thanks for posting this palmtree. I like what the author says about the three stages of further education. I am also glad he targets the fundamentalists as the most unimaginative and literalistic.
soft+gentle
JoinedPosts by soft+gentle
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15
Your Terrifying Lack of Imagination
by palmtree67 inhttp://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2012/07/31/your-terrifying-lack/.
the article: (i highlighted the part i found interesting.
i have perhaps identified the single most lethal problem facing modern culture.. it has landed upon me once again with an inglorious thump, despite how ive seen it many times previously and merely shrugged it off, ignored its extreme prevalence or merely denied that it was really all that toxic or detrimental to the current state of the world.. i was, i now chillingly confess, dead wrong.. the single most poisonous issue facing the modern world?
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65
Candace Conti's Attorney Takes the Stage
by Juan Viejo2 inrick simons takes the stage and tells why the candace conti lawsuit was the right case at the right time against the watchtower.. this is the first of at least three videos documenting mr. simons' presentation on july 14, 2012. .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffywyvy9anm.
last segments of this program should be up within a few hours.. .
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soft+gentle
enjoyed that very much
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54
If you are reading this title, everything you know needs to be questioned
by King Solomon inthe title of this thread is like one of those bumper stickers, "if you can read this, you are too close".
it's true: if you are reading this, you accepted certain assumptions in the past, or need to do so.. the jws deliver a well-honed message that is targeted to individuals who's prior experiences and psyche makes them pre-disposed to accept their version of reality; attending meetings is really just a way for individuals to correct their thinking so as to be more in accord with the beliefs of the group.
btw, the process of aligning one's thinking to a group is not inherent evil, eg doctors attend continuing education courses so they can stay abreast with their colleagues in new findings of research, thus enabling them to deliver the best possible care to their patients, not practicing using turn-of-the-century ideas (blood-sucking leeches, etc).. however, when it comes to religion and faith, accepting assumptions into one's world view without critically-analysis leads one to a conclusion that may be flawed.
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soft+gentle
solomon said
Next your opinions on how Jehovahs witnesses connect discipline with spanking infants. On the one hand present day thinking amongst most Jehovahs witnesses is that spanking be a last resort and many witnesses have adjusted how they discipline.
While it's important to discuss any individual points raised, the thread has alot of 'moving parts' and is ambitious enough, as it is, and will quickly grow incredibly unwieldly if we discuss the details here. So perhaps those types of discussions should be raised in their own spin-off threads?
was the above directed solely at me? if it is then you have no need to worry as I generally don't tend to post much and therefore avoid (I hope) nauseating wordiness
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54
If you are reading this title, everything you know needs to be questioned
by King Solomon inthe title of this thread is like one of those bumper stickers, "if you can read this, you are too close".
it's true: if you are reading this, you accepted certain assumptions in the past, or need to do so.. the jws deliver a well-honed message that is targeted to individuals who's prior experiences and psyche makes them pre-disposed to accept their version of reality; attending meetings is really just a way for individuals to correct their thinking so as to be more in accord with the beliefs of the group.
btw, the process of aligning one's thinking to a group is not inherent evil, eg doctors attend continuing education courses so they can stay abreast with their colleagues in new findings of research, thus enabling them to deliver the best possible care to their patients, not practicing using turn-of-the-century ideas (blood-sucking leeches, etc).. however, when it comes to religion and faith, accepting assumptions into one's world view without critically-analysis leads one to a conclusion that may be flawed.
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soft+gentle
Solomon I meant critique in the sense of a desire and action for change but these can be sabotaged both inside and outside of Jehovahs witnesses but perhaps not to the same level. I prefer to make more liberating assumptions about Jehovahs witnesses.
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127
Introducing Mrs Cedars...
by cedars ini just thought you should know that mrs cedars has finally taken the plunge and joined the forum.
she was able to log on for the first time yesterday.. though we both "awakened" at different stages, mrs cedars was very supportive and non-judgmental when i first began exploring my beliefs from a critical standpoint.
she is currently in the process of reading crisis of conscience and aquainting herself with some of the facts of witness history that were hitherto unknown.
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soft+gentle
hi Mrs cedars - it is so nice to have you on board
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New YouTube video: Candace Conti tells her story
by cedars inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfhsewwd3wa.
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cedars.
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soft+gentle
great work getting this important message out to learn not to give into high control tactics and to trust your own instincts. It is also nice to know about the work that juan viejo2, Cynthia Hamption and Candace and the meetup groups of San Jose and Downey are doing.
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54
If you are reading this title, everything you know needs to be questioned
by King Solomon inthe title of this thread is like one of those bumper stickers, "if you can read this, you are too close".
it's true: if you are reading this, you accepted certain assumptions in the past, or need to do so.. the jws deliver a well-honed message that is targeted to individuals who's prior experiences and psyche makes them pre-disposed to accept their version of reality; attending meetings is really just a way for individuals to correct their thinking so as to be more in accord with the beliefs of the group.
btw, the process of aligning one's thinking to a group is not inherent evil, eg doctors attend continuing education courses so they can stay abreast with their colleagues in new findings of research, thus enabling them to deliver the best possible care to their patients, not practicing using turn-of-the-century ideas (blood-sucking leeches, etc).. however, when it comes to religion and faith, accepting assumptions into one's world view without critically-analysis leads one to a conclusion that may be flawed.
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soft+gentle
excuse me butting in king solomon but I am finding your opening post very hard to digest. You have so many things going on -so many assumptions - it is hard to know where to start.
let me take your views on religion and faith and the piling up of shaky assumptions leading to a shaky tower. I tend to subscribe to the idea that many people who become witnessess and/or take up religion have gotten there through concluding that society, the world around them, politics etc have a shaky tower of assumptions that is horribly unstable. It is then by means of religion that the disciplinary structures of society, of government etc are critiqued. In fact this has been part of the role of religion throughout history.
Next your opinions on how Jehovahs witnesses connect discipline with spanking infants. On the one hand present day thinking amongst most Jehovahs witnesses is that spanking be a last resort and many witnesses have adjusted how they discipline. But on the other hand meetings are definitely viewed as occasions for using last resort tactics so I think I can offer an assumption that needs to be questioned and then given much more ambiguous status than that they are a provision from Jehovah and all age groups must attend. Meetings display the neglectful attitude of the FDS and reflect their indiscreet self interest. I think the ministry being one of jehovhas provisions and that it is therefore binding on all should also fall into this category of being contested and then given more ambiguous status so that parents are not made to feel that they to use last resort tactics.
edit: as a parent I believe in discipline but don't feel that spanking ought to be part of it even as a last resort.
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28
Self-Actualization
by frankiespeakin inwhile i have come across this term before i never looked up what it meant.
so while reading about what "peak expreiences" are i came across the term again and decide to give wiki a try.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/self-actualization.
self-actualization is a term that has been used in various psychology theories, often in slightly different ways.
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soft+gentle
nice topic frankiespeakin
self actualisation - now that is something to aim for.
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81
How Did You Become An Atheist?
by NewChapter insince there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.
for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.
i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.
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soft+gentle
I didn't think you would understand NC but posted nontheless in case there were others like me.
thanks for being honest.
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81
How Did You Become An Atheist?
by NewChapter insince there seem to be a number of threads in this spirit, i'd like to ask how others became atheists.
for myself, i learned some things that made me understand the bible wasn't true.
i looked deeper, and it became even more unlikely.
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soft+gentle
great thread NC
(I'm supposed to be on vacation doing other things abroad)
just wanted to say in case this is of interest to jws and xjws. I am an atheist when I want to be one and a theist when I want to be one - agnostic etc - it all depends on what i need to confront. The one person who helped me find my path was Victor Fankl and his book Man's search for Meaning. this book is described as the classic tribute to hope from the holocaust and has sometimes been discussed on here. It demonstrates the importance of value and hope stemming from belief whatever one believes or does not believe. It discusses existenialism and how the mind is involved is formulating meaning but if I have a criticism it is this that Victor Fankl foucses too much on the mind but I accept that this comes out the milieu of the period and if he was alive and writing today he might be might use other language because in his book his philosophy incorporates much more of what we today mean when we focus on the mind. great article on wiki if anyone is interested in reading up about him and his ideas.