Posts by Half banana

19

Critical Thinking-is that phrase a stigma?

by PaintedToeNail in

jw
friends

when i first heard the term 'critical thinking' it was as a teenager during a watchtower study.

the study went on to elaborate how we shouldn't be swayed by critical thinking.

there was no explanation that the term didn't mean 'to criticize' thoughts and words, but rather that it means 'to objective think and to evaluate thoughts and words'.

Half banana

When you wield mind-control over a group of people who self regulate for total conformity; words can mean precisely what the cult leadership wants them to mean.

Tony Morris has already pronounced on the subject of “critical thinking”.............

“It’s kind of amazing that once you learn critical thinking, once you remove yourself from it and then take another look from a different perspective. How manipulative it is. How the ‘double think’ is right there in your face.”

This fatuous, almost grotesque explanation of what critical thinking is, exposes a fatal flaw in the credibility of a large corporate organization. The unbelievable crassness of this quote from his assembly speech a couple of years back should alert any outside enquirer to the dismal depths of ignorance which come from the very top of the JW org. It should also flag up a red alert to the JW who still has any residual intelligence left in them.

Tony Morris has declared to the zombie masses that critical thinking is BAD...like carbon dating is BAD and homosexuality is BAD and other religions are BAD (apostates however are way beyond BAD!) It is easy to put people off things isn’t it?

@Stuckinarut, I like your word ‘analytical’, this has not yet been stigmatized by the seven holy baboons of Brooklyn. To analyse is to question the validity of the sources of the information, to contextualize, to question assumptions about the subject; to ask does the received wisdom on this stand up to a logical, factual, semantic and philosophical investigation etc.

Yes with rational analysis, the Watchtower doctrines fall at the first hurdle. It’s little wonder they condemn critical thinking and the higher education which depends on it as a matter of course.

51

Help needed: transgender people and other unclear topics

by TeaBiscuit in

first of all, i am not quite sure whether this is the right place to ask my questions.

if this is not really appropriate, please tell me in advance, but i really did not know who to turn to, so i thought why not ask the internet... now, i know many of you are apostates and i'm not really looking for "leave it all behind you" answers, but really for experiences, thoughts and ideas... as well as maybe some verses if you can think of any.. anyway, first things first.

since this is very anonymous and i'd like to keep it that way, i will not give you my name, but still, i think some background info might be helpful.

Half banana

Welcome to the forum Tea biscuit. I appreciate that you have already realized the wisdom of reflecting on the seriousness of what you are thinking of doing namely to be baptised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It really does pay to look before you leap.

JWs call their beliefs “the truth” as shorthand within the community to remind everyone that what is believed is true. This could not be further from the truth! The JW religion works through ruthless conformity to the Watchtower doctrines which are repeated daily through their literature, meetings, JWTV and also by the expectations of the whole community. JWs constantly patrol the boundaries in their everyday conversations exploring the fine line between what is acceptable or not to the directions laid down by the governing body. To transgress, for a baptised individual, leads to a judicial committee hearing and possible punishment by shaming or shunning.

The matter of transgender and homosexuality is a good example of how insensitive the JW org is. These matters are realities of the human condition, but the Watchtower can only cope with the Biblical mentality of black and white as if God made things one way and to be different is offensive to God.

JWs rejoice in their exclusion of people with whom they disagree... balanced mature humans rejoice in the diversity in life. JWs harbour the delusion of exclusive divine protection and pure religion, the fact is their beliefs actually stifle natural goodness and suppress personal development...sadly the only tangible contribution that a JW makes is to unwittingly promote the financial interests of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and its supporting companies.

Nothing in my life has been as hurtful to me and my family as the JW organisation. Even though still suffering the consequences years after leaving, I am so much happier having escaped from its mind-bending influence. In essence I wish I never had had anything to do with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I wish there had been someone there to tell me about the other side of the coin before I took that leap.

30

May 21, 2016 TO ALL CONGREGATIONS Re: Annual Items for 2017

by wifibandit in

may 21, 2016 to all congregations re: annual items for 2017.

Half banana

Not only calenders but it looks like bound volumes are now out of favour...and there is a good reason: (with reference to the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY)

. . . many have found that their use of printed bound volumes has greatly diminished. These electronic research tools are regularly updated . . .

Yes brothers we don't want you keep bound volumes so that you can quote what we might have said in the past, because what with the new light an' all we want to re-write our history and doctrines electronically as it changes before your very eyes.

JWs are an Orwellian cult!

21

Damaging Children With the Christian Gospel

by cofty in

the christian gospel begins with the dehumanising assertion that all humans are fallen sinners who deserve nothing but god's judgement and wrath.. not only does this taint all relationships between christians and unbelievers, it destroys the beautiful innocence of childhood.

in a recent edition of the popular christian radio program "family life today", titled “introducing your child to god,” co-host bob lepine discussed teaching “practical theology” to his young daughter, explaining:.

when my daughter, amy, was still less than two years old, i started teaching practical theology to her.

Half banana

Cofty your OP shows the revolting face of Christianity.

JWs are fully committed to the idea of forcing their brand of salvation on their own kids.

Surely this has to do with parents lack of insight into normal societal relations and a bullying attitude towards their children; believe it, it'll do you good! Another motive is to look good in the congregation with zombie children who just follow and please the foolish grown ups. The trouble is that the grown ups themselves are acting like unquestioning children and so creates the circularity in JW culture of dependent children growing up to become dependent adults.

This christianity is at odds with a healthy mental outlook and forcing the grim concept of sinfulness on children who cannot be expected to criticise it; is child abuse.

21

Damaging Children With the Christian Gospel

by cofty in

the christian gospel begins with the dehumanising assertion that all humans are fallen sinners who deserve nothing but god's judgement and wrath.. not only does this taint all relationships between christians and unbelievers, it destroys the beautiful innocence of childhood.

in a recent edition of the popular christian radio program "family life today", titled “introducing your child to god,” co-host bob lepine discussed teaching “practical theology” to his young daughter, explaining:.

when my daughter, amy, was still less than two years old, i started teaching practical theology to her.

Half banana

Christianity is like the advertising for an antiseptic product... "It kills 99% of all known germs". Only our product will get to destroy the hidden threats............. If you join our religion we can get rid of 99% of all known sins............

57

You wear tight pants and you will be in trouble

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

i was reading in another forum, that a letter to the elders instructed them to speak to anybody who persists in wearing tight pants.

if changes don't happen then the instructions are to disqualify him from being a publisher but it won't be announced to the congregation.

i am am curious to see if this letter will surface.

Half banana

Fashion for goodness sake changes all the time, that's what it's about. It's an opportunity for young couples to see who optimises their mating instincts!

I'm glad they make such an issue over what people wear since it is in normal life it is hardly relevant... it just goes to show that what they are really concerned with is conformity to the subjective whims of the GB; obey or else! Any outsider confronted with these JW demands will be able to see that this is a cult at work.

Keep up the good work Tony, you're destroying the org!

71

2016 Regional Convention - Sunday Morning synopsis

by Jehalapeno in

jw
friends

via reddit.

here are the morning program highlights.

will update for the afternoon once it's all over.

Half banana

I wonder if the WTBTS are investing in the market for anxiety medication? they certainly are supplying the conditions to require buying them.

Just think of the mind damage to innocent children who instead of growing up confident and hopeful will imagine some hidden terror is always present and that they are singled out to respond by hiding. It is a psychological calamity for the young JWs.

Children are expendable, just collateral damage in the JW org's paranoid crusade.

The sooner the world knows how bad this cult is the better for everyone.

16

Faithful Slave is not appointed yet - only in the future

by TheWonderofYou in

did you read this study articel in which the slave says it is not appointed yet?.

excerpt from study articel 13 7/15 p 8. so there is good reason for us to understand matthew 24:46, 47 to mean that jesus will arrive to appoint the faithful slave over all his belongings at that time in the future during the great tribulation.

* (see endnote.

Half banana

The Christianity of the NT is a fraud.

The orthodox statement for the Catholic faith was made by Eusebius (fourth century CE), who was both Constantine's chronicler and the official chronicler of the Christian Church. Amongst other fictions, he wrote up the contrived connection between Peter and the Papacy claiming a divine mandate for the Roman Church's legitimacy. His key interest was in making Roman Christianity work as a political instrument and to do that he invented the concepts of the primitive church as it is understood today.The realities of the first century however are quite different from this modern viewpoint which Eusebius planted into "history" but one to which the WT uncritically subscribes.

I know I am at odds with most here but the evidence for Jesus as an air-breathing human is extremely tenuous. At best he is the product of a mosaic of literary references existing for millennia which had formerly been applied to other saviour god-men.The Jesus character fulfilled the need for a Jewish redeemer. He was expected by Jewish tradition (in Isaiah) where he was to come as a prince ruling in glory, the archetypal conquering hero saving the nation from all of its enemies.

By the first century CE Judea had become thoroughly Hellenised, completely influenced by the classical culture of the time; public baths, pagan temples, McDonalds etc, its religion was on a back burner. At this time there were many would- be saviours ranting in the market places, there were also many established cults within that Roman world, all polytheistic, recognising the traditional gods. Notable amongst them was the cult of Dionysus who had been born of a virgin birth, son of a god, turned water into wine and crucified for the sake of mankind and most importantly; universally understood to be so.

The clever twist of the early church teaching was to unify the disparate threads of the Greek/Roman pagan polytheist tradition with the monotheist Jewish.

The Jewish hero saviour was a conquering prince whereas the Greek and Roman, pagan hero was a 'sacrificial god' by which claim Jewish taste would be greatly offended.

The NT scripture was written in part to accommodate these disparities.

Therefore when seen from the Catholic fusion perspective, the Jesus character had fulfilled the role in the Dionysian and Mythraic tradition as wonder worker, healer, preacher and ultimately the sacrificial saviour but it was quite clear that he was no political prince who came ruling in glory. That then is why he had to have the words put in his mouth in scripture that he was "coming again" when all eyes will see him.(Mat 24;30) The glorious return was therefore a sop for the Jewish punters to be realized in their own day. The 'sacrificial' christ had already been attested to according to the faithful.

All of this has no modern meaning! It was meant to build and establish the catholic faith drawing together beliefs and believers from all of paganism and Judaism.

To understand the FDS can only seriously be understood in the light of the purpose of the NT in fuelling the 'Jesus as Christ' movement which culminated in the Catholic (meaning all embracing) Roman Church.

11

Comment from Examining the WT Daily May 22

by Dreamerdude in

somehow i missed this silly comment in the wt study las year.

i just have been daydreaming.

but wt wants tomane sure i get the point.. "after the death of the apostles, satan fomented apostasy, which flourished for many centuries.

Half banana

"Satan fomented apostasy". What sort of talk is this?

It's talk to cement the idea that apostasy is the Devil's work and make sure the flock want nothing to do with apostates. It is part of programming which puts the WTBTS in a divinely favoured light. It's drip,drip "We are right and others are always wrong, black and white, no tonal nuance, do what we say or else and don't question it" mentality.

In fairyland anything can be believed to be real.

70

Someone anonymously tipped the elders?

by raven in

so here an update on my current situation, in a nutshell i've been trying to quietly fade for the past 5 months.. well, my mom somehow found out that i am currently fading and that i live with my boyfriend (for more info on this check my previous posts) i told her yes i live with him and yes i no longer want to be a jw.

anyways, yesterday she met my boyfriend.. awkward.

and after lunch she pulled me aside to tell me that the po came up to her (he was part of my jc when i was reproved) he said to her "someone came to me and said - i cannot say who so they will remain anonymous- but that your daughter is living with someone" my mom confirmed and apparently he told her that i have one week to confess this, and if i don't my parents are obligated to tell them everything.. what kind of nonsense is that?

Half banana

Or you could reassure your family that you love them very much (telling them you are your own person now) ignore everything which might come to you from the JW cult and take great pride in your decision to have nothing further to do with them.

Of course we all understand the situation is very difficult at the moment for you. What is at stake is your happiness and the freedom to have the choice in doing what you want to do. This is not selfish, this freedom is our birthright which others in the name of God or family want to steal away from us.