Posts by faithnomore

8

Science vs Religion - All in the brain? New study...

by faithnomore in

maybe they can't help it?.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20365/20160325/science-vs-religion-brain-neural-networks-faith-reason-religious-non-religious.htm.

http://phys.org/news/2016-03-conflict-science-religion-lies-brains.html.

faithnomore

@elbib what I find so interesting about this new study though is that having a religious belief actually suppresses cognitive thinking and believing in science supresses morals much like your quote of von Braun "science does not have a moral dimension".

So my question is can one help it if their brain actually shuts down cognitive thinking? It appears from this one study that our brain can't marry the two because each of the the thoughts (science/religion) are from two different hemispheres of the brain and using one shuts down the other. Any way I just found that interesting and would love to have more info.

Perhaps this is what helps me not be so mad at myself for being hoodwinked:) for me to say I couldn't help it because my brain shut down all reasoning when I was a true believer:). It took months of fading before I started realizing that maybe what I was taught wasn't right. Almost like I had to be removed from the congregation for some time before my cognitive thinking kicked in.

8

Science vs Religion - All in the brain? New study...

by faithnomore in

maybe they can't help it?.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20365/20160325/science-vs-religion-brain-neural-networks-faith-reason-religious-non-religious.htm.

http://phys.org/news/2016-03-conflict-science-religion-lies-brains.html.

faithnomore

I think its basically saying that believing in a god/religion is using one hemisphere of the brain which then suppresses cognitive thinking and vice versa. I think its super interesting because I think back to when I was a jw believer and there was nothing you could say that would make me believe there is no god (which I tie directly to religion) so I feel like my cognitive thinking was for sure suppressed.

8

Science vs Religion - All in the brain? New study...

by faithnomore in

maybe they can't help it?.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20365/20160325/science-vs-religion-brain-neural-networks-faith-reason-religious-non-religious.htm.

http://phys.org/news/2016-03-conflict-science-religion-lies-brains.html.

faithnomore

Maybe they can't help it?

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20365/20160325/science-vs-religion-brain-neural-networks-faith-reason-religious-non-religious.htm

http://phys.org/news/2016-03-conflict-science-religion-lies-brains.html

Thoughts?

16

A mistake we did ...

by Absolutesbeginners in

hello girls !.

i ve been reading you all many times , and from many years ..... i am sure my english is getting better and better because of you !

i am from france, no sorry , from "small brittany " ...so what ?

faithnomore

This is what helps me...

As a born in I could have been born into Scientology, the Moonies, Mormon, Jim Jones, the Family etc. Each having some major issues in my opinion.

I try to look at the positive things I learned from being a jw. I was taught to love people which carried over nicely when I faded to accepting all people. I was taught to put others first which transitioned nicely into trying to be kind and not always react. I was taught to turn away from wrath which helps me today not to be too angry with family, friends or my circumstances. There are more but I think you get the jest of how I look at being raised a jw and how I cope today.

16

You Can Be Happy As A JW If...

by JW_Rogue in

you are delusional.

meaning that you believe everything that the wt says 100% without questioning it all.

you believe there is no other source of truth or valid view points.

faithnomore

Perhaps there are two competing hemispheres in the brain and believing shuts off cognitive thinking?

http://www.jobsnhire.com/articles/39126/20160327/science-vs-religion-new-study-blaming-human-brain-for-age-old-conflict-between-scientific-evidence-and-religious-beliefs.htm

36

Coming to terms with the Watchtower experience

by Lee Elder in

it is a challenge coming to terms with your experience as a jehovah's witness.

if you were born and raised as a jw, and your parents were true believers, the impact on your life is profound, lasting, and largely negative.

in some cases quite abusive emotionally, spiritually, financially, educationally and yes, even sexually.. i recently watched "trumbo", and was quite moved by dalton trumbo's speech to the screen writers guild in 1970. here is an excerpt that i think is quite relevant to this topic:.

faithnomore

I truly believe they are a victim of their beliefs. Do they know its wrong? I'm not convinced.

A couple of years ago you couldn't convince me anything associated with the truth was "wrong". My spouse tried so hard and I wouldn't budge. No way no how, this was the truth period, end of discussion. I went out and and used phrasing, illustrations and what not that played to emotions. I did this not out of malice but because I thought I had the cure, the truth.

I believe, speaking from experience, people can be so blinded by what they want to believe.

I personally can't blame one single person except myself for my years in the "truth". I read scriptures, I didn't use critical thinking. I can only blame myself.

Edited to add: thanks for the welcome everyone! I'm still sorta in a stunned faze. Seems nihlism is the way I lean at this point but give me time:).

36

Coming to terms with the Watchtower experience

by Lee Elder in

it is a challenge coming to terms with your experience as a jehovah's witness.

if you were born and raised as a jw, and your parents were true believers, the impact on your life is profound, lasting, and largely negative.

in some cases quite abusive emotionally, spiritually, financially, educationally and yes, even sexually.. i recently watched "trumbo", and was quite moved by dalton trumbo's speech to the screen writers guild in 1970. here is an excerpt that i think is quite relevant to this topic:.

faithnomore

Thank you Giordano I appreciated the pm. I've gone through (I think) the various stages of grief if I might describe fading as that. I am thankful that I was taught by jw to love people so I'm not having a hard transition on accepting people without prejudice. I think my question in what I believe now is more along the lines of a God.

5

A new article on Gerrit's thinking on "Going to College is like pulling the trigger to our mouth"

by opusdei1972 in

i have written a new article about how truthful is gerrit's comparison.

as you may know, in 2005 gerrit losch gave a talk in which he compared higher education with committing suicide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjh4qvmxyhy.

faithnomore

Higher education is eye opening and often the result is critical thinking. just saying.

8

I finally understood the final hurdle...

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

well the "pious" elders tuned out to be " super pious" and very good at reciting from the " very super pious" elders manuel, but actually " super pious" elders are quite harmless when ignored.. as for my former friends in the congregation, well throughout the ages there have always been people prepared to stand up for truth and friendship, sadly my " former" friends from the congregation proved not to be people of such noble character, instead only capable of giving short contrived speeches about why they missed me at meetings, snooze, and no great loss, as i have found the community outside the w.t organisation positively buzzing with unconditional friendship.. anyway i feel i have overcome all hurdles in my exit from the " w.t" except one,which is how i deal with my disrespectful father.

even when i was a witness in good standing, he had a pretty disrespectful and rude word power, now it's completely inappropriate.

i have tried pointing this out, even had long periods without contact, but i don't like doing that as it denies my mum seeing her grandson.. however what i have concluded is that this isn't w.t at fault.

faithnomore

Some people need to be loved from far away for ones own well being. Often times the abusive ones have been abused. We often don't know what one goes through or has gone through in life, some people are masters at hiding their pain. All we can do is show compassion and kindness and hope it conquers, if it doesn't then at least we know we tried.

best of luck.

36

Coming to terms with the Watchtower experience

by Lee Elder in

it is a challenge coming to terms with your experience as a jehovah's witness.

if you were born and raised as a jw, and your parents were true believers, the impact on your life is profound, lasting, and largely negative.

in some cases quite abusive emotionally, spiritually, financially, educationally and yes, even sexually.. i recently watched "trumbo", and was quite moved by dalton trumbo's speech to the screen writers guild in 1970. here is an excerpt that i think is quite relevant to this topic:.

faithnomore

I guess I see LeeElders point sorta....

A child of physical abuse is a victim. He/she grows up to be an abuser and is now a victim/victimizer. He/she was a victim of circumstance and will always be considered a victim of sorts when discussing what happened to him/her as a child and as a result of that becomes the thing he/she hated most, abusive. Some people that were abused physically don't repeat the cycle but many do, thus they are still a victim by virtue of the horrid way they were brought up and now a victimizer by repeating the abusive behavior.

As for jws and gb...I feel every single one of us was/is a victim. A victim of a belief system that turned out to be bunk. Some are able to recognize the fallacy, some still cling to the beliefs, some don't believe but hang on anyway hoping beyond all hope it could be true, some fake to keep family relationships, some are struck by all the "power". In my opinion they are victims. Victims of a belief system that basically traps most into staying.

This is my first post so be easy on me. I'm certainly not defending anyone. I just think everyone starts out a victim.

I often think of the many many studies and rv's I had (former regular pioneer here) where I talked about "what a better way for satan to blind their eyes by making them think they were worshiping god". I truly think most of the ones still in really truly are blinded and believe. The gb believe their own bs I think. But thats me wanting to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone and everyone. Its to hard to believe that the gb would on purpose cause so much heartache. I think they are truly blinded along with being drunk on their power.

Since this is my first post (lurker for maybe 6-8 months) let me say I've faded over the last year after many years of doubts, even during my pioneer days. I've gone through the cycle of sadness, anger and am now in the "what the hell do I believe now" mode. I am not an apologist but I have many many family and friends that are still in and I love and adore them and I see them as well as myself as a victim. Oddly enough I also see my self as a victimizer because I helped several into the "truth".