"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." Joseph Campbell
gingerbread
JoinedPosts by gingerbread
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69
Atheism and the delusion of meaning
by Laika inin the movie annie hall, written by woody allen, as a young boy, alvy's mother, takes him to see a doctor as he appears to be dealing with some kind of depression.
when the doctor asks alvy what's up, alvy explains that he just found out the universe is expanding, everything will spread out and go cold and die, therefore nothing he does matters, so he is not going to do anything anymore.
most people might see this as a joke, but i think woody is trying to make a serious point.. the point here is about meaning.
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69
Atheism and the delusion of meaning
by Laika inin the movie annie hall, written by woody allen, as a young boy, alvy's mother, takes him to see a doctor as he appears to be dealing with some kind of depression.
when the doctor asks alvy what's up, alvy explains that he just found out the universe is expanding, everything will spread out and go cold and die, therefore nothing he does matters, so he is not going to do anything anymore.
most people might see this as a joke, but i think woody is trying to make a serious point.. the point here is about meaning.
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gingerbread
Atheism is the belief that the existence of a supernatural deity in unprovable.
Nihilism is the belief that traditional systems of values and morals are of no consequence to the individual.
Existentialism is the belief that the universe/world is unexplainable and the individual assumes responsibility for his free will.
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13
Is their understanding of unity a form of mind control?
by I_love_Jeff innote the following comments and research taken from a concise dictionary of cults and religions:.
what [jehovah's witnesses] define as unity is actually, in effect, a rigid organizational structure and policy.
unity, as the bible teaches it, is a oneness of spirit and humility under the lordship of jesus christ.
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gingerbread
JW's are a restorationist religious movement that has over time become an organization that centers it's authority on a theology of legalism.
During it's history it eliminated all ceremony and ritual from the church in favor of rules and codes of conduct. In the process, this destroys the self worth of the individual member. The result - which we can see for ourselves - is people (unfulfilled, depressed, anxious, stressed) who work hard every day to control their own behavior (and thoughts) by complying with the rules of religious legalism.
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27
Another bash at education - wt13 9/15
by Splash inpage 20:.
the unwary may adopt the same view of theocratic arrangements.
they may be unwilling to go along with congregation procedures and may even complain about anything not to their liking.
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gingerbread
"The WTS basically knows" about higher education? I don't think so.
Larsinger, I appreciate your view...but your looking for a compromise. This just doesn't work within the WT agenda.
Those of us who chose (or were allowed to) pursue a degree know that we did this to receive an education....not to just get "a job." This notion that the WTS spreads is a complete distortion of the facts. Nobody goes to school to get that "big shot" job, to be rich or get prestige...
I earned a degree in the liberal arts over 20 years ago. I was fortunate to have JW parents that thought past the pages of the Watchtower and YPA Book. You know .... balanced folks with common sense who cared about their kid's future.
That degree has put me in an excellent position when job searching, interviewing, landing a job and being able to live well within my means.
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18
Tech 49: My Tripping Point, Part 2
by Tech49 inafter reading some of your other posts and experiences, especially regarding the elder's school, i am reminded of part 2 of my experience down the rabbit hole.. the last elder's school i attended was in 2011. i remember vividly the 3 day event.
i remember vividly being bored out of my mind!.
as has been stated by others, the hours of monotone counsel and examples and experiences were continually beating on your brain with the usual stuff:.
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gingerbread
Thanks for sharing!
I liken my gradual awakening to a clogged artery. After years (or a lifetime) of junk floating through the veins, a blockage develops that reduces blood flow to the brain. You become sluggish in thought, unsure on your feet and dependent on others.
The body understands the importance of getting blood to the brain and it will develop mini-arteries around the blockage. By researching and having honest evaluations about the Org. and oneself, a person develops a greater awareness about the realities of 'the truth' - eventually circumventing the flawed ideology.
The blockage will remain but you'll begin to think with a clear head again!
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gingerbread
- Love. 'Watchtower'. -
Now they sign the letters to 'all congregations' as : "Please accept our warm Christian love and best wishes. Your brothers 'Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses'"
The corporate body still takes precedent over the individual. Heartwarming, isn't it!
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Another bash at education - wt13 9/15
by Splash inpage 20:.
the unwary may adopt the same view of theocratic arrangements.
they may be unwilling to go along with congregation procedures and may even complain about anything not to their liking.
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gingerbread
Last spring (March 2012), all bodies of elders in the US received a letter about higher education. It lays down the ground rules. Higher education is defined as a program of four years or more - not specialized certification or an Associates Degree.
The 'danger' of a four year education is that "it often erodes faith in Jehovah and the Bible."
Elders, ministerial servants and pioneers can be 'removed' if they pursue (and promote) higher education for themselves, their wives or their children.
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27
Another bash at education - wt13 9/15
by Splash inpage 20:.
the unwary may adopt the same view of theocratic arrangements.
they may be unwilling to go along with congregation procedures and may even complain about anything not to their liking.
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gingerbread
The negative stance against higher education is a smokescreen.
They reason that a young (innocent, vulnerable, simple) person will be exposed to immorality, drug and alcohol abuse, politics, evolution and higher criticism.
In actuality, the GB doesn't want people to become educated. Essential parts of a successful education are to learn to reason, question and prove.
And the local elders DO NOT want publishers that are 'smarter' than they are. Register for a four year college or university and see how quickly extra 'privileges' are taken away!
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It's All Your Fault - 9.15.13 wt Study Ed
by breakfast of champions in"in a similar way, at the beginning of the 20th century, there were a number of wrong expectations among true christians regarding the last days.
(2 tim.
3:1) for instance, in the year 1914, some thought that their being taken to heaven was imminent.
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gingerbread
Unfortunately, too many followers have trusted in these 'false predictions.' For those that came in as adults, you're right slimboyfat.
Being taught from infancy of an imminent end to everything 'bad' in this life defeats a young persons desire to set long-term goals in life.
This belief system, enforced by parents and the larger congregational community, creates thinking patterns that are almost impossible to erase.
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30
It's All Your Fault - 9.15.13 wt Study Ed
by breakfast of champions in"in a similar way, at the beginning of the 20th century, there were a number of wrong expectations among true christians regarding the last days.
(2 tim.
3:1) for instance, in the year 1914, some thought that their being taken to heaven was imminent.
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gingerbread
Another blatant misrepresentation of the facts of the Bible Students belief is "For instance, in the year 1914, some thought that their being taken to heaven was imminent."
ALL followers of Russell (from the late 1870's until 1914) held to the belief that they would be taken away ('in the twinkling of an eye' - 1 Corinthians 15:52) to heaven to rule under Jesus as princes/priests. Every local home group (ecclesia) studied this in their current WT's and the Studies in the Scriptures.
By using the term 'some' the WT implies that there were only a few that held to this belief and these individuals (weak in the faith) had 'wrong expectations' about 1914.