Markfromcali

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Posts by Markfromcali

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  36

  The Insanity of Arguing on the Internet!

  by cognizant dissident in

  1. social
  2. humour

  in an effort to get us all to lighten up and take ourselves and our beliefs a little less seriously, post your internet jokes and funnies here.. one of my personal favorites: .

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  Markfromcali

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/200230/1/Were-not-here-to-debate-or-argue

  It's probably only funny to me, but it does relate a little..
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  36

  The Insanity of Arguing on the Internet!

  by cognizant dissident in

  1. social
  2. humour

  in an effort to get us all to lighten up and take ourselves and our beliefs a little less seriously, post your internet jokes and funnies here.. one of my personal favorites: .

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  .

  1. 
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  Markfromcali

  Just posted a video in the TV thread that could have gone here too. I don't see a way to link particular posts but if anyone's interested..
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  113

  What Were Some Of Your Old Favorite TV Shows?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was just reading a "where are they now?

  " and the cast of leave it to beaver was highlighted.

  that was a funny show.

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  Markfromcali

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5oT1wqTEOw

  Makes me think of this show, it's like a metaphor for the Morg (mother org) or something..
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  22

  I Don't Believe In God ...

  by snowbird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ... said my very handsome 16-year old g'son.. he's the obama-look-alike whose drawings leave people in awe.. why doesn't that upset me?.

  thanks to all who have let me know that it's ok to express disbelief in a creator.. syl.

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  Markfromcali

  There's not even any need to be upset about any kind of belief or the absence of beliefs. Why would you get upset at your son? He's still your son and you love him.

  We can look at it this way: People are going to define themselves by their beliefs, but we don't have to define them that way. Why should we, if we don't believe in those ideas?
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  21

  Discussion with my JW sister last night...

  by Hecklerboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my sister calls me and proceeds to tell me all about everything going on in her life.

  all about her job and her apartment search.

  tells me about my nephews demonstration at the ca this past weekend.

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  Markfromcali

  Blondie that's interesting, it's understandable in a way because the principle of Tai Chi is to not use force but redirect, and at the heart of it the principle is opposites always flow into each other. I don't know if they just do forms or if there's any push-hands involved, (since that lesson is best appreciated through interaction) and while the religion is likely very compartmentalized in their mind, maybe that will inform them about how life works at some point since it's a totally different principle from the one sided view of the JWs.
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  21

  Discussion with my JW sister last night...

  by Hecklerboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my sister calls me and proceeds to tell me all about everything going on in her life.

  all about her job and her apartment search.

  tells me about my nephews demonstration at the ca this past weekend.

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  Markfromcali

  Well at least it's kind of on the table now. Unfortunately trying to reach a JW (relative in particular) is probably like if you were trying to teach how someone is using their body in a very wrong way. It's like if they were "trained" in a "martial art" that is actually very detrimental to their health, and they might want to fight with you but you actually have their well being at heart. Even though you have real training it's probably best not to approach it in terms of martial arts or religious issues, at least not directly. (other religions as examples possibly, then at a future point maybe draw the parallel) It can be done, but of course the tricky thing is getting through rather than winning since it may just be too much and they may be even more defensive as a result.
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  44

  "We're not here to debate or argue"

  by sabastious in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as a jw i was always taught "never to get into debate or argue with householders.".

  you know what is interesting about that?.

  the message i had when i went to your door was essentially "hello, what ever your current belief is... is wrong.

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  Markfromcali

  Actually that's true, in the sense of the JW is there to persuade and influence, facilitate subtle mind control. That is not debate or argumentation, they don't have the skills. And of course, someone who DOES think critically are less likely to buy into it, but then that logically would attract those who don't.
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  36

  The Insanity of Arguing on the Internet!

  by cognizant dissident in

  1. social
  2. humour

  in an effort to get us all to lighten up and take ourselves and our beliefs a little less seriously, post your internet jokes and funnies here.. one of my personal favorites: .

  .

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  Well it's all very personal isn't it. It's not really about what's right or true, but how that makes you feel because it's stuff you identify with. Not that there can't be anything learned even when there's *some* of that of course, since that's just how people tend to be, but it's not hard to see that if there is less of that the communication would be clearer and you can have a more productive exchange. So actually, in that sense the discussion and effort toward greater understanding IS retarded. After all the one that "wins" is the one that supposedly proves their position is right, but they've gained nothing other than some sense of satisfaction rather than any increased understanding of the subject. Even if you're talking about the "loser" then it's still retarded in the sense that it probably could have gone smoother.

  Sorry for making it serious, don't have the kind of stuff for this subject right now but I promise to insert situationally appropriate stuff in various threads. :)

  BTW cool name Cog. :)
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  4

  Strong indication of WILLFULL mindcontrol/hypnosis in the 12/15/10 WT!

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for quite some time i've been wondering if some of these things are willful manipulation, even devious or just plain stupidity.

  these quotes in the last article of the 12/15/10 wt are quite concerning.

  i'm gonna def have to bring this up with my family.

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  Markfromcali

  In view of the more sophisticated methods of mind control, you wonder if WTS will not just be subsumed into the mainstream in the future. When I saw this thread I also thought of this piece from the LA Times:

  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/03/neuroscientists-use-magnetism-to-fool-our-moral-compass.html
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  8

  Collective Intelligence: Number of Women in Group Linked to Effectiveness in Solving Difficult Problems

  by Markfromcali in

  1. social
  2. current

  to arrive at their conclusions, the researchers conducted studies at mit's center for collective intelligence and carnegie mellon, in which 699 people were placed in groups of two to five.

  the groups worked together on tasks that ranged from visual puzzles to negotiations, brainstorming, games and complex rule-based design assignments.

  the researchers concluded that a group's collective intelligence accounted for about 40 percent of the variation in performance on this wide range of tasks.

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  Markfromcali

  I disagree for a very simple reason. Put a group of women together and they'll never quit talking long enough to get anything done!

  lol, well ultimately there does need to be some kind of balance. Just look at what Trin Tragula did to his poor wife..