Oubliette

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Posts by Oubliette

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  21

  Top Cult Expert Steven Hassan makes statement about Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  thought this had to be made.

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  Oubliette

  WTF, when and where did Stephen Hassan make the statement you quoted?

  Combating Cult Mind Control was published in 1988 and--as far as I can remember--Hassan did not mention JWs explicitly in that book.
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  305

  McKinney Texas pool party?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. social
  2. current

  so today i was asked my thoughts on the pool party incident in mcminney, texas.

  my response: it shows a clash of expectations.

  i saw police officers who expected citizens to listen to and follow instructions.

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  Oubliette

  Simon: That was probably around the Iraq war time when Tony Blair was manipulating public opinion

  That's a good point. In fact, when I was in London last, there was an IRA bombing a few blocks from where I was staying in Soho.
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  305

  McKinney Texas pool party?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. social
  2. current

  so today i was asked my thoughts on the pool party incident in mcminney, texas.

  my response: it shows a clash of expectations.

  i saw police officers who expected citizens to listen to and follow instructions.

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  Oubliette

  Obviously, the situation in England is different than here in the US, but tenyearsafter raised an interesting point.
  

  I haven't been to Britain in over 10 years, but last time I was in London roughly half of the street cops were carrying sidearms.

  Can someone that lives there or that has been there recently give us an update?
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  27

  Missed the Meeting

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so yesterday was a lovely day where i live and so instead of going to the meeting we went, as a family, out for the late pm/early evening to have a bbq.

  we were far more relaxed than if we had gone to the meeting.

  we spent far more time talking that if we had gone to the meeting.

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  Oubliette

  Sounds like fun!

  If anyone queries your meeting attendance, try this:
  

  I Haven't Missed a Meeting in Years!
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  80

  Is RIDICULE acceptable in online debating?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this topic was inspired by one of fhn's comments on the 'warzone' thread, so i'll just restate my post there .

  .. "i've been wondering for a while now if ridicule really is an unacceptable feature in debate - it certainly isn't a valid form of argumentation.

  the thing is, some individuals really do come out with the most laughable nonsense and parade it as a serious proposition that merits attention.

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  Oubliette

  Here's another perspective to ponder:

  It's been pointed out that there is a difference between ridiculing A PERSON and ridiculing THEIR IDEAS/BELIEFS.

  What I haven't seen commented on here is the fact that some IDEAS and BELIEFS are inherently ridiculous. When another person points out this simple, plain unvarnished truth are they really guilty of doing anything wrong? Of course not!

  
  
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  80

  Is RIDICULE acceptable in online debating?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this topic was inspired by one of fhn's comments on the 'warzone' thread, so i'll just restate my post there .

  .. "i've been wondering for a while now if ridicule really is an unacceptable feature in debate - it certainly isn't a valid form of argumentation.

  the thing is, some individuals really do come out with the most laughable nonsense and parade it as a serious proposition that merits attention.

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  Oubliette

  HMTM: Ridicule is what Anthony Morris uses as a weapon to disarm those he opposes.

  As I quoted before, “Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.” ― Edmund Burke
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  80

  Is RIDICULE acceptable in online debating?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this topic was inspired by one of fhn's comments on the 'warzone' thread, so i'll just restate my post there .

  .. "i've been wondering for a while now if ridicule really is an unacceptable feature in debate - it certainly isn't a valid form of argumentation.

  the thing is, some individuals really do come out with the most laughable nonsense and parade it as a serious proposition that merits attention.

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  Oubliette

  Marvin: A horse should never see itself as an ass because a horse is not an ass and an ass is not a horse. But, me thinks readers get what you're trying to say!

  You are of course correct, taxonomically speaking. They are however both of the genus Equus.

  I was trying to be clever, referring to the other common meaning of the word: a stupid, obstinate, or perverse person.

  But I think you knew this.
  

  
  
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  80

  Is RIDICULE acceptable in online debating?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this topic was inspired by one of fhn's comments on the 'warzone' thread, so i'll just restate my post there .

  .. "i've been wondering for a while now if ridicule really is an unacceptable feature in debate - it certainly isn't a valid form of argumentation.

  the thing is, some individuals really do come out with the most laughable nonsense and parade it as a serious proposition that merits attention.

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  Oubliette

  On the other hand, how many times has a person posted an incorrect idea or a false teaching or maybe they were just mean and someone called them on THAT only to be personally attacked for pointing out their error.

  There are many people that post here that can dish it out but can't take it.

  These kinds of posters can't differentiate between having their IDEAS refuted, maybe even attacked, and their PERSON attacked.

  Hey, you can lead a horse to water .... but you can't make them see that they're an ass.
  
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  59

  New David Splane Video: No 1900 Year Faithful Slave

  by FusionTheism in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  governing body member david splane has a new video on tv.jw.org where he talks about all the horrible things committed by martin luther and the protestant reformers.. his conclusion is that there has been no faithful and discreet slave on the earth during the past 1900 years (before 1919 i guess.).

  he also says that maybe there were a few anointed on earth, maybe not.. he did add an interesting statement that he doesn't condemn the other churches just for misunderstanding the bible because the society has done that.. another odd point, was that he actually mentioned catholic missionary work in a somewhat positive light, while totally condemning the reformation views on predestination..

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  Oubliette

  wifibandit: The 2012 teaching that only the Governing Body represents the Slave was described in 1981 as an apostate concept.
  

  Which proves that it is actually the current GB that are the "mentally diseased" apostates, not us.

  The religion I joined in the '80s does not exist any more.
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  80

  Is RIDICULE acceptable in online debating?

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this topic was inspired by one of fhn's comments on the 'warzone' thread, so i'll just restate my post there .

  .. "i've been wondering for a while now if ridicule really is an unacceptable feature in debate - it certainly isn't a valid form of argumentation.

  the thing is, some individuals really do come out with the most laughable nonsense and parade it as a serious proposition that merits attention.

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  Oubliette

  SH: "Punch up. Don't punch down."

  Great practical philosophy!