MisfitMeL

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Posts by MisfitMeL

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  27

  Are humans programmed to belive in god?

  by highdose in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this is somthing the gb likes to assert.

  but they ignore the many atheists in the world as they do so.

  i have been coming more and more to terms with the fact that i don't blieve there is a god out there, gradually i am accepting this..

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  MisfitMeL

  Richard Dawkins urges all atheists to openly state their position -- and to fight the incursion of the church into politics and science.

  http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html

  I haven't had time to watch the video, but as an atheist I find the term 'militant' atheism quite unsettling and unnecessary. So many religious beliefs have been the cause of wars, bloodshed and torture. Religions have successfully merged with politics to create devastating 'militant' machines and regimes that propogate much horror.

  Why should we atheists choose to use such aggressive terms when our goal is to bring about the exact opposite that has been preached in the name of gods?

  I agree that we need a more proactive stance against those who would rather wish humanity to regress back to the dark ages, but I'm sure a better term could be found that is more in line with humanism and less as a political ideology. Just my thoughts on the matter
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  27

  Are humans programmed to belive in god?

  by highdose in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this is somthing the gb likes to assert.

  but they ignore the many atheists in the world as they do so.

  i have been coming more and more to terms with the fact that i don't blieve there is a god out there, gradually i am accepting this..

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  MisfitMeL

  Hmmmm.... I don't think we are programmed to believe in a god. The god concept is something that is a continually evolving cultural and traditional construct IMO.

  Like others have mentioned, we are, however, instinctively curious and inquisitive. Unlike other creatures, we like to exert our control and dominance on all aspects of our environment. When we come across phenomena that is beyond our control, some of us like to investigate some more, while others put it down to supernatural forces that should not be tampered with.

  I don't have links or concrete data on hand, but I am sure I have read of several tribal cultures (past and present) that do not believe in a 'god' as such but merely acknowledge that they are a part of nature and have to respect and work along with all of the animals and plants that live around them. They may have rituals etc to pay homage to fearsome wild animals or the fertile land. Ancestor worship is also very common in such cultures, where the deceased are thought to watch over you and guide you. But as for a scary god that puts you in heaven or hell, I don't think they are aware of such a concept. Such cultures are diminishing very rapidly as modern day religions like christianity and islam rabidly try to convert such 'heathens' to their brand of faith. It is such a shame to have such ancient beliefs wiped out from our human heritage
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  47

  My mom died

  by twinkle toes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  she has past in the last month and i have been trying to decide when i would post this development in my life for privacy reasons.

  realizing this is quite ridiculous i am posting it now.

  how sad!

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  MisfitMeL

  Very sorry to hear of your loss twinkle, but more so to hear the cold treatment from supposedly true christians.

  I hope you find peace, solace, comfort and healing in the coming days and weeks, not just in getting through the grief, but also in your journey out from the religion. You are now free to define yourself and your life and pursue your interests and goals.

  In time I'm sure the anger against your mum will subside. She was only doing what she thought was right. It is the WTS that should feel shame and guilt for their teachings.

  You may have not felt true love and friendship from the JWs, but I know you will find that among the rest of humanity.
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  8

  Forum is GREAT, but...are there any ex JW chatrooms if we need a steady dialog?

  by 20+wastedYRS in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am happy to have found this forum and will be reading and posting frequently.

  but... i have wished at times that i could have a good steady dialog on certain, more puzzleing issues and a chatroom would be perfect for those instances.. anyone know of one?.

  also, one other quick question... while very active in "truth", i researched the whole beard issue and came up totally empty on my search.. btw: i have a beard now!!!

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  MisfitMeL

  Hello 20+ !! Welcome to the forum and congrats on finding your path out of the org.

  I'm sure there are several chat rooms such as the ones posted above, however, just like a forum, the activity level depends on the location of the majority of the residents. I'm not sure where you live, but say if you lived in China and you signed up to a US based chat, you might find no one online to chat to when you are available :(

  Atleast with a forum, your thread sticks around so it's guaranteed that someone or the other would usually come along and answer it.

  You could also get to know various members around here and on other sites and find those who are close to your locality/time zone and then exchange phone numbers or meet them in person or also chat to them online via applications like Yahoo Messenger or MSN.

  Hope you find the answers to all the questions that are on your mind, as well as comfort and support when you feel you need it. Look forward to reading more of your posts
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  21

  Dissociative Identity Disorder and Therapy

  by writerpen in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wondering if anyone has experience with this or knows an x-jw who has been diagnosed.

  after years of trying to un-do everything through countless therapies, it appears this has been the problem all along.

  i sit with my new psychologist, an expert in dissociative disorders, and she has all the jw lingo down, which tells me she's treated other x-jw's.

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  MisfitMeL

  I'm sorry, I don't have any firsthand knowledge of this disorder but I am glad to hear that you have been able to finally pinpoint the issue after all this time. Maybe now you could start to make way towards some tangible progress, especially since your therapist seems to have dealt with other ex-JWs. I wish you well and hope there are others here who could contribute personal advice through their own experience.
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  30

  Revealed at last: My full bio, picture and why I am here!

  by kurtbethel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  hope you found it interesting.

  note: this is my post #1914, so naturally all of the above is invisible.

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  MisfitMeL

  Very clever!!! I like it!
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  36

  Follow up to my saga

  by Heartbreaker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i realize i'm a bit quiet here, and most if not all won't remember my story, so here is a brief synopsis.

  i recently decided that i'd rather pursue life rather than a future life promised but not realized.

  i was fortunate enough that my husband agreed in that he didn't want any man telling him what he had to do, or how to live, and so left with me.

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  MisfitMeL

  Very moving story and most unfortunate Heartbreaker.

  I'm afraid I don't have a lot of good advice, but atleast remember this - you are not alone in your situation. You have a supportive husband and all of your children. Your entire family is intact and that is a wonderful thing to have even though the current time is hard and lonely.

  Regardless of the choices you make to move or stay put, you have your entire immediate family intact. Many of us here are not so fortunate! You can take a good deal of comfort from that and it will help you overcome such a stressful situation.

  Moving might seem like a good idea. A fresh start in a new location and no way for the nosy elders to try and keep tabs on you and come knocking at your door. Also if there are many JWs in your children's school, it might be awkward for them, so maybe a new locality will help them have a fresh start too. Of course there are many other things to consider and I'm sure there are others here who have faced similar circumstances and will be better placed to offer helpful suggestions.

  I wish you well and good luck!!! (yes we can say that now too!) =)

  Best wishes,

  MeL
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  33

  The Secret to Not Hating Your Job...

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ... what is it?.

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  MisfitMeL

  Try looking for another job? Maybe good ones are hard to come by in the current economic climate, but have you looked around just in case?

  Just keeping an eye out might give you a boost as it keeps you hopeful that you might come across something better.

  It might not be possible to improve the job role itself, but like others mentioned, volunteering is a good idea. Especially if you are contemplating a career change into something more meaningful, volunteering in such a role first gives you an idea of what is actually involved in the role before throwing in your old one.. not to mention the satisfaction. And volunteering jobs make for great experience on your resume which would improve your job prospects once again.

  Otherwise, try to retrain yourself in a different field, or take up a new hobby etc. Many subjects can be learned online so you don't have to spend a fortune buying new books etc. I guess it all boils down to - what would you rather be doing instead of your job? and then find the means and opportunities to pursue such a goal to make it into a new career Good luck!!
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  23

  I have finally figured ot how a lot of JWs gain more members besides having more kids...

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've noticed that when a bible study is conducted, when worldly people have questions a lot of jws say that there question is covered later in the book.

  that way, the worldlys get stopped in there tracks all the while feeling like there questions are getting answered while the assimilation takes place.. they either forget there question or the book tells them what the answer is without either giving them biblical proof or twisting scriptures.

  i've noticed a lot of paragraphs in books just telling people what the answer is without scriptures or saying something like, "surely it would make sense that...".

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  MisfitMeL

  I have noticed that too.... I haven't been to meetings in a long time, nor read any publications. However, I was at the convention recently and now with my criticial mind activated, I noticed how so many statements in the talks were thrown out without any scriptural basis or secular statistics to support such claims.

  The brain dead JWs would gladly digest such flimsy reasonings, but so many unsuspecting newcomers would get sucked in too. Most of the people that come to the kingdom halls are depressed and unhappy, and don't have a strong social network. Predictably, many have very little knowledge about various biblical matters and when savvy JWs speak eloquently without any basis, such susceptible ones easily lap up what they think is genuineness on the part of the JW religion.
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  14

  You've been missing a lot of meetings, brother Fader....

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i wouldn't say i've been missing them, bob.. .

  i wouldn't say i've been missing it, bob.

  sound bite office space sound bites

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  MisfitMeL

  hehehehe