Posts by Xanthippe

20

Equality of outcome ...

by LoveUniHateExams in

... in pol pot's cambodia.. .

the regime freed these people from inequality and an oppressive class system by changing them from being alive to being dead, and so they were all equally dead..

Xanthippe

By this time, I was starting to raise my voice, not out of anger or because I'm some kind of bigot, but because I am passionate about certain issues and because I was starting to doubt my own sanity as I was sinking further down in this quagmire of a conversation. XD

I read your whole conversation and thought it was interesting how immediately weird the guy became when you argued about gender issues with him. Just wondered why you yourself are passionate about discussing gender?

With my daughter, she joined the feminist society at uni and sometimes she seems over the top with her views. That's even though I consider myself a dyed in the wool feminist, in other words the idea that men and women aren't equal never occured to me growing up and when I came across sexism in JWs I was shocked.

I've read very little feminist literature, I find it depressing. I did try to read the Female Eunuch years ago but stopped when she talked about eating your baby's placenta.WTF? So just wondered why the passion about gender issues as someone who probably hasn't been treated as inferior due to gender, or perhaps you have?

26

Brexit Rollercoaster Grinding to a Halt

by The Fall Guy in

uk prime minister could be out of her job within hours.

.

regardless, another referendum on stay/leave looks very likely - now that people can see what the real consequences of a divorce from the eu would be..

Xanthippe

All I could hear from older people during the run up to the referendum was foreigners are taking our jobs and sending British child benefit home to their kids, care of Nigel Farage's campaign. I don't think that all brexiters are xenophobic snugglebunny but there was a lot of it about. Now many of them are regretting their vote, saying we were deceived. Yeah that's democracy.

17

Conversation with my Dad today concerning the Leah Remini show

by joe134cd in

joe : i don’t quite know how to tell you this dad.

dad : what daughter .

joe : dont get mad or offensive, but there was a documentary that aired a few nights ago on prime time tv in the usa concerning the jws, and there was some very nasty stuff mentioned, and it certainly wasn’t positive toward the organisation.

Xanthippe

Very frustrating for you, at least you tried. Some people just don't seem bright enough to see a cult even when it's right under their nose.

34

For those who are athest, or non-christian, how did you come to this decision?

by Tameria2001 in

i'm not asking this question to cause an argument or accuse, but i am honestly just wondering?

for those of you who are now atheist or non-christian, how did you come to this decision?

i hadn't given this much thought until about a year ago.

Xanthippe

Hi Tameria, I was a Christian for a couple of years after leaving the JWs but I've always loved science and the evidence for evolution is very strong I found.

Then the arguments for something that's always bothered me my whole life, why does God permit suffering, just started to fall apart. The Christian churches all believe in the Fall of man in the garden of Eden and redemption through Christ's sacrifice.

But when I decided to study for a history degree I saw even more that so much terrible suffering had been permitted by God even after his son gave his life supposedly. What's he waiitng for? Why doesn't he stop it? Giving an answer to Satan as in Job? Oh for goodness sake!

Then I realised the Christian God just isn't there that's why suffering has continued. Plus in my studies the misery caused by the Christian religion in the Middle Ages, the burnings, the torture just appalled me.

Why didn't he even stop his own followers from forcing others to convert by telling them he loves everyone? He's not there, that's my conclusion, but please find your own conclusions. After all humankind has suffered surely we can allow people to believe whatever they want now as long as it doesn't harm others.

15

Thank you F&DS @ the Watchtower Corporation! Thank you! Thank you!

by Solzhenitsyn in

this sundays 11/18 wt p.18 pp.3.

/ happy are those who serve "the happy god".

"stressful events-such as when a loved one dies or is disfellowshipped...".

Xanthippe

Solzhenitsyn that's great news! I'm really happy for you. Of course they class disfellowshipping as stressful as a death, they're taught to treat their family as if they're dead.

Hope your wife's lightbulb moment continues. Let's hope Mrs Solzhenitsyn defects too! See what I did there.

19

Dreading the new system of things

by Addison0998 in

was i the only one who secretly dreaded the new system of things a little bit when i was a believing witness?

of course i felt very guilty, because of all the sick and heartbroken people who needed a perfect world to live in.

but there are a lot of nice parts of life i was going to secretly miss.

Xanthippe

Was I the only one who secretly dreaded the new system of things a little bit when I was a believing witness?

No you weren't the only one. My husband and I wanted to get away from it all when we got into the new system, live a quiet life out in the country, build a house, grow some food, have some babies and keep away from those screwed up, egotistical elders.

We said we would basically avoid all the crazy elders and COs until Jesus sorted them out. Yeah well.....then we realised.

51

What are your favorite musical scores in film?

by LoveUniHateExams in

hi guys!.

this thread is at least partly inspired by blondie's classical music thread.. i'm not particularly a musical person but i do appreciate good scores in film.. what are your favorites?.

here's a well-known movie score i like .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btdleusg9ew .

Xanthippe

Love Hans Zimmer's score for Gladiator, particularly Earth

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_i02snWp2Yo

31

Favorite Classical Pieces, Sonatas, Concertos, Etudes etc...

by blondie in

jw
friends

... filling in holes in my cds.

give me composer, work, key if possible.

Xanthippe

I love Borodin's, In The Steppes Of Central Asia

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ1ZeZx2yaI

68

The paranormal.

by Lost in the fog in

i know that a lot of the people on here have turned their backs on the idea of a deity deciding that god does not exist.

but what about the unseen spirit world generally such as poltergeists, jinns, voodoo, etc.

if you have become agnostic, atheist, or just don't care since leaving, do you think that there are spirits out there or have you decided that is also hokum?

Xanthippe

- Xanthippe, so, are you a "believer" or a "non"? Declare yourself, Sire! -Nathan
  Sire? Not a reader of classical literature then? Try googling Xanthippe.
  are you a "believer" or a "non"? Declare yourself
  My post was not ambiguous, merely ironic. I see both sides of the argument for examining the paranormal and totally understand why many don't.
  My personal research into the paranormal over thirty years since leaving the cult has led me to the conclusion that mind is more than the brain and therefore the survival of consciousness after death is feasible.
  Simon's post here is exactly how I feel

The paranormal / supernatural is the same as magic - defying normal / rational / provable science

Many things do seem like magic, defying normal, rational, provable science. It has been like that since the dawn of time. Gradually we have found all things obey the laws of physics, they just seem like magic.