scratchme1010

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Posts by scratchme1010

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  6

  The Results Are In: On average, for the past 90 years, 1/3 of the world has been banned

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so using some amazing features of excel and the starting data here, i managed to get the average, the maximum, and the minimum percentage of the inhabited landmass of the earth where jehovah's witnesses have been either active (reported) or "not banned".the average is 66.10%!!

  that means that for 90 years, ever since there is data, 1/3 of the world's area has not been preached in or been fully able to preach in!the minimum occurred in 1943, when only 26.77% of the world's inhabited area made a full yearly report and/or wasn't banned.the maximum occurred in 1991 because the yearbook said that the ussr was included.

  the maximum was 82.47%.

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  scratchme1010

  Thanks for the numbers. That may shed some real new light on some.
  
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  3

  An Ex-JW explains how "Jesus is coming"! Interesting video.

  by UNCONDITIONAL LOVE in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  santos bonacci is a proud and prolific ex-jw with some interesting insights.... https://youtu.be/1nmh6_z4zwc.

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  scratchme1010

  I don't need to attack that quack as he claims people do because of what he interprets. To me he looks just like another person trying to find something to believe in after leaving the WT.
  
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  21

  Kingdom Hall Master Plan. - letter - Consolidation.

  by Lostandfound in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just seen reference to a recent letter read to congregations about this, anyone got more info please?.

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  scratchme1010

  kpop:

  Let me see:

  more Kingdom halls = more growth (Jah's blessing)

  less Kingdom halls = less growth (no blessing)

  It should be simple for the JW to see this, no?
  

  According to what I was taught as a JW, when the end is near it is expected that their numbers dwindle. According to them that's one of the major signs of the great tribulation about to get started. In fact, they justify killing all the people in the planet by their Jehovah, precisely because there aren't supposed to be any people left in the planet worth saving. Hence, having less KHs and congregations is supposed to be a good thing, as it's supposed to be a great sign of their "paradise" being around the corner.

  Yet what I see are desperate attempts and adjustments for them to continue looking like they are growing, and attempts at them continue making money. Those things prove to me (not that i need any proof) that what they teach is just nonsense.
  
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  22

  Absolute moral standards and fiction.

  by The Rebel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not all beliefs are worthy of respect, but when we read a book of fiction in my mind it's easier to travel outside ourselves and our absolute moral standards.

  fiction allows our imagination to be free.

  i haven't read " fifty shades of grey" but i read " romeo and juliet" at school,and juliet was 13, romeo i believe was supposedly around 18 or 19.

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  scratchme1010

  Interesting thoughts.

  ...yet the depiction of a character in the book of fiction,and the moral compass will I rarely judge...
  

  I think that's part of the effect that fiction is supposed to create, that is, allow your mind to drift away from what is considered a norm. It's not supposed to be real, so the morality attached to it isn't supposed to be real either.
  
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  2

  Need the perfect guide to be a good person? Then the "Good Book" is your answer!

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eibrdbvkdhq.

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  scratchme1010

  Beautifully done. Good that I don't need the perfect guide to be a good person. Or any kind of guide for that matter.
  
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  3

  Jehovah hates zombies... except for the ones he created! - Satire

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  children's activity:.

  zombies.. zombies are an invention of satan, and we know that jehovah hates satan, right?

  (let the child respond.

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  scratchme1010

  I use their same simplistic faulty logic against them when they try to give me crap about me being gay. I ask who created everything. When they say "Jehovah", then I ask, who created homosexuality then? I love to see their perplexed faces following their convoluted contrived stupid explanations.
  
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  10

  Flirting or not?

  by freemindfade in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  scratchme1010

  The example in the lower left corner looks pornographic.
  

  Maybe because I am a gay man the example in the upper left corner looked pornographic to me.

  Actually, none of them look flirtatious to me, they look sexual. My guess is that I may get a "WTF!" back with the corresponding emoji.
  
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  36

  What I miss about going out in service.

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, very little, to be honest.

  the structure and commitment of the ministry provided discipline necessary to my life.

  therefore, i did it, as required, and felt some sense of fulfillment at the bible study stage.. i do like talking to people.

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  scratchme1010

  Have you found your own meaningful ways to stay in touch with humanity?
  

  I have. I also understand the feeling of accomplishment, the (somewhat) sense of camaraderie or team work that comes form collectively working towards the same tasks, etc.

  I teach, most of my entire work life have included teaching or training. I got involved in HIV/AIDS prevention education (talk about trying to convince uninformed people!) and ended up with an entire resume in that area of work. The good thing about the work that I did when teaching the basics on HIV infection prevention was that I ended up specializing in talking to people in churches and what they call "people of faith". As a JW I did acquired a skill that allowed me to reach out to pastors, ministers in a way that spoke to them, and therefore, being able to talk to people in their congregations about things that you don't normally talk about in a church. I was very successful.

  Then I have done a lot of volunteer work around causes and social issues I believe in. That has proven to be way more fulfilling than going house to house telling people that their believes and behavior are wrong and they will get killed for it.

  @ Pete Zahut:

  The best thing about going in "service" was when it was over. Nothing was accomplished other than to rid oneself of the guilt and obligation placed on you by others. You got to feel somewhat virtuous about yourself and got a sense of accomplishment buy doing little more than driving around and knocking on a few doors at empty houses. This sensation is what other JW's often mistook as "Joy".
  

  I felt like that a lot, actually for most of my life as a JW. However there were things that I did enjoy and got very good at. I was a very darn good preacher. I used to specialize in talking to very stubborn, nasty people, some of which my fellow JWs would shy away from. I loved that challenge. Today I rather use my skills in something that actually matters, but I enjoyed it when I was doing that back when I didn't know better.
  
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  4

  (A true story...) NOT THE OTHER STORY

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (a true story...)not the other story.

  little rock, arkansas many years ago.

  we were stranded.

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  scratchme1010

  Always do the right thing or you might end up in The Other Place!
  

  That's a great moral of the story, even for us who love the other place.
  
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  210

  Morality Without Deity

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

  it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

  christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

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  scratchme1010

  Great post, cofty. I think that you are laying out many interesting points about morality and believing in a deity. What find I interesting is that the same exclusive association with morals and a "God" adds to the challenge of making believers value what we atheists contribute, considering that since the very first moment we're seen as amoral people, non-believers, etc., and therefore, we are perceived as all kinds of things except, well, right.
  

  Adding to the difficulty of some people holding on to their believes and trying to make their deity be perfect is the fact that many believers have made many important life decisions based on such set of morals, based on those believes. Their investment is high. Furthermore, they fear losing the only thing that they believe is the only source of happiness, structure, education, and community.

  It was great reading your post.