Posts by Cadellin

27

Constant out-of-context quoting; how do Writing dept. cope with that?

by Anders Andersen in

i am just wondering here: almost every single quote in jw literature for which a source can be found, is taken out of context..

personally, i have checked almost every quote in the 5-questions brochure, some on dating and the cross in reasoning book, and some in magazine articles i found interesting..

just checked the "they envisioned a universe subject to whims of gods" quote in the feb 2016 awake..

Cadellin

I wondered the same thing when I was first waking up. I just could not fathom how anyone with (1) enough of an education so as to be able to write a publishable article, and (2) at least some degree of conscience could take quote after quote out of context. I realize that we're not talking about one person but about whole committees, which actually makes it even worse.

I think the writers conceptualize it as a case of the end justifying the means. Remember that these writers themselves are not seeking truth or questioning the basis of their beliefs. The whole "truth" belief system is Absolutely True. So filching a quote that isn't quite what the original writer intended BUT that supports The Truth is okay, not just because it furthers the cause of Truth but because, even if the original writer didn't intend for that quote to say what it does, if, by itself, it harmonizes with Truth, then it must be True.

Whew! I need a drink.

24

Just a smile? Oh dear...Disney move over...

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vrazejqhrui

Cadellin

The chick singing has a really nice voice. Other than that--OMG. It's truly stomach-churning, the simplistic clichéd lyrics, especially when rendered in that cheesy script with the repeated "I"s: smiiiiiiiiiiiiiile!!!

Most teens would run, shrieking from the room. No wonder they are leaving.

15

Alan Rickman's Passing

by TipsyMangoTea in

alan rickman, best known to my generation as prof. severus snape from the harry potter film franchise, has passed away due to cancer at the age of 69.. growing up with a witness mother, anything related to science fiction and fantasy was looked down upon, so, naturally, i was a rebel rebel (oh david bowie...).. just wanted to let any potterheads know the news and that even if you feel like you'll never be free of the deadly watchtower, you're not alone and there's hope.. always..

Cadellin

So much so, I had to post three images of him, apparently.

15

Alan Rickman's Passing

by TipsyMangoTea in

alan rickman, best known to my generation as prof. severus snape from the harry potter film franchise, has passed away due to cancer at the age of 69.. growing up with a witness mother, anything related to science fiction and fantasy was looked down upon, so, naturally, i was a rebel rebel (oh david bowie...).. just wanted to let any potterheads know the news and that even if you feel like you'll never be free of the deadly watchtower, you're not alone and there's hope.. always..

Cadellin

I love him. I just love him. And I'm heartbroken.

155

Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

hi people,.

i want as much data as possible on the effect of the internet on the time captured by the cult.. please answer the three following questions about yourself or about someone you know (for example, if your parents or grandparents were jw's and left).

1) were you raised as a jw, or did you convert?.

Cadellin

1) Raised

2) 1980 (I was 15)

3) 2005

25 years, of which a significant amount was spent as either a reg or aux pioneer. The internet did play a role in my leaving, although perhaps not decisive, since many "wake-up" moment(s) occurred at the good ole fashioned library reading those weird pagey things. Nevertheless, coming across this site, as well as others discussing the UN NGO affiliation and evolution (specifically talkorigins.org) were also invaluable. I guess I should add, I accessed Ray Franz's CoC online as well and that really was a stunner.

I'm so glad you are undertaking this data collection. Please share your results once you are done!

70

"Most women would prefer to be stay at home housewives. Women's lib did alot of damage to women!"

by purrpurr in

jw
friends

the above is a quote from a jw female relative.

this was in response to a discussion about the suffragette movement ( and the movie about it that's currently in cinemas).

she seemed to think that it would be so much better if women were just daughters/ wives/ mothers and didn't go out to work and have career's?

Cadellin

I think most JW women toe the party line when it comes to feminism, which is that it is BAD and DEMONIC. Blech. And, sure, most JW women would definitely prefer to stay home over working because they did not go to college and the only work many of them are able to do is low-wage labor, and probably not very enjoyable. Under those circumstances, I, too, would prefer to stay home. In fact, I did stay home when my daughter was small. I loved it. What's the point?

The point is that what women were fighting for in the 60's and 70's wasn't merely the right to hold a job but the right to choose. The role of homemaker can be fulfilling, creative and mindful. But it's not for everyone, just like being a plumber isn't for everyone. Women's liberation was about obtaining recognition as human beings, as independent agents--especially with respect to the body--and as intellectuals. It was about equality with men when it came to personal freedoms, choice and respect. Anyone who thinks it did more damage than good needs to read some of the media of the forties and fifties (or earlier), including the WT's publications. Or reflect on some of the laws. Language and images that we would today consider grotesquely sexist and demeaning was considered normal and acceptable.

27

Evolution and Creation—both are stories!

by lsw1961 in

there are number of nobel laureates and other great scientists in both the camps defending their respective theories of evolution and creation, which means both are just stories, and both suffer from having no eye-witnesses.

if either of them were true, all scientists would have accepted it unanimously as they do with rest of the laws such as law of gravity..

this does not mean that there is no god.

Cadellin

which means both are just stories, and both suffer from having no eye-witnesses. If either of them were true, all scientists would have accepted it unanimously as they do with rest of the Laws such as Law of Gravity.

Um, no. To equate evolution with the various creation myths is to demonstrate a fairly profound lack of understanding of what evolution is and why virtually (almost) all biologists recognize it as at least as well supported as the heliocentric model of our solar system. As OneEyed Joe already noted, some biologists argue over variations in certain aspects of evolution (and this is normal in any field of science), but the vast, vast majority acknowledge that common descent as close to being proven as anything can be and that natural selection, while perhaps not the sole engine of change, is a significant design force.

And who said an eyewitness is necessary for something to be true? There was no eyewitness to the Big Bang, or to numerous other historical phenomenon. Moreover, natural selection has been witnessed in person, both in the lab, in digital models and in the wild.

Evolution is one of the those subjects that is, admittedly, complex. It takes time and effort to actually dig into credible, authoritative sources and learn about it, enough to separate what is factual from what is commony believed. Unfortunately, popular media doesn't help in this regard, especially when it uses misleading headlines bandying about terms like "missing link" or phrases suggesting that everything scientists used to believe needs to be changed.

40

Last Days? Are you serious ....?

by Aleph in

believing we live in the last days?.

Cadellin

While it is true that the ability to wipe out life via nuclear detonation DOES distinguish our modern times, it is also true that humans have shown admirable (and unusual) restraint in using those nukes. Setting the potential aside, there is no escaping the fact that we are living in the most peaceful and prosperous time in human history. For those in doubt, check out economist Max Roser's wonderful graphic website http://ourworldindata.org/, where you can page through graphs of historical data measuring things like life span and global poverty rates.

Who knows whether humans will wipe themselves out? We can't speculate. But what we do have is comparative data on how the day to day lives of humans has changed for the better. One of my frustrations with WT rhetoric about the last days is that the stats they tossed around were always decontextualized. Okay, so there were 100,000,000 people killed in warfare during the 20th Century. That's a lot! But it also suggests that there were a lot of people AROUND to kill, people that would have died in childhood or early life if they had lived during other times. Numbers always have to be put within context so that you are comparing apples to apples, which is why the Society rarely offers statements as comparative percentages, preferring the shock effect of straight up raw numbers.

44

The Witnesses Are Really Trying Hard To Get Me Back In

by minimus in

jw
friends

at my mom's bed side all i see is either jw family or friends making a concerted effort to have me return to their fold.

evidentlyy, my mom has encouraged this and i'm a trapped prisoner, as they do their best to have me come back.

it's bad enough that i have to endure my mom's dying, now i have to be bombarded with this bs..

Cadellin

I'm sorry about your difficult situation. I'm going through something similar right now, though from what you've posted, not as bad. Hang in there...it's tough.

138

My Mother Died Two Weeks Ago

by Perry in

jw
friends

none of my jehovah's witness relatives called to tell me or my family.

just found out this morning.

Cadellin

You have my deepest sympathy. That is terrible. I'm so sorry that your family are behaving in such an unchristian, inhumane way.