For me, a concept is only valid if you can point to something and identify it as a referent. Something that exemplifies a concept and allows others to agree/disagree accurately makes communication about that concept possible.
(Bag of peanuts). Conceptual. But, in a room filled with bags of peanuts how do you find a __particular__one without details???
A word, such as SPIRITUALITY, has no referent. It is up for grabs. All things to all people. It is completely meaningless because of this.
Religion (and especially Jehovah's Witnesses) use concepts that have no referent all the time to smooth out their ridiculous agenda.
This forces them to be very precise about other things to distract from their utter laxity in the conceptual premises they hide from view.
Take the phrase: SPIRITUALLY SICK. It seems to mean something. Indeed, it is discussed all the time. Certain actions and inactions are constantly cited to help identify the condition and single out the person "suffering" from this malady.
Humans aren't spirits. They are flesh and bone and blood. Illness impairs the day to day functioning of flesh and bone and blood. From this ACTUAL condition and ACTUAL referents a __metaphor is born. The Spiritual person is said to be sick. But, there is no SPIRITUAL PERSON! There is no referent; only a floating concept. The metaphor becomes a substitute for the reality.
JW's give endless details about "signs" of the END TIMES. But, these details aren't even REAL MEASUREMENTS of when the "end" will come. Why not?
The list of events Normally occur. But, by seemingly making them cluster into a composite sign these normal occurances appear "significant". They aren't significant; at least, not as a sign pointing to anything that will follow. There have always been earthquakes. Where? One place after another. There have always been food shortages. There has always been marrying and being given in marriage. There has always been eating and drinking. Etc etc.
It is the very NORMALITY of these occurances that allows generation after generation to be dead certain they are living in the TIME OF THE END. Nobody really examines these floating concepts. The very ordinary nature of them disqualifies them as special signs.
An actual MEASUREMENT of anything is for the purpose of identifying details that distinguish one thing from another. A bag of peanuts is just a bag of peanuts without measurement. But, a yellow bag of 72 peanuts that weighs precisely 14 oz. on a red table with a blue twisty-tie identifies and quantifies.
In a room full of bags of peanuts this can be important!
JW's stick with the floating concept of "bag of peanuts" and they never really give any precision at all! They pretend to do so. Like a magician who misdirects your eye___they pull their rabbits out of hats and amaze the unwary.
Every exact detail Jehovah's Witnesses have ever cited has been their undoing!
Precise dates have always proved them wrong. Precise prediction at precise dates is PROOF positive they are in error. No, they will stick to imprecision and conceptual manipulation; it is far safer to mislead people and not suffer being made the fools they are.
Terry
