Posts by Qcmbr

64

Look, Up in the Air...It's a Bird, it's a Plane...No, It's a JW!!

by Cold Steel in

for you ex-jehovahs witnesses...and even you current ones...have you ever contemplated your future existence in paradise earth, should you be fortunate enough to end up there?

during those raucous, fun moments at the kingdom hall when you were contemplating eternity and having the times of your lives...did you ever speculate about what life would be like?

for example, would you have to walk everywhere or would you be able to fly around like superman?

Qcmbr

JW end times always struck me as nasty and triumphalistic, detailed pictures of horrible things happening to non-jws and then post apocalypse where the sun always shines andpeople grin like they are mainlining heroin. Mormonism is no less caught up in doomsday speculation but seems to care more for those who suffer and die (their judgment plan giveseveryone resurrection and a variety of grades in lifes test plus few mormons think they get much personal protection from end scenarios so its not an eagerly anticipated event).

Mormonism does not survive its encounter with facts. When Joseph fabricated a book to make some money ( he tried to sell the copyright ) he had no idea it would spawn a religion and as all great conmen he adapted as he went on, he was caught out several times but such is the perversity and blindness of faith many of his followers gave him a pass. He was undoubtably a mendacious genius who wove mormonism from the surrounding culture. If anyone is interested in what two books ( other than the King James bible ) were used as the basis for style and content let me know and I'll post links to them - note you will need to have read the book of mormon to see the links.

Cold - think about your line in the sand.Where does your belief ask too much? What could be said in church that would be too unbelievable?What evidence would disprove your beliefs?

73

Maintaining Faith In God As An Ex-JW

by pronomono in

as i fade further from the jws, i'm finding it increasingly hard to maintain faith in god.

i've been exploring many alternatives from atheism, agnostic, apathetic, pagan, and satanism (not devil worship, but the promotion of self-indulgence) to name a few.

i'm thoroughly intrigued to learn how those of you who remained christian managed to maintain your faith in god and christ, especially after enduring all the lies that we've been told about them.

Qcmbr

If a god exists who cares about you trust that that being will give you the faith you need. As a non god you arent expected to spontaneously generate faith . Get on with living and if a caring god takes an interest in you then your question will be answered. Dont sweat faith.

85

Atheists, what is the best argument FOR God?

by bohm in

there are no convincing arguments for god, but some are worse than others.

i thought it would be interesting to see what people consider the best (of the bad) arguments for god?.

in my oppinion it is the fine-tuning argument from cosmology.

Qcmbr

Given sufficient computing power we should be able to create a simulation with autonomous ai actors that perceive it as real. If one simulation can be created then many will. The number of simulations will exceed the original meaning it is probale that we are a simulation...

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

No magic being is everywhere and has all power but is invisible and talks telepathically to people. The evidence for this is the conflicting messages they receive, the lack of useful novel information they present , the lack of congruence with reality and the study of the human brain showing how it can present a convincing perceptual reality at odds with the objective reality using purely chemical and electrical stimuli. Santa (the Coca Cola product ) is based upon a potentially real historical person which makes him more likely than any religious god conceived thousands of years ago by primitive cultures.

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

Saint Nicholas

A 13th-century Egyptian depiction of St. Nicholas fromSaint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now inTurkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian withdowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. [7] He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In continental Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is usually portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes.

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

tec - Shrugs. I've been you for 30 odd years and I can understand why you speak as you do and why you are left apologising for a lack of physical evidence. When you have something real (physical) we can discuss further, meanwhile all the phenomenom you ascribe to your supernatural being science will explain or has already explained.

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

Nothing in scientific enquiry has ever found anything remotely resembling this magical entity labelled 'spirit'. Scientific discovery has revealed how much of our consciousness is constructed (and also why when the brain is damaged our consciousness can also be modified.) Simple science is explaining that experience most commonly associated with the 'spirit' - consciousness. It is in conflict with your non-explanatory, unscientific faith based assertion that there is a mystical substance residing inside the structure of the body. No electron scanning microscope has ever found anything like this thing you made up.

Good example tec!

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

Kate - I was talking to tec.

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

tec - You stated elsewhere sentiments agreeing that the spirit resides in the bones and that when you die your spirit sleeps within those bones. In discussion about what happens when bones get destroyed you shared a revelation regarding the preservation of the spirit in baby teeth. I expect you will elaborate and correct this but it will serve the point.

Simple chemistry tells us that biological remains including baby teeth rarely last very long in geological scales and that is one reason why old ones are so hard to find. It is easy to show that many people no longer have any calcium or enamel remains hence that your belief in the state of the spirit and bones post death is wrong.

85

Dawkins Chapter 2 - Dogs, Cows and Cabbages

by KateWild in

i have to say, i am afraid i found this chapter labourious to read in most places.

imo i felt he just wasn't getting to the point.

i don't get why dawkins felt the need to teach me all about platoism, essentialism and rabbits.

Qcmbr

Kate - I just read what you posted. If that wasn't what you meant then at least recognise why I would think you just said your motivation in studying science was based upon your faith in god. Faith is the exact opposite of what you described - faith does not fit into the cycle from a scientific POV. Faith posits some knowledge gained despite a lack of evidence and held in the face of conflicting information.