Posts by Scully

78

After a Lifetime Wasted on Atheism - He Finally Gets It

by Perry in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1e4fuhfhiu&feature=player_detailpage .

i wonder if he offered an apology to all the people he helped deceive over the past 50 years?.

Scully

Perry

This is a common criticism of atheists against God; which is in itself is an impossibility. For, if God doesn't exist how can you judge his actions? Equally impossible, is that if the SUPREME BEING does exist - how could you judge his actions since they are supreme and yours are not? The instant that you do, he isn't supreme anymore and you imagine yourself to be. Which is the same illusion that is REQUIRED to be an atheist.

Perry, there's more to atheism than just sticking one's fingers in the ears and chanting "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" It's about testing the premise of belief and the evidence or lack thereof for the existence of a supreme being.

Assuming that a supreme being exists, its supremacy indicates perfection. Its actions therefore are perfect. The supreme being would also acknowledge the imperfections and frailties of humans, which would indicate the suspension of judgement on the part of a perfectly empathetic supreme being, "realizing that we are but dust".

If we're "just dust", why does a supreme being require our worship (or else)? That makes the supreme being appear to be a bully, and renders it imperfect and therefore not "supreme".

If we are "just dust", why does a supreme being need our worship? That makes the supreme being appear to be a weak, insecure manipulator, and renders it imperfect and therefore not "supreme".

If we are "just dust" and so bloody insignificant, why does a supreme being even give a crap about being worshiped by the likes of you or me? That makes the supreme being appear to be desperate, and renders it imperfect and therefore not "supreme".

Why does a supreme being NOT require or need the worship of vegetation or animals or minerals? That makes the supreme being appear to target one of its creations for discriminatory expectations, and renders it imperfect and therefore not "supreme".

Based on just those minor tests and the circular logic inherent in the supreme being/worship paradigm, there isn't enough evidence for me to ascribe supremacy to any god to the point where he/she/it is worthy of my worship.

I'm happier in my non-belief than I was as a worshiping believer and am doing far more good with my life in my non-belief than I did as a worshiping believer, To me, that is evidence too.

It's too bad that you just can't respect the atheists' position the way you expect atheists to respect yours.

Cheers, Scully

22

JWs and Counseling/Psychologists/Therapists

by Had To Go in

jw
friends

hello - i am hoping that some born-ins, still-ins, elders (ex), ms, etc.

can help me with a question i have.

what is the typical jw thought on seeking counseling via a licensed therapist or psychologist?

Scully

If your husband won't go to counselling, then you need to go on your own.

Officially, the WTS and/or the Elders™ are not supposed to comment on personal decisions to go to counselling. They were recently instructed that they cannot recommend a counsellor to congregation members. Their "scope of practice" as it were is only for spiritual counselling, not psychological or medical counselling.

If you really want your husband to go, you could always tell him that you're going to discuss things that may require his side of the story to be heard, and you just want to give him that opportunity.

38

The WT Headship Principle (tm): Did you ever REALLY buy it?

by Open mind in

i believed that god was the big boss and his first-line supervisor was jesus.. .

everything beyond that got a bit shaky for me throughout my jw life.. .

but this bit, i never bought into for even an instant: the husband is the head of the wife.. .

Scully

The Headship Principle™ was one of the most difficult teachings for me to swallow.

I just could not accept the idea that being born without a penis made me an inferior human being. I hated the way some of the men in my home congregation used it to throw their weight around and treat their respective wives poorly. It bothered me when a husband and father would purchase expensive fishing equipment or electronics, while the wife and children came to the Kingdom Hall™ in hand-me-downs and second-hand store clothes and shoes. It bothered me when men exploited that scripture to behave like animals in their homes and expect the wife to clean up after them.

One of the final straws for me was the realization that I didn't want my daughters to be brought up in a belief system that expected them to swallow that bull$h!t.

41

A Beloved and Compassionate Elder Trapped in a Cult Just Died , What should I do?

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i just heard the sad news that a very loving and kind elder for the congregation that i belonged to for 15 years just died from a heart attack.

he was someone that i had great admiration and deep respect for, even now that i'm out from the jws.

he was my mentor and an inspiration to me as an elder, and in many ways he showed me the contradictions of the wts, he was a breath of fresh air within a cult.

Scully

If you can afford it, make a donation on his behalf to a cause that he would have enjoyed supporting - something like the SPCA or medical research or youth services or to a local tree-planting group to spruce up neighbourhoods. They'll send a card to the family. You can make it anonymous so you won't be a target of gossip. Send your condolences to the family as well, so they know you haven't ignored his passing, without mentioning your donation. When the weather is nicer and you have a garden, plant a perennial in his memory. (I started a similar memory garden for family members who passed away.)

6

JWN Baby Shower for Cognac

by White Dove in

jw
friends

i think it would be fun to do this, and we have a few months to get it organized.. but how to get the gifts to her without her having to violate her privacy by giving out her address?.

maybe one or two trusted people here can receive the stuff and box it up and send it to her.. it's just an idea.

i'm going to knit or crochet a baby blanket.

Scully

The registry keeps the information private. Once an item on the registry/wish list is ordered, the company will send it directly to the person who created the registry / wish list.

I actually keep wish lists like that to share with Mr Scully - that way he never has to ask what I want for presents.

6

JWN Baby Shower for Cognac

by White Dove in

jw
friends

i think it would be fun to do this, and we have a few months to get it organized.. but how to get the gifts to her without her having to violate her privacy by giving out her address?.

maybe one or two trusted people here can receive the stuff and box it up and send it to her.. it's just an idea.

i'm going to knit or crochet a baby blanket.

Scully

Babies R Us has a gift registry, so does Sears. Also Amazon.com allows you to set up a wish list of just about anything under the sun.

She could fill in all the particulars using a pseudonym and keep the address private, while posting the gift registry numbers so people would know what she needs. We did something similar a longgggg time ago for another mom-to-be.

Any threads could be in the "Private/Members Only" area.

For people who want to knit / crochet / craft something personal, maybe there could be one or two volunteers who know Cognac to receive parcels on her behalf and forward them to her?

74

CO's putting the screws on elder bodies, and ministerial servants to auxilliary pioneer this April.

by miseryloveselders in

jw
friends

i have such a love/hate, 50/50 relationship with this organization any more, but a letter was read to the elders and ministerial servants that has pushed me to the 30/70 range in favor of hate, if even momentarily.

most of you if not all are aware of the auxilliary pioneering initiative for this upcoming april.

it's no secret that i'm not real fond of pioneering as its unscriptural for one thing.

Scully

yet one more attempt by the WTS at accomplishing absolutely nothing more efficiently.

45

Seeker4 Here - Anyone on Who Remembers Me From H20 & JWD?

by Seeker4 in

jw
friends

seeker4 - robert smith from vermont.

former jw, elder, pioneer, etc.

i've got a few thousand posts on these sites, but haven't posted for a year or two.

Scully

Seeker4!

great to see you! Thanks for visiting.

and Somebody/gwen... nice to see you too. hope you and zev are doing well.

168

If Armageddon came tomorrow, would Jehovah kill a billion children?

by just n from bethel in

jw
friends

i just looked up some population statistics.

i saw there are over a billion children under the age of 10 on the earth today.

(didn't research too hard - just googled it.

Scully

In the JW worldview, children are a burdensome, backhanded blessing.

Some go so far as to say children are better off dead than to grow up with unbelieving or Apostate™ parents, as my JW ex-best friend told me: If you're going to turn your back on The Truth™, your three beautiful children will be better off if you took them out in the back yard and blow their heads off with a gun. That way they won't go down with you at Armageddon™ and will have a Resurrection™ in the Paradise™.

Such love.

That was the last time I spoke to her.

26

Is it acceptable for JWs to put flowers on a loved one's grave?

by serenitynow! in

i want to go and put some flowers on my grandma's grave.

she died 9 years ago feb 19. i haven't been out there since the funeral.

i can't remember where the cemetary is, and i will have to ask my jw relatives (who don't know my status) where she is buried.

Scully

Heaven:

As a child I was told putting flowers on the grave was worshipping the dead and that Jehovah doesn't approve of that.

I was told that too. Then it occurred to me to ask "Why is it ok to give flowers to people who aren't dead, if it is a form of worship?"