Posts by VoidEater

My dad was baptized at about 7 in 1946, when I understand the requirements for candidates were different - I believe the only question asked was, Do you want to serve Jehovah (without any detail on what that service meant).

44

Tattoos

by LouBelle in

jw
friends

did anyone go and get a tattoo after you left, either because you really wanted too or because you just wanted to rebel.. i got one done about a year afterwards.

it's a black widow: i've got another 3 lined up.. .

.

VoidEater

Maddie: My partner has that knotwork around his right bicep (all around the arm) - another "ouch" on the tender inner arm area!

44

Tattoos

by LouBelle in

jw
friends

did anyone go and get a tattoo after you left, either because you really wanted too or because you just wanted to rebel.. i got one done about a year afterwards.

it's a black widow: i've got another 3 lined up.. .

.

VoidEater

Got ear piercings as a ritual after claiming my own life (two on left). Got cat tattoos later, but well after.

20

I need a simplified explanation...

by XOCO in

today i had a sister do a bible study with me and i asked her if jesus really died on a torture stake instead of a cross and i showed her john 20:25 emphasizing hands with an s and nails with an s. what the sister had told me was "yes one nail though his hands and one nail though his feet" ok so now back to the emphasis of the s if that were the case why make hand and nail plural be written in the bible then?

VoidEater

For me the interesting aspect is why the WTS finds it so important to make this distinction. It seems to me to be part and parcel of the reaction against catholicism (and organized religion) that seems so apparent in Russell's writings.

The cross was seen as such a major symbol that it seemed important to debunk it. Since the cross/stake issue is a basic plank in the JW platform (along with no Trinity, no Hellfire and no blood - er, um, ah...), it becomes an ideational issue without much importance (to me) outside of an "is not/is so" argument.

9

How Long Should I

by Undecided in

jw
friends

rake leaves before i rest?

untill my wife finds me dead in a pile of leaves?

untill i just get wet with sweat?

VoidEater

Don't rake leaves - wait on Jehovah to remove the leaves.

No, wait...

83

The Watchtower art department strikes again!!! LOL

by cultswatter in

please have a look at the white horse on page 91 of rev climax book(the horse that jesus is riding).

this horse is what a horse should look like.

(don't look at it too long or you may be tempted) now look at the same white horse on page 23 of the feb 15th 2008 wt.

VoidEater

Hmm...Apocalypse Ponies and Unicorn Mayonaise...

4

Psycho Debate: Samson Versus Paul

by VoidEater in

we all know samson's superhuman powers went away when his long hair got cut (as i understand it, he followed a god-approved faction that disallowed his cutting his hair).. we all know paul told us how unnatural it is for a man to have long hair ("nature itself" tells us).. did god change his mind?

what should a male do with his hair - cut it short, or wear it long?.

VoidEater

Thank you, seratonin and gopher - i think I'm beginning to see the light...!

208

Self Deceit and Faith.

by hillary_step in

jw
friends

this thread is inspired by a comment made on another thread, but i thought it would make an interesting discussion.. self deceit is described as a "misconception that is favorable to the person who holds it".

my premise is that faith is a form of self-deceit - lying to oneself.. so, i would ask of the "faithful" the following questions and would request that they be read carefully to ensure no that there is no misunderstanding of purpose.. 1) in what way is faith not self-deception?.

2) is a person who has faith in a god that you do not believe in, say for example siva, practicing a form of self-deception?.

VoidEater

Might I ask, both of yourself and other believers in a personal God, whether their can be in the faith of any believer an element of self-deceit and if so how you can tell?

Of course there can be an element of self-deceit. The mind is constantly filtering evidence and experience through core beliefs that color perception and memory. Seeing that filtering is like a microscope trying to examine itself. You cannot generally tell when in a vacuum, but you can gain consensus with the help of the perspective of others ("Whoa, dude, I just saw Krishna!" - "Dude, that was Johnny in blue makeup.") Internal experiences are more difficult to evaluate for obvious reasons.

It comes down to some part of your psyche making a choice to validate or discount evidence or experience, and then to assign meaning. Self-deceit can often only be monitored through an external agent providing feedback from another view. This is why JWism is so isolationist - external viewpoints make self-deceit noticable.

For example. Islamic extremists on a suicide mission have complete faith that at the moment of dying a martyrs death at the hands of the enemies of Islam that they will be transformed into a heavenly realm. Do you believe that this is possible. If not why not?

Yes, I believe it's possible. But I choose to not believe it.

I have great trouble in understanding that once the possibility of God existing raises its head, anything outside of this concept that believers add cannot function without an element of self-deceit.

I could say that God or my dad loves me. Or does not love me. Either can be a misconception. I can line up what I claim is evidence for both. I can refer to internal experiences for both. I can choose whichever is more useful to a satisfying life.

Perhaps there's a distinction between self-deception and wishful thinking. Wishful thinking plays into our lives a great deal; and the subject of wishful thoughts may also be true.