Try "The Rapture" (stars David Duchovny from X-files fame, and Mimi Rogers, who was Tom Cruise's first wife). I found it interesting (even though the whole "rapture" concept is nutso). Jankyn
Jankyn
JoinedPosts by Jankyn
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Movies about the Book of Revelation?
by sacolton indoes anyone know of a movie that uses the visions described in the book of revelation?
i'm not looking for some cheezy hollywooodized soap opera ("left behind") - just a documentary or film that attempts to show what the scriptures are illustrating.
anything like that?
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Do JW's attract the mentally ill, or do their beliefs cause mental illness?
by gaiagirl inhave you observed a higher than normal number of mentall ill among jw's?
if so, do you think the religon attracts the mentally ill, or do you think that their beliefs and practices actually cause mental illness?.
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Jankyn
Yes and yes.
First, people with mental health issues (and I prefer that term to "mentally ill," though I can't explain why) are more likely to be attracted to an organization that says (a) their problems are the fault of the Devil and an evil system of things, and (b) that a magic imaginary friend in the sky is going to fix those problems--someday, real soon, any time now.
This attaction is even more deep for those who have struggled for years with depression and other mental health problems, because they're being offered a fool-proof solution that they only have to wait for, rather than one that requires a lot of personal effort (as well as some medications that can have nasty side-effects and are expensive) with no promise of full recovery.
Second, those people then raise their children in "da Troof." The kids, whether they are genetically pre-disposed to depression, mood disorders or other mental/emotional difficulties or not, internalize all the negative ways of thinking about themselves and the world that set up a powerless, hopeless world view. Note that I said hopeless; that's because the "hope" that JWs offer is always delayed--there's no immediate payoff or relief, just endless work for no improved mental/emotional state in the here and now.
That kind of mental conditioning (and I've heard JWs refer to what they do as "mental regulating") has the consequence, unintended or not, of altering brain chemistry. I think, from observation and from what I've learned about mood disorders, that JWs actually induce depression and low self-esteem in their children through their child-rearing methods. Their "rod" is useful only for getting the meds down from the shelf.
Kids raised as JWs suffer more than most kids raised by American standards (and there's a lot of suffering for kids in general in this country): the childrens' own observations and feelings are discounted or denied, which causes them to not trust themselves; punishment is arbitrary and "for their own good" (and we all know about the unrealistic expectations of children the JWs have and the brutal way those expectations are enforced); the threat of destruction hangs over their little heads in the most graphic way possible, and they're discouraged from forming close emotional attachments or developing personal interests and strengths (heck, even pets were discouraged as taking time away from Jehovah in my congregation); and finally, no amount of work is enough--always, more is asked. What better way to develop anxiety, low self-esteem, attachment disorder, alcohol/drug abuse and depression? Get 'em while they're young, and they'll spend a fortune on therapy.
The good news (and I mean "good" in the sense of "good," not in the JW sense of "keep doing more and getting less") is that treatment of mental and emotional problems has advanced so much in the past few years that many who seek it get relief far beyond what they would find even a decade ago. For all their problems, anti-depressants do offer some a platform from which to do the serious behavioral and emotional work required to combat depression, and some of the newer approaches to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, which as far as I can tell, everyone raised a JW has to some degree or other) are incredibly effective (I'm thinking here of EMDR and some of the new drug therapies).
There is hope. Just not the "imaginary friend is gonna make me better" kind.
Jankyn (sober 21 years and hasn't been suicidal in 20 years)
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JW membership turnover - a real-life study
by besty inmuch has been commented here on how jw's rely on an ever-changing membership for keeping their 'the sky is falling, the world is ending' doctrine fresh.. recently it was posted that fully 2/3 of born-in jw's leave at some point, and i thought you might like to see how this works in practice.. so lets take sam and i and our extended families - we were both born and brought up jw's.
start with me.
mum and dad were converted in the 1950's.
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Jankyn
Besty, that's a really interesting analysis. Mine's very similar.
1930s-1940s: Great-grandmother, one adult daughter + 2 children = 2 JWs, 2 in pipeline
1940s: Great-grandmother, adult daugher, her husband + 4 children = 3 JWs, 4 in pipeline
1950s: Great-grandmother, adult daughter & husband, 4 adult children & 3 spouses + 4 children = 10 JWs, 4 in pipeline
1960s: (Great-grandma passed), adult daughter & husband, 4 adult children & 4 spouses + 12 grandchildren= 10 JWs, 12 in pipeline
1970s: My grandma & husband, 4 adult children & 2 spouses (2 df'd) + 3 baptized grandchildren + 2 baptized spouses + 9 grandchildren = 13 JWs, 9 in pipeline
1980s: My grandma (husband died), 2 adult children (2 df'd) & 1 spouse (1 df'd), 1 baptized grandchild (2 df'd) + 1 baptized spouse (1 df'd) + 9 unbaptized adult grandchildren & 4 non-JW spouses + 4 children = 6 JWs, 2 in pipeline.
1990s: (Grandma passed); 2 adult children & 1 spouse; 1 baptized grandchild & 1 baptized spouse; 1 baptized great-grandchild = 6 JWs, NONE in pipeline. That makes 11 df'd or unbaptized grandchildren + spouses/partners, with 36 unbaptized great-grandchildren. And now we're into great-great-grandchildren (there are 4), so from the original JW in my family, out of 68 descendants "raised in da Troof," there are 6 JWs. And the one baptized great-grandchild is a pioneer who's "available after Armageddon."
That's less than 8 percent retention in our family.
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The J.W's Stance On Education: A Return To Original Christian Thought?
by Rapunzel inas has been stated in many threads, most witnesses have long considered education - especially higher or university education - in a negative light.
most witnesses take a dim view of any educational pursuits beyond the bare minimum required by the socities and communities in which they live.
of course, this is not true for every single witness in every congregation around the world; there are some who "buck the trend," and pursue higher education [often facing some kind of sanction or ostracism for doing so].
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Jankyn
I really enjoyed Ehrman's book. He's got another out now, but I haven't had time to pick it up---has to do with why God allows suffering.
Jankyn
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God is Imaginary website
by Robert7 infound this interesting website, godisimaginary.com, founded by the guy who created the cool site howstuffworks.com.
offers some rational views into the belief of a god.... .
http://godisimaginary.com/
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Jankyn
Thanks. Extremely interesting site. And I liked "Why Won't God Heal Amputees?" (another site linked to this one). I'll check out their forums.
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found in the ASPEN TIMES...Editorial
by hillbilly inin election 2008, dont forget angry white man.
gary hubbell.
february 9, 2008. .
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Jankyn
Hmmm...
Straight white men, the single most privileged demographic group in the history of the world, are angry.
I guess some boys just can't get used to having to share the playground with the rest of the kids.
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Good article by college student who was DF'd
by Gopher inthis was from the san jose state university newspaper:.
'this queer life'.
the choir preaching backmichael rizzoissue date: 2/21/08 section:opinion"in the beginning ...".
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Jankyn
I figured, from reading it, that the problem wasn't just the masturbation. It was the same-sex fantasies and the fact that he'd done it for five years before confessing.
Stupid old goats. Like a kid isn't going to yank the chain or buff the muff. Good grief.
Jankyn
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OT question about dogs
by Irish Rose inmy husband and i will be getting into our own home, before this year is over.
we are both hoping sooner rather than later.
with renting, owning a dog was very much out of the question.
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Jankyn
In my experience, goldens and labs are great family dogs and tend more to be watchdogs than threatening guard dogs. They're also big enough to send thugs looking for easier pickings but still the right size for keeping your feet warm at night.
For older boys, especially, either breed has the activity level, intelligence and playfulness that would make them good companions for your sons.
HOWEVER, all that said, you'll want to make sure that you sign up for--and the whole family attends--a basic training class or an AKC good canine citizen class. Remember that almost any dog will do well if well-trained, and that it's important for the whole family to participate. If you go with a puppy, the puppy classes are very important to socialize your dog properly.
And some "mutts," easily and cheaply available at any shelter, are just as good as pets as any purebred dog. The best dog I ever had was a collie-golden retriever mix that I adopted from the local shelter. So if you're not big on looks, check the local shelter for a good retriever mix (there are usually a lot of them around a year old, because that's when most people get tired of dealing with a dog they haven't bothered to train).
I love dogs (cats, too!), but remember: they're almost as much work as kids. The good news? You only have to housebreak them once, and you don't have to teach them to drive or help pay for college.
Best,
Jankyn
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~Mmm. Tell us your healthy snack ideas/recipes~
by FlyingHighNow ini took a ruby red grapefruit just now and cut it in half and then fourthed the half.
this started me thinking.
i bet all of you have healthy snack ideas and recipes you could share with all of us.
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Jankyn
Okay, these are not *as* healthy as some of the snacks listed, but are a great treat for morning coffee, or with fruit, make a whole breakfast:
Lowfat Scones
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt (if desired)
1/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
Mix dry ingredients together. Add applesauce and stir until it gets clumpy. Form a bowl in the middle and pour in the milk. Mix well, then stir in raisins. Drop by table spoon onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees (should be just turning golden brown on top). Makes about a half dozen, depending on how big your table spoon is (mine is serving size).
These are nice, fluffy biscuit-style scones, with no added fat or sugar. They're also *very* good with chopped up pears or peaches in them instead of (or in addition to) raisins. I'm thinking I'll try dried cranberries next.
Jankyn (in favor of less processed sugar, but still likin' those baked goods with coffee in the morning)
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Science fiction book suggestions...
by zeroday ini love science fiction books and have run into a dry spell.
i have read alot of david weber but he has been quite slow with new books lately...anyone have any good suggestions for a good read...i need 5 star authors with "blow your socks off" books...any suggestions...
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Jankyn
Props for Greg Bear--I loved Darwin's Radio. Also second the suggestion for Harry Turtledove. In addition to his alt-history series (the one that begins with How Few Remain), I like the series that starts with aliens invading during WWII (World War series).
Also, big props for Simon Green. He's really good.
I like classics: A Canticle for Liebowitz; Time After Time.
Jankyn