Posts by Palimpsest

18

currently reading the da vini code, anyone read?

by highdose in

jw
friends

i've only got to chapter five were its talking about a brain washing cult, i think... hmm sure your talking about catholics?.

is this a book worth reading anyone?.

any others you would recomend?

Palimpsest

This is my own literary snobbery shining through, of course, but I honestly find Dan Brown to be largely unreadable, and I say that as someone who's made it through The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol -- the first out of curiosity, the second to see if it could get any worse (it did), and the third thanks to a bet.

His writing style grates against me like few others'; here's a simplified log of his various offenses: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/6194031/The-Lost-Symbol-and-The-Da-Vinci-Code-author-Dan-Browns-20-worst-sentences.html My favorite take-down of Brown can be found at http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000844.html

I don't find any reward in solving his "mysteries," with their massive plot-holes and increasingly obvious conclusions. Personally, give me a real historical puzzle-thriller like Eco's The Name of the Rose any day. Even Caldwell and Thomason's The Rule of Four, which is probably more to the liking of Brown fans than Eco would be, is a huge step above.

10

Political Preferences

by Band on the Run in

i've noted extreme left-wingers and extreme right-wingers here and, of course, everyone in between.

the right wing seems louder but that could be just my own bias.

some active witness in a republican club was trying to do research a couple of months ago about witnesses and party affiliatoin or ideology.

Palimpsest

Studies of brain scans have shown time and time again that both people with high levels of religiosity and high preference for conservative/right-wing politics are more likely to have oversized amygdalas. The amygdala is the part of the brain that processes fear. An oversized amygdala means the person is more likely to be motivated by a need to protect themselves. Religiosity and conservative beliefs are largely based on responses to threats -- for example, people either want protection from a strong god or a strong military.

I am not knocking that -- studies also show that people with undersized amygdalas who tend to be left-leaning are less likely to protect themselves in moments of real threat, giving fuel to the argument that liberals are weaker leaders of militaries. But keeping that in mind, it shouldn't be surprising that researchers have known for decades that people who believe in or formerly believed in fundamentalist faiths are more likely to remain conservative even after leaving. It's all tied together by the same motivations.

It's interesting to compare the political leanings of the different ex-Dub boards. Based on what I've seen, JWN has a very vocal right-wing contingent and also has a high percentage of people who have gone on to subscribe to new brands of Christianity. JWR, on the other hand, is largely atheist/agnostic and has a much more vocal left-wing contingent. I wonder what all of our amygdalas are like. ;)

22

I am thinking about voting

by Bucholz in

so, i am thinking about voting for the first time in my life.

even though there is a questions from readers article that basically mentioned it is a conscience matter, we all know what the unwritten rule is.. problem is, even though i'm mentally out, i'm still physically in.

do you think that if i'm seen at the polling station by the witnesses i could suffer any consequences?

Palimpsest

I remember hearing a story circulated a lot about a "weak" woman who went to vote at her local school and was seen by an M.S. who was working there as a janitor. Since he saw her voting, he was stumbled and ended up no longer going to meetings. Moral of the story was, we're watching you everywhere you go, so look out.

The only reason they tell you stories like that is because they want you to believe in their omnipresence and authority. The reality is, no one's going to see you. Try to think with your logical mind on this one instead of your JW mind. What are they going to do -- have teams of two JWs (because remember, you need two) stationed at every polling place in town all day? Are they going to be there with scope photography and video recorders in hand? Are they going to go to your town hall to get records on who voted? No, of course not. That would be stupid and a waste of their time, even being the gossipy zealots they are. They just want you to think they will.

Go vote. I've done it plenty of times and never been spotted. And even if I were, voting is not a DFable offense, and you could call them on that. If you're really that terrified, start with an absentee ballot and then go from there, but honestly, you don't need to.

According to Pew, something like 13% of all active JWs vote, and that's just the ones who admit to it. You know that percentage is higher in reality.

19

EUROVISION - Who's Watching It?

by Broken Promises in

it starts in less than 5 mins.... has everybody got their fave country's flag and got their wine/beer and european nibblies ready?.

.

Palimpsest

Not watching it (I'm in the U.S.), but I'm having a good time following the trending topic on Twitter and seeing how many Europeans are expressing shock that countries like San Marino and Moldova exist. It makes me feel better about the terrible geography skills of my fellow citizens here. ;)

69

Seriously Considering A Billboard Ad?

by laverite in

jw
friends

a full billboard ad in my area along a busy heavily travelled highway would cost about $500.

would probably get lots of attention and maybe even a news article, who knows.

$500 is cheap and easily affordable.

Palimpsest

"How about opening a site called stopknocking.com where a repository of phone numbers and addresses to contact (local KHs and Bethels) can be provided depending on where you live?"

Now *that* I love. In fact, I'd be happy to help get something like that up and running. Something like that could easily go viral. We could even create a template form that people could print out, fill in their name and address, and then mail or fax in order to make it even easier for them. You'd basically just need to gather phone book entries. If JWN members each claimed a county or two, we could easily get that done. It could go viral on-line pretty easily.

I'd seriously offer to get this going, and perhaps even register and host it, if anyone else would want to help. Thoughts?

48

Elder said people "rarely" die from refusing a blood transfusion

by InterestedOne in

i sat in on the "know your options" reading tonight, and the elder said a couple things i was wondering about:.

1. he said if a doctor says you have a high risk of dying if you refuse a blood transfusion, he is misleading you.

he said people "rarely" die from refusing a blood transfusion.

Palimpsest

(Sorry, double-post.)

48

Elder said people "rarely" die from refusing a blood transfusion

by InterestedOne in

i sat in on the "know your options" reading tonight, and the elder said a couple things i was wondering about:.

1. he said if a doctor says you have a high risk of dying if you refuse a blood transfusion, he is misleading you.

he said people "rarely" die from refusing a blood transfusion.

Palimpsest

"Rarely" still equals "too often."

21

Faith In Action DVD... A tribute to Freemasons

by Alfred in

very few people actually know this but the watchtower dvd faith in action is actually a tribute to freemasonry.

this dvd presents illustrations of several famous freemasons such as john coustos (a portuguese grand master from lisbon circa 1740).

the dvd actually presents two illustrations of coustos being tortured by the clergy while the anonymous narrator denounces historic abuse from the clergy.

Palimpsest

Freemason conspiracy theories are getting really, really old for me. I don't understand why so many ex-Dubs are obsessed with them. (Not saying you personally are, Alfred.) Is it just carry-over from that classic JW fear of anything "worldly"? Or are people watching too many Freemasons/Nostradamus/aliens specials on the History Channel?

11

have you ever.....

by deservingone26 in

ive lived in arizona all my life and lately been thinking alot about moving to another state.

im thinking san diego right now and am currently saving to move hopefully this summer in june or july .

so have any of you ever moved somewhere brand new where u knew no one, no family or friends, i think it would be nice to have a fresh start and new environment i.

Palimpsest

I once moved from Connecticut to Massachusetts, so...they're pretty much the same thing, to be honest. Not a lot of difference culturally or geographically. :) But I didn't know anyone there, and that was a bit of a struggle at first, so I understand that fear. Just find local meetup groups, go to fairs and other special events, talk to strangers in line at the grocery store, do volunteer work...it comes together. It took about 3 months for me to fully "establish" myself socially, but once I did, it was no problem. You can do it.

17

Have you ever liked ANY good non religious articles in WT or AW?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i do not want to hear from any jw apologists.

thank you!.

Palimpsest

The Awake! wasn't always entirely bad. I liked some of the stories on other cultures. It was a huge letdown to reach my teenage years and realize 90% of what I'd read in them was BS, but still, it probably helped me develop my interest in anthropology.