Posts by scratchme1010

Don't know if it's normal for you who are fading now or faded in the past. I'm feeling so lonely. A colleague at work noticed it but I couldn't explain it all. How to explain it to someone that knows nothing about the JW world?
Did you experienced the same during fading? How are you managing it?

Absolutely, and not only that, since I was born-in, and that's all I knew, it has been a long term process, not some thin that you just do once.

I felt bad, and then felt bad for feeling good, then felt good, and every now and then those feelings crawl out of nowhere. It's negative influence I constantly have to keep in check. It doesn't discourage me from moving on.

147

Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

by cofty in

it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

scratchme1010

Many theists keep trying to judge alternatives ways of thinking based on what they know and experience. They try to make things like people who believe in evolution and value science over the writings in books that they consider sacred, fit the mold of their religious practices.

Many religions preach this black and white mentality (you're going to heaven/you're going to hell, you're good/you're bad, you're in favor of God/you're against God, you're in the right path/you're in a path of self destruction), and therefore, perceive anything that challenges or explains their believes in a different way that way too by labeling things as "Satanic", "Against God", etc. Furthermore, they even attach morality to different ways of thinking, such as the way the WT publicizes that people who challenge their teachings deserve to die and will die.

They argue against atheism as if atheists are an organization or organized entity, as if all atheists are united and believe the exact same thing or have the same set of values. Same thing with that nonsense of "Scientism". It's just another interpretation from some theists, trying to make people who challenge their believes fit a mold and make it into some kind of entity that they can attack, label and place under the "will be destroyed by God" (or its equivalent in their denomination lingo). That way they can continue reinforcing their believes and continue dismissing other people's.

To me, the fact that many (not all, of course) theists continue trying to start arguments over our morals based on what we believe (i.e., according to a person who posted here, we are not supposed to be upset for bad things happening because that's supposed to be part of the evolution process), makes no sense.

I personally dismiss all that as a misguided attempt at making alternatives ways of thinking fit the mold of how they view, perceive and believe things.

10

Getting older, losing loved ones

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

just reading a posting about relive a day for one year of your live... .

getting older, i am so sad thinking about years ago and missing my family members.

am i the only one believing they would never die?.

scratchme1010

So sorry about your sadness. Facing the realities of life is very tough, which is why so many people try to look for shortcuts or ways to escape it. That's also why so many of these groups that take advantage of people are successful. The realities of life are tough, not easy to deal with. But we can learn to live with them.

I hope you enjoy the time you have with your loved ones and make the best out of it, and stop wasting time in this life preparing for a next one that may or may not happen.

10

"Abuse of free will" - an Oxymoron?

by doubtfull1799 in

the society loves to talk about how adam and eve abused their gift of free will.

doesn't free will mean the freedom to choose?

how can exercising that freedom to choose then be classed as abusing the gift?

scratchme1010

The society loves to talk about how Adam and Eve abused their gift of free will. Doesn't free will mean the freedom to choose? How can exercising that freedom to choose then be classed as abusing the gift?

When I was learning TTATT, one thought that kept coming back was that according to them you can choose. Their Jehovah gives you "choices", but kills you if you choose anything other than what the WT says. They always convince people that they have choices but they don't. That's the core of their manipulation.

25

Would you give up one year at the end of your life if you could relive any one day in the past?

by Esse quam videri in

like the question asks: if you could relive any one day of your life, any age, any place and remember everything about it afterwards, would you be willing to live one year shorter at the end of your life?

one day for one year?.

i realize that someone well on in years would think twice about it, but, what about you younger ones?

scratchme1010

Would you do it?

No, for the simple reason that there's absolutely no guarantee that making a change will result in a better outcome. As my history is, I know now where I am and have grown appreciative, grateful and happy for getting to where I am now. I appreciate and love my life as it is, and I wouldn't risk taking a different path that would take me who knows where.

103

What will you be doing on the evening of the 11th ?

by Phizzy in

mrs phizzy and myself will be eating out, sure in the knowledge we will not have jw's using the same restaurant.. i may have a cigar along with my brandy at the meal's end to celebrate my (our) freedom..

scratchme1010

Tuesday evening is the time I take to prepare my Toastmasters speech. I'll be in my room talking to no specific person about learning culture through language.

4

What is the difference ......?

by Phizzy in

what is the difference between the way the gb are viewed/treated by jw's,even dead gb members, and the way saints are in the rc and orthodox churches etc ?.

scratchme1010

What is the difference between the way the GB are viewed/treated by JW's,even dead GB members, and the way Saints are in the RC and Orthodox Churches etc ?

Saints are praised, immortalized bu having them in images, sculptures, etc, and people use them as relics,and believe in them having some kind of power to make things go your way. As far as I know, JWs don't do any of those things with members of the GB.

I think that's what you mean with your question, if not, please elaborate.

21

Animals, Blood, Food, and JW Beliefs

by dubstepped in

i'm just thinking aloud here.

i watched a show yesterday and they were talking about how the largest mammals of the sea (whales) fed on such small creatures (plankton) rather than eating some other large creatures.

anyway, it got me thinking about how as jws we thought that in paradise animals would all be herbivores, that they would no longer eat other animals.

scratchme1010

Never occurred to me to think about mosquitoes before. Great observation. However, the more we know about animal behavior, the less sense it makes what the WT says.

However, remember that they dismiss any explaining by attacking your trust in that their Jehovah will figure all that out. That's the end of the conversation for them.