Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Marvin Shilmer: More than 50,000 dead

More than 50,000 dead

Monday, February 27, 2012

Private prosecution gets thrown out of court - Local News - News - General - Latrobe Valley Express

Conjecture remains over whether Jehovah's Witness members, involved in door-to-door preaching methods in the company of children, referred to as 'publishers', were required to undergo the background checks.

In an audio recording of a letter from the Watchtower Society, read to a local congregation in late 2011 and heard by The Express, it was stated door-to-door activities were part of a member's "personal ministry", and 'publishers' were not representatives or volunteers of the Watchtower Society. Read the rest at: Private prosecution gets thrown out of court - Local News - News - General - Latrobe Valley Express

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Holy disproportionate response, Batman! Emotional icebergs

The term "emotional icebergs" simply means that only a small portion of an emotion and reason for it are apparent.  The majority is "below the surface", not known to bystanders and sometimes not even known to the individual experiencing it.  If you notice a disproportionate emotional response to something, an iceberg may be the reason.

Destructive emergence of emotional icebergs ("shipwrecks") is a common pattern with ex-cultists.  One common trigger for the iceberg's emergence is belief--being presented with new information that cannot be easily confirmed by personally witnessing it--feeling pressured to believe.  Believe in something we're being told. Seeing others believe in what they're told.  Belief is a trigger.

There is camp #1 who instantly believes it without evidence or question.  Even after contrary proof has been provided, just like we were brainwashed to do--they keep believing.  Thinking for yourself is hard, painful and dangerous--it's bad, don't do it.

Camp #2 staunchly defends anyone who claims to be fighting the cult no matter how incredible the story becomes.  They want so badly for the vile cult to fall, they will ignore reason.  They are willing to send cash to alleged cult fighters (complete strangers) and are hostile when anyone questions the truth or asks for proof of anything, including identity.

Camp #3 who is overly skeptical but open minded.  These folks have done the needed personal work to get to this point.

Camp #4 who disbelieves and criticizes everything in a cynical, sometimes mean spirit.  Conspiracy theories abound. They operate on the same premise as Camp #1--thinking for yourself is hard, painful and dangerous--it's bad, don't do it.  They just err on the side of disbelief rather than belief--the second side of the same extremist coin.

Love it or hate it, that's us.  Injecting reason during these conflicts does help people reason, learn and grow.