Posts by Syme

38

"Deep down inside even they know it is BS." Discuss

by rory-ks in

nope, bungi bill's interesting statement from this post didn't take, so i'll start its own.. from my own experience, i hated the field ministry.

it might just be because of the kind of character i am, whatever, i never was able to overcome that feeling of dread every time i went door-to-door.

i felt aware of how much people disliked having strangers cold-calling trying to sell them something.

Syme

No, I don't think that's the case, and that might be more creepy than if it were.

When I was a devout jw, I didn't think it was BS. I may had a question here, a question there, but that was all. I was completely devoted, in heart and mind. Having attended the MTS and served in various assignments, I could see that the same applied for most of the high-up jws I had contact with. They were sure about everything they believed and practiced. I am pretty certain that that is the case for every CO and Branch committee member, and for most (if not all) the GB.

I said that that is more frightening than if they weren't so sure: You never know at what extremes a man will go if he has absolute views. He is worse than a hypocrite. A hypocrite may be abhorrent, but he does not lack logic: he knows where to stop. A fully convinced delusional does not know limits. He will do EVERYTHING to serve his 'godly' mission. He will put in danger himself and others. He will not hesitate to sacrifice any of his followers if that's ''what it takes''.

If that description reminds you of GB, who change back and forth their policies even though lives get in danger (mentally and physically, as in blood issue), then it rightly reminds you of it.

4

FS manipulation tactic #137: "Are you the manager?"

by rebel8 in

jw
friends

this was to be used when visiting businesses.

if you asked the first person you saw if he was the manager, either:.

a. he is the manager and you can proceed with your pitch, getting permission to leave your literatrash in the business, annoy the customers, and interfere with the staff's productivity by witnessing to them.. b. he is not the manager, and having an ego built for a 6-yr-old, he will automatically feel so flattered that you thought he was the manager that he'll say yes to anything you ask.

Syme

Yes, I remember that too! It was used especially by a big time CO, who taught that 'trick' at visits and pioneer schools.

I thought that that was just a personal idea of that charismatic CO, but as I can see now it was probably taught in general.

7

Christian Love in Action - The Killing of Bishop Priscillian in 385 CE

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

priscillian was the first christian (that we know of) to be ex-communicated (disfellowshipped-hehe) permanently.

- the old excuse of heresy (apostacy).. what did he do wrong?

priscillian did have rather extreme views - but they were views also held by others in the early christian church and later.. he was an ascetic mystic and regarded the christian life as continual intercourse with god.. his favourite idea was saint paul`s "know ye not that ye are the temple of god?

Syme

Very good historical note, fulltimestudent!

At least your Priscillian had better luck than Hypatia a few years later. He was just beheaded. She was ...I don't want to describe, it frustrates me, but I tell you this: Priscillian was a LOT luckier that Hypatia.

And while Priscillian was a delusional who thought about intercourse with God, like the mystics and 'Spirituals' of Middle Ages, Ypatia was a serious scientist that wasn't even Christian! She was pagan (just in the name, practically she wasn't religious at all) and she was a thinking woman, in a world that was in its twilight. Christianity was on the rise, on the march, and no logical thinking being, even more a woman, could stand in front of them.

Why am I telling this? Christians did kill Christian heretics, sure, but they also killed other people. They killed, in general. It was like a habit. They stopped killing only when the worldly authorities did not allow them anymore to do so.

So, yes, it reminds us of the present day JWs and their shunning practiced, but jws only do what they inherited from their spiritual ancestors, the killers of Hypatia and Priscillian.

6

Why Do Some People Still Disagree With Special Relativity?

by DT in

jw
friends

i have to admit that i feel poorly equipped to address this subject.

i'm more interested in the feedback of others than in trying to persuade others of my opinions.

i should also point out that although this topic is specifically about special relativity, much of what is said could also apply to general relativity.. special relativity has had a profound effect on both science and modern culture.

Syme

"Why do people still disagree with Special Relativity"?

Why do people still disagree with the theory of Evolution? You see, the average person is not hardwired to have critical (even more, scientific) way of thinking. Relativity puts you in front of facts and gives a theory that contradicts the average person's ''common sense''.

Similarly, even though evolution stands on a much simpler idea, it is rejected by many due to prejudice. In the Reativity's case, common sense plays the role of prejudice.

For example: People for years saw the sun go up and down every day. They concluded that the Sun revolves around the earth. That became part of the collective ''common sense'' of most people for millennia.

People for certuries saw species of animals producing offspring according to their own species. They concluded that species are fixed. Again, that became part of the collective ''common sense'' of (practically every) people for millennia.

So, now Einstein comes and tells us something which contradicts our inherited common sense. He proves it, thus it is evident that our ''common sense'' is invalid after all. Since it is obsolete, common sense in that case now is as good as prejudice.

Same principle applies for evolution. It became documented with loads, with TONS, of evidence, but our faulty 'common sense', in addition to religious centuries-old indoctrination, stood again as an obstacle to scientific, accurate learing of the world around us.

So, as I like to say, ignorance is an option. When you see that your ''common sense'' is contradicted by facts, and yet you continue to hold your position, then you prove that you choose to remain ignorant.

10

Humbled Valentine's chicks pics ;)

by Bruja-del-Sol in

jw
friends

here's a few pictures of the little chicks saved from the snow and hatched by mom goldie.

(click on them to see larger pics).

.

Syme

Gee, I read "Valentine's chicks'' and I thought ... oh, well, never mind.

Nice chickens.

15

German "JW's" just after WW2

by Phizzy in

when i was growing up in the religion i heard a number of times that immediately after ww2 many jw's in germany left the religion.. i was told that this was, despite their courageously opposing the nazi regime, and enduring concentration camps etc, after the war , they fell prey to "materialism".. there was much shaking of heads as to how this could happen.. whilst reading an old thread the other day, i read there that these ones who left did so because they did not agree with doctrinal changes that had gone on whilst they had been cut off by the nazis and the war, "materialism" was nothing to do with it.. is this another case of watchtower revisionist "history" ?.

does anyone know the truth about what happened at this time ?.

Syme

For the ones that were located in the East part, maybe they abandoned the religion because of the atheist culture that was cultivated there. Don't underestimate the power of propaganda that the communist parties had; it was not all prisons and exiles, people were actually persuaded by marxism there. Proof of this is that 25 years later, people in former Eastern Bloc countries are still atheist in a larger proportion than western countries, even though they are completely free now and can be as religious they want. Even today, former East Germany regions are a lot more atheistic than former West Germany regions.

As for West Germany, it was a country in ruins and extreme poverty for many years after 1945, as rebel8 mentioned. Can you imagine being back from a concentration camp, devastated, trying to survive after the war, and having the ''Org'' telling you to go out preaching or ''reaching out'' and stuff?

The Org putting the blame on poor JWs who survived the camps in order to obey THEIR directives, is outrageous but it is expected. Didn't they do the same with 1975-ers? The GB seeded and cultivated the expectation, and when some poor dubs left after, they were blamed personally, as if it was their idea. It's a very old trick, you see.

21

TV Ideas For JWNers. "Luther", "Dexter" "The Killings" "Braquo"-

by RottenRiley in

jw
friends

i am looking for more ideas of interesting movies and gritty crime shows to watch.. .

the killings, wallander, luther, dexter, braquo (french (english subbed) german (berlin berlin), sherlock, george gently, inspector frost, inspector lewis, did i say "dexter (though the ending was a bummer :( ) "orange is the new black", "house of cards", "mad men".. .

can you add to my profile of movies and series i need to see?

Syme

Well, a TV show you MUST see is Banshee. It mainly consists of fighting, stealing, shooting and erm, you-know, but it has another distinct feature:

It features a lot the Amish community, in which you can see the WTS reflected as in a mirror. Disfellowshipping, shunning (and the pain that comes from it), women taught in obedience and silence, extremely strict moral codes which are however broken in secret by a lot of youths, etc. You get the picture :)

12

Does this count as Nazi collaboration?

by Julia Orwell in

a jw friend of mine visited the site of auschwitz-berkenau and bought a book on jws in auschwitz which documents which jws were in the camp, which ones died, and what they did while they were there.

known as honest and industrious workers, a lot of them, especially women, were employed as domestic help in the homes of the ss commanders.

this is well documented.

Syme

Julia, I think you're going a little too far with this. The Nazi commanders did not *employ* the JWs into their houses; they were prisoners, as in slaves.

It's like saying black slaves who worked inside the landlords' houses in the American South, instead of out in the fields, had part in the crime of slavery in the US.

There's no need to let our feelings towards the ''Org'' and its practices, make us feel hatred for simple JWs who fought honestly for what they thought was God's cause. Especially people who did not betray their beliefs in the face of death (even if their beliefs were ill-placed).

In my country young JWs have been shot in the past (post-War), others beat to death, because of the neutrality issue. Were they mislead? Well, yes, apparently. All of the 1st century martyrs were mislead as well (for an atheist like me); Others who died for their political ideology were also mislead; this does not diminish the respect they deserve.

Sorry for the 'advisal' tone

21

Short Video - Interviews with Creationists

by cofty in

this short video demonstrates how faith is impervious to facts.. the contributers are honest about their beliefs but so badly deceived about reality it is quite depressing.

spot the canards - some of them are jaw-dropping.. pastor peter laruffa exudes, "if somewhere within the bible, i were to find a passage that said two plus two equals five, i wouldn't question what i'm reading in the bible.

i would believe it, accept it as true, and then do my best to work it out and understand it.".

Syme

Oh, God, I saw this video earlier today. It is unbelievable; but hilarious too!

Did you notice the super-comment made in 2:20? "I would love to encourage Mr. Darwin to try God"!!! Does she really think he is a living person? Everything is possible with those poor fellas.

It's very hard to resist the temptation of being IQ-racist when dealing with that group of people.

16

"Writing . . . is a lonely life."

by compound complex in

jw
friends

"writing, at its best, is a lonely life.

organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but i doubt if they improve his writing.

he grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates.

Syme

compound complex,

Excellent quote! I used to write a lot, but I got into the social networks and stuff, like twitter, and my ability to write has faded...