Photos at churches

by Undecided 16 Replies latest social entertainment

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  larc

  Independent Spirit,

  There are all kinds of people here. Some believe in special creation, some don't.

  Sorry if this thing about God and creation and creative talent and what God does and what man does, got to be a big deal. As an xJw, the subject triggers me, especially when JWs give credit to God for what a person did. When I was a boy and a true believer, my grandfather's sister visited us from California. She was a poor pioneer. My grandfather, her brother, gave her a fairly large amount of money to help her out. After the lunch was over where he did this, the JW members of the family stated that this was a gift from Jehovah. Even though I was a child and a true believer, this made me mad. This was not a gift from Jehovah. It was a gift from my grandfather, an unbeliever, who helped more than the believers did. If God was working on the scene, then the rest of the family should have helped out. As a result, I am not particularly thrilled with this the gift from God concept.

  Sorry for getting in your face. It just happens to be one of my hot buttons.
• 

  larc

  One other thing,

  All that God gave us was a brain, some better than others, by the way. How we use it to create and invent should be exalted, in my opinion. The gifts of the Wright Brother, Thomas Edison, etc. should be shown great respect.
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  Prisca

  The point Independant Spirit was trying to make is that God created the chemicals and their physical properties, while men discovered ways of using them for man's benefit.

  I.S., I appreciate your description of the development (pardon the pun!) of photography through the ages. I like to dabble in photography myself, though most of my subjects happen to be tourist spots or family.
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  SixofNine

  Hi I.S., I'm a photographer as well. The amazing physical properties of the universe are one of two lines of reason that have left me, a recent ex-jw, as a tentative believer in God.

  Still, there are people just as intelligent as me, some much more intelligent than me, who do not see the physical sciences as evidence for a Creator.

  You will find both types (and more) on this board. You will find few or none who believe that God is as the organization painted him. Not many who believe God is as the bible paints him.

  What do you think?
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  jelly

  Hello Independent spirt and Larc

  Independent spirt I got your point in your post. As far as what kind of people post here you will get a mix. For myself I believe evolution was the process the creator used for creation, so does that make me a creationist or an evolutionist? Hope to see more post from you in the future.

  Larc I have seen JW's use Gods name to excuse themselves from the most basic acts of human kindness and curtesy, so I understand your hot button also.

  Jelly
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  IndependantSpirit

  Lark,
  "All that God gave us was a brain... how we use it to create and invent should be exalted, in my opinion. The gifts of the Wright Brother, Thomas Edison, etc. should be shown great respect."
  I completely concur. As with nearly every invention through history there were usually many individuals who were working twards similar goals either prior to, or concurrent with the person attributed with the actual invention of a given process. I guess that's one of the points to my rambelings about the early stages of photography, I thought maybe it would become apparent that I was indeed aware, and in favor of the accredation of the individuals who went to great lengths to bring us photography, often at great financial and pysical expense. (they didn't realise things like breathing the vapors of heated mercury were dangerous to one's health)
  I guess Prisca understood the point I was trying to make.. Thanks for helping me with my articulation :)
  Lark, I understand the soreness about the gift your grandfather gave his sister. Perhaps your grandfather should have been given more credit. (though sometimes people enjoy secretly helping others out) Just curious about the reaction of the JW members of the family - hypothetically, had she been a poor monk instead of a pioneer, & those same members of the family were Taoist, or a Buddhist, do you think the gift could have been attributed to The Universal Way? one of the constantly changing cycles that allow the universe to function? Would that have been wrong? Could both answers be right?
  When a Spanish Gallion is discovered off the coast, when it is brought to the surface and the world is blessed with it's treasures, I think it only fitting that we acknowledge the labors of those who brought the treasures to the surface, the innovative men who searched day and night, the team who engineered the salvage, the many people who played a hand. I also think it would be within reason to respect the craftsmen and artisans of the past, the jewlers and metalsmiths who's handwork we now admire, for had they not initially created the artifacts we now possess, well.. they simply wouldn't be, and all the efforts of those searching would have been in veign. Sometimes I guess a gift can be credited to more than one source, and the one does not of necessity exclude the other..
  Just a thought.
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  IndependantSpirit

  Jelly
  The things that most make photographs amazing & interesting to ponder, aren't always the blacks and whites, but more often the myraid shades of greys in between. Wasn't it Niche who supposed the only "truth" to be found in the world, was only to be found in the act of searching for truth?
  That you might be looking to something in between black and white, just might indicate that you are looking. & weather that makes you a creationist or an evolutionist is really inconcequential...