Posts by Island Man

40

@ RC: "For evolution to be true..."

by Scully in

according to a jw contact, one of the speakers at the regional conventiontm stated that "for evolution to be true, two of the same kind would have had to evolve at the same time; one would have to be male and the other would have to be female, and then they would have to find each other".

apparently the crowd had a good laugh over how evolutionists overlook such a simple "fact".. i mentioned that bacteria and viruses use asexual reproduction, and that many sea creatures / fish, etc.

are hermaphrodite and do not require a sexual partner to produce offspring.. oddly enough, the conversation stopped there.

Island Man

That elder's statement is typical of the arrogant ignorance plaguing creationists. There is no bigger fool than the one who has convinced himself that he's wise while being totally ignorant.

The elder's comments reveals that he does not understand what evolution is. He clearly imagines evolution as being a process where one individual animal of a particular kind changes to a completely new kind with no transition whatsoever.

But the reality is that individual animals do not evolve. Whole populations evolve. Evolution is a phenomenon that happens at the population level and it happens very, very, very, very, very, very, very gradually over an extended period of time and over many, many, many, many, many, generations of an animal population. The transition between one kind and another is an extremely long one spanning many, many, many generations, such that one cannot point out the exact generation where one kind becomes another. So given that it is an entire population that evolves then both male and female members of that population come out in the new kind at the same time and are all able to reproduce with each other throughout the transition to the new kind.

The transition from one kind to another is as gradual as the transition from the darkness of midnight to the full light of midday with each second of time representing a new generation of the population. Just as one cannot identify a single second as being the defining moment when midnight turned to midday, in the same way one cannot identify the exact generation when one kind evolved to another. There would never be a single animal of a population - male or female - evolving into a new kind all by itself and having to wait for others to evolve to its kind so they can reproduce.

So the elder's comment is as stupid as someone saying:

"for the theory that one side of the planet is in daylight while the other is in darkness, to be true, there would have to be day/night boundary moving across the face of the planet and one should be able to stand at that boundary with one foot being in darkness and the other foot being in daylight."

43

Are the Governing Body Members Mentally Ill?

by Oubliette in

data-dog: i believe that many of them would actually be considered mentally ill, if they were ever tested.. .

great question and intriguing hypothesis.

lets take an armchair psychologists view and see what we shall see.

Island Man

Your post just gave me a movie or book idea. Imagine a book about a parallel present where, unlike our present, theistic religious behavior and beliefs are regarded as being a delusional psychological disorder and treated as such. Theistic religions are outlawed as a danger to society and theists meet secretly in underground movements.

But the story skillfully strings the reader/viewer along with the false impression that the governments and medical community are the bad guys and they are unjustly stifling people's religious freedoms, playing on themes of suppression of rights. But very gradually over the course of the story, the reader/viewer comes to have an awakening that the government and medical community are actually correct and the good guys and it is the underground religious communities (the leaders of those communities) that are actually the deceptive, manipulative bad guys.

The way this plot trick is pulled off is that the first half of the story focuses on events from the perspective of rank and file religious believers who are only getting their religious leaders' side of the story; and well, you know how religious leaders have a tendency to twist things, to deny reality, to limit their members access to independent information, to demonize those who criticize them, etc. So the viewer gets the story from the perspective of a believer who is being deceived by the religious leader without knowing it and without this fact being apparent. So the reader/viewer genuinely thinks the religious people are the underdog victims being oppressed by the government. During this phase of the story, viewers / readers who are religious will find themselves connecting with the side of the religion and empathizing and rooting for them.

Then about three-quarter way through the story it is dramatically revealed that the religious leaders are not being honest. This fact is now revealed by the story shifting to the government's side of the matter being the focus, showing how the religious leaders are in fact using cult tactics to deceive the members and exploit them. Specific claims made by the religious leaders are exposed as being fabrications. The deceptions of the religious leaders would be very analogous to the deceptions used by the most popular religious leaders today.

So the movie would essentially help religious people today to think carefully about their own beliefs and the people indoctrinating them and to have a light bulb moment and think "OMG! what if..." and hopefully awaken to the deceptions of religions and seriously examine their own religious beliefs to see if it is really rational; to see if evolution really is without evidence as their religious leaders have told them, etc.

The story will end with one religious group having the most zealous believers who put loyalty to the leadership above facts and reason, deteriorating into a dangerous cult and committing mass suicide. In this phase of the story, it becomes painfully obvious to the viewer/reader how religious tactics like unfalsifiable claims, persecution complex, paranoia, us vs them, mistrust of non-members, information control, putting god above family, misplaced loyalty, etc can all conspire to keep people locked in against all reason, facts, logic, etc ultimately leading to disaster. Meanwhile the majority of members of another religion that is less cult-like are aided by the government to escape the mental slavery and delusions.

If done right this could be a powerful drama that will educate people of the dangers of irrational beliefs and manipulative cult-like religions. I'm no writer but if Terry or any writers on the board think it would make a good novel and want to use my idea they're free to do so

9

What do the words "An AVR Community" on the sign of the Rivercrest at Fishkill, Luxury Apts. mean?

by oppostate in

what do the words "an avr community" mean on the sign of the rivercrest at fishkill, luxury apts.

that the wt just purchased not long ago for us$ 57 million?.

[link to wt sign at the entrance to rivercrest luxury apts.].

Island Man

I believe AVR in this context stands for American Volunteer Reserve

40

INTERVIEW: with an Elder

by TerryWalstrom in

elder: "i'm not sure i know what you mean by 'diversity.'.

elder: "well, it's not quite like that.

elder: "um.

Island Man

I think too some repentant people are disfellowshipped purely for the sake of the congregation protecting its image and the image of the organization. For example, if a JW commits a sin that becomes very widespread public knowledge then it is likely that he will be disfellowshipped even if he is genuinely repentant. They do this to try and save face with the public by in effect saying: "this man is not a true JW, his actions do not reflect what we stand for, he has been removed from our group. This is how we deal with wrongdoers - unlike the other churches in christendom who tolerate serious wrongdoers.". So they would put their image above forgiveness when a JW commits a very public sin but is genuinely repentant.

76

JW Org Flags at R.C.

by ToesUp in

photo was posted on jw-archive.

j.w.org flags flying at the 2015 r.c.

in fribourg, switzerland..

Island Man

tiki: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Gbody and the ludicrosity for which it stands..one org under 8 crazies with poverty and ignorance for all...

Damn! You almost made me spill my milk lol!

39

Index of acronyms : help for new forumers

by Mary J Blige in

am finding a whole lot of acronyms that are really foreign to me and i now have an appreciation for what cult language sounds like to non-culters.

wondering please if you can post your definitions so i can get up to speed.

otherwise, as an indoctrinated ex-culter, i am inclined to create my own new light and swiftly it will be gospel.

Island Man

Filthful and Discredited Slave, Faith-fooled and Discredited Slave = Faithful and Discreet Slave

Gaffe-earning Body, Gaffe-honing Body = Governing Body

Wash-towel Babble and Crap Society, Wash-towel Babylon Crap Society = Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

Minstrel Serf Ant = Ministerial Servant

60

BREAKING NEWS!!!

by DATA-DOG in

breaking news from co!!

according to a reliable source, the co in my area says that jws may have been hearing the phrase, "final push" being used.

what sage advice did this shepherd, duke, and "star" of revelation have to say?

Island Man

BREAKING NEWS! is a very serious term that should not be used cheaply or abused.

When I read the title you really had me on the edge of my seat expecting to get some exciting revelation like news of AM III being caught in the back seat of a car with a male prostitute wearing tight pants; and then I open the thread and all I get is news of the cultic, apocalyptic bamboozling of a Circus Oversneer?

Please do not do that to me again, DATA-DOG!

15

I find it hard to believe that Terrence Howard isn't awake.

by Island Man in

for those who don't know, terrence howard is an actor who has had some exposure to "the truth" and has spoken positively about the jw religion in a past interview saying he would become a jw if he could.. i've started watching wayward pines where terrence howard stars as the town sheriff.

there are some striking cult parallels between the show and some facets of jw cult culture.

~ people who try to leave wayward pines are subject to punishment.

Island Man

I've just finished watching episode 5. I now know TTAWP (The Truth About Wayward Pines lol)

15

I find it hard to believe that Terrence Howard isn't awake.

by Island Man in

for those who don't know, terrence howard is an actor who has had some exposure to "the truth" and has spoken positively about the jw religion in a past interview saying he would become a jw if he could.. i've started watching wayward pines where terrence howard stars as the town sheriff.

there are some striking cult parallels between the show and some facets of jw cult culture.

~ people who try to leave wayward pines are subject to punishment.

Island Man

cappytan: Island Man: I assume you haven't watched episodes 5 and 6 yet?

No, I haven't. I'm in the middle of 3 right now.

36

Anthony Morris III: "...we cannot control everything that an individual might say..."

by cappytan in

i noticed that anthony morris iii just said on the broadcast: "while we cannot control everything that an individual might say, it is clear that over the decades protecting children from abuse is a top priority for this organization.".

that, in my opinion, is a direct response to the richard ashe "spiritual protection not physical protection" deposition.. here's a video putting the two statements side by side.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgevpuyn7gy.

Island Man

leaving_quitely, I agree with most of what you said. However, when it comes to an unproven allegation, I don't think the elders should inform the family heads of the name of the individual that was accused. They should simply inform them that a member of the congregation has been accused of pedophilia and that as a precaution they're telling all parents to not leave their children alone with ANY adults in the congregation, no matter how trustworthy they think they are - no elders, no ministerial servants, no pioneers, no one! and they must accompany them to the bathroom.

Furthermore, when informing the parents the elders should take the opportunity to ask the parents if their child has ever said anything to them about the behavior of any member of the congregation regarding them touching the child inappropriately. You see, it may be that the accused touched another child but when the child told the parent, the parent brushed it off as a misunderstanding. By not telling the parents the name of the accused, it ensures that if the accused did in fact touch another child, then the parent or child giving that same name would constitute an unbiased corroboration - unbiased by the knowledge of the identity of the accused in the current case - that the accused is indeed a pedophile.

It would also serve to protect the reputation of the accused from any stigma should it later turn out that the accusation was untrue, because sometimes the stigma can continue on the accused even after he was shown to be innocent.