Posts by jgnat

78

I was "totally" stopped in my tracks by an "atheist" comment.

by booker-t in

i must admit i can at times be a little "egotistical" when it comes to knowledge and the bible.

i have studied the bible for so long and have always had a passion for the bible as a jw and as an ex-jw.

i guess that is all i have left when it comes to religion and as humans we do tend to stroke our egos.

jgnat

I'm with millie210.

Many of Grimm's fairy tales are similarly grim. Not too long ago, life was cheap. Death was more common than survival. The story just didn't sound so bad to ancient listeners. They knew their lives could be snuffed out for capricious reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhmP8UYtipA&feature=kp

Now if we try and reconcile that story to our modern concept of an all-loving God, with supreme reverence for life, it does not compute. A fundamentalist who tries to "scientifically" justify the Noah's Ark story is barking up the wrong tree.

36

Verde Valley Elders- Is this Ethical???

by Newly Enlightened in

http://youtu.be/xkxb3wswhvo.

jgnat

https://www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer

13

Reverse Shunning

by mrhhome in

jw
friends

ok. now i find myself in an odd situation.

my wife's family, who has let the witnesses walk all over her for 30 years, is trying to play nice.

(mother-in-law is a witness.

jgnat

Oh, and I am a big believer in two personalities trapped in the Witness. If you don't want the cultic side to show, don't press the religious issues. If she brings it up, give a glib answer and change the subject to a personal interest of hers. I can get a Witness to flip on a dime and I can have a long and interesting conversations about a hobby or interest of theirs.

13

Reverse Shunning

by mrhhome in

jw
friends

ok. now i find myself in an odd situation.

my wife's family, who has let the witnesses walk all over her for 30 years, is trying to play nice.

(mother-in-law is a witness.

jgnat

You and your wife should be a united front so run through some scenarios with her and decide how you will respond.

I suggest you distance yourself a little. There's a huge grey area between shunning and total acceptance. I would suggest treating them as rarely-seen relatives. If they stay in your home, have guest towels assigned, show them where the amenities are, and have an itinerary of interesting activities to do while they are in town. If you need more distance, recommend a local hotel.

22

Ostracism more damaging than bullying

by jgnat in

new study out of the university of bc:.

http://news.ubc.ca/2014/05/29/better-to-be-bullied-than-ignored-in-the-workplace-study/.

we tend to underestimate the damage that social ostracism does.

jgnat

New study out of the University of BC:

http://news.ubc.ca/2014/05/29/better-to-be-bullied-than-ignored-in-the-workplace-study/

We tend to underestimate the damage that social ostracism does. It's effects are powerful, however. We are social beings.

26

My sister is getting df'd.....

by Blttex in

just found out that my little sister is getting df'd next week.

her husband left her about a year ago got df'd and recently got a girl pregnant.

my sister has had a hard time with the whole situation as you can imagine.

jgnat

How about suggesting to your sister that this can be a great time to reflect, re-evaluate her priorities? And then take her out on social outings as much as possible. There's been lots of exJW's that woke up during this enforced isolation. If you take the sting out, help her stand tall, this can be her exit.

3

The persistence of false belief

by jgnat in

http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/mariakonnikova/2014/05/why-do-people-persist-in-believing-things-that-just-arent-true.html.

great article we can all relate to.

the most effective way to sway a firmly held belief may be to help the person feel good about themselves first.

jgnat

I agree. We know more about all the techniques that don't work. I read something like this and it gives me ideas....

3

The persistence of false belief

by jgnat in

http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/mariakonnikova/2014/05/why-do-people-persist-in-believing-things-that-just-arent-true.html.

great article we can all relate to.

the most effective way to sway a firmly held belief may be to help the person feel good about themselves first.

jgnat

http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/mariakonnikova/2014/05/why-do-people-persist-in-believing-things-that-just-arent-true.html

Great article we can all relate to. The most effective way to sway a firmly held belief may be to help the person feel good about themselves first.

49

Are you complicit if you stay in?

by mrhhome in

jw
friends

i am going to throw down the gaunlet.

those who know the truth but stay in anyways are complicit in actions of the jehovah witness organization.

while i am sympathetic to the very difficult choices that they have to make, their unwillingness to confront the jw enables the organization.. some of you may remember my story.

jgnat

Am I complicit if I never joined? I graciously accepted any materials offered, without paying for any of it. Didn't feel guilty about it either. I advise exiting Witnesses not to make it any easier on the elders. If the elders waste hours and days of their lives chasing their tails, that's hours or days they aren't recruiting or disfellowshipping some poor sod.

25

How exactly you and your income are being affected by inequality.

by cognisonance in

i found this link really interesting: inequality.is and associated with the excellent robert reich documentary: inequality for all.. .

jgnat

How about simply raising the minimum wage?

Looking at that world map, I can see why South Africa continues to go through so much social disruption.

I'm going to make a prediction. In about thirty years, we will see a global equalization of minimum wage. Current growth economies will be turned on their head, and we will somehow have to switch to conservation economies. The "rich" countries will no longer be able to take advantage of slave-labour prices. Any profit will be realized through increased automation and efficiency.