lifelong humanist

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Posts by lifelong humanist

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  40

  Ex JW, Fader and 'Conscious Class' Map

  by Mickey mouse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=utf8&msa=0&msid=116388890922269468211.0004938b3329a3f3d0927&ll=54.876607,1.538086&spn=13.940068,39.506836&z=5.

  i've created a map in google maps for people to mark their location, you don't have to put your real identity if you don't want to.. you need to sign in with a google account, click the 'edit' button and then drop a marker on your location.

  add a photo if you like!.

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  lifelong humanist

  Mickey mouse

  I'm now on the map! This is a good idea - well done you!

  lifelong humanist
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  35

  Things That Matter and Things That Don't

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being a jehovah's witness at any time and at any level is a major head f*ck.

  the reason is that it obscures what is important and causes you to focus on what doesn't matter.. i've moved on from my jw experience.

  it's a shame that i found myself a born in, taught to focus on things that don't matter.

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  lifelong humanist

  AllTimeJeff

  I always read and enjoy your posts. when I look in on the forum. For me, your insightful take on things 'JW related' are well reasoned and politely, yet strongly put. One day I hope my JW wife will read comments like yours and accept the fundamental truth that they contain - that really 'matters' to me!

  I'm glad that you've been able to post again after an absence of some time.

  Off to Italy tomorrow for 8 days holiday and house hunting.

  lifelong humanist
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  12

  Some respite from the usual subjects hammered out on the forum

  by THE GLADIATOR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i no longer send postcards when i go on holiday.

  i wait until i am home and write a satirical account of the holiday.

  this is emailed to my friends.

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  lifelong humanist

  THE GLADIATOR

  Enjoyed your holiday comments!

  Did you omit to remove your wife's name everywhere it occurs? Who's Esther?!

  lifelong humanist
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  8

  Another successful ex

  by behemot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jonathan saunders thanks his upbringingfashion designer jonathan saunders thanks his jehovah's witness upbringing for his successful career.

  fashion designer jonathan saunders says his jehovah's witness upbringing pushed him to succeed in the clothing industry.. the scottish-born designer - who wowed critics with his floral designs for spring/summer 2011 at london fashion week - admitted he hasn't spoken to his religious parents since he left home at the age of 16 to pursue a career in fashion.. jonathan - who is renowned for his edgy geometric designs - said: "you have to go without something to really want it.

  i'm quite thankful for my upbringing because of that.

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  lifelong humanist

  behemot

  Thank you very much for posting this information.

  I'm almost certain that this man is the son of Keith Saunders, who, I was attached to the Rutherglen congragation (Glasgow). I knew him and his wife Pamela - he was quite a liberal JW as I recall, much more caring than your average JW elder. I can only vauely remember their son, Jonathan, though.

  I was also at the Glasgow School of Art, back in 1968/9. I was severely counselled about it from those in charge of the Cathcart congregation (Glasgow) at the time.

  If Jonathan reads here, best of luck to you with your already outstanding career achievements! If your parents are still alive, I'm sure that they are very proud of you.

  lifelong humanist
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  45

  Any 'Humanists' here?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  care to share your particular weltanschauung ?.

  how do you approach life in general?

  how do you convey to others your opines on life, love and laughter?.

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  lifelong humanist

  AK -Jeff

  I'm proud to be member no. 5330 of the Scottish Humanist Society. Just wished that I quit the JW WT religion earlier than 2003, as I realized that I was no longer the least bit religious but was truly just a humanist at heart.

  lifelong humanist
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  38

  What's Your Biggest Issue In Life?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my health is good but i do worry about how the economy affects my income.

  you just never know if $$$ comes in or if business is slow.. what's your biggest worry in your life?.

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  lifelong humanist

  minimus

  Contrary to most posters, the biggest issue in my life is trying to free my JW wife from the WT cult. I'm becoming a bit less optimistic as each year goes by. However, I remain undeterred in my efforts!

  lifelong humanist
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  10

  Saying 'grace' at meal times

  by lifelong humanist in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  long before i dad myself in 2003, i used to feel really bad offering up 'grace' prior to eating a meal with family and/or friends.

  it felt totally weird.

  i never quite understood the concept.

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  lifelong humanist

  Long before I DAd myself in 2003, I used to feel really bad offering up 'grace' prior to eating a meal with family and/or friends. It felt totally weird. I never quite understood the concept. Whenever my 4 sons were old enough, I'd ask one of them to do it. I guess that this was when I stopped believing that there was a god and praying to such an entity.

  In our household, then and now, I usually do the cooking - my wife reckons that I'm better at it then she is. I'd work hard to earn the money, plan the menu, shop for the ingredients, buy an appropriate wine, cook the meal, set the table, light the candles and ask everyone present to sit down and then go through the 'prayer' bit to thank god for what we were about to eat/drink before tucking in. I absolutely hated this 'grace' as I reasoned that why would a god want me to thank this god for the food that we were about to enjoy? What of the countless millions that had nothing to eat? What of those barely surviving on an inadequate meagre diet? If they were praying to a god for even subsistance basic food items, why were their prayers not being answered? Why were they starving to death through no fault of their own?

  Have you also felt this way?
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  73

  Is God Necessary for Morality?

  by leavingwt in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is god necessary for morality?.

  below are videos of two debates on this topic.

  each debate features dr. william lane craig, an american evangelical apologist, theologian and philosopher.

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  lifelong humanist

  leavingWT

  Donny, this has been one of the most intersting topics I've had the priviledge to read on JWN - thanks for starting it off. Due to committments, I've not had time to comment, so, I'd like to do so now. But first I'd like to also thank the posters that have already made comments on this thread - several posts have been excellent, and a credit to the posters thinking abilities.

  Personal morality, in my mind, is entirely different from a 'learned' morality as taught by parents, school teachers, religious upbringing, etc. Each human being has the ability to consider his/her actions and reactions to life's countless challenges before responding to any given situation. How a person reacts is governed by his/her experience, take on the subject, emotions involved, love or affection, and what people refer to as 'fellow-feeling' - some say empathy. I just like to think of it as trying to do the 'best' thing in whatever set of circumstances a person finds him/herself in. While some moral people would act first of all in their own best interests, I think the more moral person would also stop and consider carefully any/all others involved before acting or avoiding any action that could harm others.

  I know some people that I'd consider highly moral people that believe in a god. However, in my experience, the people that to me demonstrate an open, all-embracing morality are more likely not religiously minded. Seems to me that this suggests that believing in a god is not necessary to encourage people to believe in a high standard of morality - indeed, godless morality seems to be of a higher, fairer and altogether more caring variety. It certainly appeals to me. This is what I try to do each day.
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  63

  A Question To All on this Board

  by kes152 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello,.

  i have been reading this board for some time and would like to ask: why you come here and post?

  what do you all hope to accomplish by being here?.

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  lifelong humanist

  kes152

  I started reading posts on this board a few months after I DAd myself in 2003. At the time I wrote my letter informing the elders that I no longer believed any of the lies spread by the WT, finding solace in discovering that 'there probably is no god'. I genuinely believed that my wife would do the same. She didn't - in fact, my leaving JWs probably made her a bit more determined to continue. This was quite a shock!

  Reading similar experiences here has helped me understand just how deep-rooted and nasty the WT cult is. It has enabled me to keep abreast of doctrinal changes, flip-flops and ever deepening circular reasoning techniques employed to dupe the followers of the 'religion'. To have any chance of success, I need to find out what was new in the WT religion in an attempt to try and understand more about why my JW wife still remains loyal to the cult.

  Several posters encouraged me to read Hassan's books as they had assisted them and others do likewise. I bought the books and digested them. To date, I'm still working hard in the hope that, one day, my wife will wake up to the fact that the religion is just a pack of lies.

  I've started a few new topics and had interesting replies. I've posted on other's topics where I felt I had something worthwhile to add to the discussion.

  JWN is an excellent source for ex-JWs, doubting JWs and anyone that has friends or family involved in the cult.

  lifelong humanist
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  8

  Is this why the WT always has to have an answer?

  by lifelong humanist in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i was brought up to reply to a question that i didn't understand, or know the answer to, in a modest, humble manner - true, sometimes it was embarrassing, but if i didn't know the answer, i'd (usually) admit it, and then start trying to find the answer.

  this was time consuming, and required work - sometimes, a lot of research.

  but, it has usually stood me in good stead.

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  lifelong humanist

  I understand exactly what you mean, THE GLADIATOR - they are the last word on everything/anything and must be believed, or all hell breaks loose.

  JWoods - I think that your comment best answers my point of view - thanks for posting.

  lifelong humanist