mankkeli

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Posts by mankkeli

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  6

  Things that are stigmatized -- should they be?

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been thinking about how stigmas affect perception, which generally affects policymaking and social rules.

  how stigmatized should some things be?

  here's a list:.

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  mankkeli

  Outlaw, I registered on so many forums with different names.
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  5

  Why do we have to create meaning for our existence?

  by mankkeli in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  why do we have to create meaning for our existence?

  at what point in the evolutionary process did we develop this human condition and what purpose does it serve?.

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  mankkeli

  Why do we have to create meaning for our existence? At what point in the evolutionary process did we develop this human condition and what purpose does it serve?
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  6

  Things that are stigmatized -- should they be?

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been thinking about how stigmas affect perception, which generally affects policymaking and social rules.

  how stigmatized should some things be?

  here's a list:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  mankkeli

  I've been thinking about how stigmas affect perception, which generally affects policymaking and social rules. How stigmatized should some things be? Here's a list:
  
  -Atheism
  -Homosexuality
  -Marijuana
  -Smoking
  -Gun ownership
  -Mormonism
  -Sex
  -Fetishes
  -Tattoos
  -Mental illness
  
  
  Stigmas and negative perceptions of things serve the psychological purpose of keeping us out of harm's way. But a lot of the time things develop stigmas that can lead to negative stereotyping of groups of people. Stereotypes, assumptions and negative perceptions (conscious or otherwise): atheists are negative people, homosexuality is a sin and gays are freaks, weed is bad for you because it makes you high, gun owners are violent, mormons are freaks who go around door to door converting people, people with fetishes are freaks, etc.
  
  The list goes on, list more and maybe we could talk about why things are stigmatized, what level of a stigma is appropriate (for instance smoking is bad for you in the long term, so a negative unconscious feeling about smoking can be a good thing).
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  12

  WT lashes out on Apostates

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is taken fro wt 1983 4/1.

  "some who once served as jehovahs witnesses have rejected various scriptural views based on the teachings of jesus christ and his apostles.

  for instance, they insist that we are not living in the last days, despite overwhelming evidence that we are.

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  mankkeli

  This is taken fro WT 1983 4/1

  "Some who once served as Jehovah’s Witnesses have rejected various Scriptural views based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles. For instance, they insist that we are not living in the “last days,” despite overwhelming evidence that we are. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) These apostates ‘have gone out from us because they were not of our sort.’ (1 John 2:18, 19) Hence, they no longer have fellowship with loyal anointed witnesses of Jehovah and their companions, and therefore these self-seeking heretics have no “sharing” with the Father and the Son, no matter how much they may boast of having intimacy with God and Christ. Instead, they are in spiritual darkness. (1 John 1:3, 6) Lovers of light and truth must take a firm stand against these promoters of false teaching. In no way do loyal witnesses of Jehovah want to be accomplices in the “wicked deeds” of such unfaithful persons by supporting their ungodly words and activities in any manner. Rather, may we “put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.”—Jude 3, 4, 19."

  Is it appropriate to judge apostates as being in spiritual darkness?
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  10

  Most of us are naturally spiritual at some level.

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  most humans seem to crave some sort of spirituality at some level.

  natural selection would favor it for certain reasons.

  chimpanzees have sometimes been known congregate and dance around waterfalls for no apparent reason.

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  mankkeli

  Most humans seem to crave some sort of spirituality at some level. Natural selection would favor it for certain reasons. Chimpanzees have sometimes been known congregate and dance around waterfalls for no apparent reason. Most of us are spiritual by nature. Very few aren't. In fact, if you're denying it, you're probably suppressing it. So, it would make sense that we'd invent religion and hang on to it tightly.
  
  On the other hand, I don't see any problem with running away with these feelings as long as you keep them under control and keep a strong hold on reality. We all have these feelings and we should make sure we're careful about them. If anyone wonders why atheists do convert, it's because they probably didn't learn to experience these things without belief. In fact, of all the atheist conversion stories I've heard, they always refer back to their life as an atheist as meaningless. Among those converts, most were atheists from the time that they were brought up. Perhaps atheists who are former believers understand spiritual feelings better and learned to find other experiences after conversion. Of course this is speculation and generalization, but I am definitely seeing a pattern.
  
  We're animals that crave a feeling of higher reality. We crave it so greatly that it makes us vulnerable to fallacy. Of course I'm not talking about yourreligion . But I'll refer to something that we all disagree with mutually: Scientology. We all know that's a load of bulls**t, but look at how many people actually convert to it. Its claims satisfy this deep higher desire, but they hijack the feeling and use it to take people's money.
  
  Now talking about your religion, how do you know that your desires are not being hijacked an manipulated? What if I just said "there is something that people tell their children at a young age that is so strongly appealing that not believing it will be hard." Perfectly plausible to imagine, but the nature of religion prevents you from questioning it. It hurts to question it. I would know because I was a believer too, and many of you already know that.
  
  But, I've learned that the other side isn't so bad and it's not without spiritual feeling to possibly a higher degree. I know that my number of profound experiences on average hasn't gone down since I deconverted. I feel clear. I feel at peace now. There are no hard questions to answer about what I believe because I lack belief. I'm never defending something unprovable. I let myself go and wonder, "just what did this place we call the universe all come from?"
  
  I find a deeper spiritual feeling in accepting that I don't know than anything else. Acceptance is deeply spiritual: deeply human.
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  14

  Why would God be racist?

  by mankkeli in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the old testament, can you think of any conceivable reason that an all knowing all powerful god might logically select one small desert tribe in the desert to be his "chosen" people, and leave all the other races of the world out?

  isn't that a bit racist?

  i mean, he did not choose chinese people, or african people, he specifically chose the jews, and at least as far as i've seen in the narrative, he pretty much lets them treat everyone else however they like.. .

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  mankkeli

  In the old testament, can you think of any conceivable reason that an all knowing all powerful god might logically select one small desert tribe in the desert to be his "chosen" people, and leave all the other races of the world out? Isn't that a bit racist? I mean, he did not choose Chinese people, or African people, he specifically chose the Jews, and at least as far as I've seen in the narrative, he pretty much lets them treat everyone else however they like.
  
  That is of course assuming that the narrative actually a factual recording of the will of an all powerful being, which I find quite a bit more than questionable.
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  16

  If you watch this you will definitely believe in God

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum__dm_dwg&feature=related.

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  mankkeli

  shador - The boy could be possesed by who?
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  16

  If you watch this you will definitely believe in God

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum__dm_dwg&feature=related.

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  mankkeli

  Couldn't it be that there is a spirit beyond the ordinary influencing the child's action. Just thinking.
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  16

  If you watch this you will definitely believe in God

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum__dm_dwg&feature=related.

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  mankkeli

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum__DM_dWg&feature=related
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  12

  The Local Gay Friendly Church!

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  so in my continuing quest to find a church which accepts me and provides me some spiritual encouragement every sunday, i decided to drop the baptists and search elsewhere.

  i went on the internet and searched for gay friendly churches.

  we found a methodist church in nottingham and we decided to go today.. when we entered, everyone was so welcoming.

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  mankkeli

  Tim - Try this church, their service is online as well http://scoan.org/ministries/emmanuel-tv/