Posts by Mephis

9

J.W.'s Interfaith Hypocrisy

by The Searcher in

w02 10/15 p. 27 questions from readers - "would it be a form of interfaith to purchase a building from another religious group and convert it into a kingdom hall?

"generally, jehovah’s witnesses avoid such dealings with other religions.

except when cash clarifies their thinking!.

Mephis

One that was not listed, in Penygraig, was converted many years ago into a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses for the flourishing Rhondda Congregation.

Holywell congregation, also in Wales, has (had?) a converted chapel too. Purchased in the late 80s or early 90s I believe. Amusingly, considering the pagan foundations quote, that congregation wanted to retain elements of the chapel's interior decoration but were ordered to have a suspended ceiling so that the gold Hebrew lettering of YHWH couldn't be seen. Wonder if it's still there or if they've whitewashed that wall since.

Oh, found a listing for the historic chapel Holywell congregation has: http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/8168/details/tabernacle-calvinistic-methodist-chapeljehovahs-witnesses-bagillt

31

Big news from Kim and Mikey, they state in thier latest video proof the WT invested in the Nazi war machine!!

by Crazyguy in

this is big!

according to what they say if i'm correct an investigation was done back in 1998 in concerning what american companies invested money in to germany.

mike and kim state that a document they have attained shows a list of american firms that had invested into germany as late as 1943. on this list is non other then watchtower !!

Mephis

Agree with Slimboyfat. I know different things appeal to different people but playing to JW stereotypes of apostates doesn't seem helpful to me.

30

I need to know more on why its a problem for me dating a JW girl.

by seekinghelpp in

ok not to throw no shade or no disrespect to the jw religion.

which i truly do respect because my girlfriend is part of but i just don't understand, i have researched so much about it.

so much about how its discouraged for her to be with me just cause of different religion.

Mephis

This board doesn't have many active JWs on it, but there are a lot of us who've been JWs or are going through the motions.

Totally agree with you, you should be able to date someone not of your own religion. But JWs divide everyone into 'us' and 'them'. You're 'them' - an unbeliever (I know you said you're Catholic - to a JW that's an unbeliever, they've spent over 100 years slating Catholics and Catholicism), so you're considered to be dubious in character and nature (you're probably a really great guy - but all unbelievers are dubious to JWs) and their first thought will be that you're only there to pull your girl away from being a JW. Which then leads to all the shunning stuff for her.

That's the brass tacks of it I'm afraid. You may get suggestions to become a JW to make it easier on her. I'd personally suggest not doing that even if you were inclined to.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

In that mythological example, New life was not created from rocks, merely modified and passed on.

My contention is that JW theology on this would allow them to argue that life created by humans is of the same order of angels collecting dust (or whichever inanimate materials are supposedly required) and making their own bodies to impregnate women.

There is nothing really in their teachings which dictates how life should be transmitted. Do 'test tube' babies have 'spirit' in JW theology? But sperm isn't 'alive' (every sperm is not sacred), nor are eggs.

Cofty, and others, obviously disagree. But as we're dealing in hypotheticals based on utter gibberish masquerading as teachings there's little point me pursuing this. :)

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

Appreciate that Cofty. Long thread. I think doctors bringing someone back to life really would hit the button you're wanting to hit there. That's definitely not possible under JW theology. Although there's some obvious get outs you know they'd use.

Just personally, I think there's sufficient noose there for them to dangle on 'creating life' without it causing too many theological issues. We both know that they've done it with other stuff. I'm not even certain it requires too much shifting here on their part. But we obviously are going to differ so no point pushing further for me :)

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

I know what you're saying Cofty. But if only God can give spirit, explain the Angel babies pre-Flood. It's not a slam dunk like you think. Their teachings are an unholy globular mess because they're trying to duck the 'soul'.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

Correct. Where would you like to pretend there's a contradiction?

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

The quotes I gave you above say otherwise.

You'll find I summarised the direct quote very correctly.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

This does not mean that the life-force [spirit] actually travels to heaven. Rather, it means that for someone who dies, any hope of future life rests with Jehovah God. His life is in God’s hands, so to speak. Only by God’s power can the spirit, or life-force, be given back so that a person may live again.

They've transformed the idea (and the words) into a metaphor. It's their way round the whole 'soul' problem. And it leaves lots of wriggle room on the question you pose too. God doesn't literally get the spirit back. He doesn't literally have to give it to make something alive. Or they'd have to explain where God fits in with the baby making process etc etc.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

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.

Mephis

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'.