Posts by Alpaca

129

Why I am an atheist

by Awakened at Gilead in

someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.

1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.

once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.

I went through a similar epiphany of thought. Actually, I got so intrigued with the story of the earth and life on it that when I went back to school did my undergraduate degree in geology. Then went on to the masters... just graduated with a geology M.S. in Decemeber.

One of the recurring lessons of geology and paleontology is that no species is special. Humans have a tendency to think we are special, but we are not. Species appear and disappear in the geologic record. Some persist for a long time, while others are a "flash-in-the-pan." Some species develop, evolve, radiate and exploit all of the genetic potential they have. Others find their niches and there they remain for hundreds of millions of years.

I have my doubts about the long term prospects for humans, but that doesn't diminish my fascination with the "ultimate story" that the study of geology offers.

You are definitely on the right track by embracing the truth of what science has revealed to us.

All the best and ROCK ON!

Alex

40

My Resignation Letter

by AllTimeJeff in

jw
friends

i never did post this here.

i am posting it now for posterity's sake.

its been a few years, but, its good food for thought.

Alpaca

AT Jeff,

Thanks so much for sharing your letter.Great expose of the lies and presumptuous pomp that is the hallmark of the BORG and the GB.

Just a thought...but it seems like there was a transitional period, just prior to and after the publication of the "Aid to Bible Understanding," with respect to the kind of research you did on the 607 BCE date.

During the years leading up to the publication of the "Aid" Book the BORG encouraged deep study of the scriptures...especially as it related to doctrinal issues. For quite a few years we only had a mini "Aid" book with articles A - E. I remember spending many hours with the Diaglott and the Kingdom Interlinear to fully grasp the nuances of grammar surrounding John 1:1 that related to the Trinity. I was taking Latin in high school (early 70s) at the time, so the grammar analyses that the BORG offered for John 1:1 and other scriptures intrigued me.

But after "Insight on the Scriptures" and the "Proclaimers" books, it seemed as though the BORG tried to squelch any research other than the prepackaged answers they provided. In retrospect, it's clear they realized they had painted themselves into a corner and that anyone with half a brain would quickly find the discrepancies and flawed logic if they spent just a little time "researching."

I doubt that very many active Dubs even have the skill to research and critically analyze anything. They are expected to just blindly swallow everything and anything that the BORG tells them is historical fact. Funny thing is that this is exactly the criticism the BORG used to level at the Catholic Church...it was sufficient for the clergy to explain things to an unquestioning congregation.

Today the BORG is a mere shadow of it's former pseudoscholarship (that unfortunately dazzled enough people into thinking it was real scholarship).

Your observations are always appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex

11

Death is all I see lately

by Decided in

jw
friends

my daughter's farther in law died this week.

also my neighboor, and a woman i had worked with for years.

it really makes me sad to see so many people i know dying.

Alpaca

Hey Ken,

I think it is safe to say that many of the people, who participate in the discussions on this board, have probably experienced similar states of mind at one time or another. Rarely, are circumstances really as bad as they seem at the time you are experiencing them. The benefit of hindsight has proven this time and again for many who have thought things couldn't get worse.

The key is to get some help from a mental professional. It will make all of the difference in the world. No matter how difficult it may seem, pick up the phone and start making some calls to find help. Many, many people who have been in circumstances similar to yours can attest to the value of counseling. There is no more shame in getting professional help for mental distress than there is in getting help for a physical injury.

All the best,

Alex

42

I've got pneumonia

by sacolton in

jw
friends

after a week-long battle of what i thought was a bad case of upper respiratory infection, i decided to get checked out by my doctor.

after a chest x-ray, it's confirmed that i have pneumonia.

i feel horrible.

Alpaca

Hey Sacs,

Hope you start feeling better soon. It may take awhile before you're feeling 100%

All the best man,

Alex

8

Way back when...leeches and blood..the GB/BORG take....

by Alpaca in

jw
friends

do you guys remember when medical scientists, back in the 1970s were figuring out how to successfully re-attach severed body parts, found that when leeches were placed on the reattached parts it dramatically improved the "take..." ....so, much so that it was hailed as significant breakthrough?.

of course the kill-joys-ers in brooklyn had to weigh in on a topic they were ill equipped to handle and they declared something to the effect that...'in the light of the biblical prohibitions on the proper use of blood, it would be wrong for a christian to allow leeches to "feed" on their blood...even if it was part of a medical procedure...".

this was one of the many things that ate (lol...no freudian slip there...) at me at me while i was still a "good" dub.

Alpaca

Isn't the BORG's reasoning goofy on the leeches?

It's just absolutely staggering.

9

what was your best day ever?

by wings in

jw
friends

mine was four years ago, the day my granddaughter emily was born.

we were camping on the beach in rocky point, mexico.

my husband had gone on a chartered fishing trip, and i had the choice to stay with the ladies hanging out in their perspective rv's or make a day of my own.

Alpaca

1974. The Atlantic Ocean was literally like glass...not a ripple...it was April or May of my senior year in high school (in South Florida) and my friends and I skipped school to go water skiing. We loaded the cooler with beer and took along other 'support substances.' It was a fantastic day...we were skiing between a mile and 2 miles off shore and when you got outside the wake of the boat, it was as if you were on a glass bottom boat looking down on the coral reefs with all of fish in plain view. We skiied at least 50 miles south past Miami before we turned around and headed back north...so we probably skiied around 125 miles that day.

The day is burned in my mind forever. School never looked so boring and useless. Of course, that is not true, but you have to have your priorities straight. Mine were straight that day...with 35 years of perspective. I wouldn't trade that day for anything.

8

Way back when...leeches and blood..the GB/BORG take....

by Alpaca in

jw
friends

do you guys remember when medical scientists, back in the 1970s were figuring out how to successfully re-attach severed body parts, found that when leeches were placed on the reattached parts it dramatically improved the "take..." ....so, much so that it was hailed as significant breakthrough?.

of course the kill-joys-ers in brooklyn had to weigh in on a topic they were ill equipped to handle and they declared something to the effect that...'in the light of the biblical prohibitions on the proper use of blood, it would be wrong for a christian to allow leeches to "feed" on their blood...even if it was part of a medical procedure...".

this was one of the many things that ate (lol...no freudian slip there...) at me at me while i was still a "good" dub.

Alpaca

And too bad I didn't see the GB's projectionist condemnation of the leeches...

8

Way back when...leeches and blood..the GB/BORG take....

by Alpaca in

jw
friends

do you guys remember when medical scientists, back in the 1970s were figuring out how to successfully re-attach severed body parts, found that when leeches were placed on the reattached parts it dramatically improved the "take..." ....so, much so that it was hailed as significant breakthrough?.

of course the kill-joys-ers in brooklyn had to weigh in on a topic they were ill equipped to handle and they declared something to the effect that...'in the light of the biblical prohibitions on the proper use of blood, it would be wrong for a christian to allow leeches to "feed" on their blood...even if it was part of a medical procedure...".

this was one of the many things that ate (lol...no freudian slip there...) at me at me while i was still a "good" dub.

Alpaca

Do you guys remember when medical scientists, back in the 1970s were figuring out how to successfully re-attach severed body parts, found that when leeches were placed on the reattached parts it dramatically improved the "take..." ....so, much so that it was hailed as significant breakthrough?

Of course the kill-joys-ers in Brooklyn had to weigh in on a topic they were ill equipped to handle and they declared something to the effect that...'in the light of the Biblical prohibitions on the proper use of blood, it would be wrong for a Christian to allow leeches to "feed" on their blood...even if it was part of a medical procedure..."

This was one of the many things that ate (LOL...no Freudian slip there...) at me at me while I was still a "good" Dub. Talk about a retarded view of God, the Bible, "creation" and the function for which living things are equipped.

A LEECH HAS NO OTHER FUNCTION THAN TO SUCK BLOOD...I mean for Christ's sake even if you are a hardcore creationist, how do you get past that one? But NO...Christians (according to the GB) should impose God's laws to man on the rest of the world's species?????

22

Can or Do you call your fellow apostates on this board "brothers"?

by asilentone in

jw
friends

just wondering.

.

Alpaca

I was born in 1956 and grew up in the 60s and early 70s. The term brother was used back then in the same sense as the depression-era song lyrics like "...brother can you spare a dime..." So, I used the terms bro and brother and sis quite a bit before I was assimilated by the BORG.

Funny thing is that I never felt like the terms, as they were used in the BORG, were as embracing and warm as they were outside of Dubdom.

So...yeah, I feel quite comfortable using the terms for people here on the board.

78

Name Some Jehovah's Witness Character Traits

by minimus in

jw
friends

let's get a list here..

Alpaca

One of the characteristics or personality traits that seemed pervasive was the "victim" mindset.

Many Dubs seemed to live their lives in a way that practically insured they would continuously be the victim of something... misfortunes, sickness, job loss, struggling financially, family conflicts, etc.