Posts by paranoia agent

92

NASA Identifies The Hand of God

by Perry in

it even has what looks like blood flowing from a palm wound.

article.

world-renowned astrophysicist robert jastrow, founding director of nasas goddard institute for space studies, explains the fear of faith many of todays scientists experience.. there is a kind of religion in science, it is the religion of a person who believes there is order and harmony in the universe, and every effect must have its cause; [but] there is no first cause.

paranoia agent

I would like to read Terry explain the cause and effect on quantum mechanics lol

29

Child indoctrination explained by transactional analysis

by paranoia agent in

the purpose of psychology is to explain and help others to change, if suffering from depression or anxiety or we just want to understand the other or improve ourselves there are different types of psychological therapies to help us.

we are aware that psychologists have the know-how, just has mechanics know cars and astronauts know space shuttles and psychics, but we know they know a lot but we know very little possibly because its too complicated, it doesn't make rational sense, we don't have enought time or just like my diploma in accounting if its not put to good use it will turn into a vague memory.. look at my previous thread in cognitive dissonance, it sounds alien to many, it sure sounds to those that i explained it to, that is because its not something we normally hear about so explaining it to others these words and their context also requires a connotation from the listener for cognitive dissonance to make any sense.. my very first assignment was on cognitive dissonance in a paper titled media illiteracy or cognitive dissonance which discussed statistical discrepancies between what people said regarding their preferred news media output -tv or newspapers- and the actual sales/view/quality figures of those two media outlets, in the usa during the 70's and 80's.

it turns out that people lied about tv news medium being higher quality than newspapers because the quality is lower than newspapers (local news recorded in many states), the truth is that nobody wants to admit (during the questionnaires for this empirical data) that watching news on tv is easier and lazier than reading.

paranoia agent

Ok, I made a very short 4 minute video on this and some assumed acknowledge is required. If you have picked up from the start of this thread there shouldn't be a problem with this video and it's pretty much what I explained on my last post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVKjCdoq3bQ

19

Depression, Medication, and Other Grey Areas

by startingover13 in

one thing that i have noticed in my dealings with a lot of women in the congregation are deep, intense feelings of insecurity and worthlessness.

i use the term "worthlessness" very loosely because it can apply to many different situations, in the congregation, in the home, personally, etc.

over the years, and especially over the past 6 years, i've met sisters from all walks of life.

paranoia agent

It might be love bombing when you get in, but after a while for the rest of your life as a jw, it's more like a funeral, now imagen going to many funerals on a monthly basis, as if this would not give rise to depression.

Also, WB$T$ inculcates cognitive distortions which leads to depression.

When I stopped attending meetings mum was very down, because of the negativity delusions WB&T$ produce in their literature, and that Armageddon is just around the corner and the world is all doom and gloom, while the prejudice that she (and all jw's) have about worldly people turned out to be her son.

So mum went to an elder in which he said the usual, that she did her job as a mother and not to worry, let Jehovah worry about this. The elders say nothing helpful, that mum is helpless, which created more anxiety and depression. She started taking depressants for a short time because she did not like the reaction she got from them. I bought mum a book on CBT and asked her to see a psychologist instead of a psychiatrist, but she did not read it and did not see the psychologist.

Now that she has a long absence from the hall, surprise surprise she feels a lot better.

I now a ton of jw's who suffer from this problem, I think I can narrow it down to:

Requirements to not sin are to high so you constantly feel guilty and since there is no control this guilt turns to anxiety.

"Put all your worries with Jehovah" so that thing inside your skull for decision making won't be necessary, the WB&T$ will do it for you, meaning that you loose confidence with yourself.

If's and should’s, I should be like this and not like that, instead of being yourself and expecting others to not be themselves

"The world is a terrible place" this in CBT is known as filtering were anything positive is filtered out thus the belief in the irrational, so imagen people with this mentality, they will be very negative people and may end up suicidal.

"You are either with us or against us" this is all or nothing thinking, I am either a good or a bad guy, being a normal human being isn't good enough, or I am either against or for jw's, I apparently according to jw's I cannot be undecided or simply that I just came to the conclusion that this religion isn't for me. Look at the world in colour instead of black and white and feel that anxiety just fall off of you.

Prejudice towards others, we all know what jw's really think about apostates, homosexuals, gamblers etc.

18

A mormon pm's me

by paranoia agent in

just read your thread about oblivion to oblivion, watched the video you posted and wondered if you'd be willing to let me send you some videos on the book of mormon.

as you may know, i'm lds and i believe there's substantial evidence for the historicity of the book.

but i'm also aware there's evidence and proof.

paranoia agent

Qcmbr wrote - I sympathise but I also am a bit sad you posted a pm in public without prior agreement.

Hi Qcmbr, there is no reason for this pm to stay as one, there isn't any sensitive information, this person did not ask for this pm to be private but had he done so I would allow it but also ask that no more future emails be sent unless willing to have an open discussion. Also I did not post his email address that was included with the pm.

I have to admit his email is a bit suspicious, wanting to know more about me and all.

Thanks Simon

18

A mormon pm's me

by paranoia agent in

just read your thread about oblivion to oblivion, watched the video you posted and wondered if you'd be willing to let me send you some videos on the book of mormon.

as you may know, i'm lds and i believe there's substantial evidence for the historicity of the book.

but i'm also aware there's evidence and proof.

paranoia agent

Hi, PA.

Just read your thread about oblivion to oblivion, watched the video you posted and wondered if you'd be willing to let me send you some videos on the Book of Mormon. As you may know, I'm LDS and I believe there's substantial evidence for the historicity of the book. But I'm also aware there's evidence and proof. As someone who is searching, you'd be someone who would be objective. The Book of Mormon also teaches that many things would be taken out of the scriptures in our day, and it indicates that people would question Jesus Christ. Thus, if the historicity of the book can be proven, then Jesus is, after all, the Jewish messiah and God. In fact, that's the primary reason it came forth, to be a new witness of Jesus Christ.

I understand many ex-JWs tend to be bitter and, frankly, cynical. Some become agnostics and others atheists. Very few are in any mood to continue searching. From a psychological standpoint, the Society was the shining city on a hill, and if it wasn't what it claimed to be, then nothing else could be, either.

But you indicated that you're reading. If so, I'd like to hear about your experiences in the WTBTS and what it was that led you out of it. Were you a convert or born into it? I saw you joined the site in 2010. Were you out by that time?

The Book of Mormon is said to a volume of scripture written by the descendents of Lehi, a wealthy Jerusalem merchant of the tribe of Joseph. He also was a prophet. He and his family were led from the city shortly before its destruction in 587 B.C. (not 607) to a land of promise which would be Joseph's land of inheritance. Years before, Jacob had given his sons their patriarchal blessings. Interestingly, Judah was given the land of Jerusalem until the coming of the Christ (See Gen. 49). But Joseph received the birthright. So where were his lands of inheritance?

"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him, but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." (verses 22-24). Mormons believe that Lehi was the bough, the branches of which ran over the wall and settled in the New World. Instead of going into detail, however, I have two production quality DVDs that I think make a superlative case for the book.

If you would be willing to let me send you the videos, I can promise you that you will at least enjoy them and find them informative. They're not preachy, but contain substantial evidence that it is what it purports to be.

Let me know. If it's not of interest, no offense will be taken. I just know that it's been of great comfort to me and that it has a historical side that can be investigated from an intellectual standpoint. Should you want to take a stab at it, please drop me a line. And, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to hear your story.

Cheers!

John

Hi John, thanks for the pm that you sent more than a month ago, if you don't mind I like I to leave all conversations in the open so I have started a thread regarding your pm in which you can respond to, thread name is A mormon pm's me. In the case of spamming I have left your email out.

There is an aspect to Mormonism that I can relate to Jehovah's Witnesses, you have levels in which the further up you go the more information you will be provided with, like the teachings of polygamy in the higher rankings. Another aspect would be that just like jw's it's a lot like the mafia, that is you need prerequisites to get in, you need prerequisites to stay and there are repercussions to leave.

Also why is it that your temples are a lot like freemason temples and why are there books for freemasons that calls Joseph Smith their brotheren?

You speak of an historical side? Really? that everything occurred in America?

While we are at it do you have answer to the contrary of what ex members have to say?

PA

5

From oblivion to oblivion

by paranoia agent in

we all are on our separate journeys, some of us are undecided, some unconvinced, others no longer believe in the cult but now in another religion, or lost complete belief in deities.. i don't know how beneficial these atheists threads are to new comers, perhaps it would be more difficult to accept certain information, for example scientific methods and understandings rather than different interpretations of the bible, this was the case with me at the start of my journey from leaving this jw cult.. when i left i bought many bibles, some expensive interlinears and commentaries, today my reading material mainly consist of science and social political issues, how i have changed.

i am happy that i will die knowing i won't have all the answers, i know none of you will even if you believe in invisible parents.

my views changed so much that not only do i no longer believe in deities but also the hate i have towards a fiction god of pure evil that many claim to be good.. but one thing i do know, is that it's too much for me to believe in a book who we don't know the authors, that has inconsistencies and errors, and that somehow didn't speak bad about roman authority at the time ****yink*** ***yink****.. remember what jesus said, pay to caesar what belongs to caesar?

paranoia agent

We all are on our separate journeys, some of us are undecided, some unconvinced, others no longer believe in the cult but now in another religion, or lost complete belief in deities.

I don't know how beneficial these atheists threads are to new comers, perhaps it would be more difficult to accept certain information, for example scientific methods and understandings rather than different interpretations of the bible, this was the case with me at the start of my journey from leaving this jw cult.

When I left I bought many bibles, some expensive interlinear’s and commentaries, today my reading material mainly consist of science and social political issues, how I have changed. I am happy that I will die knowing I won't have all the answers, I know none of you will even if you believe in invisible parents. My views changed so much that not only do I no longer believe in deities but also the hate I have towards a fiction god of pure evil that many claim to be good.

But one thing I do know, is that it's too much for me to believe in a book who we don't know the authors, that has inconsistencies and errors, and that somehow didn't speak bad about roman authority at the time ****yink*** ***yink****.

Remember what Jesus said, pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar? Well keep that in mind while watching this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2KONcLKQU

27

New article - SHUNNING: UNCHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE

by EdenOne in

hello everyone.. after months of neglect, i've resumed writing for my website.. the new article deals with the issue of shunning among the jehovah's witnesses.. it attempts to disentangle disfellowshipping from shunning, and demonstrating that shunning is a practice unbecoming of a christian.

i hope you find it interesting the article shunning - unchristian psychological torture.. it's divided into the following sections:.

introduction.

paranoia agent

I find your article overall well worded but a title with the word psychological I expected a bit more than than what some forms of prejudice are and biblical contra arguments. This deserves current peer review articles of sociology and social psychology on the reprecussions of alienation. The word unchristian to me is nonsensical because this form of prejudice scoop is among many beliefs and values and not just general chrisitianity, it also asserts that christians do not implement psychological torture ignoring that any religion using their deity to shield their prejudice towards others by definition implements psychological turtore.

56

I hate being ugly!

by Space Madness in

jw
friends

i finally came to the realization that i am ugly.

i'm 28 years old and never had a girlfriend.

women pay me absolutely no attention when i'm in public.

paranoia agent

We humans are shallow bunch, statistically good looking men end up with good looking women at the start, but later they opt for realistic personality financial purposes or a combination of this, but this is usually not the case. Don't be too concerned, physical appearance is only one aspect to being sexy, personality, people skills, money(let's be realistic here people) and general confidance counts.

My cousin is an expert in picking up which I hate because all he is interested in is just sex, all women fall for is crap and he isn't exactly good looking, he is though psychically active and an expert in martial arts. Is method is simple but might be hard for others because to him it to comes naturally, he makes them laught and shows genuine interest in them, he is not shy either, all relationships starts from friendship.

saying you are ugly is according to social standards today, back in the black and white days women with a bit of meat were considered the sexist, today it's tooth picks and skeletors with fake bits, in my opinion the standards today are too harsh. the think is you can lower your standards and improve any aspect psychologically and physically.

One more thing, call your mum a rusty wrinkly old cow when she is in her 60's.

111

How to prove God does not exist?

by UBM101 in

many times (almost all the time) atheists asking for proof of god's existence from those who believe that god exists.

perhaps at times they should prove he doesn't exist.

any taker?

paranoia agent

It's people like tec that made me an atheist, because (mmmm I am repeating myself) she can not prove that what she calls god is not zeus, satan or any other known deity, and that she thinks god is a loving god, Hitchens sums it perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVoloVvsupM

111

How to prove God does not exist?

by UBM101 in

many times (almost all the time) atheists asking for proof of god's existence from those who believe that god exists.

perhaps at times they should prove he doesn't exist.

any taker?

paranoia agent

tornapart quoted Jack - Quote from C S Lewis... an atheist who bacame a christian.

" My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?... Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if i did that, then my argument against God collapsed too--for the argument depended on saying the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies. Thus, in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist - in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless - I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality - namely my idea of justice - was full of sense. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never have known it was dark. Dark would be without meaning."

That's one big strawman, not sound for the cruelty and unjustice of God (rather than proof of god which he is not talking about) but the argument itself is addressing the ying and yan, that we can not know what is good without knowing what is bad yes. But this does not address is argument, it does not explain god's shifts of personality, this is the style of Lewis, sounds intelligent but its filled with assumptions that has nothing to do with the argument.