Posts by jp1692

64

My jaw dropping OMG moment at the end of the convention

by UnshackleTheChains in

yes folks.

over the past few days i can honestly say the convention was relatively quite good.

most of the talks, videos, symposiums were in line with scripture if you have faith in the bible.

jp1692

SBF: The argument ... relies on a few assumptions.

You left out at least one assumption and it's a big one: The God of the Bible exists. (Although I suppose you could say this is implicit in your first assumption).

It has become my belief that the evidence is overwhelming and conclusive: The God of the Bible does NOT exist. Therefore we need not worry about any "prophecies" coming true. Instead we should get on with our lives and work toward making this life and this world the best we can.

This is actually good news, and it's real. Good news.

Consider for a moment Richard Dawkins description of the “The God of the Old Testament [who] is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

Although there is no objective evidence to support the counterfactual assertion that the God of the Bible is real and actually exists, there are in fact plenty of scriptural proof-texts to support Dawkins' assessment. If you've been a JW for any length of time you probably know most, if not all, of them. Good thing it's all fiction.

Ponder that and it's ramifications!

5

Faithful and discreet “slave” is very apt name!

by venus in

i found it difficult to digest the word (“slave”) jesus supposedly used to refer to his appointees on earth to dispense spiritual food on earth.

(mathew 24:45) why not a better word, something positive in view of the fact that jesus came to free us?

freedom is the absence of physical and mental boundaries or restrictions.

jp1692

Really? How did "slave" come to mean MASTER?

Changing the basic meanings of words to the exact opposite of what they really mean is one sign of a cult!

64

My jaw dropping OMG moment at the end of the convention

by UnshackleTheChains in

yes folks.

over the past few days i can honestly say the convention was relatively quite good.

most of the talks, videos, symposiums were in line with scripture if you have faith in the bible.

jp1692

UTC: The speaker dogmatically mentions the important year 607bce about 3 or 4 times. He mentions 1914 a couple of times, 1919, and even mentions the generation and refers to brother Splanes [sic] very good explanation and diagram on JW.org 🙄

Personally, I think Splane (or who ever is really in charge at the WTBTS) plagiarized that chart from this three year old thread on this forum:

This Overlapping Generation teaching is really complete nonsense

Timeline:

January 15, 2014: Watchtower Study Article: "Let Your Kingdom Come" But When?, (p. 30-31, paragraphs 14 - 16): WT attempts to explain 1st & 2nd Groups of "THIS GENERATION [That] WILL NOT PASS AWAY"
April 2014: Oubliette posts a chart on JWN parodying the Overlapping Generation (OG) nonsense
September 2015: Splane attempts to 'splain the OG nonsense using a chart suspiciously derivative of one previously posted here on JWN. (Click here for a review of that jw-tv episode).

Careful readers will notice the footnote in the above chart about conflicting dates for Fred Franz' baptism. This is a point in WT "theology," chronology and history that previously has not been discussed much, and curiously Splane also refers to this obscure point in his presentation.

Coincidence? Conspiracy theory?

Do the math!

64

My jaw dropping OMG moment at the end of the convention

by UnshackleTheChains in

yes folks.

over the past few days i can honestly say the convention was relatively quite good.

most of the talks, videos, symposiums were in line with scripture if you have faith in the bible.

jp1692

UTC: Most of the talks, videos, symposiums were in line with scripture if you have faith in the bible.

I wonder how many people from other Abrahamic religions would agree with that statement?

JWs have their own, unique and unconventional understanding of much of the Bible. Why is that? Are they really right and every other religion wrong?

Next time you consider a particular scripture, ask yourself: How do I know what this scripture means? Is it because of what it actually says, or because of what I've been told it means?

Google "exegesis" and "eisegesis" and see if you can determine which method of Bible interpretation the WTBTS uses.

64

My jaw dropping OMG moment at the end of the convention

by UnshackleTheChains in

yes folks.

over the past few days i can honestly say the convention was relatively quite good.

most of the talks, videos, symposiums were in line with scripture if you have faith in the bible.

jp1692

UTC: I looked around thinking are intelligent individuals in the audience really buying this nonsense.

Sure. Intelligence alone is not sufficiently protective against cult indoctrination. One must be familiar with the methods of mental manipulation and self-aware to be protected. It also helps to have well developed critical-thinking skills, a strong sense of self and a willingness to question authority. How many fully indoctrinated JWs have any of those let alone the complete set?

Finally, it's possible-perhaps even likely-that there were others wondering the same thing as you were. Remember, in a cult all doubts must be kept to one's self.

You're here sharing yours anonymously on an Internet forum, and that's good. But how many active JWs did you discuss this with at the convention? I'm guessing none.

12

Cognitive dissonance and mental gymnastics in social media!

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

so over the last few years, the witnesses i know (who were close friends in the past) who follow me on instagram social media have been steadily dropping off and blocking me..... but there are a small number who are still friends.. i have noticed one sad situation for one friend who is clearly battling cognitive dissonance.

if she posts a picture and i leave a nice comment on it, my comment quickly disappears.

(she must delete it i guess) but then soon after she sends a nice private message asking how we are, or commenting on the post or activity.

jp1692

You're "secret friends"!

Nothing screams CULT like: "I have to pretend I don't know you/talk to you/like you and so I have to hide our relationship because ..."

Well, you know why.

149

why jw's commit suicide?

by notalone in

jw
friends

we all know the rate of suicide is high among jw's.

my question is this- was there some subliminal messages that encourage this.

i was a born in and my entire life i would have these thoughts that could come out of nowhere,"kill yourself.

jp1692

UTC: it certainly has a lot to do with the fact that the JW community is very insular. Also the high standards that are expected create feelings of guilt and never being good enough.

Absolutely. Those psychological forces are very corrosive to one's soul and sense of self, particularly for the more sensitive among us.

Thank you for sharing your personal experience in this regard. It must have been very difficult for you when you had no friends in the congregation and none outside. This is of course one of the most basic ways that high-control groups manipulate and control individuals, by socially isolating them. It's very effective.

Psychologist David Myers gives us some context as to the level of emotional pain that being ostracized can cause when he explains: “Because of the human desire for connection, solitary confinement is, with the exception of torture, the worst punishment” possible (2014, p. 436). Social exclusion and shunning is a virtual prison without bars.

I especially appreciated your concluding words of encouragement, UTC: Live your life and be yourself.

Unfortunately, that can be a very difficult thing for many people to do, especially those raised in a cult because their individuality and authentic identity were rarely nurtured; indeed, they were often crushed.

149

why jw's commit suicide?

by notalone in

jw
friends

we all know the rate of suicide is high among jw's.

my question is this- was there some subliminal messages that encourage this.

i was a born in and my entire life i would have these thoughts that could come out of nowhere,"kill yourself.

jp1692

Vidiot: I find it interesting that even when sincere, well-meaning fundamentalists go looking for evidence to support their worldview, all they seem to find is proof that said worldview is wrong.

And invariably they question the validity of the data rather than their own interpretation of it. Case in point!

51

I was impressed by part of today's symposium entitled ' Safeguard your children from what is evil'

by UnshackleTheChains in

well i have to give credit where credit is due.

it was the part of today's symposium - build a house that will endure.

the part i was most impressed with was 'safeguard your children from "what is evil".

jp1692

Are the elders now designated mandatory reporters of all suspected instances of child abuse, even when there is only one witness: the victim?

I doubt it. And if not, then much work remains.

Personally, I suspect talks like this are just window-dressing.

29

Do You Ever Think Of ALL The Wasted Time Because You Were a JW?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the longer you are out the more you see how a cult steals all your time, resources and energy.

we wasted so much because we were witnesses!

👎.

jp1692

Sure. What a depressing thing that is to do.

It is important to learn from that and to make the most of whatever time we might have left and live that life to its fullest, savoring every precious moment!