Posts by Xanthippe

16

Old JW friend of my wife stoped by.

by dogon in

an old jw friend of my wife stopped by here in fla. i knew there would be some subliminal bs.

i had to keep quiet through all the this old system can not go on much longer and are you going to the memorial?

gag.

Xanthippe

this old system can not go on much longer

What they mean is they can't go on much longer. My sister went for a brain scan last week. According to my cousin she has ME, arthritis, fibromyalgia, walks with a stick and has had to leave work. I only hope the brain scan doesn't mean the cancer's back. Good god she's only five years older than me and there's nothing wrong with me, l havn't seen a doctor this year.

They are exhausted and desperate for a rest. B, if you're lurking on this forum please rest, there's no new system coming, you need to stop letting them work you to death.

7

For those who have been out of the Borg for awhile do you have a Authentic Personality? Six points to look at.

by Still Totally ADD in

jw
friends

i remember when i first came on this site back in 2007 many of the threads talk about after you leave a cult you need to find your authentic personality.

i have found this takes a lot of effort.

i found this article from the huffington post under healthy living date 7-29-2014.

Xanthippe

Doing okay I think except for 2) showing vulnerability, still struggle with that. Got so used to being kicked in the soft underbelly in that cult I learnt to hide it. Thanks Totally ADD very interesting post.

8

Heres to you Saint Patrick

by zeb in

jw
friends

cheers all ill have an irish coffee for ye all..

Xanthippe

I'll have an Irish Whiskey. My great grandmother was Irish. Cheers!

35

New member + anyone attended/seen the Zone Visit?

by Isambard Crater in

jw
friends

i'm a new member so wanted to say 'hi'.

i live in the u.k, was born in, fell away as an unbaptised publisher, got baptised in my 30s for reasons i'm retrospectively unsure of, and lost my faith about five years ago around the time of the original a.r.c.

now, being unable to leave is making me physically, emotionally and mentally ill.. i have been visiting this forum for a couple of years and wanted to post my first message to see if anyone has attended, heard or watched the zone visit broadcast thing happening this month?

Xanthippe

Thank you Xanthippe !
It's pretty much my parents who I'm staying in for. They know how bad my mental and physical health is but just can't see that the religion is even 1% to blame. I know for sure it'd break their hearts if I left again, because it broke their hearts when I drifted away as an unbaptised publisher in my 20's.

I do understand, I hated hurting my mum and my brother and sisters. It was the right thing to do for me. After five years of clinical depression in that religion I had to get away, It was crucial for my survival.

My daughter is 21 and whatever she decides to do in her life I will support her as long as it's not dangerous or illegal of course. Parents have to let their children grow up and live their own lives and if your parents do not acknowledge your boundaries then isn't the fault with them? I know this is hard but you need to think of your health. Take care.

35

New member + anyone attended/seen the Zone Visit?

by Isambard Crater in

jw
friends

i'm a new member so wanted to say 'hi'.

i live in the u.k, was born in, fell away as an unbaptised publisher, got baptised in my 30s for reasons i'm retrospectively unsure of, and lost my faith about five years ago around the time of the original a.r.c.

now, being unable to leave is making me physically, emotionally and mentally ill.. i have been visiting this forum for a couple of years and wanted to post my first message to see if anyone has attended, heard or watched the zone visit broadcast thing happening this month?

Xanthippe

Hi and welcome IC. Good to know another one is awake. It sounds ideal for you to leave if your husband isn't a JW. If this is damaging your health, especially your mental health it sounds like you need to make plans to fade soon.

16

At what point were you taught about disfellowshipping? What page in the current study book is it covered?

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

even thinking about born-ins here.

at what stage of your 'bible teaching' were you taught about the practice of disfellowshipping?.

reading john cedars book and the section about when the more crazy shit gets introduced to you is very telling.

Xanthippe

I found out in my questions for baptism at 15. I got the question wrong. I said disfellowshipping was a punishment. The elder came back with the it's an act of love bullshit but I just couldn't see it. If I could I would tell my fifteen-year-old self, if something sounds like bullshit, it is. Trust yourself.

74

Was/Is Religion Useful Even if it isn't True?

by cofty in

in his book "the righteous mind" jonathan haidt proposes that religion served - and continues to serve an important role in bringing about cohesion within non-kin groups.. to put it very briefly haidt advocates a form of group selection but only insofar as it applies to humans.

our unique brains have made it possible for us to cooperate in groups in ways that are impossible for all non-human species.

despite their intelligence you will never see two chimps helping each other to carry the same log or one chimp pulling down a branch while the other removes the fruit.. his description is that humans are 90% chimp and 10% bee.

Xanthippe

In A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis the author proposes that human brains are like open circuits that need to interact with other brains to feel psychologically whole. He calls talking to another person limbic looping.

He doesn't think you have to agree with that person or have something enormously in common with them as in a religious group but you just need to have a few of those interactions on a daily basis to be healthy. It suggests we may be evolving beyond group think.

69

What food are you grateful for?

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i'll start: stilton cheese.. (it was a toss up between that and sweet pickled beetroot).. thank you folks..

Xanthippe

Potatoes, raspberries, Parmesan cheese, Tiramisu, tomatoes, garlic,

74

Was/Is Religion Useful Even if it isn't True?

by cofty in

in his book "the righteous mind" jonathan haidt proposes that religion served - and continues to serve an important role in bringing about cohesion within non-kin groups.. to put it very briefly haidt advocates a form of group selection but only insofar as it applies to humans.

our unique brains have made it possible for us to cooperate in groups in ways that are impossible for all non-human species.

despite their intelligence you will never see two chimps helping each other to carry the same log or one chimp pulling down a branch while the other removes the fruit.. his description is that humans are 90% chimp and 10% bee.

Xanthippe

If our brains are descended from ancestors whose brains tended towards groupish ritual that would explain a lot about our world.

Yes it would. Anglican funerals are a good example. It may be just high church but the vicar was dressed in bright green robes and walked in saying at the top of his voice 'I am the resurrection and the light'. I nearly jumped out of my skin because of course we didn't see him enter as all the pews faced the front. Then the whole church reciting the Lord's Prayer. Creepy!

I wonder what evolutionary blip has caused some of us to hate groupish ritual. Is it because we were raised JW with its lack of ritual or are people attracted to the new religions because they dislike group ritual. Personally I hated the Memorial, the only groupish ritual we had. Although I suppose you could class singing together as a group ritual. I quite enjoyed that especially at conventions. Now people join and sing in choirs without religion, I see them advertised on town notice boards. We still want to do things in groups even without religion.

74

Was/Is Religion Useful Even if it isn't True?

by cofty in

in his book "the righteous mind" jonathan haidt proposes that religion served - and continues to serve an important role in bringing about cohesion within non-kin groups.. to put it very briefly haidt advocates a form of group selection but only insofar as it applies to humans.

our unique brains have made it possible for us to cooperate in groups in ways that are impossible for all non-human species.

despite their intelligence you will never see two chimps helping each other to carry the same log or one chimp pulling down a branch while the other removes the fruit.. his description is that humans are 90% chimp and 10% bee.

Xanthippe

When hunter-gatherers settled down and developed agriculture they were beset by the problems of all farmers, drought, floods, pests and animal diseases. Which explains why ancient peoples had a deity and ritual for everything in the agricultural life, gods for protection of crops, gods for appeasing the weather, gods to watch over their animals and harvest festivals to give thanks. Without science they were at the mercy of the climate and biological forces so they sought help from the supernatural.