Doug Mason

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Posts by Doug Mason

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  16

  From ABC News - Australia

  by no-zombie in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  this morning, this article appeared on our national online news channel; the abc.. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-10/jehovahs-witness-abuse-exposed/11561776.

  no-zombie.

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  Doug Mason

  I created a PDF of the ABC story:

  https://jwstudies.com/Former_Jehovah_s_Witnesses_speak_out_about_childhood_abuse.pdf

  Doug
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  17

  The serpent in the Garden can’t be secretly Satan

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we know that the serpent in the garden can’t be secretly satan, because the first time satan is mentioned by name is in a story chronologically after this one, and in that, he is said to be walking.

  remember that the serpent was cursed to crawl on his belly all the rest of his days, but in the book of job, satan is still walking around and chatting with god as if they’d never had a falling out.

  this is when god had to ask satan where he’s been, because his infallible omniscience obviously didn’t know.. so if he had to ask that of satan, who is later described as the lord of lies, then why would god believe him?

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  Doug Mason

  We know that the serpent in the Garden can’t be secretly Satan, because the first time Satan is mentioned by name is in a story chronologically after this one, and in that, he is said to be walking. Remember that the serpent was cursed to crawl on his belly all the rest of his days, but in the book of Job, Satan is still walking around and chatting with God as if they’d never had a falling out. This is when God had to ask Satan where he’s been, because his infallible omniscience obviously didn’t know.

  So if he had to ask that of Satan, who is later described as the Lord of Lies, then why would God believe him? Or didn’t God know any better by then?

  So there is no literary link ever implied between Satan and serpents, other than the common insult of calling him a snake. Jesus referred to the Pharisees as snakes too, and he said they were descended from Satan, but that doesn’t mean they’re descended from snakes—even though John the Baptist said they were.

  Nor does it mean that any of them were in the sacred garden at the alleged time of Adam and Eve. All of this is interpretation that is assumed on tradition but not at all supported in the text. – Aron Ra, Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism, page 94
  
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  7

  the martyr syndrome

  by eyeuse2badub in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what is the gravest sin a jw can commit?

  i’m not even going to consider the so called “unforgiveable sin” since no one knows what it is anyway!

  is it lying, cheating, stealing, pride, envy, being gay?

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  Doug Mason

  Zindagi ...

  Another way of looking at these passages in Mark (as well as with any other parts of the gospels) is to be cognisant of the time when it was written and the contexts.

  Mark was written about 70 CE and differences had started to emerge within those Jewish communities. It is quite rational to see the (anonymous) writers throwing barbs at their own contemporary opponents, namely the emerging Rabbinic Jews.

  Mark was written about the time of the destruction of the temple, so the Sadducees were suddenly deprived of their power and authority, enabling the Pharisees to exert themselves.

  All writers had their eyes firmly fixed on their contemporary situation. They wrote for the purpose of influencing their own immediate community. None of them wrote a documentary history.

  Doug
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  11

  The JW's Creationist mindset?

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am mapping out part 3 of my critiques on the watchtower's (jws) brochure, "the origin of life".

  i drafted a sketch to help me visualise the task and thus develop the structure and reasoning.

  the sketch is available at:.

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  Doug Mason

  My desire is to untangle the knots of circular thinking. Although I have a mind that is textually oriented, when I worked in a Japanese company I observed the value and importance of pictures. Hence the flow chart attempt.
  

  The flow chart that I offered here reflects, I think, the rationale running through the brochure "The Origin of Life". (Not that it identified what it means by "life".) Although I do have to admit that I added religious imperatives that are not stated in the brochure -- hence I termed the diagram as my thoughts on the barriers to evolution in JW/Creationist thinking (e.g., soteriological barriers).

  In his book, "Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism", Aron Ra identifies examples of circular reasoning, which I hope to be able to show diagrammatically.

  For a JW, the overarching barrier is the GB's claim that it was appointed in 1919, so that when it says "The Bible", it really means, "our explanation, which is authoritative". Once again another irrationality, since the Bible is provided to it by Christendom created at a time when supposedly the Kingdom had no earthly representative. Wheels within wheels within wheels of circular reasoning.

  I am genuinely enjoying and appreciating your stimulating and considered thoughts.

  Doug
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  11

  The JW's Creationist mindset?

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am mapping out part 3 of my critiques on the watchtower's (jws) brochure, "the origin of life".

  i drafted a sketch to help me visualise the task and thus develop the structure and reasoning.

  the sketch is available at:.

  1. 
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  Doug Mason

  Thank you Vidiot,

  You have opened a veritable Pandora's Box, and more.

  Suggested sources are most welcome.
  

  Doug
• 
  11

  The JW's Creationist mindset?

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am mapping out part 3 of my critiques on the watchtower's (jws) brochure, "the origin of life".

  i drafted a sketch to help me visualise the task and thus develop the structure and reasoning.

  the sketch is available at:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  Doug Mason

  Thank you all for your stimulating thoughts.

  I think my diagram might need to reflect the overlay that "the earthly kingdom of God" ceased in 607 BCE and was reinstated in the appointment of the Watchtower Hierarchy in 1919 CE. To me, that could be a starting point, rather than the Bible. Any number of bodies accept the Bible, but what matters to a JW is the understanding through the eyes of the WT's explanations.

  If the Bible were "perfect/inerrant" there would be no excuse for splattering the word "Jehovah" throughout their NT. What is "perfect" is the WTS, inasmuch as it is in direct contact with God's heavenly government.

  Thus their explanation of Evolution must be correct. How then do I produce a diagram that correctly illustrates their "logic"? Is there one? When I read their brochure "The Origin of Life", it appears to me that the author is saying "look at the wonder of the complexity, this proves there has to have been a designing engineer". Hence the reason for my starting point. Am I reading the brochure's intent incorrectly?

  My supposition comes from the following, as well as illustrating the WT's simplistic dichotomy (Evolution or Bible):

  “If evolution is true, then it should seem at least reasonably possible that DNA could have come about by means of a series of chance events. If the Bible is true, then DNA should provide strong evidence that it is the product of an orderly, intelligent mind.” – The Origin of Life, page 13

  Doug
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  11

  The JW's Creationist mindset?

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am mapping out part 3 of my critiques on the watchtower's (jws) brochure, "the origin of life".

  i drafted a sketch to help me visualise the task and thus develop the structure and reasoning.

  the sketch is available at:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Doug Mason

  I am mapping out Part 3 of my Critiques on the Watchtower's (JWs) brochure, "The Origin of Life". I drafted a sketch to help me visualise the task and thus develop the structure and reasoning. The sketch is available at:

  https://jwstudies.com/Religious_Imperatives.pdf
  

  I will appreciate any criticism, comment, advice, and/or suggestion that will help me. This is my honest, genuine attempt to understand their Creationist mindset. Does the diagram make sense?
  

  Doug
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  19

  Creation literally

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am very open to receiving thoughts that will help me develop this study:.

  https://jwstudies.com/creation_literally.pdf .

  doug.

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  Doug Mason

  Hi Mac.

  Since the Hebrew scribes wrote about things that supposedly took pl;ace billions of years earlier, you are forced to presume: " that the creation account recorded by the author of Genesis chapter 1 was as he saw things in a vision given to him by God,"

  That is a wishful hope, which you are entitled to rely on, but I will need convincing.

  It is not valid to start with the Hebrew Scriptures as your authority until you can validate them as coming from a verifiable spirit world. Else there is no difference to the Quran, or the writings of any eastern religion or to the oral traditions of any number of modern aboriginal communities.

  In my analysis of the two distinct and contradictory Creation accounts, I do not venture beyond the literal text;I did not move into the findings of scientists.

  My characterisation of Hebrew Cosmology is consistently demonstrated in the images that are freely available online.

  Although I did not explore the topic, Hebrew historiography is relevant. They created stories for religious purposes. They did not write stories to recount the past; they wrote stories to influence their contemporaries.

  Each Creation story was created by a different group of scribes where each group had its eyes firmly fixed on their contemporary community.

  Doug
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  19

  Creation literally

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am very open to receiving thoughts that will help me develop this study:.

  https://jwstudies.com/creation_literally.pdf .

  doug.

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  Doug Mason

  Reading the literal rendering of these two Creation stories, as I have endeavoured to provide, shows that these narratives have religious purposes (Sabbath; Marriage). The analysis also shows they are not rational, nor do they accord with reality.

  For example, they -- along with their neighbours -- considered the sky to be solid, with waters stored above so that it rained when the windows were opened.

  Because the sky was solid, this meant that the sun, moon, and stars -- which were created later than earth, and later than light -- were located beneath the solid sky. Otherwise they could not be seen, nor could they illuminate the earth

  Doug
  
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  19

  Creation literally

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am very open to receiving thoughts that will help me develop this study:.

  https://jwstudies.com/creation_literally.pdf .

  doug.

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  Doug Mason

  waton,

  I am analysing the two creation stories at Genesis, not the time frames of Evolution.

  My intention is to provide a literal, grammatical and rational analysis of the words in the Hebrew Scriptures.

  Doug