simon17

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Posts by simon17

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  140

  Why So Many Young People Are Leaving The Watchtower

  by Jeremy C in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the watchtower organization in recent years.

  last night, i was reading the thread posted by jwfacts a while back in which he provided some statistics and graphs showing the rapidly declining growth in the watchtower.

  one factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization.

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  simon17

  It’s not hard to figure out why so many JW children are conditioned from an early age to associate drudgery with the meetings and assemblies. There simply isn’t anything designed or built into the programs that work with the attention spans of young children. Many churches offer separate classes, services, or groups for children that are compatible with their maturity level and that get them acclimated to going to church. However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a “one size fits all” program for everyone. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together?

  Although one might argue that meetings are aimed at the intelligence level of a child, but the attention span of an adult. Too boring for the average child and too idiotic for the average adult.
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  20

  Attention Governor Perry: Evolution is a fact - R. Dawkins

  by unshackled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the washington post published this richard dawkins response to perry's evolution is "just a theory" comment.

  refers to him as an "uneducated ignoramus" and doesn't spare the republican party much either.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/attention-governor-perry-evolution-is-a-fact/2011/08/23/giqauifuyj_blog.html.

  q. texas governor and gop candidate rick perry, at a campaign event this week, told a boy that evolution is just a theory with gaps and that in texas they teach both creationism and evolution.

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  simon17

  It would have been nice if his artile did a little less of explaining why evolution was a "good theory" and giving some of the ample evidence that supports the theory. You can have very good hypothesis that are very simple but also that are wrong. Evolution is not good because it is simple. It is good because it is backed by all the evidence. Gravitation would probably be simpler under Newtonian theorization. But facts suggest Einstein has the correct theory of it afterall, as an example.
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  28

  Typical earthquake comment

  by MrFreeze in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my mom texted me after i texted her letting her know i felt the quake today.

  her only response was "'matthew 24:7".

  it really annoyed the hell out of me..

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  simon17

  So just ask:

  "So do you believe God physically CAUSED the earthquake?" Yes will give them a lot of problems. Lets assume they answer "No."

  "Then what physically caused the earthquake?"

  Etc...
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  22

  Marking?? WTH is that?

  by Free!! in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was a baptized jw for about 6 years in a spanish congregation.. and i never ever ever heard anything about "marking"... what is that??

  i knew someone can be disfellowshipped, publicly/privately reproved or dissasociated themselves.. but i never heard of marking.. can someone please care to explain that term to me?.

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  simon17

  It's harsher than a reproval because reprovals are usually short restrictions applied to repentant wrongdoers. Marking is just one step away from disfellowshipping.

  I'm not sure about that. Basically:

  Reproving: You did something DF worthy but were repentant

  Marking: You did not do something DF worthy, but were unrepentant about it.
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  97

  Another question, if I may...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  and may you all have peace!

  this is another general question for the board and i ask your indulgence because i am trying to understand how others think.

  if there truly is no god/god... what is wrong with the existence of religion?

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  simon17

  Religion isn't wrong. Intolerance is the problem. Unfortunately the two are quiet married together.

  Also, religion is not treated like other industries when it pays no taxes. Treat it the same.
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  30

  SEX! and the DC Sunday Drama

  by Red Piller in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the sunday drama at the dc was a parallel ancient (joseph in egypt) and modern (jw kid in high school) drama.

  or was it extremely eroticized?

  i've been seeing these my whole life and have never felt this way.. conversation between joseph and fellow prison inmate:.

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  simon17

  I think its not just that they were saying sex over and over but that they were so stoic about it. Just a few realistic euphamisms or something would be nice.

  Imagine hearing at the DC: "Yo, did you bang Jessica? Thats what she posted on the Internet?"
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  41

  How did you tell your mate that .....

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you no longer believed that the watchtower organization was the truth, and that you were no longer going to go to the meetings or service?.

  and a followup question... what was the response?.

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  simon17

  siam,

  I might be tempted to not tell her this. If she already is waking up and can't cut ties (yet) its only a matter of time before it becomes intolerable and she'll want to be away from it as much as you do. By drawing a line in the sand, you'll have it become a whole you-vs.-congregation battle as they, like someone else said, really put pressure on her. They'll demonize you and make it personal and difficult for her.

  I would say, if you think that in 6 months time (or some interval of time) that you can both agree to slip away together, it would be the safest way to go. I'm not sure
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  9

  I just became a Return Visit (!)

  by simon17 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  been sick all week and for the first time i had jw's visit me since i left (actually the second time, but the first time it was just two people who asked "are you turkish" and left when i said no lol.

  very strange).

  anyway, since i had no voice and little strength i just let them go through their presentation with a smile, took the mags, and that was it.

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  simon17

  Been sick all week and for the first time I had JW's visit me since I left (actually the second time, but the first time it was just two people who asked "Are you Turkish" and left when I said no lol. Very strange). Anyway, since I had no voice and little strength I just let them go through their presentation with a smile, took the mags, and that was it. Looking forward to their return.

  Well, not sure I can really debate them anyway. They seemed like some sweet old men. Not sure I'd want to burst their bubble anyway.
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  19

  How long into the future do you feel it will take before the majority of mankind give up on "God" to solve their problems?

  by StoneWall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i mean the above question out of sincerity and honesty and not trying to belittle anyones beliefs or lack there of.. my point is if armageddon don't happen or the rapture within the next 1000 years or so, how long will man keep holding out hope for a divine being, whether it be jesus, jehovah, allah or "fill in the blank" to come and solve all the problems?.

  do you feel that there is a timetable of any sort?.

  if god hasn't manifested himself/herself/itself in say 5000 years from now to all mankind, do you think the majority at that time will still be clinging to a belief in a higher power if nothing at all has changed as far as their "appearing,coming, calling us to them etc."?.

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  simon17

  100 years is quite short as there are still a ton of religious believers and tradition is stronger than you think. But with the recent technological advances that allow free movement of thoughts and ideas, theism will certainly be trending sharply downward over the next 1000 years, should humans make it that far. Short term, humans are in a pretty difficult position actually. Nationalism, conflict of religions, resource depletion, exponential population growth and demand, global climate change, etc are all going to be massive challenges and humans may struggle or may never get the answers so believe in God to rescue us from these dilemmas will not likely change.

  Also death is a big obstacle. As long as people realize there life is about to end, they are going to look for something else.
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  12

  Husband stumped his pioneer mother the other day.

  by TweetieBird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mother-in-law was hounding my husband the other day about our spiritual standing.

  conversation led to "the light gets brighter".

  he said if that is the case then maybe the light gets brighter for other religions as well.

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  simon17

  I'd say that I'm going to wait for the light to finish up already and then believe it when its done. The intermediary steps are just plain confusing.