Thanks for the reply, Cofty.
I appreciate it.
richard dawkins admitted that information inside of dna, and the origin of life on earth, might point to intelligent designers, perhaps extraterrestrials.
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boncjbrrdq8 )richard dawkins further admitted, in a debate with francis collins for time magazine, that science might point to a creator existing, but that this creator might not be anything like yahweh:.
time: "could the answer be god?
Thanks for the reply, Cofty.
I appreciate it.
reading archbishop resigns after archdiocese charged with coverup article?.
archbishop john nienstedt, deputy resign after archdiocese of st. paul and minneapolis charged with sex abuse coverup.
| by nicole winfield.
In informal settings individual Witnesses may bring up this news item and perhaps even say something positive about it. But in the more formal meetings it's likely they would all wait for the FDS to bring it up and then agree with how it is expressed.
richard dawkins admitted that information inside of dna, and the origin of life on earth, might point to intelligent designers, perhaps extraterrestrials.
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boncjbrrdq8 )richard dawkins further admitted, in a debate with francis collins for time magazine, that science might point to a creator existing, but that this creator might not be anything like yahweh:.
time: "could the answer be god?
I have one sincere question here and it is by no means meant to be funny, contradictory or offensive. I'm just asking a sincere direct question and would appreciate a direct answer.
If someone were to ask: Is Richard Dawkins an agnostic or an atheist? How would one respond?
And please, friends, do not direct me to a book. Just a simple answer would suffice and I will go my way off this thread.
Thanks
from 2 samuel 24. i am so mad at myself for not making a comment how could anyone explain this away?
then after he slaughters 70,000 he then feels regret?
Morpheus,
2Sa 24:1 Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."
2Sa 24:2 The king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people."
2Sa 24:3 But Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"
2Sa 24:4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel.
_____________
1Ch 21:1 Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.
1Ch 21:2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number."
1Ch 21:3 Joab said, "May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?"
1Ch 21:4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
____________________
King David decided to number Israel. Joab tried to dissuade him from doing that. David prevailed, Israel was numbered, a pestilence occurred.
From a religious point of view this happened because either:
1. David out rightly sinned as he did with Bathsheba or
2. Satan tempted David and won out
The writer of 2 Chron. says Satan tempted David.
Religious thinking on this: But wait, does Satan have the power to stand up against God's people and tempt the King without God's allowance? No, of course not. Satan can only act against Israel if God allows him to act.
The writers, or redactors, of 2 Samuel chose to go directly to God on this one. Note, where the first verse says, "Now again the anger," showing a continuation of a previous time when God's anger blazed.
The writers of 2 Chronicles, on the other hand, put the blame on Satan as the first cause.
Another way to look at this:
Did God actually give David three choices? This is a literary device something very much understood and allowed in religious writing. From what I've read the ancient Jews did not believe the OT scriptures should all be understood literally. They were much more interested in the lessons of the story, the religious lesson, the spiritual lesson.
What is the teaching, that was the question. The lesson with David was that there is always a price to pay when disobeying God. No one had to die for that lesson to be learned. A good story will suffice.
Yet another way to look at this: It's all just lies about a mythical god.
Note to Bethel:
It's interesting how the Governing Body likes to use the principles in the OT when it suits them but they have conveniently ignored the lesson of this account and have "numbered" the anointed.
They don't really believe in God do they.
Another lesson: If the Governing Body is in trouble it's because, like King David, God is allowing their adversaries and internally generated bad advice to cause them to stumble.
But they don't really believe in God do they.
as brooklyn is undergoing a major renaissance, i could never understand why wts sold at far less than the optimum real estate peak.. thank you seth meyers for clarity.. http://observer.com/2015/06//.
Vidiot: Hold Me, you almost sound like you want them to straighten up and fly right.
Yes, I do. How great indeed it would be if JWs could be set free from their oppressive leadership and live their lives as free Christians within a JW-like model, if they should so chose, or to leave religion all together if that be their choice.
from 2 samuel 24. i am so mad at myself for not making a comment how could anyone explain this away?
then after he slaughters 70,000 he then feels regret?
Morpheus,
Satan can only act against Israel if God allows it. Thus both accounts put together give the whole story. Satan acts against David, God is given the responsibility for it. This is how they viewed their relationship with God.
In a way, it's not too dissimilar from what some, though not believing in God, nonetheless blame God for earthquakes and disease because if God exists he is allowing these things to occur.
from 2 samuel 24. i am so mad at myself for not making a comment how could anyone explain this away?
then after he slaughters 70,000 he then feels regret?
Morpheus, what I'm saying is that the writers of that account wrote it believing that, with regard to Israel, God was the originator of everything good or bad. In other words, in their view the buck stopped with God.
from 2 samuel 24. i am so mad at myself for not making a comment how could anyone explain this away?
then after he slaughters 70,000 he then feels regret?
This account was religiously viewed, and understood, by the writers in hindsight. The writers believing God was responsible for every battle won or lost and all plagues etc.
In their view, what God allowed, he permitted, and what he permitted, he granted license to, and what he granted license to, he set his word toward it.
Meaning that God was the de facto port of call in their journey making him responsible for the slaughter. This is a common understanding throughout the Bible. Nothing new about it.
The Faithful and Discreet Slave has failed to properly teach the domestics how to understand and read the Bible.
i want as many minds put into this as possible.. there is a new argument among the extreme jw apologists, saying that even the disciples promoted mistakes.
they base themselves on john 21:23. keep in mind, i am not a believer but i want the answer from a believer's standpoint, please.. .
nwt:.
My reply to JWs would be:
According to Br. Splane's recent Morning Worship comments the Slave did not exist 1900 years ago in the first century. It is only in the last century that the Faithful and Discreet Slave came into being and therefore first century misunderstandings which occurred then should not occur now when Christ's Faithful and Discreet Slave is at last among us.
this is a crappy letter from the watchtower.
i'm only posting it to show how micro-managers these fools are.
and at the end, they say: "we should avoid making specific rules about somewhat technical matters".
Listen Robot, Listen.
Jump Robot, Jump.
Give Robot, Give.