In the unlikely event that you actually try this, be careful who you pick unless you want to get your ass kicked. You never know who you might find there. One guy from my martial arts class went to an anti-war demonstration, and while he's not an advanced student he has some previous background, and he's also physically strong. It just so happens he also has first hand knowledge in dealing with militant Muslims while growing up. Of course, it's always easier to vent verbally online, and safer.
Introspection
JoinedPosts by Introspection
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16
Military reponse? Or lets not cause more violence
by bboyneko inwhat to do if you happen upon a peace rally by stupid naive hemp-shirt-wearing college idiots, to teach them why force is sometimes needed: .
1) approach dumb rich ignorant student talking about "peace" and saying there should be, "no retaliation.
2) engage in brief conversation, ask if military force is appropriate.
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46
I NEED ADVICE DESPERATELY!!!
by concerned fiance inhere is my situation: my fiance is now 27 years old.
he was raised as a jw from the age of 2 through 18. at that time, his whole family left the "truth" except for his older brother who had already married another woman from the faith.
for the past 9 years, he has been living his life to the fullest, but still loving god, praying often and he is a truly honest and moral person.
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Introspection
Hi Concerned,
I think I may be able to offer some unique input in addition to the many good points that's already been made because I know a little of Hinduism.
Basically, the emphasis of the JW religion is behavioral, the mind simply serves as a device for control. Realistically, there isn't much in the way of spiritual development because they actually keep the rank and file witness at the first level, they are not even really conscious of the mental process.
Hinduism, according to my understanding comes from a very different place because you have the idea of Brahma and Atman. One very telling fact is that JWs considers all forms of meditation (other than "meditation" on their teachings) as opening oneself up to demonic entities. There is no contemplative practice.
Of course, practically speaking you have to work with what's already there. It's highly doubtful that he would get this perspective (that is, the perspective of where the two sides comes from) any time soon. One thing that came to my mind as I read Peacepipe and Safe4Kids messages is that there's a scripture in the bible that says "He that saves his soul will lose it, he that loses his soul will save it." Obviously, at the core of this fearful reaction is saving himself. I think a very simple message, if you can get it through to him is 'are you capable of putting aside the concern for self preservation (which is motivated by irrational fear anyways) and focus on what is acceptable to God, what is true, insead?' As far as I know being conerned with yourself isn't considered spiritual by anyone.
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Why Do Muslims Come To The U.S.?
by TR inin the town i live in, there are many male arabic students that come here for an education.
but is that really their reason for coming?
or, are they here to taste the freedom that the u.s. provides?
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Introspection
lol Lisa..
TR are you asking about Muslims or people from that region? Frankly, there are Muslims native to other countries, including the U.S. I'm constantly reminded of the great melting pot of dipshits we have in this country for that matter. (damn, not a pretty picture is it?)
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Never give up your sense of humor
by Esmeralda inafter laughing to the point of tears at several 'silly' threads that have posted here in the past 24 or so hours, i just wanted to take this opportunity to make a few remarks about humor, and the absolute, undeniable need for it.
especially now.. we are a country in mourning, it is true.
nothing can change that fact.
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Introspection
Yes a nice reminder indeed. I find that not only does a good joke help break the tension at times, you can find humor in day to day life, in nature and your personal dealings. This to me is important, because it shows that it's not just something we do to help us cope, but it's also inherent in life.
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Please allow me to introduce myself...
by Dan B inmy name is dan.
i've been dropping buy here occasionally since the summer, so i figured it was time to introduce myself.
my background:.
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Introspection
Hi Dan, welcome. Good point, we went over this a while back with someone who was studying, I don't think that got very far in the end.. Of course, the whole business with beards and tattoos is worrying about what other people think. Anyways, nice post.
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Intro's quote-o-rama
by Introspection ini guess i've been inspired by stephen's quote threads, so i'm going to start one myself.. not one particular author here, just whatever i can find:.
q: why do you think that people are so protective of their egos?
why is it so hard to let go of one's ego?.
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Introspection
First of all, let me distinguish between real, honest science and scientism, which Ken Wilber also does in terms of these 3 modes of attaining knwledge. With that in mind, here are some interesting excerpts I found in his book Eye to Eye:
St. Bonaventure, the great Doctor Seraphicus of the Church and a favorite philosopher of Western mystics, taught that men and women have at least three modes of attaining knowledge--"three eyes," as he put it (following Hugh of St. Victor, another famous mystic): the eye of flesh, by which we perceive the external world of space, time, and objects; the eye of reason, by which we attain a knowledge of philosophy, logic, and the mind itself; and the eye of contemplation, by which we rise to a knowledge of trascendent realities.
Wilber goes on to point out that empirical science basically involves the first eye, since to reason and involve the second you need to have correct premises in addition to sound arguments. And here's the point under "The Contradiction of Scientism":Peraps we might first note that scientism maintains that contemplative knowledge of the Absolute is impossible--the only knowledge admissible is fleshy knowledge, which is by all accounts relative knowledge. Now if the positivist simply said, "We will limit ourselves to the study of relative knowledge," then that would be quite acceptable. But he goes beyond that and says, "Only relative knowledge is valid." And that is an absolute statement: it says, "It is absolutely true that there is no absolute truth." As Schuon puts it: "relativism sets out to reduce every element of absoluteness to a relativity, while making a quite illogical exception in favor of this reduction itself." He continues:
I know these quotes are longer than what most would expect, but I just find it interesting. Thoughts?In effect, relativism consists in declaring it to be true that there is no such thing as truth, or in declaring it to be absolutely true that nothing but the relatively true exists; one might just as well say that language does not exist, or write that there is no such thing as writing.
In other words, the scientistic claim is "disproved by the very existence of the postulate itself."In a similar vein the scientician does not merely say, "The emperic proof is the best method of gaining facts in the sense realm," but goes on to say, "Only those propositions that can be empirically verified are true." Unfortunately, that proposition itself cannot be empirically verified. There is no empirical proof that empirical proof alone is real. Thus, as Smith says, "The contention that there are no truths save those of science is not itself a scientific truth, and thus in affirming it scientism contradicts itself."
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In psychology, this type of scientism appears as the statement--almost uncontested in orthodoxy--that (to use Tart's wording of it, although he himself does not believe it) "All human experience is ultimately reducible to patterns of electrical and chemical activity within the nervous system and body." But if all human activity is reducible to biochemical activity, then so is that human statement itself. So, in fact, are all statements equally biochemical fireworks. But there scould then be no question of a true statement versus a false statement, because all thoughts are equally biochemistry. There cannot be true thoughts versus false thoughts, there can only be thoughts. If thoughts are indeed ultimately reducible to electrons firing in the nervous system, then there cannot be true thoughts and false thoughts for the simple reason that there are no true electrons versus false electrons. And so, if that statement is true then it cannot be true.
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Here's my story (I'm new here)....
by crownboy ini am a 4th generation witness (on both sides of the family) and indeed my entire family (save for the few who "fall away" in every family) are jehovah's witnesses.
my dad is an elder, my mom a regular pioneer and my two elder sisters the same.
my younger sister is 17 and still unbaptized, so therefore she is sort of a "black sheep" in our family and "spiritually weak" for not having already "taken the dip in the pool" (however, due to her overall open-minded nature, i am perhaps closest to her).
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Introspection
Hi Crown, welcome. My only comment to you would be why not look into other religions outside of the judeo-christian tradition?
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October 7th Ex-JW gathering in San Francisco
by Stacey ini hadn't seen any recent posts about this event.
tonight i spoke to paul thomason, the organizer of the event.
he said that last year they had about 18 in attendance.
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Introspection
Hey by the way.. What's everyone bringing? I think I have to stick with some basics that I can buy like chips and drinks etc, you guys probably don't want to experiment with my cooking just like I don't want to.. Although I've been able to get lucky making an avocado mousse.
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October 7th Ex-JW gathering in San Francisco
by Stacey ini hadn't seen any recent posts about this event.
tonight i spoke to paul thomason, the organizer of the event.
he said that last year they had about 18 in attendance.
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Introspection
Hi Ashi,
Yeah I can understand how you feel, I myself am not into rehashing the JW past so much. In fact, I've forgotten a good deal of it. But even when I talk about it, I no longer identify with it. I go to one of the support groups and hang out here, but I guess in my case it's kind of because I don't do a lot of social activities anyways and the thing on the 7th is definitely social. I even went out to dinner with an elder and another guy I used to live with the other week, of course I gotta be careful what I say.. (I plan to have a little talk with the other guy alone :) I no longer have "bad memories" per se, because though I remember all that happend it doesn't affect my present life in that the emotions come back and overwhelm me or anything like that. I went out with them because I have no fear that they will push any buttons, but actually I'm trying to be careful so as not to alienate them because I'm aware of their belief system.. They haven't asked anything like do I still believe in this and that so I just won't volunteer that, I'm trying to be "subtle" as they say. But frankly, that isn't my focus either. I'll do it when I have time for it.
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Hey, You Masters of War
by TheOldHippie inin these days of the great cowboys preparing for the man-hunt, here are some lines telling what the mediterranean/european sentiments are, as published by a political commentator.
i just quote them to show the us-europe gap:.
un minuto de silencio... .
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Introspection
In case there are some uneducated window-washers amongst you, who do not speak the language fluently, I will just give you the main points:
"We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're dumb, we suck.." -Wayne and Garth, Waynes World