Posts by mrmagic

56

Why Do Intelligent People Believe in God?

by cantleave in

jw
friends

one of the most common thing thrown at atheists is - lots of intelligent people believe in god.

this darkmatter 2525's video is an excellent explanation as to why very logical people possess religious belief systems.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y201qzddzbg.

mrmagic

Intelligent people believe in "god", for the same reasons atheists follow scientific theories. Really, this first statement of mine is false, as it generalizes and assumes that *all* god believers and atheists are a certain way.

There are always exceptions to the rule, however, god believers and atheists are not so different from each other when seen from a broader perspective. While science has been crucial in bringing Truth to the world, there are still major constraints as to what we are able to perceive with scientific instruments. There are still theories that are followed by the scientific community.

Theories are also followed by the religious community.

You cannot get away from theories, whether scientific or otherwise. Theories/assumptions are needed to function in the everyday framework of "consensus" reality. You simply will not know all the answers to everything.

Then, there's the issue with language, semantics and definitions. A concept like "God" is so broad and subjective that the point is moot in trying to define it. The idea itself is too large for any humans to wrap their mind around. Then again, so is the astronomical distance from the earth to the sun, which the Christian religion is based on. (Sunday morning worship).

Scientists have long understood and discovered that beyond the light reaching us from the farthest reaches of the universe, beyond our observable universe time and space are subjective. Subjective like intelligent people's "God" experiences.In fact, the bible was originally called "Helios Biblio" - the book of the Sun.

61

The Watchtower Org will die.

by Freeandclear in

jw
friends

i was just reading through some posts and had a startling realization.. the comment that sparked this went something like this: why oh why when i started into this in 1989 did i not research the history of the wtbts?

etc....... i too was studying and moving towards baptism around that same time.

i got dunked in dec of 1990.. my thought.

mrmagic

Many of the comments here are interesting and certainly valid. One thing that is lacking here, however, is the mention/understanding of Moore's Law, as concerns the Internet/technology. The advancement of technology certainly has contributed to large numbers of people leaving and waking up. In the developed countries, there is a decline which is steadily increasing.

However, technology does not advance sequentially. Technology advances exponentially.We tend to calculate and analyze future probabilities for the Watchtower, based on our past experience of change within institutions in general. This is a mistake, as change is happening exponentially, not sequentially.

With increasing exponential Internet/technology advancements, there come increasingly more new ways of change that none of us could have imagined. Who would have thought that social media, forums and the Internet would be so crucial in connecting us together back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and even 90's?

The cult organization may not change, however, the world around it is, and at an exponential rate. Generation gaps used to be 20 years. Now they're 5 years or so.

My guess is that the cult will still exist as a corporation, however, if it will have any viability or life left is another story.

If the Watchtower Org handles its accounting the same way it handles its child abuse scandals, then it certainly won't look good for them. My 2 cents.

32

Karma kind of makes me smile.......am I bad?

by KateWild in

today at work one of the clients that came in for advice was an elder and his wife.

they must be having issues they need help with.

this elder was the elder that told us not to go to a domestic violence shelter or not to go to the police when my daughter got a black eye.. am i bad because i smiled inside that they are having problems?.

mrmagic

It's ok to feel the feelings you're feeling. A person can even feel both compassion and Schadenfreude at the same time. The key is to make peace with the variety of emotions you feel about this and the broader issues with WTBS, etc. As you can see, that those high and mightly elders are often wrong and probably don't have any better answers to offer than what you could have come up with yourself. It's good that you experienced this and I'm all stoked for you. I'm sure it was awkward for them to see you there and be on the other end of the "table" so to speak. lol

5

Waiter upset after discovering $20 tip was actually a Bible pamphlet

by macys in

at first i was thinking, "jdub!

" since i know some jdubs that do this kind of sh*t. no really.

they do this.. (january 12, 2015) -- a waiter in kansas took to social media after discovering what looked like a generous $20 tip was not legal tender.. for 17-year-old garret wayman, the excitement quickly faded when he realized that, not only was the money fake, but it was actually a pre-printed religious message.. http://fox59.com/2016/01/12/waiter-upset-after-discovering-20-tip-was-actually-a-bible-pamphlet/.

mrmagic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-BtVxeBhuo

29

Omg New Borg Kingdumb Song, they went all Lion King theme Lol

by MrsR-Awaken in

the borg is turning into a disney music making machine check out their new kingdumb song (caution it might make your ears bleed).

https://youtu.be/goj1vbvqvhq.

mrmagic

I thought a new song book already came out. THey are doing another new one???

8

Who am I? - How to find the well lived life after undue influence

by Luther bertrand in

i was added fairly recently to the aawa network (thank you richard e. kelly ) and have been a lurker/fader for many years.

the ex-jw community, from a far, has offered me so many ways to help go through my own thinking while awakening and working through my own crisis of conscience.

however, i do have a critique of our community.

mrmagic

What Luther bertrand says is true. Personality tests can help you in your journey to self awareness and knowing yourself, however they are only a tool that can/cannot help you, depending on your own unique makeup and life circumstances. No matter how old you get, you will always discover new things about yourself that you did not know, new abilities, new skills, new feelings. I've seen people discover themselves to have talent in painting and art after 49 years of living a non-creative life.

Others I've seen go from a lifetime of sedentary habits and overweight problems to realizing they have athletic talents in their old age. You think you know who you are, but you don't know where you will end up.

You could end up being a published author one day or running a homeless shelter, creating a business, or even being an integral part of positive change in some other way that you never thought possible for yourself.

You aren't your past, but your past is part of where you are now - both good and bad experiences. It's up to each of us to take all of what we've lived and experienced and to make our own personal meanings from that and then live according to that meaning. No external source has the right or ability to do that for you. For some people it will take a lifetime to figure out their own meaning. It's a work in progress.

Having said that, I recommend a book called "What Color Is Your Parachute" by Richard Bolles. While at first glance it appears to be a career/job hunting guide, it has a different approach to the subject by having you work on your life purpose and who you are. There are some excellent exercises in there, along with some personality test resource that you may find of interest. Once again, the book is no substitute for your own experiential work, however, it is a really great guide not just for career/job hunters, but for anyone in general who wants to gain some insight into themselves and who they are.

8

Who am I? - How to find the well lived life after undue influence

by Luther bertrand in

i was added fairly recently to the aawa network (thank you richard e. kelly ) and have been a lurker/fader for many years.

the ex-jw community, from a far, has offered me so many ways to help go through my own thinking while awakening and working through my own crisis of conscience.

however, i do have a critique of our community.

mrmagic

I have always known who I was.

29

Gay advice from the Governing Body

by Listener in

according to them you are not gay if you are attracted to the same sex, it's just hormones and you might grow out of it.. i wonder what hormones in particular they are talking about and if they feel that a female who goes through menopause is in danger of turning gay or even if taking hormones will adjust your thinking?.

this is from the wt org website.

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/teenagers/ask/pressure-to-be-gay/.

mrmagic

Draconian cult

29

EXJW's in Mensa?

by Luther bertrand in

jw
friends

any exjw's or faders out there in mensa?

any online groups for this niche?

mrmagic

I qualify for Mensa and have joined a few online high IQ societies. If you don't mind reading some books and knowing how to take tests, then you and anyone else can join Mensa. As for putting that on your resume, yea that's a tricky one. Some prospective employers will have their preconceived biases towards anyone openly above average intelligence, while others view it as a plus.

45

Do U Detest JWs.

by minimus in

jw
friends

mrmagic

Some days I have sympathy, other days they are the worst cult ever. Despite that, in the back of my mind there's a centeredness of knowing that whatever I do makes a positive difference in the bigger picture of things.