A JW watching "Cosmos"?!

Reply by sk8eycat on April 1, 2014 at 12:33pm

I have to say that my sister, a JW for 40+ years, has been glued to the TV when "Cosmos" is on.  And, no, she's not taking notes to refute what Dr. Tyson is saying.  She seems fascinated by in all...and she hasn't been going to "meetings" lately.
I am NOT going to ask her what she thinks; she's an Aspie with a touchy temper, and she weighs almost 2x what I weigh.
When Sagan's "Cosmos" was broadcast, she went in her room, shut the door, and put on her stereo headphones...the same sort of shunning she does during "Trick or Treat."
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 Permalink Reply by Patricia on April 1, 2014 at 12:41pm

Is she listening as well, or just watching the graphics? It could be a start......




Reply by sk8eycat on April 1, 2014 at 1:25pm

Oh, she's paying rapt attention.  In her heart she is NOT anti-science; this is an internal war she continually fights with herself, and I stay out of it.
She's not ignorant, but she will quote buybull verses, and talk with her JW friends (the only friends she has now) about what Moses supposedly did, and all that rot.  She loves talking to other doorbell-ringers about "Jesus," another fictional character.  (But freaks out if I mention anything about Harry Potter.)  She has a memory like a steel trap, probably has the entire buybull memorized by now.    And then she'll turn around and say something sensible about basic chemistry or physics.
I sometimes think she's trying to hang onto her religion by the skin of her teeth.
It's very confusing.  For me.
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 Permalink Reply by Patricia on April 1, 2014 at 3:40pm

This actually sounds like a positive Felaine, so hopefully things can be better for the both of you.
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 Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on April 1, 2014 at 5:10pm

Thank you.  If they stay the same, that will be fine...she's almost 70, and I'm 5 years older, and I'm not holding my breath waiting for any changes.
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 Permalink Reply by Idaho Spud on April 1, 2014 at 12:44pm

Sounds good Felaine.  Hoping for the best for you in your relationship with your Aspie JW sister.






http://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-why-cosmos-will-not-be-accompanied-by?xg_source=activity&id=2182797%3ATopic%3A2402125&page=3#comments


So, Sk8ey Cat's autistic JW sister is into " Cosmos"? Well, her sister may not be anti-science but I'm sure she rejects scientific concepts that conflict with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Organization's/denomination's views. JW's might be surprised to know that even though I am an atheist, I think there was most likely a Jewish rabbi named Jesus/Yeshua, I just don't think he was the Son of Yahweh or had supernatural powers in which he used to perform "miracles" or anything like that. I find the statements made by Christ Myth theorists interesting, but I still disagree with their view that Jesus wasn't real, I can agree with other things that they say despite this one issue. I don't think Moses "did" anything because I don't that he was actually real. Sk8ey Cat's sister only has friends that are Jehovah's Witnesses. Not surprising. Remember, I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, I may have disagreed with much that way of life, but I know how the denomination works. Jehovah's Witnesses are really supposed to be friends with only other JW's.  My mother happens to have non-JW friends but she mostly associates with fellow JW's whom she goes on field service/door-to-door proselytizing with on Saturday mornings, while my liberal Seventh-day Adventist dad is attending Sabbath School all day at his local Adventist congregation and engages in religious activities from Friday evening until Saturday evening.




 Autistic people are good at mesmerizing things, if this autistic JW woman has been involved with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for over 40 years, I'm sure she knows what is written in the Bible, but how much of Jewish and Christian history does she really understand?


This woman may say sensible things about physics and chemistry but she probably is very wary about what aspects of these sciences that she supports. If she isn't attending weekly meetings/religious worship services at her Kingdom Hall/JW Church congregational building, well, I'm surprised that the Elders/pastors of her congregation haven't visited her about her lack of attendance. She shuns Trick or Treaters, not surprising. She freaks out if her atheistic older sister mentions anything about Harry Potter? That's just irrational. I think Harry Potter has more positive lessons to teach than the Bible, if you do a comparison between the two. Who cares about how much the woman weighs? I mean, I know she may have a quick temper from what Sk8ey has said but I doubt she would hit Sk8ey Cat because well, she could end up going to prison for hitting her sister, regardless of her mental disabilities which may have some influence on her temper. Most autistic people that I know don't act like that.   She may quote Bible verses, hell I can too. I often do when I discuss religious stories and history.  I imagine that Sk8ey Cat's sister struggles with things although I doubt at her age that she will abandon her religious beliefs. Look at it this way, my mother is 82, she is a multi-generational Jehovah's Witness and is very into it, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for her to leave the Organization. I really don't care what she does, I'm only glad that I no longer have to live the life of a Jehovah's Witness as it really wasn't for me.