Reviewing LOGICAL FALLACIES : or how to really prepare for the Watchtower Study

by Terry 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Terry

  The thing about a crippling habit is that the reward is there.

  Jehovah's Witnesses get a result with fallacious reasoning. It gets them the reward they most desire. The get to be absolute in confidence they are right.

  But, like all crippling habits that bring a desired reward, the side-effects undo everything!

  Believing non-facts and defending them spuriously allows the illusion of righteous defense.

  Propagating untruth is the bottom line while the reward was, at best, illusory.

  Oh, how far the fall from Absolute Truth when it comes!!

  Theft creates treasure for the thief. But, the victims will have their say!
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  Finkelstein

  If one were to carefully refrain from the use of logical fallacies they would never become religious ...... simple logic
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  Terry

  In my opinion, it is the damage done to language that comes first.

  In reference to religious discussions and Bible reading, that is.

  Everyday words are stripped of their natural meanings and bestowed a "magical" and totally arbitrary definition whenever the need arises.

  Once your words and definitions are made rubbery.....it is not too difficult to persuade you of anything that sounds interesting or fascinating or mysterious.

  Take the unusual word: SIN which was borrowed from Archery practice and referred to inability to hit what bullseye you were aiming at.

  A person who first picks up a bow could hardly be expected to hit the bullseye the 1st time, right?

  But, watch what happens if we substitute this for what happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam.

  God expects Adam to hit the bullseye the first time out!

  Adam misses and the entire world of mankind must die as a result.

  How can we make this expectation or demand sound "Fair"??

  A special extra layer of presupposition has to be overlaid on this story text.

  For Jehovah's Witnesses, Adam was "Perfect" although inexperienced.

  The text does not use the word "perfect". The best you can come up with is "He saw that it was Good."

  How do we make "Good" into "Perfect" and really inject Fairness of expectation into God's penalty?

  Well, amusingly, nobody is born with the ability to pick up a bow/arrow and hit the bullseye the first time--are they? :)

  See how silly this is? It explains while saying nothing.
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  myelaine

  dear Terry...

  you said:

  "Take the unusual word: SIN which was borrowed from Archery practice and referred to inability to hit what bullseye you were aiming at.

  A person who first picks up a bow could hardly be expected to hit the bullseye the 1st time, right?

  But, watch what happens if we substitute this for what happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam."...

  in the "biblical" context all SIN is disobedience to the way of God whether in actions or thoughts. The life of A & E in the garden was likely one of obedience to God until E was deceived into disobedience by an entity outside of herself...

  most children are born with a trust in their parents judgement (as to what is good for them) but there always comes a time when the child acts on what they consider their "better" judgement of a situation...this is an act of disobedience.

  love michelle

  p.s. in the nation of israel it should be noted that they were called to obedience to God and the law...one command was to honour their parents in which there would be a blessing...
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  Finkelstein

  Personally I see a logical fallacy concerning Adam & Eve in that why would Eve trust or believe in a snake that talked

  when no other snakes in the Garden of Eden talked ?

  You would logically assume that she would have be frightened and ran away, perhaps back to Adam.

  Secondly when Eve brought the fruit back to Adam for him to take a bite, and Adam asked why did you do that ?

  She said a talking snake said it was alright.

  You think he would have been totally shocked when she told it was a Snake that told her it was alright.

  I guess it doesn't pay to be too analytical when researching religious philosophy.
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  Farkel

  : Personally I see a logical fallacy concerning Adam & Eve in that why would Eve trust or believe in a snake that talked when no other snakes in the Garden of Eden talked ?

  Um, what logical fallacy would that be?

  Farkel
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  Finkelstein

  I might have confused myself with irrational logic........ my bad