Posts by behemot

86

Opening Pandora's Box - By Barbara Anderson

by flipper in

barbara wanted me to ost this information about her discussion at a seminar which was held in europe first, then chicago just a week or two ago.

you'll find this link interesting.

all comments welcome.

behemot

Don’t get me wrong.

I do very much appreciate what Barbara Anderson is doing to expose the harmful JWs policy about abuse, blood, shunning etc.. I applaud at her participating at the annual conference of the International Cultic Studies Association in Geneva. But what about giving a lecture in the Vatican? and in a Catholic church? organized by GRIS, the Italian Catholic anti-cult (mostly anti JWs actually) association? I understand Barbara takes advantage of all possible ways to go public with these very important issues, but while I’m sure of her sincerity, allow me to doubt the sincerity of the Catholic Church in hosting her lectures. Do you really think they are concerned about the welfare of people who join the JWs? Concerned about the way JWs handle the abuse? Their record is not clean.

(see http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/24/children.childprotection )

I think they view JWs just as competitors on the religious “market” and thus they welcome whatever discredits them. And I’m afraid they just “used” Barbara and her commendable efforts to further their own agenda.

62

What/Who are the Saints?

by PSacramento in

according to the ot:.

saints :gadowsh meaning holy one and referes to those that have kept themselves free of difelment, idolatry, and other unlcean and profane things or the word gaddiysh which means those who are sacred to the most high, but can also man gods or deities.. in the nt:.

saint: hagios, meaning someone(something) revered, worthy of veneration, someone whos services god employs.. both meaning show that the individul is special and unique in god's eyes, yet there is no mention of any saint by name, the term always being use din the plural.. paul often addresses his letters to "the saints" of whatever church he was writing too and mentions "the saints" in general.. .

behemot

SAINT, n.: A dead sinner revised and edited.

(from The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, 1911)

U.S.A. profile of non religious population stats

by behemot in

jw
friends

http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/nones_08.pdf.

behemot

http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf

21

Religion, a force for good?

by Dean Fox in

is religion a force for good?.

the knee jerk reaction from most people who hold to a religious belief is "yes, of course it is.

" then when you point out that religion is used to motivate people to commit suicide bombings they will likely concede that this isn't always the case.. in one instance though someone said religion is always a force for good because the intentions are always good, even those of a suicide bomber.

behemot

That (some) religious people do perform good deeds is an undeniable fact, but so it is with regard to non-religious people who act likewise.

I'm inclined to think that religious people who do good would act similarly even without their religion ... but the reverse is not necessarily true. As Steven Weinberg once said:

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. (quoted in The New York Times, April 20, 1999)

21

Religion, a force for good?

by Dean Fox in

is religion a force for good?.

the knee jerk reaction from most people who hold to a religious belief is "yes, of course it is.

" then when you point out that religion is used to motivate people to commit suicide bombings they will likely concede that this isn't always the case.. in one instance though someone said religion is always a force for good because the intentions are always good, even those of a suicide bomber.

behemot

I don't really understand the beliefs/people antinomy, as if beliefs are somehow good in themselves and it's only people's twisting and misinterpreting (as opposed to an ideal correct interpretation) them that leads to trouble.

Religion is a cultural system and as such beliefs are man-made cultural products, so that there are no doctrines somewhere out there detached from people, there is no belief without believers.

Beliefs, ritual acts, moral codes, and a social group that feels bound together by all the above make, all together, religion.

21

Religion, a force for good?

by Dean Fox in

is religion a force for good?.

the knee jerk reaction from most people who hold to a religious belief is "yes, of course it is.

" then when you point out that religion is used to motivate people to commit suicide bombings they will likely concede that this isn't always the case.. in one instance though someone said religion is always a force for good because the intentions are always good, even those of a suicide bomber.

behemot

Serena Williams "witnessing" to the line judge at the US Open!

by losthusband in

jw
friends

is this girl really a jw, and what will happen to her in her congregation after this.............. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baeepruo1go.

behemot

http://www.slate.com/id/2228410/

18

The scientific approach to "holy books"

by behemot in

jw
friends

"remember, always, young man, that science which has become a great power in the last century, has analyzed everything divine handed down to us in the holy books.

after this cruel analysis the learned of this world have nothing left of all that was sacred.

but they have only analyzed the parts and overlooked the whole, and indeed their blindness is marvelous.

behemot

I think the above quote is better understood in terms of the cultural impact of the bible on our Western world.

Perhaps the author wants to convey the idea that, despite the fact that the historical critical approach to the "holy book" has dismantled its claims of divine authorship (and this is all the more so an established fact today, more than a century later than Dostoevskij), yet we still can't help but somehow come to terms with that heritage, which remains the cradle of our culture and keeps on affecting in many ways - even unconsciously - our lives on both individual and societal level.

Behe

18

The scientific approach to "holy books"

by behemot in

jw
friends

"remember, always, young man, that science which has become a great power in the last century, has analyzed everything divine handed down to us in the holy books.

after this cruel analysis the learned of this world have nothing left of all that was sacred.

but they have only analyzed the parts and overlooked the whole, and indeed their blindness is marvelous.

behemot

" Remember, always, young man, that science which has become a great power in the last century, has analyzed everything divine handed down to us in the holy books. After this cruel analysis the learned of this world have nothing left of all that was sacred. But they have only analyzed the parts and overlooked the whole, and indeed their blindness is marvelous. Yet the whole still stands steadfast before their eyes, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Has it not lasted nineteen centuries? Is it still not a living, a moving power in the individual soul and in the masses of people? It is still strong and living even in the souls of atheists, who have destroyed everything! For even those who have renounced Christianity and attack it still follow the Christian ideal. And neither their subtlety nor the ardor of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue than the ideal given by Christ of old. When it has been attempted, the result has been only grotesque ."

quote from The Brothers Karamazov by Fedor Dostoevskij, Book 4, chapter 1

Your comments welcome.

Behemot

Faith healing 'risks recovery'

by behemot in

jw
friends

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8250320.stm.

a belief in faith healing could jeopardise recover from illness, according to a new study by a university of ulster researcher.. dr tony cassidy said he believes that some people who put their trust in faith healing may be less likely to adhere to medical advice.

he will be presenting his research at a british psychological society conference in birmingham.

behemot

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8250320.stm

A belief in faith healing could jeopardise recover from illness, according to a new study by a University of Ulster researcher.

Dr Tony Cassidy said he believes that some people who put their trust in faith healing may be less likely to adhere to medical advice.

He will be presenting his research at a British Psychological Society conference in Birmingham.

The Coleraine-based academic's research team questioned 766 people on their belief in and intention to use faith healing.

They were also surveyed about their intention to adhere to medical advice.

"We found that belief and intention to use faith healing was a significant predictor of self-reported non-adherence to a medication," Dr Cassidy said.

"Participants who believed strongly in faith healing were also more likely to say they were less satisfied with their GP.

"Given that only about one-in-three people follow medical advice totally and about one in four put their lives at risk through non-adherence, it's important that health care professionals understand their patients' beliefs about alternative remedies, such as faith healing."

But one Belfast GP, Dr Paul Corry, believes that sometimes the opposite is the case.

"Often patients that do have a faith in God or have had a Christian healing prayer for them, show a better outcome because they are more positive," Dr Corry explained.

"They have hope where maybe they didn't have it before."