Rivergang

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Posts by Rivergang

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  12

  Are JW's brainwashed?

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know as a jw i concluded several times that i was not brainwashed as i was not some unautonimous zombie and had not experienced anything akin to.... .

  but in reality, brainwashing is a control of thought and ideas over a person and changing the way they think.

  in normal life such sentences are not used, in fact they are highly discouraged... .

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  Rivergang

  As summed up by a reviewer of Joel Dimsdale's recent work Dark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to the Social Media

  "The term has always had more political explanatory power than actual psychological basis".

  "Brainwashing" is most usually used like it was some sort of swear-word, rather than being an accurate description of anything. All too often the accusation of "brainwashing" forms just another type of ad hominem attack - and frequently used to bully the other person during discussions about (typically) religious or political matters.

  That was certainly the case in the household in which I grew up, anyway!

  (And as was noted in another recent thread on this discussion board, ad hominem attacks only begin when the other side "has nowhere left to hide").
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  12

  Are JW's brainwashed?

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know as a jw i concluded several times that i was not brainwashed as i was not some unautonimous zombie and had not experienced anything akin to.... .

  but in reality, brainwashing is a control of thought and ideas over a person and changing the way they think.

  in normal life such sentences are not used, in fact they are highly discouraged... .

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  Rivergang

  Rather a loosely used term - a bit like "fascist".

  The term "brainwashing" first appeared during the Korean War (1950-53), with reference to the way in which Allied prisoners of war were treated. That brutal treatment included extreme physical torture, as well as more subtle "mind control" techniques - which included (but was not limited to) indoctrination. 70 years later, the jury is still out on exactly how effective this was in permanently turning a person's political (let alone religious) persuasions. Using that description of "brain washing", then no, Jehovah's Witnesses are not subjected to it.

  Of course, the expression "brain washing" is often more loosely applied the general process of indoctrination - which let's face it, we are all exposed to through the advertising industry. (Furthermore, the $733 billion which the world spends per year on advertising indicates how effective this must be). To that extent, then yes, JWs - along with most of the world's population - are brainwashed.
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  37

  News of fires out of control in California

  by ballistic in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hope everyone near to the region affected in california is ok. it's shocking to hear of the destruction.

  these affected areas are some of the places i visited when i came on a tour of the us.

  malibu, santa barbera, la, santa monica, hollywood and so on..

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  Rivergang

  If there is a loving God who intends to bring to ruin those ruining the earth then it’s about time he did something about these deplorable conditions that each of us has to deal with daily.

  Yeah, well we were asking that very question 50+ years ago - with a resolution no closer now than it was then!
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  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  Are we any closer to finding an answer to the question of - Is Jesus the Creator?

  No closer than they were 1,500 years ago, I would think.
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  24

  WT HQ is never proactive, they are reactive to everything put out showing their blatant hypocrisy and abject stupidity

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few on here (and of course many on the ex-jw reddit forum) have mentioned that wt hq just recently (like in the past couple months) put out a video warning against the praising of jw actors, taking photos with them, etc.

  to not do it anymore.

  it was narrated by geoffrey jackson.

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  Rivergang

  No more dressing like 1950s vacuum salesmen

  LOL

  That actually used to warn people off - some character approaching your door, and who even looks every inch like a bloody salesman. The first thought that would be going through my mind would be “It’s my money they are after”.
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  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  Halcon,

  The way you describe things, it sounds like God is a state of mind?

  That is one of the most intelligent things I have ever heard!
• 
  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  For Christians, is about the insatiable curiosity about a man who predicted that he would raise himself from the dead, while he was dead; and then did it.

  Or so they say.
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  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  Now I feel like a burger. Just writing this produced a neuro-chemical reaction that made my mouth water. 🍔

  We are talking here about those hard-wired emotions which are related to survival.

  Electrical impulses from our sensory organs initiate the neuro-chemical reactions which produce those feelings and responses. (The sensory organs are all just what in electrical terms are called "transducers" - with a transducer being a device which converts any other form of energy into electrical energy).

  Additionally, memories (pleasant or otherwise) which are stored in the brain can likewise initiate the electrical signals which stimulate those neuro-chemical reactions. There is no black magic involved here; all these processes can be observed to occur by use of such devices as MRI scans (and the electrical signals between the neuron cells can be measured).

  Such concepts as "God" came about primarily because of the insatiable curiosity of the human species, and its early attempts to explain what was going on around it. (And in stating that, I have likely condemned myself in the eyes of many posters on this thread, but whatever!)
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  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  The feelings of empathy, kindness and consideration are simply byproducts of a chemical reaction?

  Almost correct! More like the end result of a chemical reaction, rather than a "byproduct" (although some here may scream "semantics").

  Furthermore, if these chemicals in the brain (known as "neurotransmitters") get out of balance, conditions such as depression usually result. Treatment for depression simply involves the correction of that chemical imbalance.
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  408

  Is Jesus the Creator?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's what the word says.

  .

  colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

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  Rivergang

  Joey,

  The feelings we experience are caused by neuro-chemical reactions.

  Exactly!

  And when the movement of neuro-chemical transmitters is in any way hindered, conditions like depression result.