punkofnice : Fullers - I don't envy you having to go thru all that awful Jobo nonsense.
Yeah! Once I used to lose my temper with them (thinking of all the trouble they've caused me as the relationship was severed). Then I chose to ignore them. But this is the second time I've chosen to initiate a conversation. I was interested the first time, because the JW lady used an ipad (or whatever) to show me biblical texts. An intriguing development. This one didn't, and didn't even open the bible in her hand.
Her opening question was the oldie we were using way back in Nathan's days (anyone else recall the 4 to 10 minute sermons?), "Do you think the bible is relevant?" And when I said it was all rubbish, she opened a way for me to tell her that I'd spent the last ten years studying the thought and history of Asia and reeled off a list of relevant study units I had undertaken.
I liked your Sagan quote. A need to believe! Apt isn't it? Not just for the JWs but for most if not all religions.
DesirousOfChange: I’m fully convinced that at least 90% of JWs have no idea what they believe. JWs have resorted to mindless, pre-scripted iPad presentations at the door because they are incapable of explaining even the basics of their beliefs.
Absolutely agree. In my experience (In at least 6 different congregations in Aus.) understanding of doctrines broke down something like this. 5-10% could understand and discuss a wide selection of doctrines and beliefs. another 10 to 25% understood and could discuss a limited range of doctrines and beliefs. And, the remainder found it difficult to go further than limited statements. Probably 50% plus of the JWs in the congregations that I was part of. had limited cognitive abilities and found it difficult to understand WT study articles.
Does anyone remember studying the old Babylon book in cong, book studys? We were supposed to get through about 10 pages at a time, but were often lucky to get through 3 or 4. I think the dumbing down of literature has something to do with that problem. And, we shouldn't blame the ranks of believers. In the fifties and sixties last century, most of the witnesses who were born early in the 20th century would have had limited schooling (in Aust. likely only six years) and very little cognitive ability.
Of course, for most going to the KH for meetings was not too different to going to church, plus a few more hours a month H2H. The rest of the time life was not too different to the general population. But if you were stupid enough (like me) to take it all seriously - your life could be seriously f**ked-up!
Drearyweather
Yup! I exaggerated!
Quote: From an article on literary devices;
Exaggeration is a statement that makes something worse, or better, than it really is. In literature and oral communication, writers and speakers use exaggeration as a literary technique, to give extra stress and drama in a work or speech.