Posts by Doug Mason

4

If God is perfect, why is there a universe?

by Coded Logic in

looking for any weaknesses in my arguments.

i put them together not to show that the conclusions are true but rather to prove that the first premise in each of them (used by religious people) is incoherent with the rest of their beliefs.

please feel free to point out what you think works or doesn't work and why.

Doug Mason

When people think logically, this proves that God exists.

When people do not think logically this proves that God does not exist.

Doug

45

About the ten plagues in Egypt

by runForever in

alot of people are saying god is cruel for killing the firstborns and animals and people in the ten plagues.

but didn't god achieve his goal of making nations and people be in fear of him?.

Doug Mason

Moses is a myth. He never existed. The exodus from Egypt never happened.

Doug

matthews apocalypse at chapters 24 and 25 needs to be read in the context of the previous chapter.. although we do not know the names of the gospels authors, they make it plain that they were jews who despised the pharisees and the burdens they had added through the temple services.

while the writers of the gospel were scrupulous in requiring obedience to the letter of the scriptures (matt.

5:17-18), they rejected the traditions that had been overlaid by the priestly class, as matthew 23 reveals.. .. the scribes and the pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of moses.

Doug Mason

Matthew’s “apocalypse” at chapters 24 and 25 needs to be read in the context of the previous Chapter.

Although we do not know the names of the Gospel’s authors, they make it plain that they were Jews who despised the Pharisees and the burdens they had added through the temple services. While the writers of the Gospel were scrupulous in requiring obedience to the letter of the Scriptures (Matt. 5:17-18), they rejected the traditions that had been overlaid by the priestly class, as Matthew 23 reveals.

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The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. (Matt. 23:2)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matt. 23:13)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matt. 23:15)

Woe to you, blind guides, (Matt. 23:16)

Fools and blind ones! (Matt. 23:17)

Blind ones! (Matt. 23:19)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matt. 23:23)

Blind guides. (Matt. 23:24)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matt. 23:25)

Blind Pharisee. (Matt. 23:26)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you resemble whitewashed graves. (Matt. 23:27)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matt. 23:29)

You are sons of those who murdered the prophets. (Matt. 23:31)

Serpents, offspring of vipers. (Matt. 23:33)

May come upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered. (Matt. 23:35)

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The Gospel writers declared that the full force of God’s revenge would fall upon the people of their time.

Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matt. 23:36)

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These Gospel writers had no sympathy for Jerusalem or for its temple that the Romans had demolished. God had already abandoned it.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent to her. … Look! Your house is abandoned. (Matt. 23:37, 38)

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This rejection of the temple and all that it stood for is symbolised by Jesus’ action of “departing from the temple”. Even so, the disciples were still impressed by the appearance of the physical structures.

As Jesus was departing from the temple, his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple. (Matt. 24:1)

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Without any sympathy for the fate of the buildings, the Gospel’s authors described the actions taken by the Romans when they sacked the city and demolished the temple.

In response he said to them: “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, by no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be?” (Matt. 24:2-3)

Of course, the Gospel writers knew the answer, having witnessed the destruction.

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Building on the many apocalypses circulating at the time, the Gospel writers stitched their own to the story of the temple’s destruction, fully anticipating that the final outcome would take place in their own time.

This generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen. (Matt. 24:34)

28

WT Library

by MsTruthSeeker2014 in

does anyone have the link to dl the wt library?

i was looking for some mag from the 1900s and see that the jw org site only goes back to 2000.

Doug Mason

Newly Enlightened,

Yes, I have those 1928 Messengers (July/August), but as a PDF not as individual images. It's 36.4 MB.

I am not certain how to provide the Dropbox link, but here goes:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sgns6m8z2l9pp2q/1928_Messenger.pdf?dl=0

I also have a PDF for the July 25/26 1931 Messenger (12 pages, 17.3 MB). Can you pick it up with:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rycg89379ffmm93/1931_Messenger.pdf?dl=0

Doug

28

WT Library

by MsTruthSeeker2014 in

does anyone have the link to dl the wt library?

i was looking for some mag from the 1900s and see that the jw org site only goes back to 2000.

Doug Mason

Newly Enlightened,

Do you plan to make "The Messanger" available?

Unfortunately, the file I have is a humungous 443 meg, with 713 pages covering 1927 to 1946. Do you have "The Messenger" available in a more convenient form?

Doug

16

My problem with Original Sin

by leftbelow in

i found this quote in a book i was reading and it struck me this is why original sin is a problem for me.. damnation is the start of your morality, destruction is its purpose, means and end.

your code begins by damning man as evil, then demands that he practice a good which it defines as impossible for him to practice.

it demands, as his first proof of virtue, that he accept his own depravity without proof.

Doug Mason

Sparky1,

Explain to me why this is speaking of Original Sin.

Also, how do you know who wrote it? And if he was guilty of Original Sin, how can we believe what he wrote? (Reminds me of the man who said: "I always tell lies". Was he telling the truth when he said that?)

Doug

28

WT Library

by MsTruthSeeker2014 in

does anyone have the link to dl the wt library?

i was looking for some mag from the 1900s and see that the jw org site only goes back to 2000.

Doug Mason

Newly Enlightened,

I think that I am correct in saying that the file named as:

06_12 Consolation (1).pdf under "1940 Consolation"

should be renamed as

06_26 Consolation.pdf

Apologies if I am wrong.

Doug

16

My problem with Original Sin

by leftbelow in

i found this quote in a book i was reading and it struck me this is why original sin is a problem for me.. damnation is the start of your morality, destruction is its purpose, means and end.

your code begins by damning man as evil, then demands that he practice a good which it defines as impossible for him to practice.

it demands, as his first proof of virtue, that he accept his own depravity without proof.

Doug Mason

Off the top of my head, I think that Augustine of Hippo was the person responsible for creating the concept of Original Sin. My memory could be wrong (again - it has been known to happen), but that's my story. Probably a www search would be the order of the day.

Doug

28

WT Library

by MsTruthSeeker2014 in

does anyone have the link to dl the wt library?

i was looking for some mag from the 1900s and see that the jw org site only goes back to 2000.

Doug Mason

Newly Enlightened,

Many thanks.

Does your list include the Special Watchtower of 1894? It's available at several places, including: http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/documents/1894_WT_Extra_A_Conspiracy_Exposed.pdf

Otherwise just search for: 1894 Watchtower Conspiracy Exposed

Doug

6

Was Jesus the Nazarene The Messiah / Promised in The Hebrew Scriptures?

by objectivetruth in

in seeking truth, and removing untruth, often more is removed then ever initially imagined possible.. christianity, claims that jesus was & is the messiah.

this claim is primarily based on the writings of the greek scriptures.. throughout history, god has given signs to people, in order for them to believe.

never has he become upset with an individual asking for a sign.. some individuals such as moses asked for multiple signs.

Doug Mason

Even though the myths were created by the Israelites in the distant past, they are relevant today because current communities perpetuate them and feel bound by them. Therefore understanding that past helps us as we thread our lives through modern society.

Learn the lessons that history teaches so that its errors are not repeated. Identifying previous strategies, myths, propaganda, and such helps to prepare us for similar facets of life today.

The lesson that history teaches is that people do not learn the lesson that history teaches.

Understand the history that forced Christianity to become a European religion, stripped away from its Middle Eastern roots.

Doug