Xanthippe

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Posts by Xanthippe

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  219

  An important difference between atheists and true believers

  by Hortensia in

  1. social
  2. current

  true believers, whether christian, muslim or whatever, want to convert you, they want you to believe what they do, and they're willing to go to extremes to make it happen.

  atheists don't really care what you believe, and don't go out of their way to convert someone.. http://ow.ly/vn1jz an example of what believers in power do to suppress any difference in thought.

  http://ow.ly/vraeo an example of why believers want to suppress different ideas (because they can't win in a fair fight, that's why).

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  Xanthippe

  People who believe fairy tales are true. Argh. - Hortensia

  Odd thing to say if you used to be a JW.

  I like the point that atheists have had to give up some comfort in order to face reality. It's true. Reality includes each person's demise, life isn't forever. It's a sad truth, but one we can face and then we can get on with enjoying life as much as possible. - Hortensia

  Two things come to mind here

  1. Some people leave the JWs very late in life and find in very difficult to give up their comfort zone if they are already at retirement age and feel their life has been wasted. To go on reading and studying and facing harsh reality is very difficult for them. Some, like my MIL would rather just go to church when she feels like it and keep her vague mainstream belief which isn't hurting anyone - it gets her through the last few years of her life and the death of her son.

  2. I don't think it is so that every true believer that belongs to a church that teaches life after death is prevented from having a good life in the present. Not all churches teach about Christ's coming and an eschatological view of the world. We tend to make this mistake because we were raised in an eschatological cult. Eschatology, belief in the end of the world, is a very specific branch of theism. My MIL certainly enjoys life in the present, that is her personality. What she believes about life after death, I have no idea, we don't dicuss it.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology
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  21

  The Golden Rule, proof that a higher intelligence did NOT write the Bible

  by jws in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the golden rule, matthew 7:12:.

  so in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.. .

  a whle back i had a management course.

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  Xanthippe

  Very true about Confucius, Plato, Buddha all saying similar things to the golden rule, plus they said it earlier.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule

  The big change that this way of thinking brought in, in about 500 BC was empathy, particularly for people who are not of your family, tribe, town. Enlightened self interest starting, the beginning of civilisation as we know it.

  Now however we are moving on as your training course highlights, treat people as they want to be treated. The rise of individualism and how we now value it.

  Did you know the word individual didn't come into the English language until the 1830s?

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism
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  13

  First year without Memorial

  by sp74bb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my first year after more than 20 years.... it seems strange.

  happy fellings but at the same times feeling some loniness.. is your first one as well?.

  veterans: how do you feel after some many years?.

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  Xanthippe

  Veterans: How do you feel after some many years?

  After 25 years I wouldn't even know when it was if I didn't look on this forum. Weird ritual in crazy cult who think they are never going to die. And they think we are mentally diseased!
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  39

  A few International Conv instructions (more ways to control)

  by doinmypart in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few official instructions jw delegates are being told leading up to the international conventions.

  congregation secretaries are holding conference calls and then relating the instructions to the congregation.. atlanta - do not drive to convention, parking will not be available.

  take public transportation; attendants will be on all public transit and able to assist.. dallas - attendants will be on site at all hotels to make sure delegates leave the hotel at their assigned times and take their assigned route.

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  Xanthippe

  My poor mom struggled, I don't know how she did it.

  I do, well I know why she did it, because of the promises made to her. She was the same as my mother who took four children to conventions, spending money we needed for clothes. All because she thought one day we would have a beautiful big house in the country with a lion on the lawn. How sad.
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  219

  An important difference between atheists and true believers

  by Hortensia in

  1. social
  2. current

  true believers, whether christian, muslim or whatever, want to convert you, they want you to believe what they do, and they're willing to go to extremes to make it happen.

  atheists don't really care what you believe, and don't go out of their way to convert someone.. http://ow.ly/vn1jz an example of what believers in power do to suppress any difference in thought.

  http://ow.ly/vraeo an example of why believers want to suppress different ideas (because they can't win in a fair fight, that's why).

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  Xanthippe

  Well my little old mother-in-law, 82, ex-JW now Anglican church-goer, isn't trying to convert me away from atheism. She probably finds her belief comforting after the death of her son. It's a sweeping statement to say that most true believers want to convert you to their view but atheists don't. Big world filled with many, many different types of people.
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  9

  Happy Birthday LouBelle!

  by kurtbethel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes, it's that time of year to recognize that southern belle of the great continent of africa, our own loubelle!.

  may you have a wonderful birthday and know that you are treasured by myself and many others here.. .

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  Xanthippe

  Happy Birthday LouBelle, have a good time
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  75

  FORGIVENESS ... You owe it to your health

  by ABibleStudent in

  1. social
  2. physical

  i'm cleaning up my home of unnecessary magazines/newsletters that i have accumulated over the years.

  while i was working as an employee i did not feel like i had the time to read them.

  now that i'm not working as an employee but work as a volunteer to network and maintain workplace skills, i seem to have more time to read.. after reading many threads by former jws, i thought that the following article might help some to heal.

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  Xanthippe

  Interesting that psychologists think it doesn't necessarily mean reconciling with the person, forgetting what they did or condoning it. Just moving on from the anger and the desire for revenge. Yes that's good, I don't think staying angry is good for you. Personally I had to let go of my anger about the cult because it just caused me to have a permanent short fuse and keep losing it with people at inappropriate times like at work. Anger inside of you just seems to keep spilling over when you don't want it to.

  I do still have a problem with the word forgiveness. It feels religious to me. I prefer the idea of moving on, getting past the anger, getting on with my life. Good thoughts Robert. We don't want to live in the past, there's too much pleasure and fun to have in the present.
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  36

  Where were you? / How old were you?... during the Ray Franz witch trial?

  by Zoos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was 13yo and largely clueless to what was going on.

  i think i remember hearing something about an apostate being weeded out of bethel but really couldn't have cared less.

  i didn't start getting zealous until a couple of years later.. .

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  Xanthippe

  Early twenties, pioneering in the UK. Vaguely understood that 'something' had happened in Brooklyn bethel to do with apostates because the Watchtower study articles kept going on about apostates. Apart from that - pretty clueless.
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  112

  Why are JWs so afraid of apostates?

  by Magnum in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why are jws so afraid of apostates?

  their view of apostates seems to be out of the realm of the ordinary, the natural.

  its as if the words of apostates are supernatual or spiritistic as if apostates are some kind of jedi knights who can slightly wave their hands or twitch their eyes and bring one under a spell.

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  Xanthippe

  I also think it's something to do with feeling uneducated and vulnerable when facing people who have done research and who might make us feel small and ignorant. I remember feeling that but not wanting to admit it to myself.
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  68

  What TV Show(s) Do You Just Love?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i regularly watch family feud.. homeland is a great show i watch every week, when it's in season.. metv has so many great programs---from taxi to the twilight zone.. what do you like watching?

  ?.

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  Xanthippe

  Elementary, The Mentalist, reruns of Cagney and Lacey from the eighties - pure joy.