Posts by Geronimo

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

Jeff, stop the self righteous outrage act already. Pull out that butt plug and shrink back down to size. I'm referring to the Christian equivalents of the Muslim nutjobs, not reasonable folks who are also Christian fundamentalists. My own sister is a Southern Baptist thru and thru but she isn't a nut. She isn't of the same spirit as the JWs, but many Christian fundamentalists are. They're the same as Muslim fundamentalists or Jewish fundamentalists or Buddhist fundamentalists. Jeff, you might wish to consider taking up smoking marijuana or taking saint johns wort, or maybe just knocking back a few every day. Relax. Sheesh. G

2

A Possibly Helpful Idea (Hey Leolaia and Narkissos)

by Geronimo in

i was ruminating today on how the internet could be better utilized to steer folks away from harmful religions in general and i had this idea: why not have some of the scholarly folks here such as leolaia and narkissos draw up a general guideline of the various features of what constitutes a "cult" and then grade various churches according to these feautures?

such as how high a control factor, medical quackery, psychological coercion, dishonesty with outsiders, various forms of abuse with insiders, whatever.

this could then become a national cult directory, a very well-known tool for those who are shopping for a religion/church/sect to use?

Geronimo

Thanks Arthur, I saved them to my favs so I can look them over. Perhaps this is indeed what I was envisioning. G

2

A Possibly Helpful Idea (Hey Leolaia and Narkissos)

by Geronimo in

i was ruminating today on how the internet could be better utilized to steer folks away from harmful religions in general and i had this idea: why not have some of the scholarly folks here such as leolaia and narkissos draw up a general guideline of the various features of what constitutes a "cult" and then grade various churches according to these feautures?

such as how high a control factor, medical quackery, psychological coercion, dishonesty with outsiders, various forms of abuse with insiders, whatever.

this could then become a national cult directory, a very well-known tool for those who are shopping for a religion/church/sect to use?

Geronimo

I was ruminating today on how the Internet could be better utilized to steer folks away from harmful religions in general and I had this idea: Why not have some of the scholarly folks here such as Leolaia and Narkissos draw up a general guideline of the various features of what constitutes a "cult" and then grade various churches according to these feautures? Such as how high a control factor, medical quackery, psychological coercion, dishonesty with outsiders, various forms of abuse with insiders, whatever. This could then become a national cult directory, a very well-known tool for those who are shopping for a religion/church/sect to use? Or who are being coerced or pestered by family, friends, or co-workers.

These sorts of things exists already, yes, but they're run by evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who are unable or unwilling to see the cultic aspects of their own denomination or church/sect and hence they use non-objective standards to judge. That's why scholarly, neutral people--as neutral as humanly possible--are needed to set this up. Of course, people would be asked to send in their personal experiences with groups to help form a consensus on lesser known cults such as the Nichiren sect of Buddhism. (The Buddhist equivalent of WT religion)

Groups would not be graded on being a "cult" because they're non-Christian or non-Trinitarian or such sectarian concerns, but by objective psychosocial criteria of cultish behavior. Every group would be included eventually, from Scientology to the Southern Baptists, the Jehovah's Witnesses to the Church of Christ, the Roman Catholic Church to the Nichiren Buddhists.

I'd be willing to help put seuch a site together, and I mean both work and financial help.

Yes, I know that cult is merely a synonym for religion, but the word is clearly morphing, and is in fact more useful with it's new connotations.

G

10

Another JW sees the light

by headmath in

take that gb.

http://www.freeminds.org/stories/ssalg.htm.

Geronimo

WONDERFUL!! Thanks for sharing. G

3

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

by Geronimo in

jw
friends

a trip down memory lanereminiscences of missy bung-bung.

by jake slatteryfriday, october 13, 2006remember those missy bung-bung comics and stories back in the mid-fifties to mid sixties?

i was recalling how i'd wait for the sunday edition of the detroit free press to come out because it always had that huge full color insert with all those exciting and funny comics.

Geronimo

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Reminiscences Of Missy Bung-Bung by Jake Slattery Friday, October 13, 2006

Remember those Missy Bung-Bung comics and stories back in the mid-fifties to mid sixties? I was recalling how I'd wait for the Sunday edition of The Detroit Free Press to come out because it always had that huge full color insert with all those exciting and funny comics. Missy Bung-Bung was usually my favorite. She and Jimmy Ho-Ho always found new ways to get in trouble in Toverland, but they never really got punished or hurt so their escapades were funny as hell. Like they time they tied up Tarfu and hid him under the floorboards of the old school house!

Looking back, their exploits were a lot like Brer Rabbitt, except more up to the "high tech" of the fifties and sixties. "Tarfu" was sort of like Brer Fox of course, always on the lookout for Missy Bung-Bung and Jimmy Ho-Ho. I didn't know for sure what a "Truant Officer" was back then. I just figured it was a type of cop trying to spoil kids fun. Which is a fairly accurate description.

I had a little plastic model of Missy Bung-Bung's crop duster and Jimmy Ho-Ho's submarine. You remember the little submarine that would submerge itself and then surface if you loaded it up with baking soda first? That was exactly like the Jimmy Ho-Ho sub, just a knock-off though. All the kids in my neighborhood on Cherrylawn Drive had a Jimmy Ho-Ho submarine and Missy Bung-Bung crop duster. My grandma made me stop putting talcum powder in the delivery bin of the crop duster because the talc got all over the floor and she had to sweep it up. But I snuck the talc outside and crop dusted ant hills like a sonofabitch till the little bastards could barely move they were so covered with talc.

Kids today with their digital widgets and computer games will never know the joy of playing with toys that sparked the imagination, toys that took us on magic journeys to Toverland in Missy Bung-Bung's crop duster or Jimmy Ho-Ho's submarine. Facing monsters and witches and even dinosaurs as they ran from the Truant Officer Tarfu. I think those stories gave us a lot of the progressive values we cherish today as Baby Boomers; always help the needy, care about the downtrodden, and STICK IT TO THE MAN! Yeah! Gawd I loved how Jimmy Ho-Ho would use his sub to get out of chores and how Missy Bung Bung used her crop duster to spoil the PTA meetings and stuff.

I tried to whittle a Tarfu figurine when I was about ten, but I didn't have the hand-eye coordination. Why didn't they offer a model of Tarfu the Truant Officer for sale? Playing with Missy Bung-Bung and Jimmy Ho-Ho would have been a lot more fun if I'd had a Tarfu figure.

I can still remember the day the Detroit Free Press announced it was canceling the heavily syndicated Missy Bung-Bung comic strip. The last strip ended with MIssy Bung-Bung and Jimmy Ho-Ho sort of sailing off into the sunset, each one in their own craft. It was very sad. It was right after that when I discovered Hulk comics and masturbation.

Anyway, I did a Google search and found some of the dialogue for the very short-lived radio version of Missy Bung-Bung and I thought I'd share it with everyone who might be old enough to remember and take a moment to breath in the atmosphere of childhood innocence and wonder again. Enjoy. ******************************************************************************************************** Missy Bung-Bung she say, "We go Motor Booty in heap strong weather bottom."

Jimmy Ho-Ho him say, "Missy Bung-Bung, ape noodles dove lickets in Toverland. Nem ho cakes tar plenty."

Missy Bung-Bung she laugh she say, "Jimmy Ho Ho, Toverland chemcakes chop chop speedy bo-bo."

Tarfu him laugh, Tarfu him see Missy Bung-Bung flop doody bandy sloodles. Tarfu grab Missy Bung-Bung.

"Missy Bung-Bung! Wheedle be flow buckets! Wheedle be flow buckets!"

Tarfu slog plenty, Jimmy Ho-Ho tig mobey cackles, and Missy Bung-Bung she be web fast slider boggles! No slore festered paddy whack they!

"Missy Bung-Bung, sho floberty! Ditsem map do wag!"

Jimmy Ho-Ho slag Tarfu, slag Tarfu plenty bop! Tarfu gild chemcakes tock Toverland slooty. No west tom-tom chunkster, terbid slat hoobie rotter.

"Missy Bung-Bung, Missy Bung!" She be fast gone, too postered in doggerton.

Jake Slattery is a syndicated columnist for Time-Warner and can be reached at [email protected]

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

Considering every religion requires faith, in other words, a belief in something that can not be proven, I find it very disturbing when people become judgemental fundamentalists. I have to agree that any religion that teaches a God who will burn in Hell forever some poor soul that lived in a part of the world with no access to the Bible is every bit as vindictive and manipulative as the WTS.

Thank you JW facts, it's much appreciated. Now, with this post taken care of, I can turn this account over to Nadine. Bright blessings to you JW Facts. G

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

I wonder why

Hi DD

Well, for starters I hold to an entirely nonliteral view of the Bible. My sister thinks that is a dangerous heresy originating from "the Pit." I take a strong stand against religious folks forcing their lifestyle on others via politics, and that too is a no-no. Our family has been deeply affected by Christian fundamentalism.

Yes, I know you were being insulting, but I chose to enlighten you rather than insult you in return.

G

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

Also, Arthur, although my post seems like I am singling out the posters here that are Fundies, I am not. I began the post that way, and then veered off into the fundie world in general. I should have made that more apparent, but I didn't. So, to Arthur and any fundamentalists who may read this "My post is not directed at you personally, but to the wider world of fundamentalism." G

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

All of my objections? My biggest objection was to the very insulting language that was directed toward so called fundamentalists who post on this site. Name calling and ad hominem attacks toward people on this site has nothing to do with academic studies.
Christian fundamentalists are not as monolithic as you and I may think. I know some personally; and they are quite kind and pleasant. Other ones I met, on the other hand came across as mean, condescending, and narrow-minded. I think that a person's personality and individual make-up has a lot to do with their world-view. Personally, I would agree with many assertions about Christian fundamentalism having certain antagonistic views toward other religions, and toward scientific discovery; but this is not an adequate reason to believe that all of them as idividuals deserve such viceral personal attacks.
I could probably name off about a dozen posters on this site that consider themselves fundamentalists. They do not all think and speak in lock-step conformity. I have had debates and discussions with several of them on this site. We have respectfully disagreed on many issues from gay marriage; to Biblical inerrancy. These individuals on this site seem to be kind, decent, and respectful toward my views. I take issue with the vitriolic languae that was directed toward them. I don't think that they deserved it. And when people on this site seek to make cheap personal attacks against them; I will call them on it.

Dearest Arthur

All of your substantive objections as to my descriptions of fundamentalism and fundamentalists have indeed been answered. You need only peruse the literature. Though not "monolithic" they do indeed dispaly many common characteristics, and you know this as well as I do. You've taken a dislike to me and wish to make this into an argument. Arthur, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ALL FUNDAMENTALISTS DISPLAY ALL OF THE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS. M'k? Sociology and social psychology are about groups, not isolated individuals.

You may take issue with my vitriolic language all you like. I confront fundies on a daily basis and find them most unpleasnt. I especially object to their actions in enforcing their religion on the public at large. I do not "respect" (That means to look up to, to hold in high esteem) such actions nor the people from whome these attitudes andf actions emanate. I simply tolerate them.

You seem a decent sort Arthur, but I am not about to alter my ways for you any more than you're about to alter yours for me. You are now one of my Special Friends. G

32

The Tragedy of Fundamentalism (WARNING to all Pharisees! LARGE PRINT!)

by Geronimo in

so many of the former jws here have embraced a religion that differs little from the jehovah's witnesses.

worse yet, that fact reveals the basic wiring flaws of many fundies and evangelicals who post here.. .

first off, they embrace an even nastier god.

Geronimo

Hello again Arthur

Here's a link to get you started in understanding Fundamentalists as a GROUP. Social psychology or simply sociology.http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/mine/quotes.htm

Take care Arthur. G