in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
In JW world, if science produces life from rocks the cell would have spirit. Where would that have come from?
From the scientists who were created by God. Just as angels could have babies before the Flood by making physical bodies for themselves.
You're looking for a way to pin this down when it's gibberish to start with Cofty. There isn't a huge shift required for them to explain it away. 'Spirit' is just another way of saying 'alive'.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
I don't really see it either there. The 'spirit' is like electricity in the links Cofty gave. They have to clarify that on death the spirit doesn't really go back to God because it becomes a way of saying 'something is alive' - which seems flatly in contradiction to the bible verses they have to address. The article addresses 'only' God raising the dead, but not whether God's involved every time a baby is made. (Because if he is, oops on the angels, women and Flood thing!).
The question is whether man making life would be problematic. And I'm not sure it is. In JW theology, God isn't involved in the production of spirit on a day-to-day basis. It's passed on, but he's the only originator. It's whether or not the means of transmission is an issue should scientists one day create life. I suspect that it won't be a huge problem for them to explain away, as the article SBF linked hints at.
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/religion/alberta-appeal-court-rules-judges-can-overturn-unfair-church-edicts.
the other day, this court decision was posted on jwn along with a link to the court document, but few expected the media to pick up the story.
so to all involved, i understand it was a surprise to see the story in print.
Wow. This is really surprising. I can't see that ever happening in America.The principle exists in the US where if a 'shunning' by a community impacts upon your business then there is potentially a case to be heard by a court. (eg Bear v. Reformed Mennonite Church, Pennsylvania, 1975). But, you're right, more often civil law isn't keen at all to intervene in cases like this. We may disagree with the parallel drawn about a religious community being like a private members' club, but that is how they have been treated for things like this for a very long time across a number of jurisdictions. A court can't force people not to shun someone.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
i have just read an interesting article by astrobiologist jacob haq-misra.. in this article he describes a process called "directed panspermia" as a plausible way that one form of intelligent design - one not related with religious driven agendas involving theism - could be involved in the process by which life developed on earth and possibly in other planets as well.. sounds like a speculation that's worth entertaining.
your thoughts?.
i would love to compile a list of the education obtained by the governing body members both past and present.
can anyone provide any information to get me started?.
it still amazes me they think they can translate ancient languages with an 8th grade education.
Lloyd Barry and Albert Schroeder had degrees, didn't they? Don't think either of them involved languages relevant to translating the Bible from Greek etc.
On Schroeder: "He studied Latin, German, and electrical engineering at the University of Michigan."
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006689
give me my romeo; and, when he shall die,take him and cut him out in little stars,and he will make the face of heaven so finethat all the world will be in love with nightand pay no worship to the garish sun.. -- romeo and juliet 3 ii.
at a recent meeting there was a watchtower article about life in paradise.
they were saying that even when witnesses finally get there they will still be under the strict instructions from the elders and gb.
they may be given jobs that they will find unpleasant, also the preaching work will be ongoing because of all the resurrected people who need to learn about why they are given another chance.
Amuses me that even their own doctrine has it that, after 1000 years of their ideal paradise, most of the people left alive decide they'd rather have Satan back in charge.
has anyone seen this?
when did that happen?.
http://www.jw-archive.org/post/137681838624/new-service-report-jwinspirational.
If it's not going to branch, they'll not be using publisher figures for 'placements'. Suspect they'll trumpet 'hits' on the site instead?
has anyone seen this?
when did that happen?.
http://www.jw-archive.org/post/137681838624/new-service-report-jwinspirational.
Quote from the letter dated 20/10/2015.
Please note that beginning in January 2016, publishers’ placements will no longer be reported to the branch office. Neither will video showings be reported. However, in order to monitor congregation activity, placements and video showings should still be recorded in the congregation’s files.
