over the years on jwn i have often found myself hunting through posts of newcomers, hoping against hope i suppose, that the newbie would be one of my former friends in the local congregation down the street.. i just find it hard to imagine that not a soul among these people has taken the courage to investigate their religion and leave like my wife and i have done.. as the local 'active apostate', i also supposed that at any moment some of the 'brothers' would come covertly to my home, knock and say something like " i am out - please let's talk about it, why i left, why you left.
but, none of the above has ever happened.
i did come across a local former jw here, from another congregation, and we have become good friends over the past few years.
Over the years on JWN I have often found myself hunting through posts of newcomers, hoping against hope I suppose, that the newbie would be one of my former friends in the local congregation down the street.
Yes it has happen to me ... one person I knew from my hall joined JWN... she was much younger than me , just a child in fact... but I recognized her
eyes believe it or not ! She was very impressed with that .
trading insults happens among kids all the time.. intellectual development hasn't progressed to the point where they can present contrary ideas and opinions with persuasive appeal to reasons, facts and logic.. "i know you are; but what am i?".
"your momma's so fat....".
so, they fall back on childish mocking, provocation and personal attack.. as we grow older and have more education and sophistication our minds should mature---or so you'd think!.
I think many people resort to personal attack because of some preceived hypocracy...but does this invalidate ones point ?
Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practice; since he may be sincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his passions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or industry to undertake it, and may honestly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself.
Thus, an alcoholic's advocating temperance, for example, would not be considered an act of hypocrisy as long as the alcoholic made no pretense of constant sobriety .
(I am not making direct reference to any situation or thread here)
trading insults happens among kids all the time.. intellectual development hasn't progressed to the point where they can present contrary ideas and opinions with persuasive appeal to reasons, facts and logic.. "i know you are; but what am i?".
"your momma's so fat....".
so, they fall back on childish mocking, provocation and personal attack.. as we grow older and have more education and sophistication our minds should mature---or so you'd think!.
I'm not saying we have to be pussycats and rainbows. I'm simply asking why we can't be more to the point, more respectful and less deliberately combative
Without naming names I will offer my personal opinion that there appear to be members of this community who serve only one function and that one function isn't the free exchange of important ideas as much as it is to start arguments that go nowhere and to fan flame wars with personal ad hominem
I totally agree with you. We all need to be able to discuss a subject without resorting to personal attacks against those who don't agree with our point of view. This includes us all, fomer Bethelite or former publisher. I have been appalled at how some of the recent threads had dissolved into name calling and putting people down.~~~P.H.G
Well thank you so much for this topic Terry. I know that you have idea's extremely different from mine... yet you are approachable
I have no fear that you will turn to personal attack. In a polite way I have been trying to give comments much like those above.
personal attack is committed when a person substitutes abusive remarks for evidence when attacking another person's claim or claims. This line of "reasoning" is fallacious because the attack is directed at the person making the claim and not the claim itself. The truth value of a claim is independent of the person making the claim
Cheers to you Terry
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/reasons-to-fear-canada.
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metatron.
once when i was profoundly sad for too many days, my brother in law sent us a mix tape.
he named each song after a person in our family.
this is the one he named heather.
just found out that the australian governong body member known as geoffrey jackson got engaged to a sister about two weeks ago.
it really shocked me at first but then i remembered how other members of the gb have remarried in the past like daniel sidlik.
what made me say "woah" was hearing that the holy bride to be is really young!
Goeff jackson is in his late 50's -
born 1955 .... 57
since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.
for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.
i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.
Tell me how this strikes you: When certain posters refer to faith as mind rot, they are saying it out of atheistic love, because they no longer want you to be deceived. You really shouldn't be offended by such a statement. It's meant in the best spirit to help you grow.
Just think about it. This tension is not one sided.~~~~ NC
I made one statment to cofty about this (mind rot ) in a very kind and polite manner... the issue is over for me.. I don't go on and on about it
that's the point make ones statements in a polite, easy to accept manner .. you are a very bright girl I don't think I need to explain this.
The tension may not be one sided but I choose not to add fuel to the fire.. rise above holding on to hurt... repeating insults on several threads
imbeds them deeper into your mind
Even in violent sports when your opponent is down you walk away... no need to kill them
mind ro t seems mild but the term bird food seems mild too...but personally I would choose not to say that to anyone
I was just wondering if Einstein suffered from this "mind rot " thing ? hee he hee
since there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.
for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.
i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.
It's okay if you find it interesting that I spend time here. Obviously I get something from it, and it may not be what you think. We each spend our energy doing what makes sense to us. Perhaps I like being a sane voice for the new ones coming here with questions. Perhaps I like to let them know that if they question God's existence, they are not alone and they are not defective. In that way, I repay what I got from this board.
I will not question your reasons for coming here.. for any of us to judge intent and motive is guess work at best.
But what hurts me is the strong condemnation of believers who are accused of preaching( I am speaking in general not attacking you as a person )... not all but many of which I am sure
feel just as you do , that they are seeking to liberate people from false understanding and disbelief. I feel there is an effort being made to drive all would be believers from JWN.. ..this I feel is a very divisive force . I don't feel that JWN must make one definitive stand
What is the difference between liberating and preaching ? How realistic is it to beleive that people leaving the WT will come here and want to go directly to atheism ?
P.S. I am off topic... but then again how many of these type threads have been on topic these days ?
once when i was profoundly sad for too many days, my brother in law sent us a mix tape.
he named each song after a person in our family.
this is the one he named heather.
this is a serious question.. i know people that hear/feel god (and see postings about people's experiences), but i have not experienced this.
i have never heard anything audibly (or otherwise) nor "felt" anything inwardly.. i've prayed, read, quieted my thoughts, etc...but still nothing..
27... My sheep hear my voice
Let’s notice something that the text says early on. This is a figure of speech. That means that you do not take the objects literally. We do not think
Jesus is literally herding us who are literally sheep, into a literal pen. Why then should we take this text in the “literal” sense when we get to the
voice part. ? “My sheep hear my voice.” What else could that be but hearing the inner voice of God? We hear Him not with our ears, but in our
hearts. Also I think in some cases at least to hear means to heed ... to respond to counsel
How do I hear/feel God?..... with your figurative heart and by your willing spirit
