Posts by Magnum

16

My First Year of Posting and How I Have Changed

by James Jackson in

jw
friends

i lurked for 2 years on this site before i joined in july 2013. what a roller coaster ride it has been.. first of all, i was a very active jw for those unfamilar with my story having been a longtime elder(21 years), regular pioneer (14 years), convention & assembly speaker, etc.

i am still an active witness because i am older now, with close to 40 years in the borg with some longtime friends.

boy how i have changed!

Magnum

Your story sounds somewhat like mine, except that I just can't go to meetings anymore. They are supremely boring. When I did go, the last few years I would read the Bible or something else during them because I felt that I was wasting my life. You might be around my age. How can you stand to waste so much time? We don't have that much time left. One meeting can easily kill four hours when you consider the time to get dresssed, drive to the hall, etc.

The public talks have been horrific where I'm from. I completely lost my desire to invite new ones to meetings because of the low quality of the talks. And the situation's getting worse for several reasons: 1) The material is not as exciting as it was back in the Frreddy days when we thought exciting things were about to happen on the world scene. 2) People now have so much info available to them through the internet, TV channels, etc., that they're accustomed to acquiring info in an entirely different way now. They want their info rapidly. If they get bored, they leave the website, channel, etc. Their attention spans are shorter. They couldn't stand to sit and listen to some guy in a cheap suit ramble incoherently and boringly for 30 minutes.

14

Dissed by a Sister!

by finally awake in

jw
friends

i was running the cash till at the annual boy scout fundraiser yard sale yesterday, wearing my finest boy scout t-shirt and enjoying the blistering heat, when i saw a local family of witnesses browsing the merchandise.

they studiously avoided looking at me, but eventually a bargain nightgown proved irresistable and the wife was forced to approach the cash table and ask about pricing.

we avoid putting prices on each item because there is just too much stuff and we remind everyone that the money sends the kids to summer camp so the guilt kicks in and people pay more.

Magnum

finally awake - When I read Bob_NC's comment, I thought he was on your side and speaking from the viewpoint of the JWs as if the sister rightfully snubbed you and now she's being persecuted because you're speaking negatively of her. I thought he was just referring to typical JW thinking.

7

good books on critical thinking

by tepidpoultry in

jw
friends

hi, wanting to improve my thinking.

thanks, tepid..

Magnum

I have all the books shown below (none of which I've read completely) (most obtained at library sales, etc.). See especially the ones highlighted in yellow. The Chaffee book seems to be your best bet - it's been through at least seven editions. You can probably get cheap used copies through Amazon.

Logic Made Easy. Bennett

Beginning Logic. Lemmon

Deductive Forms: An Elementary Logic. Neidorf

Introduction to Logic (12e). Copi/Cohen

A Concise Introduction to Logic (6e). Hurley

Introduction to Logic. Suppes

The Way of Words: an Informal Logic. Munson

Language, Truth, and Logic. Ayer

Practical Logic. Beardsley

Symbolic Logic & The Game of Logic (two books bound as one). Carroll

Arguments: Deductive Logic Exercises. Pospesel

Fundamentals of Symbolic Logic (revised ed). Ambrose/Lazerowitz

The Art of Reasoning (3e). Kelley

Argumentation and the Decision Making Process. Rieke/Sillars

Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader (4e). Rottenberg

Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to Argumentation (3e). Rybacki/Rybacki

Writing Arguments A Rhetoric with Readings (6e). Ramage/Bean/Johnson

Perspectives on Argument (4e). Wood

How to Argue and Win Every Time. Spence

Persuasion and Social Influence. Trenholm

Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining (2e). Gass/Seiter

Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility (9e). Larson

Coercion: Why We Listen to What “They” Say (uncorrected proof for limited distribution). Rushkoff

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (revised ed). Cialdini

Thinking Critically (7e). Chaffee

Creative and Critical Thinking. Moore

Critical Thinking (3e). Moore/Parker

Practical Thinking. de Bono

de Bono’s Thinking Course. de Bono

Think Clearly: A Guide to Personal Effectiveness. Moxley/Fife

Success with the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense. Elgin

Labyrinths of Reason. Poundstone

Strategic Debate. Wood

Negotiation: Readings, Exercises, and Cases (2e). Lewicki/Litterer/Saunders/Minton

23

Jw's dont really care about doctrine do they?

by marriedtoajw in

it seems to me that jw's really don't care about doctrine.

ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 "and he gave some as apostles others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry for the building up of the body of christ until we attain the unity of faith and knowledge of the son of god to mature manhood to the extent of the full stature of christ so that we may no longer be in infants tost by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery from their cunning in the interest of deceitful scheming".

is it just me or does this verse totally annihilate the doctrine or belief in new light.

Magnum

It seems to me that they don't care about doctrine anymore.

designs: Doctrines and battleing Evangelicals was Big in the 1960s to the late 1990s

If you're referring to JWs, then I agree with you. I remember discussing the Trinity, soul, hellfire, what happens at death, and other doctrinal issues in the ministry and at meetings for service. But no more. It just doesn't seem important to JWs anymore. Not only is it not important, but they mostly lack the ability to discuss such things now. It's all different now.

Doug Mason - to everything in your post.

16

"Get Christie Love!" is on tonight. Makes me sad.

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

jw
friends

teresa graves was a beautiful, talented actress and singer.

she was deceived by wt false prophecies and worthless teachings.

she threw away a very promising career to become a jw.

Magnum

ShirleyW - thanks.

16

"Get Christie Love!" is on tonight. Makes me sad.

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

jw
friends

teresa graves was a beautiful, talented actress and singer.

she was deceived by wt false prophecies and worthless teachings.

she threw away a very promising career to become a jw.

Magnum

Was she still an active JW when she died?

52

Bible's mention of physical beauty- why?

by Magnum in

for years, as i've read through the bible, i've wondered why bible writers were concerned about physical beauty (see references below)?

i realize it's human nature to be interested in beauty, but why did they see fit to record in the so-called "word of god" the fact that some of the people they wrote about were beautiful?

looks are not supposed to matter according to jw doctrine (and probably the doctrine of many christian-professing sects).

Magnum

sparrowdown - yeah, that's exactly the point; it seems like an unnecessary detail. I just don't see why it would even be mentioned if it's all about, as you mentioned, "the secret person of the heart".

DJS - interesting about the waist-to-hip ratio. It seems to me that the more I learn, the more we seem like advanced machines that act on instructions recorded in our DNA by many years of trial and error.

Xanthippe & transhuman68 - thanks. You both made interesting points that I'm recording for further analysis in my extensive notes. Even I though I did a lot of thinking outside the JW box while I was active, I never really considered much information such as that you two presented in your posts above. I'm really trying to figure it all out now. Thanks again for your input.

17

Science and the WT

by Giordano in

ive been reviewing the scientific claims that the society promoted through the golden age magazine (later replaced by the awake).

not since reading the laws of leviticus have i had so many wtfs as found in the list http://hourglass2.com/historical/the-list/list7_01.htm .

each statement comes from an official publication of the wtbts.

Magnum

Thanks. I'm adding these to my list

Check out the one shown below that addresses the issue of why perfect people in the new world won't be hurt in accidents.

"Many have wondered how accidents would be avoided during Christ's kingdom, since we are told that nothing shall then hurt or destroy. Most accidents are due to gravitation and its effects. Falling from airplanes... etc., may be avoided by an individual negative gravity device.

"Scientists tell us that there is enough atomic energy in a finger-nail to propel a battleship. The people of the future may carry a little of this energy around with them, and if they fall down an elevator shaft they can let themselves down easy. Then they can turn a little more on and go back up. ... No danger of falling down stairs then." - Golden Age, March 24, 1926, p. 404.

71

Kate Wild

by quellycatface in

jw
friends

i've been given permission to post news of our friend.. kate hasn't been very well.

not well at all.

i think much of it has been a delayed reaction to her df'ing, the general fallout when leaving the wtbs and family issues.. i just wanted to give you guys the heads up and give you a chance to show how much we care about her.. thanks for listening..

Magnum

I've noticed her absence here and in the last few days was wondering what was going on - whether she was just busy with other stuff or whatever. I really do miss her presence.

52

Bible's mention of physical beauty- why?

by Magnum in

for years, as i've read through the bible, i've wondered why bible writers were concerned about physical beauty (see references below)?

i realize it's human nature to be interested in beauty, but why did they see fit to record in the so-called "word of god" the fact that some of the people they wrote about were beautiful?

looks are not supposed to matter according to jw doctrine (and probably the doctrine of many christian-professing sects).

Magnum

Designs - in response to your first post, I kind of picture the women of the OT who were described as being beautiful looking like "hairy bohemian women".