Posts by scratchme1010

46

What is the most troubling or disturbing biblical passage you ever had to rationalise when a Jw?

by stuckinarut2 in

now that we have stepped away from the jw faith, how do you feel about the bible itself?.

what about those awkward sections of scripture?

how did you rationalise or justify those sections?.

scratchme1010

Now that we have stepped away from the JW faith, how do you feel about the bible itself?

Ridiculously outdated book that people claim it's sacred or something.

What about those awkward sections of scripture? How did you rationalise or justify those sections?

They aren't "awkward". It is just downright stupid to adapt a book that was written thousands of years ago, and interpret by the we we live, think and see the world today. To make a good analysis of the content of that book, one has to put it in context, meaning that you have to understand the way humanity at the time it was written, in the area where it was written, perceived the world.

I don't care for its content, can't care less about what it says, so I don't rationalize anything, not even when I was supposed to like that book.

What is the most troubling section of scripture you have come across?

Depend of what perspective are you analyzing that book. What I find troubling is people still pretending that the bible has some value today. The value it has is exactly that people give to money. Without people thinking that the bible has value, just like money, it would be just printed paper.

15

Race are we biased here is a fun quiz to self evaluate ourselves

by recovering in

http://www.playbuzz.com/sammccarty10/are-you-actually-racially-biased.

try it it is fun.

scratchme1010

I'm sure some will be very disappointed to know I passed with flying colors

You just don't get it, don't you.

10

The changing retail Industry - will your job disappear?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the smart phone is a major factor in the changes that are happening in china's retail industry.

will your country also change?.

in the usa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscl9f2bvgs.

scratchme1010

Technology creates as many problems as it solves. A lot of the problems that we will be dealing in the future are many of the things that we see as a solution today.

10

Do You Believe Hunger Strikes Truly Accomplish Anything?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i see that stars are protesting something and to make a point, they go on a hunger strike.

prisoners sometimes are angry over their treatment and decide to stop eating.

some feel laws should be changed and make their point by refusing to eat.. do hunger strikes give you pause?

scratchme1010

I see that stars are protesting something and to make a point, they go on a hunger strike. Prisoners sometimes are angry over their treatment and decide to stop eating. Some feel laws should be changed and make their point by refusing to eat.
Do hunger strikes give you pause? Do you really care?

In other posts I have mentioned how important planning is in any form of activism. Hunger strikes are supposed to be a form of activism. Here are my thoughts on it:

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5146949608013824/witness-no-more-any-thoughts?page=2#5096154640416768

Without any purpose, without any clear goal as to what the hunger strike is supposed to accomplish, it (and anything else for that matter) is nothing but a waste of time.

Here's an example of well planned, effective activism:

https://youtu.be/xQcFFfS_qZ4

Here's an example of horrible, useless disorderly conduct, disguised as activism:

https://youtu.be/cXTjL-f-msU

9

Who helps the most - POMO or PIMO

by Ray Frankz in

i was recentely talking to my girl who is also awaken about if there were any chance of the org to lose at least its power and authority since i believe to expect a destruction of the org is unreal i came to the conclusion that the best way to help jws is by means of the pimos.. if we take the own jw logic (the world is bad but we need to live among them in order to bring them to our side) i think that if a good part of the people who left when found ttatt stayed in they we could have much more awaken people today.

when you are out it gets extremely hard to gain the trust of any jehovah's witness to begin with.

every totalitarian government had to fight rebels among them.. im not being numb to the causes of anyone who decided to leave.

scratchme1010

Im not being numb to the causes of anyone who decided to leave. In fact I recognize the personal benefits are totally valid. What I'm saying is that maybe this - leaving - is what is making the org able to remain powerful. Let's be sincere, we are not Ray Franz. A resignation or a speech of protest from us is like throwing a rock in a lake, it makes small waves and quickly fades. I really believe we should think of this alternative strategy.

I find your post interesting.

I also think that the part that you posted here might be the key. Whoever signs up to help other JWs becoming PIMO or POMO, can create any kind of strategy. They have to have commitment to do so. In that respect, being PIMO or POMO might not matter. As long as they come up with a good strategy, they can be helpful.

I know people who perform interventions to help people in cults and family members who lost loved ones to cults, and one of the things that they do before taking any action is inquiring what will replace the cult. What made people join the JWs, whatever need that is, has to be satisfied somewhere else, otherwise, there might not be possible to have people leave.

23

JW Elder quits & sends 900 emails

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

an elder in quebec, has just quit as a jw.

he did so by emailing nearly a thousand jw’s with the explanation for why he and his family are quitting.. i have spoke to him quite a bit, interesting guy.

he’s quite the loss to wt, he’s an elder with a serious career in chemistry, a professor no less.. catch his story here, apologies if this has already been posted;.

scratchme1010

An elder in Quebec, has just quit as a JW. He did so by emailing nearly a thousand JW’s with the explanation for why he and his family are quitting.

That's a great way of closing the chapter. No gossip, no speculations, everybody got the same message and from the right source.

Love it.

25

Medical marijuana

by Mikethegreek in

hey everyone.... i'm new to this but i would like to run my experience with medical marijuana past you.

i'm 48 years of age and have been in the truth for my whole life.. i suffer from ankylosing spondilitis and have for many many years.

it's a debilitating form of spinal arthritis and the symptoms of this auto-immune disorder affect more than my spine.

scratchme1010

Recently (3 years ago) I was prescribed medical marijuana by my doctors and I was reluctant on taking it. However I had given up on the OPIATES and the other addictive pharmaceutical drugs I'd been prescribed for many years and started with the medical marijuana. I don't smoke it, instead I take edible forms.

Without getting into the Jehovah thing, I'd suggest to educate yourself about the effects, benefits and harms that it may cause in your body.

Some people prefer not to use any opioids because they have what they call an "addictive personality", that is a propensity to develop an addiction to things. That can happen with any substance, not just medical marijuana.

Look for sound health care related, medical advice, and try to get as informed as possible to take care of your health the best you can.

Keep in mind that an entire line of pharmacology for the conditions that you mention exists, and most-to all of their components can cause the same addiction than marijuana. From that perspective, there's no difference between medical marijuana and other pharmacology.

80

Are we losing our way a bit at JWN?

by nicolaou in

firstly, i want to be crystal clear how grateful i am for jwn.

it's been my place of support for over seventeen years and it's the first online space i direct anyone to if they are taking steps out of the cult.

i am not bashing jwn - i love this place and appreciate the hard work and expense simon puts in to keep it going.

scratchme1010

Some people just want to shout their anti-Trump message...

I think that this kind f thing is precisely what you are complaining about. Please bear in mind that some people are still in cult mode.

I also believe that people can feel free to post whatever they want for as long as they comply with the rules.

In addition, people keep posting political things, which is not bad.

And actually don't think that posts have changed at all. My complain is the exact opposite of yours. Many people here want to connect the JWs to everything and anything they can think of, related to them or not.

10

The Sailboat

by compound complex II in

jw
friends

my tech guy made my original summery day at sea into a brewing tempest.

sort of like life, yes?.

.

scratchme1010

Love it.

12

Relative rates of mental illness

by Doug Mason in

a report produced 50 years ago by a psychiatrist at a west australian mental health facility ("asylum"l reported that the mental illness rate among jws was 3 times the norm of society.

other similar studies at the time concluded the rate was much higher.. i wrote to the psychiatrist at the time, asking whether the wts attracted people who were already susceptible to mental illness or if the situation was created after the person became a jw.

he responded that they did not know.. being myopically focused on the wts at the time, but more importantly belonging to an alternative eschatological apocalyptic body at the time, i did not think more broadly.. i think that today i would like to know:.

scratchme1010

Interesting topic. In terms of numbers, I may be as clueless as you are, and if I'd speculated about it, I think that I'd share the same thoughts that you stated.

I do know that the issue of mental health was my eye opener. I was depressed as a JW trying to comply with their Jehovah crap until I finally had it and got help. After that I started wondering and noticing how many others might be suffering in silence expecting for "magic Jehovah" to solve all their problems, or just waiting for their new order to make things better for them.

When I started noticing, and I mean, really noticing the JWs in that congregation in Rio Piedras, it was horrible, creepy, sad and angering (at that organization) noticing so many people with all kinds of issues, many of which can be treated with simple talk therapy.

I left decades ago and since then I don't follow anything they say, do or change, but back then there were elders who openly talked against getting any kind of mental health, claiming that doing service will make you better, or otherwise, it "has to be your conscience bothering you", so then you need to confess to something. It was sickening (literally).