Posts by faithnomore

27

Embracing, Not Running From, My Repressive JW Heritage, Finding A Few Things Worth Salvaging

by TMS in

yes, we could have been born in an alley in calcutta or with the physical deformities associated with thalidomide.

instead, we were born into or introduced to a repressive, american, religious cult, that shielded us from the warmongering game of chess, the militaristic boy scouts, fornication-inducing sock hops, the twist, as well as the hokey pokey.

we heeded the warnings, avoiding the greedy self-worship associated with masturbation, decadent rock 'n roll and anything preceded by the word "extra-curricular.".

faithnomore

I also learned a lot about public speaking and I think the TMS gave me a lot of confidence in that area.

I learned to love people (when "in"I took to heart that preaching was out of love) show kindness and be forgiving and that has translated nicely outside of the "truth".

Oddly I learned acceptance as well. For example I believed with every fiber of my being that being gay was just proof we were closer to the end and these folks couldn't "help" it. I "loved" the people but "hated" the action. Once leaving it was a nice transition to just accepting people for who they are.

I'm grateful that I learned these qualities. Most of my family are harsh uber jw so I know I learned it from being "in the truth" and not by familial environment:).

47

My 14-year-old niece is being disfellowshipped

by keyser soze in

jw
friends

i was contacted by my ex sister-in-law yesterday.

she asked me if i wanted to spend some time with my niece, while she went to her sister's baby shower.

it turns out my niece can't go because she's about to be disfellowshipped at the ripe old age of 14. .

faithnomore

Hopefully you can continue to support her buy showing love and kindness even if your still in. You will never regret it and as long as you don't advertise it you should be fine.

40

Politically Correct Wasteland

by freemindfade in

this was a comment i made from another post, but i would like to hear some people discuss this.

i know the social justice warriors will scream i'm some sort of trump supporter for what i say even though i don't agree with his ideas and no i am not voting for him... i accept this is a go to for them.. i think we have fallen into a pc vacuum.. criticizing someones religion = racism!.

telling someone to not be so sensitive = misogyny!.

faithnomore

A good rule of thumb I try to use is... attack the post not the poster.

Seems like debate is healthy but once a post starts calling someone names even calling them sensitive it becomes perceived as personal. But thats just my thought.

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.