Posts by Doug Mason

78

What The Fossils Say

by cofty in

the old creation book had a lot to say about the fossil record.

if i remember correctly it was some lie about all the fossils ever found would fit on a single table.

the reality is that there is an embarrassment of riches illustrating the evolution of life.

Evolution has built on the legacy left by Darwin. Wallace, Lamarck and so many others. Darwin's "gradualism" is giving way to punctuated equilibria and do not forget the influential quantum mechanics. Evolutionary action takes place at the subatomic level where conventional physics no longer applies. I had to teach semiconductor theory in the 1960s and 1970s, where quantum mechanics holds sway.

I am absolutely astonished beyond belief that in a supposedly scientifically advanced country that USA claims to be, that some are mired in superstitious mysticism. It's interesting to see it from a distance, but it is so sad. How is it possible that those ancient peoples such as the Hebrews, Egyptians, Assyrians, etc., could know more than we do with the tools at our disposal?

Doug

78

What The Fossils Say

by cofty in

the old creation book had a lot to say about the fossil record.

if i remember correctly it was some lie about all the fossils ever found would fit on a single table.

the reality is that there is an embarrassment of riches illustrating the evolution of life.

Doug Mason

I do not see evolution as "progressive" or "intelligent". When conditions changed, selection from the numerous random mutations enabled life forms to adapt to the changed conditions.

There have been several mass extinctions, in which life could have been extinguished were it not for the selection made from the random mutations. About 99% of life forms that have existed have been exterminated.

Life remained stable during the periods between the mass extinctions

Evolution is not aimed at humans. We are the very recent latecomers, a twig on one of the many branches of the Tree of Life. This is a multi-branched bush of: bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. The Tree of life is not a ladder.

Doug

14

'Evolution' definition can include 'origin of life'

by hooberus in

the popular berkeley evolution site (while responding to the misconception that evolution is just "a theory about the origin of life" does state:.

"evolutionary theory does encompass ideas and evidence regarding life's origins (e.g., whether or not it happened near a deep-sea vent, which organic molecules came first, etc.

), but this is not the central focus of evolutionary theory.

Doug Mason

Quantum mechanics

2

Greek Myth and the Bible

by Doug Mason in

while the cost of the physical book, "greek myth and the bible" by bruce louden is beyond my means, the kindle version is tempting.. a preview is available at amazon and a critical review is available at:.

http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2019/2019-08-03.html .

doug.

Doug Mason

While the cost of the physical book, "Greek Myth and the Bible" by Bruce Louden is beyond my means, the Kindle version is tempting.

A preview is available at Amazon and a critical review is available at:

http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2019/2019-08-03.html

Doug

38

No Need To Preach In Every Country Anymore

by pale.emperor in

speaking to a pimo from my hometown yesterday.

he told me that in the watchtower study (10 nov 2019) regarding “the great tribulation” the elder on the platform said that there’s no need for jws to preach in every country in order to fulfil the prophecy, and therefore the org has already fulfilled that prophecy.

and that there’s nothing else left to wait for now but for “the great tribulation” to come.. gasps of delight came from the audience.. has anyone else heard this?

Doug Mason

"To all the world"

What did that mean to those people when those words were written?

It related to their understanding of the expression in their own immediate environment. They were not thinking of Australian Aboriginals. They were considering only their own immediate environment.

Read Romans 1:8 and also Romans 10:18.

These people were not writing to us, nor for us, nor about us. Understand their writings in the context of their time.

Doug

12

JW's ransom sacrifice DOGMA

by The Fall Guy in

it-2 p. 735 ransom - “the real ransom (a) sacrifice.....would have to correspond (b) to the perfect adam......and enslavement into which their first father adam had sold them.

only thereby could he satisfy god’s perfect justice (c) that requires like for like...(d)’”.

a) can a ransom redeem something which wasn't lost – i.e.

Doug Mason

Who received the "ransom" payment?

Who was holding humankind hostage?

Doug

6

While resrarching Evolution/Creation, I came across 'The Blob'

by Doug Mason in

my research into evolution/creation is taking me down many roads.

on one journey, i came across 'the blob'.. it made me wonder what life was like when the environment was far different.. https://jwstudies.com/_blob__slime_mould_with_720_sexes.pdf .

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi,

My research into Evolution/Creation is taking me down many roads. On one journey, I came across 'The Blob'.

It made me wonder what life was like when the environment was far different.

https://jwstudies.com/_blob__slime_mould_with_720_sexes.pdf

Doug

277

Did Jeruselm fall in 587 or 586 BCE?

by Doug Mason in

i came across this article written in 2004 by an evangelical.. “when did jerusalem fall?”, rodger young, journal of the evangelical society [jets], 47/1 (march 2004), 21-38.. http://www.rcyoung.org/articles/jerusalem.pdf .

these are the conclusions of the 18-page analysis.

(1) jerusalem fell in the fourth month (tammuz) of 587 bc.

Doug Mason

Hi Scholar,

Thank you for the reference to the paras in "Insight" volume 1.

This means that the WTS accepts the ability of scholars to accurately calculate the dates of astronomical phenomena. I have copies of the original material that is referred to by these paras in "Insight", and they consistently are able to provide the dates of the eclipses during all of the period in question.

This is great news, for these same scholars also list the eclipse in 605 BCE during Nabopolassar's reign and the 567 BCE eclipse during Nebuchadnezzar's 37th regnal year.

I am equally delighted to see that the WTS has to rely on the secular chronology to arrive at 539 BCE.

Their reliance on Parker and Dubberstein is also obvious, because the WTS changed the date from 538 BCE to 539 BCE following the 1942 release of P&D's work.

Doug

277

Did Jeruselm fall in 587 or 586 BCE?

by Doug Mason in

i came across this article written in 2004 by an evangelical.. “when did jerusalem fall?”, rodger young, journal of the evangelical society [jets], 47/1 (march 2004), 21-38.. http://www.rcyoung.org/articles/jerusalem.pdf .

these are the conclusions of the 18-page analysis.

(1) jerusalem fell in the fourth month (tammuz) of 587 bc.

Doug Mason

Hi Scholar,

So you don't know how the WTS arrives at its starting point of 539 BCE.

Maybe you should ask the WT (through its expert Rolf) to provide you with an article that shows its method for arriving at 539 BCE.

Doug

277

Did Jeruselm fall in 587 or 586 BCE?

by Doug Mason in

i came across this article written in 2004 by an evangelical.. “when did jerusalem fall?”, rodger young, journal of the evangelical society [jets], 47/1 (march 2004), 21-38.. http://www.rcyoung.org/articles/jerusalem.pdf .

these are the conclusions of the 18-page analysis.

(1) jerusalem fell in the fourth month (tammuz) of 587 bc.

Doug Mason

Scholar,

You write: "The establishment of 539 BCE as the date for the Fall of Babylon and as Pivotal date for the dating of the OT is based on known secular sources and the Biblical record."

Give me the details, including the sources. Which "secular sources" and which "Biblical record"?

The date is calculated from the secular absolute dates which are unacceptable to the WTS and from secular chronologies that are likewise unacceptable to the WTS. Yet the WTS accepts their conclusions.

Doug