Posts by Coded Logic

50

Question for the nonbelievers and atheists

by nykid in

what specifically made you stop believing in god and the bible?

was it a steady road of doubts or it was reading one book or one major event that made you realize the bible was not what it's claimed to be?.

.

Coded Logic

It was a long road as the more I researched about the Bible the more I realized it was just the words of men. But the final knock down arguement came from Sam Harris (The Moral Landscape). He referenced the genocide the Israilites committed against the all the different nations because God told them to. Specifically, when Moses told them to kill all the Midianites - men, women, and children - and only preserve the virgins so they could be parceled out to the Israilite men along with the Midaintites cattle later on.

Sam Harris asked, if you were an Israilite man in the Bible and you're told to kill a woman and her child what is the most humane way to do it? Do you run the family through with your sword? Or do you decapitate them? Perhaps you just bash their heads in with a rock? Do you kill the mother first - and make the child watch? Or is it more humane to make the mother watch you kill her son before you kill her? Exactly what method would a loving God want you to use to slaughter unarmed women and children?

It was then that I realized that the charachter of Jehovah in the Bible was completely immorale. And that the Bible was written by men not by the creator of our universe. About a week later, I realized that, if the Bible wasn't true, I didn't really have any good reason to believe a God exists. I remain open to the possibility, but the time to believe something is after it has been demonstrated to be true. Not before. There's no point in drawing conclusions in the absence of evidence.

39

The frustration of talking to a person with a closed mind

by TheStumbler in

okay, this is going to be a bit of a general rant.

i had a long conversation with a jw elder recently about shunning and evolution.

i became qunite frustrated with the conversation and admitted this at the time.

Coded Logic

If I may add my two cents here, I have found the socratic method to be highly effective in these situations. When they make a claim like, "Evolution is a religion." Ask them why they think that. If they say because its a myth - ask them why they think its a myth. If they say its just a theory - ask them what they think a theory is. Ask them if they accept the scientific theory of gravity, atomic theory, or germ theory? If they say yes they accept those - ask them why they accept those but not evolution. What metric are they using to discrimate between them?

The point is, keep asking questions. Keep the burden of proof on them. They're the ones making the claim that evolution is false. When they start getting fusterated because they can't support their position, then you start in with your facts. It will then becomes apparent to them, even if only on a sub-concious level, that there is a huge difference between their position of just making assertions vs. your position of actually having evidence that supports your claims.

Why do I believe in evolution? Because it is supported by all the life sciences such a developmental and molecular biology, embryology, ontogeny, osteology, paleontology, etc. Because the genetic evidence is overwhelming. Mitochondrial DNA, alone, proves common descent. Endogenous retrovirus’, alone, prove common descent. The Y chromosome, alone, proves common descent. The genetic evidence is undeniable. And it falls perfectly in line with other things like atavisms, physiological and molecular vestiges, biological and chronostratigraphy, geographic speciation, the nested hierarchy of phylogenetics, ring species, transitional fossil forms, and a million and one other things. And because evolution is an applied science, without understanding evolution we couldn’t produce antivirals and antibiotics. That’s why I believe in evolution. Now tell me again self righteous elder, why do you think its false?

Sorry, didn't mean to rant there. Gets me worked up too!

18

Will it someday be possible to read another person's mind, without his or her even knowing it?

by Pinku in

scientists transmit thoughts from one brain to another.

sep 7, 2014, 6:27 am et.

column by lee dye.

Coded Logic

The fact that our thoughts go on waves, similar to radio waves

-End Of Mysteries

No, our thoughts do not work similar to radio waves. They're made up of a complex wiring of nerve impulses that travel along a physical medium. Your brain can't beam your thoughts across the room much less out into space. Instead, there is an electric signal that travels along the axonal branches of our synapses using the charge difference between the inside of the axon and its surroundings, like a tiny battery. When the nerve is activated, there is a sudden change in the voltage across the wall of the axon, caused by the movement of ions in and out of the neuron. This triggers a wave of electrical activity that passes from the cell body along the length of the axon to the synapse.

21

How Have You Changed Much In Attitude & Actions Since Leaving The Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

it takes time to stop thinking or reacting like a jehovah's witness.. are you still judgmental?

a know it all?

a person that listens more with their heart instead of their head---like jehovah's witnesses ???.

Coded Logic

I feel I've really toned my need to judge people all the time. Though, to be honest, the inclination still persits. Introspection isn't a one time thing. It's a continuall evaluation of where you stand and why you're behaving the way you're behaving. But by being cognisant of my backround I do find it much easier to accept people for who they are now - instead of just stressing over who I want them to be all the time.

As far as being a "know it all" - well, I can't really say that's really changed too much. But I am much more comfortable with saying the words, "I don't know." And when I find out I'm wrong about something I can now pallet the saying, "Hey you know what, you're right about that." (It's amazing the amount of respect you get when you can admitt you're wrong). More importantly, I have done a tremendous amount of research since I learned the TTATT. And the more I learn, the more I realize just how little I know.

The real problem with being a JW isn't how little you know about everything like the Bible. It's that you think you know everything about the Bible. But when you're a witness you don't know who wrote it, when it was written, how it was compiled, how many versions exist of it, old books that used to be in it, new books that were added later, the metrics to use to tell historical accounts from litterary devices, etc. The JWs just do kindergarten theology. They think they can read a 10 page creationist brochure and become an expert on biology. Or read one of Paul's letters and become an expert on psychology. Or cherry pick Bible versus and become an expert on ethics. The WTBTS discourages higher education, philosophy, research, and evidence based reason. It's no wonder I was so judgmental and opionated - I didn't know what it meant to be rational.

18

Will it someday be possible to read another person's mind, without his or her even knowing it?

by Pinku in

scientists transmit thoughts from one brain to another.

sep 7, 2014, 6:27 am et.

column by lee dye.

Coded Logic

The "wiring" in each and every single persons brain is different. What a particular pathway means to one person wouldn't neccissarly translate to another person. And our neuroplasticity continues changing over our entire lives.

We may be able to learn to send specific commands and controll things with our brains - but that is not the same as being able to read a persons thoughts.

12

WT is obsessed with "Korah"

by EndofMysteries in

korah and the faithful and discreet slave go hand in hand.

korah and sparlock.

if you do a search for the word, "korah" in the wt lib, the wt barely goes a month without showing into a wt or magazine about rebellious korah and applying it to themselves as being moses and if you question the authority of the gb, you'll be destroyed.

Coded Logic

Funny, I can't say I remember seeing the GB part the Red Sea. Or perfrom any miracle for that matter. I also don't remember seeing God's "pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night" leading them. Maybe I just missed it though. Anybody else see ANY reason to think they are devinely blessed or inspired?

250

Biblical Prohecies That Came True?

by Viviane in

recently there have been several claims made regarding prophecies that came true.

i've not personally seen a prophecy that i would consider as having come true.

i would consider the following as the requirements to say something is a prophecy and evaluate whether or not it came true:.

Coded Logic

The problem with Daniel's "prophecies" about the nations is they are so vague and poetic you could pick any century and make them work. Since Daniels time there have always been world leaders, conquerors, wars, new governments coming into power, old governments falling out of power, etc. And there are litterally thousands of ancient cities that are uninhabited to this day. In fact, many more cities of the ancient world are uninhabited then are still around. Fading into history is the norm - not the exception. There is nothing special about Babylon.

The city of Tyre, on the other hand, is something special. It's amazing for a city that was prophecied to be "completely destroyed and never inhabited again" almost 2,500 years ago, it seems to be A.) Not completely destroyed and B.) still inhabited. Weird.

250

Biblical Prohecies That Came True?

by Viviane in

recently there have been several claims made regarding prophecies that came true.

i've not personally seen a prophecy that i would consider as having come true.

i would consider the following as the requirements to say something is a prophecy and evaluate whether or not it came true:.

Coded Logic

There are four basic metrics that a prophecy has to meet:

1.) You have to be able to verify it was made before the event happened.

(I can "say" I predicted 9/11. But unless I can show proof that I did so prior to the event there is no good reason to believe me. You can "say" Daniel prophesied the fall of Babylon but there's no good reason to think his words were written before Babylon fell.)

2.) You have to be able to verify the event actually did take place.

(This one should go without saying but you'd be surprised)

3.) It must be falsifiable and cannot be vauge or open to interpitation.

(Nostradomus anyone?)

4.) It must be a rare or extraordinary event and cannot be self fullfilling.

(Saying that I predict the sun will rise tommorrow or predicting that I'm going to eat at Round Table for lunch is not a prophecy)

Bible Quiz

by Coded Logic in

i think humor is one of the best tools to get around mental barriers sometimes.

and it can be really good at making people self aware of thier own cognitive dissonance.

i really enjoyed this video when i was a believer as its pretty funny but makes some knock down points.

Coded Logic

I think humor is one of the best tools to get around mental barriers sometimes. And it can be really good at making people self aware of thier own cognitive dissonance. I really enjoyed this video when I was a believer as its pretty funny but makes some knock down points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB3g6mXLEKk

56

My JW mom is now willing to "listen" to our side...Need advice pls

by 2pink in

jw
friends

my husband and i (both born in jws with extended family all "in" except for one of my sisters who left when we did) left the church 5 years ago.

we did not fade, we just didn't believe it anymore, told our families so and left.

obviously, big drama in our family after this, messy feelings, etc.

Coded Logic

Just lifted this from CRAM, on rare occasion they do make some good points:

The 144,000 are mentioned in two chapters in the Bible: Revelation 7 & 14. By looking at the verses it is obvious that the 144,000 are literal Jews of the ancient tribes with no Gentiles among them (7:4-8). They are all males (14:4) and virgins (14:4). If the JW states that the usage of Jewish male virgins is figurative, what gives them the right to state that number of 144,000 is literal?

...

“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?” ( Matthew 24:45 )

The Watchtower’s interpretation of Matthew 24:45 is extremely problematic. By putting together an array of highly speculative and complex chronological threads, they come to the conclusion that 1914 is the day in which Christ began his rule at the “conclusion of this system of things.” This is contrary to the biblical view that Christ began His rule at His ascension ( Eph. 1:20-22 ). It's also contrary to the fact that the slave class started with Peter when Jesus charged him with feeding his sheep (John 21:15-17).