cognizant dissident

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Posts by cognizant dissident

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  102

  A couple questions for atheists on Suffering

  by little_Socrates in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  who told you that the world should be free from suffering?.

  do you find any value in suffering?.

  do you think it is possible to experience all the beauty and goodness and pleasure the world offers without also experiencing the bad?

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  cognizant dissident

  I agree talesin

  Suffering, along with pleasure is part of the human condition, it just is. Especially when we are talking about physical suffering, much of which is unavoidable (sickness, aging, dying).

  However, emotional suffering is often brought about by fallacious beliefs and is often self-induced. Of course, some physical suffering is self-induced and avoidable too. However, it could be easily argued that many of the behaviours that cause self induced physical suffering are brought about by erroneous beliefs as well.
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  102

  A couple questions for atheists on Suffering

  by little_Socrates in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  who told you that the world should be free from suffering?.

  do you find any value in suffering?.

  do you think it is possible to experience all the beauty and goodness and pleasure the world offers without also experiencing the bad?

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  2. 
  3. 
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  cognizant dissident

  I know quite a few atheists and none of them believe the world "should" be free of suffering. Quite the opposite. The world is as it is. We can either accept it, the pleasant with the unpleasant or we can refuse to accept it the way it is and "suffer" (The suffering in this case is caused by the expecting something different than reality and being disappointed when the world is not the way we want it to be).

  I think Cofty had it right. You are arguing a strawman.
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  5

  anyone from nashville know where to buy quinua cheap?

  by sowhatnow in

  1. social
  2. physical

  my son just called me and asked me to send down with my daughter who will be visiting, next week,.

  some quinua [i konow im spelling it wrong...] he said it got to be real expensive.

  up here is in a 12 oz box for like 5 dollars which is highway robery to me.

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  cognizant dissident

  I'm from Canada but I love quinoa and have found the cheapest and also the best quality (organic, prewashed, not bitter) is from Costco. You have Costco in the US don't you?

  You can get a 2lb bag here for less than 10 dollars and I know your prices are much cheaper in the States.
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  44

  Looking for Truth with a capital "T"?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  stop begging for crumbs like a pigeon in the park!.

  nobody anywhere has truth tied up with a red ribbon to hand to you so you.

  can go skipping down the road with a smile!.

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  cognizant dissident

  SAHS

  What you say about each of us experiencing our own little subjective truth (what is true to us based upon our own perceptual senses) - perhaps that is the ultimate truth. I don't suppose that there is some great ultimate truth "out there" that if we all collaborated with our own little pieces of truth we could construct in to some sort of whole truth. Perhaps what is the ultimate truth is that there is no ultimate truth apart from our own experience in the moment. If there were some ultimate truth that exists apart from us, then none of us could ever know it or learn it with our very limited perceptions.
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  44

  Looking for Truth with a capital "T"?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  stop begging for crumbs like a pigeon in the park!.

  nobody anywhere has truth tied up with a red ribbon to hand to you so you.

  can go skipping down the road with a smile!.

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  cognizant dissident

  One of the most thoughtful, intelligent and logical posts I have read in a long time on JWD or anywhere!

  I know I feel really irritated when my JW mother says she worries about me because I have a chronic illness and she was praying for me to find a good job and when I found one she said her prayers were answered.

  No, I worked like hell and went into debt for the last 10 years to educate myself. I worked on my resume, I sent them out, I went on interviews and tried to "sell" my services to the highest bidder. When I get a job, I work like hell to do a good job. That's why I have a good job. Her worry and prayers didn't do a damn thing to help me in any practical way.

  If I have any energy or money left over at the end of the day, which I often don't, I will use it to try and help my family or those less fortunate with some sort of practical help, no matter how small.

  How does my saying a prayer or worrying about my children's struggles help them one iota? It doesn't. It is just a way to feel like you are doing something useful when in fact you are doing nothing useful to help a situation.
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  54

  I have a TASK for you to perform. Come on--it will be FUN!

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  look up in the right-hand corner of this page.. find where it says welcome (name).. did you locate that?.

  now click on your name and observe the new page loading takes you to a top blue bar with a menu.. it should read:.

  active topics search members topics started .

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  cognizant dissident

  Ha ha on me!

  I just went back to read the topic and it was 59 posts not 59 pages!

  Oh well, it was still my longest! And I'm thinking of resurrecting it because as some of the posters to the original topic predicted, they are doing it again!

  This time to me!
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  54

  I have a TASK for you to perform. Come on--it will be FUN!

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  look up in the right-hand corner of this page.. find where it says welcome (name).. did you locate that?.

  now click on your name and observe the new page loading takes you to a top blue bar with a menu.. it should read:.

  active topics search members topics started .

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  cognizant dissident

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/158821/1/Opinion-poll-Is-it-wrong-for-grandparents-to-buy-presents-for-all-but-one

  59 Pages and I didn't even remember writing it!

  What Terry says is true though. While imo, not my most memorable topic, it did have the two crucial elements Terry mentioned

  1. Ask people their opinion

  2. Challenge a deeply valued belief. ( I guess in this case, the belief is that grandparents should not show favoritism and be fair to all the grandchildren)

  (Apparently many grandparents play favorites and many parents and children have felt hurt by such behaviour. Perhaps it brings back bad memories for many of ther own parents perceived or actuall favoritism to a sibling and the deep hurt that was felt at the time).
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  32

  Jehovah's organization growing like never before: but bible studies are way down. Huh?

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so the governing body likes to keep claiming incredible growth.

  at the same time they claim bible studies are way down.

  are the finally admitting what we've known all along, that they can no longer recruit outsiders?

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  cognizant dissident

  Just as the qualifications for pioneering have been modified to increase the numbers signing up, the criteria for what counts as a study has also gone down.

  When I was still "in" over a decade ago, one circuit overseer said if you open the latest bible study aid and ask the householder one of the questions in the brochure on the doorstep you have started a study. The householder may not have agreed to the study or even be aware they are studying with JW's but virtue of not shutting the door and allowing you to ask the question they are being counted as a study. When you return and ask the next question in the book and they still haven't slammed the door on you, then that is study #2.

  And even using this lax definition, studies are way down?
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  55

  A young girl shouts down a Street preacher

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  got to admit that when some of these screechers get wound up, ive felt the same as the young lady.. http://www.9news.com.au/world/2014/11/06/08/34/girl-tells-street-preacher-to-shut-up.

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  cognizant dissident

  Clearly, irony and satire is lost on some people.
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  55

  A young girl shouts down a Street preacher

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  got to admit that when some of these screechers get wound up, ive felt the same as the young lady.. http://www.9news.com.au/world/2014/11/06/08/34/girl-tells-street-preacher-to-shut-up.

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  cognizant dissident

  Vivianne

  I did not feel "stung" by your comments. I don't care enough about this topic to feel stung.

  I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) they were addressed to me because they immediately followed my post and a bunch of comments on my post and I responded based upon that assumption.

  I do, however, invariably feel irritated by anyone who assumes they know how I am feeling whether on the internet or in person. So in the spirit of the video, ZIP YOUR LIPS! SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE!

  I know that won't offend you because I'm a courageous female feminist standing up for my opinion and that makes it all good, no matter if a bunch of other people might find it rude!

  Cheers!