DJS

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Posts by DJS

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  315

  Flat earth vs round earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my brother has been talking about the earth being flat and some big conspiracy going on to make people beieve otherwise.

  what are people's thoughts on this?.

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  DJS

  JrJw

  Your brother likely fits the average demographics of CTs. High school education. Low income. Low intelligence. The world wide web is the only reason they now have a voice. Plus, the www allows the little dodo birds to flock together. There are of course exceptions to the CT demographics, but they are all working at Faux, I mean Fox, News or for the POTUS. Or they are the POTUS.

  http://time.com/4965093/conspiracy-theories-beliefs/

  “Conspiracy theories are for losers,” says Joseph Uscinski, associate professor of political science at the University of Miami and co-author of the 2014 book American Conspiracy Theories. Uscinski stresses that he uses the term literally, not pejoratively. “People who have lost an election, money or influence look for something to explain that loss.”

  One survey showed that about 42% of people without a high school education believe in at least one conspiracy theory, compared to 23% of people with a post-graduate degree. A 2017 study found a household income average of $47,193 among people who were inclined to believe in conspiracy theories and $63,824 among those who weren’t.

  “In this case, conspiracy theories can be like emotional poultices,” says Joseph Parent, a professor of political science at Notre Dame University and Uscinski’s co-author. “You don’t want to blame yourself for things you may lack, so you blame anonymous forces instead.”
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  315

  Flat earth vs round earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my brother has been talking about the earth being flat and some big conspiracy going on to make people beieve otherwise.

  what are people's thoughts on this?.

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  DJS

  Yes, MrRoboto, you are a flat earther You insult us by acting like you aren't.

  12 countries and the European Space Agency have sent satellites to orbit the earth and send back pictures, geological surveys, weather patterns, etc.. Of a round earth. That means hundreds of thousands of intelligent, educated, committed, ethical people from 13 entities around the globe have worked to develop, launch, manage and benefit from satellites over a timespan of 5 decades.
  

  To date about 40 countries have sent about 550 individuals to earth orbit, where they can clearly see whether the earth is round or flat. NONE of them have reported a flat earth.

  You would have us to believe that the hundreds of thousands of professionals who developed the science to launch satellites into earth orbit, some of which are geo-synchronized to the earth based on its orbit and its spherical shape, and the millions of educated, intelligent, committed professionals who receive data, photographs, etc. each day from these satellites showing a round earth AND the 550 individuals from 40 DIFFERENT countries are all completely stupid, incompetent and/or in on the ruse? And after 50 years of earth orbiting everyone of these millions of people have kept their silence????

  Is that what you would have us to believe?
  

  Thoughts have nothing to do with it. The evidence is clear. Also, have you ever seen a lunar or solar eclipse? You can't fake that.
  
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  50

  The wonder of scientific research

  by amicabl in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this has possibly been brought up before however here goes.. constant reference is made by many posters to scientific research as being the only way to prove something factual that would otherwise have to be taken on faith.

  there actually seems to be "faith" in scientific findings.. my experience over many years is that most scientific research is fake.

  nothing oftencomes of the big announcements made to raise more money.. money, prestige, pride, human error, suppositions etc., are rife amongst the scientific community.. i realise that there have been many advances over hundreds of years but humankind is in a mess, although very different to even a century ago.. the medical profession now has vaccinations for everything, antiviral drugs etc.

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  DJS

  amicable,

  I disagree 100%. You got exactly what you deserved. As others have stated, think before you speak. There is a privilege of freely coming onto the www to express your views. If you violate that privilege by posting erroneous, even dangerous, views, you will get exactly. what. you. deserve.

  As ex-dubs we have an even greater responsibility to ensure what we post is factual and evidence based. We were held hostage by a group of AOWM who played on our fears and used confirmation bias that included cherry picking data, mis-quoting data and ignoring data to keep us chained, as well as threats and fear mongering to keep us from researching ourselves.

  For the doubting dubs, the nearly ex dubs and those in pain and searching for an answer to why they do not feel at ease in this nasty cult, we owe it to them to post well researched, rational views that are devoid of our own emotionally driven, uneducated and potentially harmful views.

  Welcome.
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  50

  The wonder of scientific research

  by amicabl in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this has possibly been brought up before however here goes.. constant reference is made by many posters to scientific research as being the only way to prove something factual that would otherwise have to be taken on faith.

  there actually seems to be "faith" in scientific findings.. my experience over many years is that most scientific research is fake.

  nothing oftencomes of the big announcements made to raise more money.. money, prestige, pride, human error, suppositions etc., are rife amongst the scientific community.. i realise that there have been many advances over hundreds of years but humankind is in a mess, although very different to even a century ago.. the medical profession now has vaccinations for everything, antiviral drugs etc.

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  DJS

  amicable,

  Fair enough question, but this data was included in the link above, which I have pasted again below. It shows, as an example, that a white male who made it to 20 would on average live 40 more years until he was 60. In 2011 the same white male at 20 would live on average 60 more years, until he was 80. And so on.

  Even so, as long as the data comparisons are the same, e.g. life expectancy at birth, it is a meaningful and fair comparison. Unless you think 1 - 5 year olds are insignificant.

  So regardless of how you view the data we live much longer than in the past. We should all view scientific studies with scrutiny if not skepticism. But science is its own harshest critic and monitor, as Cofty has stated. Additionally, scientific, empirical studies rarely if ever describe their results as definitive conclusions.

  They typically use words such as 'suggests' and 'findings' and they qualify 'conclusions.' Good studies include any problems with the data and almost always identify shortcomings in their own study by pointing out areas or topics on the subject that should be considered for future studies.

  That doesn't mean the process is perfect or that some scientists let bias impact their results. That's part of the human process, but the scientific community will typically rip someone to shreds when they violate the process.

  https://www.infoplease.com/us/mortality/life-expectancy-age-1850-2011

  
  
  
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  50

  The wonder of scientific research

  by amicabl in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this has possibly been brought up before however here goes.. constant reference is made by many posters to scientific research as being the only way to prove something factual that would otherwise have to be taken on faith.

  there actually seems to be "faith" in scientific findings.. my experience over many years is that most scientific research is fake.

  nothing oftencomes of the big announcements made to raise more money.. money, prestige, pride, human error, suppositions etc., are rife amongst the scientific community.. i realise that there have been many advances over hundreds of years but humankind is in a mess, although very different to even a century ago.. the medical profession now has vaccinations for everything, antiviral drugs etc.

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  DJS

  More on OrpanCrow's post;

  In 1800 the health conditions of our ancestors were such that about 43% of the world's newborns died before their 5th birthday. In 2015 child mortality was 4.3% - 10 fold lower than 2 centuries ago. In the year 1850 the average life expectancy at birth in the US was 40.5 for white females and 32.4 for non-white males, with an average life expectancy at birth of between 30 and 40.

  https://www.infoplease.com/us/mortality/life-expectancy-age-1850-2011

  Many years before antibiotics and advancements in health care arrived, the average life expectancy in the US and around the world dramatically increased. Why? Science. Scientists dissevered that treating water with chorine made it safe to drink . We take this for granted now, but circa 1900 this was a dramatic assertion that took years of convincing before it was widely adopted. Disinfecting drinking water and waste water was the single most important steps the world took to increase life expectancies, followed soon by antibiotics, vaccines and other advancements in the health industry. Again, science.
  

  You AOWMs likely owe your lives to the titans who came before you, the scientists and researchers whose primary missions were to make the world a better place.

  Overwhelmingly the cause for shortened life spans and those lived out in poor health in the year 2017 are due to lifestyle choices. Obesity, lack of exercise, drug abuse - smoking, drinking, meth, etc., and the crap so many of our species feels compelled to repeatedly stuff their every growing fat faces with.

  It disgusts me when those with little to no education beyond HS, no experience or real knowledge about scientific issues arrogantly make definitive certitudes and platitudes about the evils and deficiencies of something they essentially know nothing about.

  Show some humility. Or better yet, get yourselves to Google scholar or some other scholarly resource and understand what you are spewing nonsense about. I doubt that any of you AOWM have had a research class, been taught the empirical scientific method and how to develop a scientifically sound study or even read a published study on a topic, conducted by people who have devoted their lives to understanding.

  What you are doing is called leveling, and it really doesn't bring these titans down to your levels. You just think it does.
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  37

  Science may answer the question: Is there a God?

  by Old Navy in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  .

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9qkdv6yg3s.

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  DJS

  Yes,

  The lord certainly works in mysterious ways. Apparently she prefers intervening in countries with health care insurance, excellent health facilities and qualified professionals, a social network that ensures no one has to suffer from abject poverty, essentially full employment, constitutional rule of law with a legal system designed to protect every citizen and a life expectancy around 80.

  Where an abundance of calories has led to 40% being obese and nearly 70% overweight or obese, with disposable income and a lack of self control have led to self induced health problems of such enormity that they threaten to seriously damage the entire country within the next generation ..
  

  … rather than hundreds of millions (billions?) of poor people past and present who actually need such intervention.

  Bitch.

  
  
  
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  46

  Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Typically Ignorant People?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think most witnesses are simple minded.many are ignorant.

  there are a lot of basically "good people "in the religion but i believe many are kind of dumb, including many elders.

  do you agree with my thoughts??

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  DJS

  Hey minimus, we agree!!! Hoodathunkit?

  Definition of ignorant: Merriam Webster

  . 1
a : destitute of knowledge or education an ignorant society; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified parents ignorant of modern mathematics
b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence ignorant errors


  Dubs are fundamentalists. Note the following article regarding fundamentalist religious people, from a study conducted by Northwestern University, and intelligence:


  http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/study-finds-link-between-brain-damage-and-religious-fundamentalism

  The researchers define fundamentalism as a cognitive approach that “embodies adherence to a set of firm religious beliefs advocating unassailable truths about human existence.“ They write in their paper that the appeal of such a rigid way of thinking is in promoting “coherence and predictability” within a religious group.

  Other studies have suggested the same thing. Not only are less intelligent people more likely to be drawn to fundamentalism, intelligence appears to be negatively impacted by fundamentalism. It makes sense. Use it or lose it. Duh.

  The Pew Research Center publishes an exhaustive survey of US religions each year. And each year the Dubs rank last in educational attainment.

  So whichever definition of ignorant you want to use, either educated/informed or intelligence, yes, Dubs would rate more highly on average in the ignorance factor based on multiple empirical studies. Averages, people, don't have a fit pitch. Of course there are a few smart dubs. For now.
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  46

  10 years on.....

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was a window cleaner, i was at the time unemployed, homeless.

  i had no education to be proud of (high school one a two b's rest c's) i was a jehovahs witness.

  i had been a pioneer.

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  DJS

  Snare,

  I logged on to this site today, after being away for 7 months, read your OP and had to tell you again how very proud I am of you. You are an inspiration to all of us, as well as my favorite poster ever (Cofty, don't get mad. Your'e my second favorite poster ever. If you would talk to the judge about that restraining order you took out on me you might make it back to no. 1)

  See you guys in another 7 months.
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  491

  What is your opinion of the news media?

  by minimus in

  1. social
  2. current

  to me they have an agenda and they really don't care about professional journalism.

  most are untrustworthy and that's a shame.

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  DJS

  mini me. you made this OP. Own it. You don't give a rip about media fairness. If they are unfairly lying about the Dems you're standing behind them giving high fives and fist bumping.

  Hypocrite.

  I've asked you to provide evidence that refutes the media's fact checking of Lying Donald and you provided none.

  Hypocrite.

  I've asked you why you had no moral outrage at the media when they lied about Obama and HRC., and you remain silent.

  Hypocrite.

  Your true colors are showing. Again. You should be viewed as a troll and ignored.

  Hypocrite.
• 
  491

  What is your opinion of the news media?

  by minimus in

  1. social
  2. current

  to me they have an agenda and they really don't care about professional journalism.

  most are untrustworthy and that's a shame.

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  DJS

  @mini me: "Be impartial if you can"

  What the eff? You're the most partial person on a site of biased partisans. And the biggest hypocrite.

  Fact check all media. Every one of them. Believe nothing until you have.