OK, so let's take a quick poll here.
Who thinks that 'spirit' is some kind of power, albeit one that we do not at present have instruments that can measure it?
Splash
What is spirit, exactly?
by Viviane 609 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Viviane
I am talking specifically about one aspect of what they identified as spirit they obviously were ignorant of the scientific make up of the air we breathe , any other ancient idea of what they thought spirit was is just speculation or interpreted by some eg bible writers as supernatural.
OK. Ancient people didn't know what air was and thought it was magical. Today we know better.
Likewise ancient people , although having in their appropriate language a word for water they did not know it as hydrogen and oxygen, therefore you cannot conclude that H2o is a metaphor for water. They are the same thing.
H2O, or, dihydrogen monoxide, is the molecule of water. It's a scientific descriptor describing what makes "water" (mostly). Water was to the ancients a physical thing you can see, touch, watch freeze, etc.
Spirit was used an explanation precisely because "there is something invisible that we don't know what it is, therefore it must be spirit", not because they didn't know the chemical composition. It was a mystery. Today, since we know better, we can rightly say that in the context of breathing and air, it's a metaphor. It has nothing to do with chemical descriptors because it's no longer a mystery.
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caliber
Splash power or force yes
vivian your dismissive attitude creates an atmophere that is not benefical for friendly discussion
When I post a topic I see myself as only one of many posters not as a moderator
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Splash
Thanks caliber.
Anyone else think 'spirit' is some kind of power?
Splash
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jgnat
Why does it seem that some see emotion as an enemy? - caliber
Just because I don't use emotion to clinically review an unknown subject does not make emotion the enemy. Emotions can be very useful. Not so useful to rocket scientists or nuclear plant engineers.
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galaxie
Viv... You are making an assumption that they thought it was magical.
They had the intelligence to know it was a physical force be it gentle or highly agitated, they knew it entered the body physically through the nostrils or mouth they knew it madethe chest rise and fall, they knew without it there was no more life they . They also knew its force could bring down trees.
Don't you think they would see it as a physical force. We insult their intelligence not to think so.
If some saw it as supernatural then they were just as deluded as some people today.
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Viviane
No one has been rude to you, Caliber. If there is a specific problem you have, please bring it up so we can address it.
Splash, what is the relevance of that question? How will it get us closer to an answer of what is spirit made of? Bear in mind that is spirit is undetectable, there's no way to know it exists or even how to look for it.
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jgnat
The usefulness of polls:
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Viviane
Viv... You are making an assumption that they thought it was magical.
Of course not. For instance, look up Pythia, Anaximenes, Etemuu. You'll discover quite a lot about ancient views on breath and air.
Don't you think they would see it as a physical force. We insult their intelligence not to think so.
You're confusing and conflating concepts. There is no reason to think it couldn't be considered both a spirit AND something that had physical impact.
It's a metaphor.
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KateWild
you really are just telling people they don't have the ability to get it, that they are lacking. - Viv
Apologies if I did not make myself understood. I am not telling people they are lacking. I am simply putting across my opinion why some grasp the concept of the spirit being the animating force in living things and others do not grasp it.
I apologise if I come across as being arrogant, no one is lacking. They just share a different view of why people don't accept the statement spirit is the animating force in living things. However there are few these days who willfully do not want to look at another perspective than their own. This is willful ignorance. However I am not insinuating anyone is being willfully ignorant either, just expressing that it exists.
just because four or five of us others can see their point has no bearing whatsoever-caliber
Lol, this thread is funny. Keep it going, it's starting to pick up some momentum
Kate xx