jp1692

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Posts by jp1692

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  13

  A review of the WT study, "Do not let your love grow cold."

  by doubtfull1799 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a while ago someone (i forget who) was doing a series, a regular analysis, of wt studies from the current week.

  i have't seen any for a while so i thought i'd contribute one.

  have a bit of fun picking out all the unsubstantiated assertions and logical fallacies etc... so here goes: (if you enjoy it let me know and i might try doing another.

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  jp1692

  Nice Review!

  You might also enjoy this from JWFacts:
  

  • Rhetorical Fallacy in the Watchtower

  Or these older threads:

  • The Watchtower & Logical Fallacies
  • Logical Fallacies in WT Publications
    
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  32

  I'm writing a letter to my country's branch

  by Ray Frankz in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi everyone.. well, i have some good news.

  after having a terrible moment arguing with my mom about the 1914 teaching and all it evolves (she get really upset and i felt great regret for starting the argument) she came to me next day and started talking with a much more open mind, and she talked about a lot of concerns too.. she and my father naivily expressed the wish to write to bethel to ask about 607bc.

  i told in all the possible ways it wouldn't work.

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  jp1692

  Prepare to get disfellowshipped.
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  27

  Am I selfish?

  by Jules Saturn in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  tonight i had an argument with both my parents.

  my parents are aware of my feelings towards the organization, and it saddens them because i am their first born son.

  they had high expectations of me, my father dreamt of him and i serving together as elders.

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  jp1692

  Are you selfish for having a mind of your own, wanting to live your own life and make your own choices? Perhaps, but only in completely normal and appropriate ways for any adult.

  Really, it's your parents that are the selfish ones for wanting you to live according to their wishes and desires with no regard for your own.
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  149

  why jw's commit suicide?

  by notalone in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  jp1692

  And anecdotal evidence need not be ignored, but it must be recognized for what it is with all of its limitations including the possibility that we read into it conclusions that aren't warranted and which are frequently skewed by our own biases.
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  149

  why jw's commit suicide?

  by notalone in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  jp1692

  Ruby: as for my argument being non sequitur - you will need to explain.

  It does not follow that suffering from anxiety, lacking self esteem or being aggressive would in any way indicate a person's level of commitment to a group, their love for others or their love for god.

  I fail to see any kind of correlation between any of the first three items on your list and the last three, let alone any hint of a causal relationship.

  
  
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  16

  I left the organization

  by Issa in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i left the organization.

  my awakening was this month of july, the first week of july.

  i couldn't answer my own questions about the organization or the doctrines, i couldn't understand the prophecies, i couldn't figure quite well what i was feeling.

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  jp1692

  Welcome to the rest, and the best, of your life!
  
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  149

  why jw's commit suicide?

  by notalone in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  jp1692

  @Ruby, I am reposting this because you have not responded and or addressed this:

  Ruby: people with mental health issues are treated like free riders and are given a hard time because they cannot keep up and indeed Scott Atran 2002 who cites Iannaccone's paper argues that because such religions have no place for those who cannot perform to their demandingly strict standards they leave and this is why there are high turnover rates amongst such religions.

  Also, I did a keyword search of the Iannaccone paper you referenced using the terms: mental and health. Neither of those words appear once in that paper. Could you please provide a specific quote with a proper citation to support your claims?
  

  Thanks!

  JP
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  149

  why jw's commit suicide?

  by notalone in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  jp1692

  Ruby: mental health includes such things as anxiety, self esteem and aggression and these are the things that are measured in social science and psychiatry to indicate mental illness. do you agree?

  Mostly.
  

  Ruby: such things would affect participation - do you agree?

  Yes. Mentally ill people are often MORE active in a religion or other type of cult. They are frequently the most zealous of the zealots as they try to prove their level of devotion and commitment.
  

  Ruby: such things as anxiety, lack of self esteem and aggression would be indicators to other members of the group of the level of commitment, love for others and love for god etc. Do you agree?

  No. I do not at all agree with this. I think your conclusion here is completely non sequitur. Both my research and personal experience provide ample evidence to the contrary in a wide variety of cult and cult-like settings, JW and otherwise.
  
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  149

  why jw's commit suicide?

  by notalone in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  jp1692

  Ruby: for Atran see chapter 6 Ritual and Revelation - the Emotional Mind of In God's we trust: the evolutionary landscape of religion

  Thanks. I looked this book up on line and actually ordered it because it looked very interesting. It should arrive sometime today.
  
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  16

  Have you ever looked back at your early posts on here?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no doubt we are all overjoyed at how we have progressed since breaking the shackles of the society!.

  for those that have been here on this forum for some time, have you ever looked back at the version of "you" that first started posting here, and compared yourself with where you are at now?.

  i am overjoyed at how much i have grown as a person!.

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  jp1692

  SIAR: I am overjoyed at how much I have grown as a person!

  Agreed on all counts. It's a useful exercise.