioned, that crossing leads to cognitive errors, (such as confirmation biases; intellectual laziness; etc.).
Faith is not trust. Trust is based on previous positive experience, (however anecdotal). Faith requires no such experience, let alone empirical evidence. All that is needed is cognitive acceptance of what one considers "real".
The etymological definition of belief is closer to that of "to care, love, desire", etc. Not that any of that is bad, however none of those instincts are based on fact.
d4g
thought it would be good to share what ones take to deal with the meetings.
Weed.
If I had to attend today for some unknown reason, (cannot possibly imagine what for), I would do it for comic relief...Cheetos and all.
d4g
in your personal experience, do you think that the wt attracts needy types of people?
over the years, my experience is that they do attract very needy, insecure, dysfunctional, types.
i had an acquaintance that i just basically cut off.
Not meant to be snarky, but why does any abusive system attract and foster dysfunctional types and their behaviors? The same parallels can be seen in any abusive relationship. Understanding this, would answer your question.
Take a few steps back and look at what happens with abused women, (JW has quite a few of these), subjects of totalitarian regimes, salespeople for MLMs, (again, many times also JW), and you begin to see a pattern. Abused people have low self esteem and believe their abusers are there for their own good. It starts a positive feedback loop, (vicious cycle), that is difficult to break from.
d4g
thought it would be good to share what ones take to deal with the meetings.
If you need to take something just to get through, you really should be asking yourself if you should be attending at all.
Most of the prescription drugs discussed here are not intended for long-term or regular use, (for example while you might pop a Xanax to get through attending a JW funeral, it does not mean you take one before every meeting). Most of these things are addictive.
As for ADs, unless you really have a chemical imbalance, these too will do more harm than good over the long-term. So many JWs take these things precisely because they are in a depressing environment much of the time. I was on them for 4 years before I left. While taking them, I noticed if affected my normal ambitious drive at work in a negative way, (I was far less ambitious). Once I quit going to meetings, I did not need them anymore. 10 years later I still don't.
d4g
..."we are"--at this point i began shaking my head no--"stopping by to share a scripture.".
she had the wt and bible in her hand.. "please do not come to this house ever again.".
"ok we will put you on the do not call list.
Rebel8 - Do you feel a need or desire to help or talk to cultists for any reason?
(My first paragraph just disappeared, so the last two did not make much sense)....
No. I have learned some time ago that people only accept reality when/if they are ready to.
For those that are in the process of waking up however, and seek help in doing so, I am more than willing to provide some insight and assistance in general. It is a unique opportunity to assist one in exiting a cult, so I consider it a matter of paying it forward, having successfully done so myself.
I have only seen the JWs in my development maybe two times in the almost seven years we have been in our house. I politely tell them I am not interested. I don't discuss my JW past with them.
d4g
hadn't seen this site before, i thought i'd share it:.
http://www.evilbible.com/.
BTT for newbies or fence sitters.
For those that question "what if the JWs still have it right"...Always question the premise first.
d4g
the organization has many problems.
certain doctrines are problematic.
the men who run the organizaion have issues.
Social evolution. (That is rapidly increasing in pace and scope).
d4g
