in the 1979 movie, "the china syndrome" there is a scene right after swat team members have retaken the control room from jack godell.
(jack lemon) kimberly wells (jane fonda) nervously whispers to richard adams, (michael douglas) "the reactor is the biggest bomb in there!
this reflected a belief, common in the 1970's that commercial nuclear reactors were capable of going up in a mushroom cloud like an atomic bomb.. although no one can deny that accidents and malfunctions at nuclear power plants can potentially be catastrophic, these reactors are not capable of a bomb-like reaction.
Yes, they can blow up. All one has to remember is Chernobyl. If the containment building leaks, there is a lot of high-pressure radioactive gases (like water vapor) just waiting to be released into the atmosphere.
Yes, but basically what TD said above is accurate. Also keep in mind that Soviet reactors had no containment building. One of the worst things the US has done in recent history, (ok, it was 1979), was fall victum to "The China Syndrome" and give up its nuclear power program.
j
i believe in god, but i also realize he may not exist.. if you don't believe in god, i really don't care, i'm just curious.. i don't have this need to start threads like "why you must believe in god", or other such nonsense, but some of you still have this "control" issue that you thought you left in the org.
it seems like you must still try to control what others think.
"think like me, or you are an idiot.
Excellent thread, Warlock.
I would agree that both theists and atheists can have the tendency to try to convert others to their way of thinking. Nvr summed up quite nicely as to why this is so. The question really should probably be, why do so many atheists here tend to be prone to do this? Here are a few possible reasons:
1. Ex-jws already have been taught through years of training to look at religion critically. Since many things concerning religion can be proven false through history or science, an ex-jw picks up on these rather easily through research, and these things learned become the basis for all belief thereafter.
2. Ex-jws have also been trained that what people believe is a life and death matter. An ex-jw is still prone to this black and white train of thought.
3. Faith and spirituality in general are things that are barely understood in the jw religion. Faith is completely associated with the FDS's explanation with absolute certainty of outcome. No contradictions are allowed or possible.
Atheism makes sense on the surface. Even better than how many once thought the jw religion made sense on the surface.
It is possible to look at belief in a higer power from a far more liberal viewpoint than many ex-jws do.
j
what a roller coaster it has been lately.
no way i would want to manage our investments.
leave it to the brokers and try to ignore it.
My $.02
Don't buy individual stocks.
Do buy good track record equities-based mutual funds.
Stay in it for the long haul, and don't worry about the roller-coaster.
You'll probably be wealthy when you retire.
j
barbara anderson has just released a new book on cd that contains some 5000 pages of public court records from the nine lawsuits involving 16 victims that the wts settled secretly in may of this year, plus documents from two other cases the society settled in 2000 and 2006.. .
its called secrets of pedophilia in an american religion: jehovahs witnesses in crisis.. .
the book, and more info from barbara about it, is available here:.
Thanks Seeker4. I ordered mine.
And thank you Barbara!
Jason
how many have become atheist after leaving the organization?
I did consider myself an atheist for quite some time after leaving the WTS. It was the only logical conclusion based on emperical evidence alone, as many of the above posters have cited. That said, I have come to realize that their is some value in the concept of faith. Without getting into too much detail, a level of faith maintains sanity. There is a HUGE difference between fundamentalist beliefs, (= belief that theBible or any other holy book is technically accurate), and spirituality. When one learns to think in these terms it is far easier to "bridge the gap" when faced with religious inconsistencies. It is VERY difficult for an ex-jw to think like this. The concept of spirituality has always been tied to having "all of the answers", to a jw. One has to learn to get beyond that way of thinking if they want to consider alternatives to atheism.
j
it's only my third day here so, go easy on me.
lol.. seriously, my new doubts have made it harder and harder to go in service.
a few months ago, when a new month rolled around, i realized that i hadn't actually gone in service at all the previous month.
Almost every report from 1997-2005.
j
hello gang!
didn't think i'd let you off easy did you?
this one might really make us dig into our personal archives!
In no real order here:
1. Genesis - Trick of the Tail
2. Radiohead -OK Computer
3. Neil Young - Harvest
4. Led Zep - Physical Graffiti
5. Genesis - Selling England By the Pound
6. REM - Out of Time
7. Nirvana - Nevermind
8. U2 - Achtung Baby
9. Chicago Transit Authority
10. Kansas - Leftoverture
That's how I sees it this week anyway...
j
there are a lot of us on here in the 32-34 age range.
why?
1972-1974 was some bad years for kiddos born in the borg huh?
2/9/73 - Wasn't exactly "born-in" though. My mother started studying with the witlesses in 1978.
j
mr. flipper here again gang!
so who do ya like all time?mr.
flippers list is as follows, almost in this way.
1. Genesis (Gabriel and Collins)
2. The Clash
3. The Doors
4. Nirvana
5. Steely Dan
6. Springsteen
7. Led Zep
8. ELO
9. Radiohead
10. Good Rats
amateur video producer and first post here.
i just posted my new video on youtube: watchtower - time to blow the cover.. enjoy!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5xly4msk4.
Awsome!!
j
