never a jw

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Posts by never a jw

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  99

  The Greatest Intellectual Scam of All-Time: French Postmodernism

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sbf you annoyed me enough to deserve this.. gad saad's comments on the nonsensical gibberish of jacques derrida, michel foucault, and jacques lacan.

  charlatanism of the highest order.

  .... the first quote from derrida starts as 2:50.

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  never a jw

  Cofty,

  I am with you and I am with some of the ideas of the 20th century schools, including the constructivists, for example. I believe Kant was the strongest voice of the idea that objectivity and science are human constructs (I hope I got that right). I agree, but regardless of who were the forerunners of constructivism, My point is that the way we do science and handle social interactions has worked pretty well so far. So, questioning our perception of reality without offering a better method is an effort into futility, especially considering the amazing discoveries and inventions that have not only improved the life of so many, but also are getting us closer to understanding the biggest mystery and the very source of our perception of reality, the human brain.
  
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  99

  The Greatest Intellectual Scam of All-Time: French Postmodernism

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sbf you annoyed me enough to deserve this.. gad saad's comments on the nonsensical gibberish of jacques derrida, michel foucault, and jacques lacan.

  charlatanism of the highest order.

  .... the first quote from derrida starts as 2:50.

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  never a jw

  Slim,

  I did some reading on the concepts that you mention and moved me from ignorance to a state of confusion. Possibly my argument, if I had any, is that philosophy in recent times will almost have a null effect in the methods we use to discover and learn, as well as in our ethics and our moral and political philosophy. Roughly, starting with Descartes and Francis Bacon, and ending with the existentialists, the lion's share of philosophical thought that shaped modern western society was done. Anything after this period is so abstract that I hardly believe it will ever be settled in the near future. I am just an average man who finds some of the latest philosophical schools impenetrable or impractical.
  
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  99

  The Greatest Intellectual Scam of All-Time: French Postmodernism

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sbf you annoyed me enough to deserve this.. gad saad's comments on the nonsensical gibberish of jacques derrida, michel foucault, and jacques lacan.

  charlatanism of the highest order.

  .... the first quote from derrida starts as 2:50.

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  never a jw

  A tangential question for those in the know, but first let me preface it.

  I can't claim that post modernist are full of themselves because philosophy is not my gig...they do sound like they are full of it though. From my perspective (wow! I am becoming a postmodernist already), starting with the Pre-Socratic philosophers all the way to 19th century philosophers, we can safely say that they have influenced practically every aspect of modern western society: Ethics, Science, Art, Politics, Forms of Government, etc, etc.

  What do the 20th century philosophical schools have done to improve our world or our understanding of it? Will they matter in the future?
  
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  21

  10 Years On...

  by done4good in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just a note that 10 years ago, (christmas day, 2005), was my last time inside a kh.

  a lot has taken place for the better in those 10 years:.

  1. met the love of my life and happily married for 9 years, two days ago.. 2. completed a master's degree.. 3. work at senior management level in the it field.. 4. have a savings and retirement, and no debt outside of a mortgage and 1 car loan.. 5. lots of travel to several places that i never would have done as a jw.. 6. contribute to what i believe are meaningful causes.. 7. read, think, and meditate for myself.. 8. have a great extended family i inherited from my wife.. 9. lots of other great stuff, too much to list.. none of this is intended to be boastful.

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  never a jw

  Great story! Happy 2016! May the next ten years be as good or better!
  
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  10

  Next year will be a very tough year for me

  by never a jw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my new year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends.

  also, as i approach retirement ( i am 50), i need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

  i want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience.

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  never a jw

  Safe at home,

  True. In fact I don't plan to stop working until I stop breathing. However, I don't want to spend my last decades depending solely on a government check. That's not enough if my plans are to visit all, or at least most countries that are represented in this site. So far it's just the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
  

  Andersen,

  It's only 6:20 pm in Chihuahua Mexico where I am now. I got few more hours to go.

  
  

  Happy New 2016 to everyone at JWN. I hope many more lurkers turn to the "Dark Side" in 2016.
  
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  10

  Next year will be a very tough year for me

  by never a jw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my new year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends.

  also, as i approach retirement ( i am 50), i need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

  i want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience.

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  never a jw

  Regarding the prize for catching me breaking my vow, only one winner is allowed. the first one to send me a PM.
  
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  10

  Next year will be a very tough year for me

  by never a jw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my new year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends.

  also, as i approach retirement ( i am 50), i need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

  i want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience.

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  never a jw

  My New Year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends. Also, as I approach retirement ( I am 50), I need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

  I want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience. Many of you have had a lasting influence in my views and interests on some subjects. Many names come to mind, but I will write the three main ones: Leolaia, Ann O'maly and Cofty. Many others also have had an immense influence on me, but as a group. They are all those who posted the heart wrenching experiences that made me aware of the evil side of religion. Thank you.
  

  I apologize to those that I insulted, Some times my entrenched views can get me carried away.

  What's going to make 2016 tough is my vow not to post here anymore. This site is addictive because many wise and knowledgeable people here share their knowledge and wisdom with the rest of us. Thank you. I will occasionally drop by to read comments regarding our common "friend" who keeps our relatives and friends captives. I hope I get to see the denouement of the Watchtower saga in my lifetime.

  OK, Keep an eye on me. If I break my vow, then you can claim $100.00 prize. Send me a PM with a P.O.box to where I should send the money order.

  I solemnly swear.not to post anything in 2016...just 2016.
  
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  45

  The story of my exit

  by mrsObfuscate in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.

  i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .

  my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.

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  never a jw

  Mrs Obfuscate,

  Welcome to the better part of your life. Thank you for posting. Stories like yours make me hope that one day I will see my family walking away from this noxious cult
  
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  24

  Do our loved pets come back when we do?

  by Nichole in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have recently started studying and im really enjoying learning all about the truth!

  i am a huge animal lover and have my dog trixie for 11 years now, i got her when i was 12 years old and she has been the best friend and companion, i am so lucky and grateful to have her at my side every single day!

  i get worried a lot about what will happen when the time comes that she has to leave me, anytime i even think about it i start to cry because it would break my heart not to have her with me anymore!

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  never a jw

  Hi Nichole,

  I am not a JW. Therefore I can not claim that I have been personally harmed by the Watchtower. In fact, for 20 years I liked them so much that I allowed one of my daughters to get baptized. I still liked JW's very much; a good number of them are my friends. However, the Watchtower leadership, especially at the higher levels, are quite the opposite of the JW's that you have contact with. Before you make the big commitment (baptism) make sure you are fully informed of everything about the Watchtower and its leaders. Learn everything, good and bad. Failure to be fully informed can lead you to making very regrettable decisions.

  I love dogs very much too. But I just don't know what happens when physical life dies.
  
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  79

  The really cool feeling of community within JWs

  by Phaedra in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..

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  never a jw

  Yes, camaraderie and feelings of closeness are one of the good things. Actually, the only good thing. And I must admit is the best thing that can happen to the lonely, insecure, depressed. However, it traps many who could be quite adept or adaptable in other social groups, who can offer far more than just a network of conditional friends. My family of JW's, just as many other families, are trapped by this belief of: "look, we are happy and caring, therefore we must be the true religion". That's the only fallacious, yet quite effective, argument holding them in the cult.