Mad Sweeney

Joined

• started 145 topics
• posted 7,099 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Mad Sweeney

• 
  60

  Are you a dabbler in Witchcraft?

  by StopTheTears in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after leaving christianity it's common especially among the young to experiment with witchcraft.

  some get drawn into it by getting involved with earth movements and back to nature groups.. .

  witchcraft is an evil thing.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  It's easier to show reverence for a book written by bronze-age goat-herders and their imaginary sky-friend than to show reverence for realities.

  Humans are strange aren't we?
• 
  50

  New Video On Youtube About Shunning

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2hsoolwac4.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Dawkins Foundation posted it to their FB page today :)
• 
  154

  Thoughts on the new AAWA video and other things!!

  by iamwhoiam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so does this mean aawa is going to stop shunning?

  are they themselves not guilty of shunning those who shun?

  shunning can never be stopped no matter how bad you want it to.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Educating the public, non-JWs, will help prevent people from joining and bring awkward questions toward JWs in the workplace.

  Nobody thinks the Borg is going to change its policies.
• 
  203

  goodbye AAWA--good luck

  by bigmac in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm out.

  .

  seems they didnt like me posting this.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  There is a social group, a meme group, and an activist group. Did you post it in the meme group or in one of the "wrong" places?
• 
  11

  Some people think I'm patronising...

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that means i think they're stupid..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  You're right, nicolau. Some people *are* stupid.

  Oops. Was that patronising?
• 
  21

  Cognitive Dissonance Is The Driving Force Of Discovery?

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what say you?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  The same sort of cognitive dissonance that cults use to hook people is also what gets people out. It is just that the cognitive dissonance that gets you in is wielded by a controlling source but the dissonance that gets you out is either from within yourself or from someone teaching you how to think, act, or feel freely (which causes dissonance with your cultish beliefs).
• 
  25

  This thread is for people that do not really understand the control mechanisms of the Watchtower Society

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  please feel free to explain the control mechanisms of the watchtower society.

  thank you!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Brief explanation of FOG here: http://outofthefog.net/CommonNonBehaviors/FOG.html

  I also like Steve Hassan's BITE formula for mind control. It's a modern take on Robert Lifton's work.
  Behavior control

  Information control

  Thought control

  Emotion control

  Controllers harp on one or more of these to create cognitive dissonance in the victim, who then will change the other three (or two or whatever) so that all four are in harmony. Creating cognitive dissonance can also be used to break the control in much the same way.
• 
  20

  MUST READ: Books for Young JWs - a Required Reading List

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been contemplating a list of works of fiction that should be read by every young jehovah's witness, (12 - 18 years old).

  the goal is to plant seeds of truth and critical thinking skills which could ultimately invoking cognitive dissonance and help them wake up to the truth about "the truth" (ttatt).

  my idea is an adaptation of steven hassan's approach of not attacking a cult members beliefs directly, but rather indirectly by getting them to look at other similar belief systems and social structures, in this case fictional ones that mirror many of the destructive, oppressive features of jehovah's witnesses.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  The Magic of Reality - Richard Dawkins
• 
  5

  Doomsday Cults.. Hidden in America

  by Tater-T in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z7cegbroz4.

  i'm surprised there wasn't a thread on this already... so i' guess i'll start it.. new series on discovery channel .. " hidden in america" first episode.

  " doomsday cults" ... it aired about a month ago, did anyone else see it?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  I think it's hilarious how the JWs think they're so well-known in the USA and around the world. Since I left I've had to explain so much to so many people who have NO CLUE about the WT or JWs despite their "global witnessing work." Hidden in America, indeed. LOL.
• 
  12

  "The Truth Changes" with the text from the "Simplified" Edition WT

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the text i used in my analysis, "the truth changes: watchtower july 15, 2013" comes from the "study" edition of that magazine.. it is still available at: http://www.jwstudies.com/the_truth_changes.pdf.

  i have now used the text from the "simplified" edition, and it is available at:.

  http://www.jwstudies.com/the_truth_changes_in_the_simplified_watchtower.pdf.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  What JeffT said.

  If Christ hasn't approved them yet, why should anyone listen to and obey them? How are they any different from any other self-appointed authority?

  They don't have answers to those questions, I don't believe.