Yes you're right, I did a distant learning degree, starting at 32. In the UK and parts of Europe we have the Open University. I would highly recommend it, although I found the tutors varied from year to year, some good, some bad, but the teaching materials were excellent.
Xanthippe
JoinedPosts by Xanthippe
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37
After leaving what did you Major in?
by Luther bertrand ini am curious if my observations are correct.
i noticed alot of exjws end up majoring in the social sciences.
i am also interested in what educational choices people have made either while fading or while completely out.
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37
After leaving what did you Major in?
by Luther bertrand ini am curious if my observations are correct.
i noticed alot of exjws end up majoring in the social sciences.
i am also interested in what educational choices people have made either while fading or while completely out.
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Xanthippe
History. -
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Richard Dawkins on spirituality - please help
by Fernando ini would like to better understand what richard dawkins is saying and would appreciate your help, views and opinions, including the implications:.
"far from being demeaning to human spiritual values, scientific rationalism is the crowning glory of the human spirit.
".
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Xanthippe
He's saying after thousands of years of being at the mercy of ignorance of biology and cosmology and prey to religious leaders and their made up stories we are beginning through science to find out how we got here and what the universe is made of. Finding that we are animals is therefore not demeaning.
We have been on a long journey from looking up at the stars in wonder and asking who made it all to beginning to learn what our universe is all about. We should be proud of what we have become, he's saying. These apes have surpassed themselves. We done good.
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Feeling A Bit Down Today
by jacobm inhey y'all, .
i'm not sure about you, but i occasionally get those days where i feel a bit down, as if i have no friends.
i do have a number of great friends, though, and am very thankful for them.. i think it might have to do with the residual programming of having a "worldwide brotherhood".
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Xanthippe
I'm sorry you're feeling down. It's true we were used to a lot of friends in the religion but I find just having two or three good friends I can really rely on rather that dozens who I'm not sure of a much better way to live. I hope you feel better soon. -
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Why Faith is Self-Defeating
by cofty inthe god of christian theism values faith.. "without faith it is impossible to please god, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists" - heb.11.
faith and evidence are inversely proportional - the more evidence there is that god exists the less faith you need in that proposition and vice-versa.. so how can a christian criticise any other faith-based belief?
for example they can protest that all the evidence is against the claims of scientology, but that just means that scientologists require more faith than christians.
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Xanthippe
i thought faith was to do with trust
Surely we trust people who come through for us. Trusting someone who has never been there for us when we needed him is just well .......religion.
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What would we all do if the watchtower collapsed tomorrow ?
by stan livedeath ini would probably collapse laughing.
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Xanthippe
The same as I'm doing now. Trying to live life to the best of my ability. And... Trying to get my bloody garden looking good, ...one day! -
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Why Faith is Self-Defeating
by cofty inthe god of christian theism values faith.. "without faith it is impossible to please god, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists" - heb.11.
faith and evidence are inversely proportional - the more evidence there is that god exists the less faith you need in that proposition and vice-versa.. so how can a christian criticise any other faith-based belief?
for example they can protest that all the evidence is against the claims of scientology, but that just means that scientologists require more faith than christians.
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Xanthippe
Yes a belief in a God is often expressed as being based on the evidence of creation. Beautiful creatures, the human body, wonderful edible plants, fruits, trees. Then you are left with the creatures that sting, bite, try to eat us and the plants that have poisoned us. Plus earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and floods. Add to that terrible diseases that shatter lives.
So the whole web of religious beliefs seem to be trying to explain these 'anomalies'. The main answer provided by religion for the things that are wrong with the planet is, we have caused them. Somehow according to all the monotheistic religions humans have caused the world to go wrong by disobedience, lack of faith, just not being good enough.
However God in his beneficence will put it all right, either in this world or the next. How can we be sure? We must have faith. Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!
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Closer/death/Funerals
by Leela1 inhello all i am fairly new to this site even though i have been da since i was 16 years old i am now 35 years old.
i have had very little contact with my family since i left maybe a handful of times over the years.
i thought i put the past behind me and moved on i have 4 amazing kids of my own really supportive partner and great friends who have become my family.
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Xanthippe
Oh Leela I am so sorry the cult mind-controlled your family to that extent. You've been through so much my heart goes out to you. I will try and answer a few of your questions in case my experiences will help.
My family have had very little to do with me for 27 years since we Da'ed, mainly we do funerals. It was weird seeing them all at my mother's bedside in hospital, but they seemed like strangers. I did go to my mother's funeral at a KH. Basically the JWs didn't speak to me. My dad died four months later so I got together with my JW family to do that funeral. After that I tried to meet up with my sister for a coffee or a meal, I sent her a note suggesting this. I thought after all we'd been through the past few months... No dice, she wouldn't meet me, it might stumble someone.
Then my husband died, they came to his funeral, one sister and my brother plus their partners. They went back to not phoning me about six weeks later. They would allow me to phone them but made it clear that I was persona non grata. Even though I had a 13 year old daughter they didn't occasionally phone to see if she was ok. That isn't good enough for me I'm afraid so I left them to it.
I don't know, your father sounds very abusive to me so I don't think he is going to apologise and possibly he might not even speak to you. I don't know what to suggest but it's good to have you here. You've done so well making a new life and new family for yourself. 🌷
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How many of you are health nuts?
by Harvard Illiterate 411 inthere was/is a sister in my old hall who was a pharmaceutical sales rep and she was a huge proponent of anything in the drug industry.
when someone had a headache, she was the first to say "take an asprin.
" now my husband and i are what you might call old hippies.
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Xanthippe
Diogenesister my mother recommended cider vinegar and all I can say is it works as a preventative and if I feel a slight ache in my hips or knees after a long walk it takes away the pain. My mother started to get arthritic pain in her spine in her forties. Her doctor said she would soon be in a wheelchair.
She started reading books about it and changed her diet to a more healthy one with lots of whole foods. She never did use a wheelchair and was riding a bike in her sixties. Her sister on the other hand had her first hip replacement at 47.
Make sure you take it in water to protect your teeth.
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55
How many of you are health nuts?
by Harvard Illiterate 411 inthere was/is a sister in my old hall who was a pharmaceutical sales rep and she was a huge proponent of anything in the drug industry.
when someone had a headache, she was the first to say "take an asprin.
" now my husband and i are what you might call old hippies.
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Xanthippe
Yeah I eat lots of fruit, veg, fish, free range chicken and eggs, no red meat. Organic milk too because it's chemical and hormone free and usually the cows are treated well. I haven't eaten burgers, sausages, salami or pies for over ten years. I don't take any medication except an occasional headache tablet. I take a multivitamin pill every day. Only thing I take medicinally is cider vinegar in water twice a day because all the women in my family get arthritis. So far only the odd twinge. I see a doctor less than once a year.