PrimateDave

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Posts by PrimateDave

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  10

  Does Existence of Jehovah Hinge on Exodus?

  by cameo-d in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  what if exodus never happened?.

  what would it mean to you if the story were entirely fabricated?.

  http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/doubtingexodus.htm.

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  PrimateDave

  Quote from the very informative article linked by Cameo-d:
  
  

  Some scholars, of course, still maintain that the Exodus story is basically factual. Bryant Wood, director of the Associates for Biblical Research in Maryland, argued that the evidence falls into place if the story is dated back to 1450 BC. ... But Wood said he can't get his research published in serious archeological journals.
  
  "There's a definite anti-Bible bias," Wood said.

  
  This is really funny considering how incoherently the Bible itself presents the whole account. Those who have carefully considered the numbers and logistics of the Exodus account have suspected it is not factual long before archeological evidence became available. The whole basis of resistance to the facts is because Judeo-Christian culture has an emotional investment in these stories.
  
  Dave
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  10

  Does Existence of Jehovah Hinge on Exodus?

  by cameo-d in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  what if exodus never happened?.

  what would it mean to you if the story were entirely fabricated?.

  http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/doubtingexodus.htm.

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  PrimateDave

  In this case, Cameo-d, I believe that the Exodus never occurred as described in the Bible. Whether Jehovah exists outside the imaginations of some people is highly doubtful.
  
  

  THE exodus is so wonderful, and so humanly impossible that its accomplishment by Providence deserves our especial attention. We will therefore attentively review its wonders, which are superlative if one Bible wonder may excel another; they differ rather in wonder as one star differeth from another star in glory.

  
  From Chapter 4, THE WONDERS OF THE EXODUS, of the book Is It God's Word? by Joseph Wheless.
  
  I will say right now that this book is not accurate or scholarly in any modern sense. Its conclusions are to be taken with a critical eye. However, it does illustrate some absurdities straight from the Bible itself. Add to that a complete lack of archeological evidence for a massive exodus through the desert at any time in history, and you have pretty good reason to doubt Fundamentalist religious ideology.
  
  Dave
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  23

  Discussion about the bible.

  by Anti-Christ in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  okay it's has been a while since i started a good old discussion about the bible.

  i will discuss a few facts about it that a lot of religions (including the wtbts) don't like talking about.

  first the formation of the ot.

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  PrimateDave

  Cameo-d, with all due respect, you ought to take some foreign language courses, or even Latin. Your post shows a glaring ignorance of how language works. Seriously, you come off sounding no better than C. T. Russell's pyramid measurements. You mix a bit of fact with a bit of fiction and wind up with nothing credible in the end.
  
  Dave
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  45

  #1 reason they go in service...be honest!..........

  by oompa in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ya a beautiful fall day here....trees ablaze with color...and a slight drizzle...me sippin yummy coffee...wife crammin her bookstudy book, then off to meeting and service........god she dresses up a lot!....i fogot how much i did that.....i have about $2000,00 of suits getting dusty in my closet if anybody needs a 42 long btw......so i just asked myself and sooo wanted to ask my wife "why are you really going out in service today?

  ".......and there are many automatic jw answers:.

  1. jesus said we must go and make disciples, and it is the loving thing to do..........2. because the time is short and have to save as many as possible......3. because we love our neighbors ( but i cant frikin have them over for a grillout!).........

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  PrimateDave

  You are right, Oompa. The main reason is because of group pressure, not love for fellow humans who could lose their lives in Armageddon. In fact most Witnesses by their materialistic lifestyle show that they don't take Armageddon seriously. A few do, but not most.
  
  That said, I hated regular door to door, but found conducting "Bible" studies to be quite tolerable. I would far rather get my time in by sitting in someone's home having a pleasant discussion than walking around to houses not knowing what to expect at the next door. In my time I had a number of regular "Bible" studies, although, to my knowledge only one man that I studied with ever became a baptized Witness. I had studied with him, and he moved away. Then a few years later I met him at an assembly after he had been baptized.
  
  In my family my mother has been the most active in studying with people and has made a number of converts. Please understand that my mother is quite sincere in her efforts, and I respect her sincerity if not the unfortunate results of her activities. Anymore I think she is more the exception than the rule as far as the average Witness is concerned.
  
  Dave
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  36

  Should Marijuana Possession Be Decriminalized If Under An Ounce?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in massachusetts, possession of pot, if under an ounce will only get you a fine, under a new law.. some say this will send the wrong message about illegal drug use.

  (personally, i don't imbibe but i know many that do).

  so, do you think allowing this law to pass will bring about more illegal drug use?.

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  PrimateDave

  There should be no law with respects to the possession and use of this plant or its natural products. The efforts to punish those who possess and use it have caused a great deal of social harm. Misuse of substances is not the fault of the substance but a symptom deeper problems for which the abuser has not been treated.
  
  I am over 18. My body belongs to me. I can do what I want with it as long as it causes no direct harm to others. The government has no business with what I do in the privacy of my home as long as I cause no direct harm to others.
  
  I can and do intake alcoholic beverages responsibly from time to time. I enjoy a mild intoxication but hate being drunk. I never drink and drive. We don't punish the intoxicated person. We punish the intoxicated driver. I would like to try marijuana, but I don't. I would rather not break the law. However, the law isn't about honor, common sense, and justice anymore, but is an industry of authoritarian control. I will make my own temporary autonomous zone.
  
  Dave
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  24

  Is the Bible the word of God?

  by Number1Anarchist in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a question that has racked my brain.

  how do we know it is from god?

  we have heard this since we were born that the bible was the word of god!

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  PrimateDave

  [Smiles] BA, I was once quite enamored of the Bible. I especially enjoyed reading the Gospel of John. Even in the NWT version, it is a beautiful read. Also, the book of Acts of the Apostles was always quite engaging. The other three gospels and Paul's letters, however, weren't quite so interesting, but I did read them. Granted, I read them through the lenses of the Watchtower publications because that is all I have known. At some point I shall reread them to see if my perspective on them has changed, but I will undoubtedly have a much more critical and mature eye than before. With experience in life one becomes far more able to discern thoughts and intentions of others in their writings.
  
  Please don't get me wrong. I am not against religion or faith. It is just that I have acquired information that now makes the Bible and its gods irrelevant to me outside of a historical/cultural context. To me, the Bible is ancient literature. It is obviously a part of my culture, and as such, I have endeavored to understand its origins within the broad context of human history.
  
  I do not intend to insult you, and it is hard for me to convey my sense of humor through my posts. I know you are sincere in your beliefs, but I did intentionally destroy my faith, and I cannot go back.
  
  Dave
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  9

  Is Adam the first man?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just read yet another account of a grave that is older than adam.. .

  earliest known shaman grave site found.

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081104/sc_nm/us_shaman_israel.

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  PrimateDave

  "the creationist says that the word of God is a solid fact. To find out if Adam is really the first man, we must be able to investigate the age of the oldest man, the origins of the oldest man, and any evidence if the Bible has some flaws in its writings. As a Christian who believes in the purpose of science, I believe I should be one of the best incorruptible and unbiased judges in this matter."
  
  Anyone who says that the Bible is a "solid fact" obviously hasn't really read the book. This guy is about as unbiased as Rush Limbaugh.
  
  Dave
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  1

  Tax Exempt/Religious Freedom misconception

  by mustang in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is my reply to an email sent to me by a friend.

  in short, some lady that survived the holocaust has written religious books that resemble the "left behind" series, as i understand it.

  the author says that we have lost religious freedom because if you speak out politically, you lose tax exempt status:.

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  PrimateDave

  An interesting and informative post!
  
  Dave
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  4

  Is the World Overcrowded?

  by cameo-d in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after playing on google earth today, i couldn't help but wonder if certain places on earth are considered "over crowded".. seems usa and uk are almost totally surveillance societies.

  i clicked on a camera and scrolled all over usa.

  there are many major cities and densly populated areas that are marked in blue camera surveillance.

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  PrimateDave

  Population: The wealthier 1 billion humans consume at least as much vital resources as the remaining 5 billion. Bringing the living standards of the whole world up to that of Japan, USA, Canada, and Western Europe would make for a severely overcrowded world. As Anti-Christ put it, the current problems can be put down to bad management. Changes in management are hindered by powerful vested interests.
  
  Resources: Planetary resources are finite. Under the current model wealthier nations support high density populations by exporting significant portions of their ecological footprint onto other parts of the planet. Although energy input from the sun is huge, it is not managed in an efficient way. Some energy resources are unique and practically irreplaceable like petroleum and natural gas. Biodiversity is absolutely necessary and irreplaceable. Again, the problem is bad management. We need a steady state economy where all costs, including environmental degradation, are factored into the equation. We need a monetary system that isn't designed to borrow wealth from future generations to support a disfunctional economy today. Changing to such a steady state economy would be hindered by powerful vested interests.
  
  Surveillance: This is a for profit industry just like the military industrial complex and the prison industrial complex. It is supported by media driven societies that are made to feel insecure based on the selective flow of information. It is also based on an aggressive legal system and the insurance industry which are tied into the finance industry. Obviously, powerful interests have a stake in seeing things continue heading in the direction that they are going.
  
  Of course, religions have a part in all of this, but for the most part they are not the separate entities that the propagandists at the WTS would have one believe. Frankly, as industrial societies gradually collapse during the next couple of centuries with their economies, governments, militaries, and surveillance states, religions will be the most likely to survive because they are institutions closest to the communities that they serve.
  
  Dave (a practical atheist)
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  24

  Is the Bible the word of God?

  by Number1Anarchist in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a question that has racked my brain.

  how do we know it is from god?

  we have heard this since we were born that the bible was the word of god!

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  PrimateDave

  Free online book:
  Biblical Nonsense
  
  Technically inaccurate, but still an entertaining look at some Biblical absurdities:
  Is It God's Word?
  
  Good video on who wrote the Bible:
  Video
  
  Dave