I'm going to make an assumption here and state that it appears that most, if not all of the posters who are so opposed to Hibiscus' argument, were once JW's. As one who was never a JW it is very plain to see the damage done to you by the WTS as it's philosophy continues to erode you from the inside out. I truly hurt for you ( and my loved ones who are JW's ) and I think you had better come to grips with it all before it's too late. Or am I just being too sensitive?
You appear to be making an attempt at a reasonable position, so I will respond in kind. First of all, do you realize the condescension in your paragraph here? Is this condescension intentional? I will give you one from a nother point of view--see if you can spot the problem.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that those posting in favor of Hibiscus's argument have been mentally damaged by a lack of eduction and instruction in critical thinking. The damage done to you by main-stream, puritanical, fundamentalist religions is clear. I realy empathize your situation, and all who have an inability to reason, and I think you better come to grips with the truth before you make huge mistakes and condemnations.
Or, am I just being too right?
Now, do you see how this sort of language is grandiose and not warranted when you haven't even met the people with whom you're discussing? Go back and count how many posts in which people have tried to respectfully present information that was contrary to HIbiscus's view, and how she responded every time with non-sequitur tomfoolery, and even eventually resorted to ad hominum nonsense. Once she went to these levels, no one here in their right mind will take anything she says as being worth anything--when you are unreasonable you lose all credibility.
I can appreciate your feelings, as such feelings are almost always emotionally based, and I can testify first-hand about how hard emotional feelings are to overcome and analyze legitimately. The problem is, sir, that both you and Hibs are approaching this thinking that you are in the right and are unwilling to see your own mistakes no matter how tactfully they are revealed. If you can prove me wrong in anything I've said here, or even logically suggest I'm wrong, I welcome you to try. Unlike many, I welcome opposing viewpoints so I can analyze and either strenghten, or replace my stance, and I am not opposed to saying when I am wrong. G'day.