I've been to two ICSA workshops in Los Angeles and one international conference in Bordeaux, France. They were all very worth it!
I highly recommend it.
today my wife and i went to college.
although not allowed to go to college as jws we got to lead a class today and it was really special to be able to do that.
the class was an honors class on social media and psychology and i created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as jws.
I've been to two ICSA workshops in Los Angeles and one international conference in Bordeaux, France. They were all very worth it!
I highly recommend it.
when i post i try to imagine that i am at a social gathering or sometimes in someone's house as a dinner guest.
that way it is easier to follow the community guidelines and posting rules set out on the site at the bottom of the page.
i wouldn't want to make a fool of myself in public.
Phizzy: The change I have observed is that many new Posters seem very naive and lacking in a lot of knowledge, even about the Bible and the religion they are leaving.
When I joined the JWs in the early '80s, there was at least the pretense or illusion of approaching religion and a study of the Bible from an academic or scholarly perspective—albeit not a real one from a rigorous, academic point of view.
This religion has become so dumbed-down that it is really embarrassing. This is why we no longer need to get involved in any deep, theological debates or discussions.
The WTBTS has had a long, slow-burn to get to the present simplistic belief system that they currently espouse. But they really jumped-the-shark when they published their ridiculous "Overlapping Generation" interpretation of Matthew 24:34.
The downhill descent from there has only accelerated exponentially.
One quick look at the current leadership only confirms how intellectually bankrupt they are, with of course the main Poster Child for that being Stephen Lett:
I mean, seriously! Who would, for one second, think you could have anything even remotely resembling an intelligent conversation about anything with that guy?
jp
today my wife and i went to college.
although not allowed to go to college as jws we got to lead a class today and it was really special to be able to do that.
the class was an honors class on social media and psychology and i created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as jws.
Dubstepped,
Understood. Last year the annual conference was in Philly. They move around from year-to-year.
Sometimes there are workshops that are more geographically desirable.
Get on their mailing list (if you aren't already) and something will come up.
jp
today my wife and i went to college.
although not allowed to go to college as jws we got to lead a class today and it was really special to be able to do that.
the class was an honors class on social media and psychology and i created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as jws.
dubstepped,
You're welcome. You can't—nor should you—include everything in any presentation. Less is often more, as I'm sure you know.
Are you familiar with the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)?
It is an organization which "provides information on cults, cultic groups, psychological manipulation, psychological abuse, spiritual abuse, brainwashing, mind control, thought reform, abusive churches, high-demand groups, new religious movements, exit counseling, and practical suggestions for those needing assistance."
Over the last few years, I have attended a few of their conferences and workshops as both a participant and a presenter. One of the things that was really helpful for me from these experiences was seeing that all cults—no matter how superficially different they may seem from each other—are essentially the same. It's all about control and manipulation.
Check it out.
jp
today my wife and i went to college.
although not allowed to go to college as jws we got to lead a class today and it was really special to be able to do that.
the class was an honors class on social media and psychology and i created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as jws.
Dubstepped,
In case you (or others reading this thread) don't know, there actually is a pretty well written series of articles on propaganda in the June 22, 2000 Awake!.
When I read them years ago, I became convinced that the WT leadership absolutely knows what they are doing when it comes to manipulation and control of their members.
Here's a screenshot of the three articles you will want to read (following the TOC):
Here also, for your reading enjoyment, are a couple of older threads on the subject:
Enjoy!
jp
today my wife and i went to college.
although not allowed to go to college as jws we got to lead a class today and it was really special to be able to do that.
the class was an honors class on social media and psychology and i created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as jws.
DS: I created a presentation around the propaganda and manipulation used against us as JWs. Many of the same things are seen in social media and impacts the way we see things that are posted on sites like this.What an excellent thing for you and your wife to be able to do. I’m sure the students benefitted greatly. Thanks for sharing!
when i post i try to imagine that i am at a social gathering or sometimes in someone's house as a dinner guest.
that way it is easier to follow the community guidelines and posting rules set out on the site at the bottom of the page.
i wouldn't want to make a fool of myself in public.
Xanthippe: The intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate people are still around and they post occasionally but they seem to have retreated in the face of all the anger around. I miss them.
My sentiments exactly!
i hope that the trump administration looks into obama , clinton and all the other players for trying to usurp the legitimacy of the trump presidency..
If Trump isn’t Putin’s little bitch, why does he act like it—again and again and again?
Don’t bother with personal attacks because I really don’t care what you think of me; just answer the question.
I will only respond to serious attempts at dialogue which address the obvious issue that the current US Administration is completely corrupt and compromised. Any and all other comments will be ignored.
they say it will be out any day soon.
do you think the report will do major damage to trump?.
We, the American people, paid for that report. We should and need to see the full report. That is our right.
Complete and full transparency. Nothing else is acceptable. Nothing.
they say it will be out any day soon.
do you think the report will do major damage to trump?.
Attorney General William Barr wrote in the letter he submitted to Congress sharing his summary of the main conclusions from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation:
"The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'"
As any good scientist knows, absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence.