Posts by CalebInFloroda

27

My proposal for Mankind to end all doubts...

by James Mixon in

just watch the movie "contact" and it gave me an idea.. our population on earth today 8-9 billion, a day where all of mankind pray, beseech,.

plead for god to show us a sign that he is still up there.

one day all around the world.

CalebInFloroda

And it's that "if" that I am truly wishing to know about, DarioKehl.

I want to make it plain that as a Jew I have no interest in converting anyone to my beliefs, convictions or doctrines. Unlike Christians I don't adopt the concept of "you must mentally acknowledge the same list of concepts I do to gain salvation." Jews don't believe atheists are lost or will go to some type of fiery hell or, if there is some future reward for us in the next world, are denied this because of their disbelief. We don't even actively attempt to bring you over to our side as you aren't lost or wrong if you don't believe as Jews do.

But I am interested in this concept of "if there was proof, I would change."

If one does not believe in G-d, why would so many of the same people challenge others for "proof"? Are they just trying to show how foolish others are? Would they be convinced if such evidence did exist? What advantage does one gain in destroying or attempting to destroy or challenge the convictions of another? Does not the possibility that empirical evidence of a deity changing one's mind belie the claim of some atheists' stand who also say such evidence will convince them?

To illustrate: I believe in the Dalai Lama's existence, but this doesn't mean I'm a follower. I believe Jesus of Nazareth was a miracle-working rabbi, but as a Jew I don't believe he was the Messiah. I don't believe in Santa Claus and as a consequence I don't spend time debating online championing my disbelief in Saint Nick to challenge Santa believers to prove their convictions to me. Santa doesn't exist, so such would be illogical and at least in my mind a waste of time. So I would like to expand in this area and open my mind more to comprehend what is going on here.

In an effort to understand, why would evidence in the G-d of Abraham, such as any of those mentioned in the OP, change an unbeliever's mind? Would not that make any subsequent belief a bit hypocritical if only afterward you believed, because you saw something like the Red Sea splitting apart? Why can't people disbelieve in a deity that has empirical evidence for their existence? It takes no courage to disbelieve in something that isn't real.

27

My proposal for Mankind to end all doubts...

by James Mixon in

just watch the movie "contact" and it gave me an idea.. our population on earth today 8-9 billion, a day where all of mankind pray, beseech,.

plead for god to show us a sign that he is still up there.

one day all around the world.

CalebInFloroda

By the way, my post in not meant to be taken as a challenge to the current convictions of a non-theist. I don't believe that belief in a deity necessarily makes a person good or guarantees being "saved." It's a real question I have had for some time.

27

My proposal for Mankind to end all doubts...

by James Mixon in

just watch the movie "contact" and it gave me an idea.. our population on earth today 8-9 billion, a day where all of mankind pray, beseech,.

plead for god to show us a sign that he is still up there.

one day all around the world.

CalebInFloroda

Here's something to consider...

Why make a big deal about something that doesn't exist and the fact that you don't believe in it? Santa Claus doesn't exist, neither does the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, so of course I don't believe in them. They are not real, so it's easy to say you don't believe in something that you don't believe is real, for which there is no evidence. Anyone can do that, and it is silly to keep harping on the fact you don't believe in something that children do.

Now how about refusing to believe in something despite the evidence that it is real or true. For instance, I'm Jewish. As such I don't believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. I believe, of course , that Jesus was real. I even believed he performed miracles, died, and was even resurrected. Like others before him he may have actually been taken to heaven as his disciples claim they witnessed. He may even have been a prophet sent from Heaven above!

So what? I still don't believe he is the Messiah.

They can find DNA evidence of him tomorrow. Maybe a space probe will get a photo of him flying past Pluto! He may appear before countless millions on live TV next week so that even atheists see he is real...and so what? Existing and being real is one thing. Being the full fledged Messiah of Jewish hopes, that's a whole other ball game, my friend.

I admire atheist logic and thought. Many of my fellow Jews are atheist, and some of these are my heroes, so I have no fight with the convictions of non-theists.

But it is easy to disbelieve in something you've dismissed as unreal compared to standing your ground in the face of a historical figure who is an imposter. What if G-d proves to be real tomorrow? If you are an atheist, why would a miracle from above matter? If empirical evidence of G-d is all you need to change your convictions, then how is that being an atheist? You're just a materialist. If a miracle like a talking dog or CNN broadcasting the return of Jesus will change your convictions, then you are are saying you will believe if you have proof. Correct me if I am wrong, that isn't necessarily someone who doesn't believe in G-d. That is just someone who is not convinced of G-d.

CNN can broadcast that "Promised Return of Jesus" with Anderson Cooper doing the interview asking: "Jesus, where you been." Sorry, evidence that Jesus is real and even that he is some type of actual deity still doesn't make him the Promised Jewish Messiah. So if you don't believe G-d is real, what does it matter if it turns out he is?

21

Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

by confuzzlediam in

last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

CalebInFloroda

Thanks for your insights too, Megaboy.

There are some errors however in your conclusions and your presentation because the Diaspora aspect of Judaism is not touched upon, and some of the data is still based on Watchtower theology.

The idea that the Jews denied being slaves in Egypt is a Christian misinterpretation based on a reading from the Gospel of John. Jews declare weekly in Shabbat rituals and yearly Passover Seders that they were slaves in Egypt. The ancient prayers of the liturgy in Haggadahs and ancient siddur Shabbat observances are still uttered today with the words: "Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt." In a few hours I will be saying these very words, in fact as Shabbat is about to begin.

Also many Jews of the Diaspora never returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian deportation. My ancestors from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin stayed in what is now known as Spain until the Alhambra decree of 1492 expelled all Jews due to the Spanish Inquisition. There were Jews in other parts of the world too, like Egypt where the Alexandrian Septuagint was created. DNA research over the past 7 years has verified the lineage of "hidden" Sephardic Jews, uncovered the reason for Ashkenazi traits, and verified the Cohen priestly line. Some of the claims are as TD pointed out, just anti-Semitism promoted by Christians and others as doctrine and "truth."

Many are unaware of these recent discoveries in history, archeology, and DNA research that have been inspired mostly by the recent Right of Return laws enacted by Spain and Portugal for descendents of expelled Jews of 1492. Hopefully people will do the research themselves based on these late findings and discover how wrong their view of the Pharisees and Jews in general really are.

21

Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

by confuzzlediam in

last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

CalebInFloroda

Thanks TD for the info.

I posted something along these lines in this thread yesterday but it got overlooked. I left the JWs and reverted to Judaism, and I can attest that people of so-called "Bible-only" movements like the JWs will never go to the source and just ask a Jew.

Of course who are we Jews to know anything about the Pharisees or our own culture or its sacred texts, right?

52

Try Other Religions

by Sofia Lose in

sometimes i get a strong curiosity to start dabbling into other religions, other faiths, you know?

really different ones such as islam, judaism, hinduism, etc.. has anyone here looked into something else?

has your spirituality been satisfied by any other than christianity?.

CalebInFloroda

Thanks, Faye. I've also learned that I must learn to grow a thicker skin, play well with others, and never opt out of any facet of life that is presented before me.

52

Try Other Religions

by Sofia Lose in

sometimes i get a strong curiosity to start dabbling into other religions, other faiths, you know?

really different ones such as islam, judaism, hinduism, etc.. has anyone here looked into something else?

has your spirituality been satisfied by any other than christianity?.

CalebInFloroda

I'm Jewish, ethnically and religiously.

I didn't know about my ethnic background when I was a kid and got baptized as a JW, so it was a culture shock to be sure to revert back into the community. And I didn't do it because I had some need for another religion or had a spiritual vacuum that needed to be filled. It had more to do with cultural identity.

Judaism is also not a religion about faith in that it isn't Christianity that judges people on what they "believe," what creed they claim allegance to, what doctrine they mentally and emotionally declare they acknowledge. Belief in God is not so much a mental acknowledgment of matter of faith. For Jews it's about how you respond to God. You can even be agnostic or secular (atheist) and still be considered a Jew. Religion for Jews is not about what doctrines you mentally acknowledge, it's about how you respond to the world and try to make it better not just for you but for everyone else.

I learned that the Christian and especially the JW view of Judaism was warped. As a JW I believed that Jews saw obedience to the Mosaic Law as a means to salvation. In reality Jews don't even have a doctrinal concept of salvation. Since Jews don't believe in original sin, they don't believe there is anything to be saved from. The Mosaic Law is seen as the opposite of slavery to the Egyptians, a way to exercise one's freedom to be their own individual. While most Jews don't observe many of the laws as they appear in Scripture (because the believe that changes in history often demand a reinterpretation of things), they do see its demands about living responsibly in the world as the most important.

As such I've learned to view atheists as upright and good as any religious person can be, as well as learn that religion or any type of ideology or creed is no guarantee that an adherent of such is not capable of evil. I view myself as no more "right" or having "the truth" as any other person, and that my first duty to another is to be their neighbor and not their judge seeking an opportunity to convert them to my views.

Scripture is studied critically, ritual is preserved as culture, and living life now (not just for some eternal life tomorrow) is seen as a duty to society and our responsibility to use our gifts in building it up. So it is very different from just believing some obscure doctrines. And it is not viewed as the "only way" to live. It wasn't always easy to become this after leaving the Watchtower world of black-and-white rules, either as you can see it is very different, even alien by comparison.

21

Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

by confuzzlediam in

last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

CalebInFloroda

Christians who rely on the New Testament alone in drawing conclusions about the Sadducees and Pharisees end up with a warped picture. The reason is that the New Testament texts were not intended by their writers to be historical accounts or biographies of Jesus. The words of Christian gospel were a combination of catechesis and polemics, designed to educate, proselytize, and propagandize all at once.

The Gospels were composed in their present form after the Roman war and the destruction of the Second Temple. This event left all the Jewish religious movements in a predicament (including the early Christians who saw themselves as Jews also), and this was not so much because the Temple itself had fallen.

Under Roman law, the only religion besides the state’s paganism that was allowed in the empire was the worship of the Jews. All other forms of worship were outlawed. You either worshiped the Roman gods or because you were a Jew (or favored their religion) worshiped the God of Abraham. Worshipping a foreign deity from a different kingdom independent of Rome’s jurisdiction was tantamount to treason.

The Romans never intended to destroy the Temple during the wars. As Judaism was an approved religion practiced by many Roman citizens, the Temple of Jerusalem was a landmark of Roman civilization. The Temple fell due to a mistake carried out by the soldiers under Titus, a mistake Rome tried to undo when Emperor Julian, in 363 as part of his plan to revive Roman religion (which included Judaism) in his attempt to squash out Christianity, ordered it rebuilt. Though the order never came to fruition, the fact demonstrates the favored (and most especially legal) position Jewish worship held in ancient Rome.

You see when the Temple fell, a competition in the Jewish community arose. Vying for validity in the eyes of the empire, Christians competed with the Pharisees over who were the true and rightful Jews. It was during this period that the written Gospels, especially Matthew’s, took shape. The negative description of the Pharisees in the Gospels was glossed over in rhetoric as Christianity was striving for what it believed was its rightful place as a legal religion. Much like Watchtower publications draws pictures of crazy-eyed clergymen appearing pompous and radical, the written Gospels did similar things with the competing Jewish groups in an attempt to say: We are the one true Jewish religion.

Without the Temple, the priestly sects of the Essenes and the Sadducees disappeared. Since the Pharisees centered on obedience to and study of Torah, they survived. You read nothing about the Essenes in Christian writ, only a little about the Sadducees, but a lot about the Pharisees because of this. The battle for the right to be recognized the authentic "Jews" led to the Pharisees as described in the New Testament to be written as polemic caricatures. Early Jewish descriptions of Christians were likewise colored with negative rhetoric, meaning that the truth about both groups (Jews and Christians) is actually somewhere in between.

Eventually Christianity was legalized in Rome, becoming the state religion. The persecuted became the persecutors because as soon as they realized they no longer needed to fight for the recognition of the worship as Jewish, they began a systematic oppression of the Jews that led to pogroms, the Spanish Inquisition and expelling of the Jews in 1492 from Spain, and eventually laid the groundwork for the ideology of Adolf Hitler’s “solution” regarding the Jews. Today Christians are making formal apologies for these mistakes, even rewriting their theology and admitting that these descriptions in the New Testament are colored with anti-Semitism. Groups like the Roman Catholic Church, some Lutherans, and even a few Evangelicals are coming to grips with the fact that they were virtually the inventors of anti-Semitism that laid the groundwork for the ideologies that inspired the Holocaust, though some more conservative members among them still disagree with and/or debate this.

It would be incorrect to claim that the JWs were therefore like the Pharisees and Sadducees of the first century as described in the Gospels. In fact, the Witnesses are closer to the Gospel writers who gave us some not-so-accurate caricatures that have led to 2000 years of hate crimes.

12

Why is a mass shooting in a church worse than other mass shootings?

by undercover in

jw
friends

i'll preface this by saying that i was horrified by the news of the shooting in charleston, a town that i visit quite frequently, and i know where the church is.

i don't mean to make light of the situation, but my question is serious, after having watched news pundits, politicians, neighbors, friends, express shock, horror and outrage over the events.. they, like me, were shocked by the school shootings, and the theater shootings, and other mass shootings.

but i sense a different shock, a different reaction, to this event.

CalebInFloroda

I have been following the news on this for hours but I've missed people saying this criminal act was worse than other mass shootings.

I don't think it's a competition. But if ever there was something to call "evil," I think this was it. I mean, many of us don't claim belief in religion on this site and may have quite a reason to be angry and even against religion.

But this young man did something both sacrilegious and vicious. He came to them, gained their trust by sitting with them during their Bible study and then shot them while telling then that they deserved to die because in that murderer's eyes their lives didn't matter. It was a disgusting act in a line of similar horrific crimes where people think their views are so superior that others deserve to be judged worthy of a bullet that will steal away their life.

Many here may have deep, deep hatred of religion and believe religious people are duped, and I know people may have very, very valid reasons for their stand, but this was something far different, more than merely negative, something terribly unjust and uncalled for. It was disgusting and evil, especially in the way it was carried out.

24

Children of murdered Charleston minister have "already forgiven" their Mother's killer.

by nicolaou in

i'm not judging these poor young people, if this is how they are coping with the trauma of losing their mum i can only wish them well.

i have to admit though that my jaw dropped when i first saw this interview, i couldn't square their reaction with what i understand as 'normal' human grief.. is this religiously motivated form of forgiveness a positive thing?

should i acknowledge this as something to be said in favour of religion?.

CalebInFloroda

I would,not be so quick to come to the conclusion that these people are just on "automatic" and not sincerely forgiving.

Unless we believe in some mambo-jumbo ourselves and claim we have ESP, we can't say we know what these people really feel.

Recall that this is a crime performed by someone who had a disrespect for these people's faith, enough to walk in, be welcomed by them, and sit through a study of the Bible with them before taking their lives, spilling their blood, and accusing them of rape and ruining the country. Innocent lives were taken. Parents and grandparents were slaughtered. This was an animal who did this, who had no respect for different views, conditions or race. Regardless if we claim a religion or not, can't we find it in our heart not to presume upon ourselves that are views are so enlightened that the convictions of others are no genuine. Or are we no better than this disgusting killer? I know all of you are.