Posts by funkyderek

61

the intellectual laziness in jh, ks & follo...

by elke in

jw
friends

the words: intellectual laziness.

recognize this trait?

ahhh,many who apostasies from the one truth, shall we say ,adopts this trait-and transforms into epitomies of intellectual laziness...they construct the premise there is no true god to mislead others...they proceed to construct arguments to support these prefabricated conclusions with the building blocks of false logic...they convince intellectually lazy individuals the odds of a creators existence are remote...a lie recognizable to any form of honest intelligence.. craig rusbult, ph.d. explains why god refuses to provide irrefutable proof in his existence on the web page http://www.asa3.org/asa/education/views/proof.htm - "although it isn't stated directly in the bible, god seems to prefer a balance of evidence: there is enough reason to believe if we want to believe, but not enough to intellectually force belief against our will.

funkyderek

Erich,

Sorry, you will find hardly a "serious" scientific journal publishing a dissertation or an article containing "a prove for the existence of God"... that's quite impossible

Not impossible, but staggeringly improbable.

One possible approach is:
You can study a new physical cognition (e.g. "beaming" on base of
quantum-physical phenomena / Zeilinger) and to hear a private interview
on TV with this scientist. Hear what he said when they asked him: "Do you believe to the existence of God"...

I'm aware of some of Zeilinger's work but I've been unable to track down his opinions on the existence of god. His theories in themselves do not suggest the existence of a god. I found the following quote from Prof. Zeilinger at http://www.kira.org/marvit97.html:

If I roll a die, in classical physics I can make a mental picture to explain why I get a three. I can build up a chain of reasoning for how this happens [even if I didn't predict the result]. In classical physics we call this subjective randomness. It is just my ignorance [that prevented me from being able to predict the outcome, in this case a three.]
In quantum physics we have a different kind of randomness, objective randomness. [For a quantum event] it's not just that I don't know. If you'll permit me to use simple words, the particle itself doesn't know. And if there were God, he doesn't know either, until it happens.

It seems at least that a truly omnipotent god would be at odds with quantum theory as it is currently understood, or at least Anton Zeilinger seems to think so. I'd love a source on Zeilinger's TV interview. I don't think I've seen it and I'm having trouble tracking it down on the web.

An other way is:
Study all "hidden" published alternative physical theories. Also study all new patents issued by the PTO. And e-mail the authors about their opinions about the existence of God... You will be very very surprised.

Is that where you get your "knowledge"? That would certainly explain a lot. I'd advise reading peer-reviewed journals, and books and articles by real scientists. Most "alternative" physical theories are alternative for a very good reason. They don't provide a useful description of the universe.

I think I'll finish with another quote from Professor Anton Zeilinger:

Skepticism is the only road to new knowledge.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

21

Who has UNconditional love?

by patio34 in

jw
friends

i have seen the term 'unconditional love' used often in reference to jws.

now, i understand the import: they love someone only on the condition that someone remains a jw "in good standing.

however, the term 'unconditional love' is proferred in a positive light.

funkyderek

I have trouble understanding the idea of unconditional love. Surely, if you love someone, it's because of who and what they are. To claim to love someone not for their achievements, their personality, their morals or anything that makes us who we are, but just unconditionally, no matter what they are or do, seems to me to be insulting. I would rather be loved for who I am rather than because of some unexplained and ill-defined feeling.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

61

the intellectual laziness in jh, ks & follo...

by elke in

jw
friends

the words: intellectual laziness.

recognize this trait?

ahhh,many who apostasies from the one truth, shall we say ,adopts this trait-and transforms into epitomies of intellectual laziness...they construct the premise there is no true god to mislead others...they proceed to construct arguments to support these prefabricated conclusions with the building blocks of false logic...they convince intellectually lazy individuals the odds of a creators existence are remote...a lie recognizable to any form of honest intelligence.. craig rusbult, ph.d. explains why god refuses to provide irrefutable proof in his existence on the web page http://www.asa3.org/asa/education/views/proof.htm - "although it isn't stated directly in the bible, god seems to prefer a balance of evidence: there is enough reason to believe if we want to believe, but not enough to intellectually force belief against our will.

funkyderek

I think I have that book, although I haven't read it yet. Too many books, not enough time. Any info on the latest in any major scientific journals would be nice. I haven't heard of any developments in any branch of science that make the existence a god more likely/necessary, but I'd be interested in reading of some. When you have time, of course.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

61

the intellectual laziness in jh, ks & follo...

by elke in

jw
friends

the words: intellectual laziness.

recognize this trait?

ahhh,many who apostasies from the one truth, shall we say ,adopts this trait-and transforms into epitomies of intellectual laziness...they construct the premise there is no true god to mislead others...they proceed to construct arguments to support these prefabricated conclusions with the building blocks of false logic...they convince intellectually lazy individuals the odds of a creators existence are remote...a lie recognizable to any form of honest intelligence.. craig rusbult, ph.d. explains why god refuses to provide irrefutable proof in his existence on the web page http://www.asa3.org/asa/education/views/proof.htm - "although it isn't stated directly in the bible, god seems to prefer a balance of evidence: there is enough reason to believe if we want to believe, but not enough to intellectually force belief against our will.

funkyderek

Erich, I'd be interested in your sources for what you claimed above. I guess my knowledge of physics could be a few years out of date (are superstrings still in vogue?) Just the names and issue dates of a few recent journals should do. I have a fairly good grounding in physics so it shouldn't be too difficult to catch up, but I need to know where to start looking. Thanks in advance.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

61

the intellectual laziness in jh, ks & follo...

by elke in

jw
friends

the words: intellectual laziness.

recognize this trait?

ahhh,many who apostasies from the one truth, shall we say ,adopts this trait-and transforms into epitomies of intellectual laziness...they construct the premise there is no true god to mislead others...they proceed to construct arguments to support these prefabricated conclusions with the building blocks of false logic...they convince intellectually lazy individuals the odds of a creators existence are remote...a lie recognizable to any form of honest intelligence.. craig rusbult, ph.d. explains why god refuses to provide irrefutable proof in his existence on the web page http://www.asa3.org/asa/education/views/proof.htm - "although it isn't stated directly in the bible, god seems to prefer a balance of evidence: there is enough reason to believe if we want to believe, but not enough to intellectually force belief against our will.

funkyderek

This was one of the best articles I read in this forum.

You should read more, Erich. It was haphazard block-quoting of the opinions of some science teacher. Hardly groundbreaking stuff. There are no facts presented in the post, just one person's opinion and the statement that he has a PhD. And it's not even well written. What did you think was so great about it, Erich?

I'm sure, in a few years all types of scientists (philosophers, physicists, even mathematics..) will intellectually overwhelm such guys like haughland, steinhaug etc

Scientists aren't en masse going to reject reality any time soon. You really should read more, Erich.

The science will prove the existence of GOD !

And until it does, I, for one, will continue not to believe.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

7

I'm looking for the Watchtower seals. Help.

by avengers in

jw
friends

a while back somebody posted an article about the watchtower-seal.. i can't seem to find the post.

would somebody point me to that post?.

i have been asked to do research on it.

funkyderek

Try here: http://hardtruth.topcities.com/dirtywatchtowersecrets.htm and http://hardtruth.topcities.com/dirty_watchtower_secrets_pt2.htm But take both with a pinch of salt!

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

7

I'm looking for the Watchtower seals. Help.

by avengers in

jw
friends

a while back somebody posted an article about the watchtower-seal.. i can't seem to find the post.

would somebody point me to that post?.

i have been asked to do research on it.

funkyderek

Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire
Explain

If people can convince, persuade, cajole, teach or mislead you into believing something which is clearly untrue, they're also likely to be able to get you to behave in an unwise way, based on the same faulty reasoning. The Taliban are an obvious example. Believing the absurdity that they will be rewarded in an afterlife for defending Islam and killing infidels, they do just that.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

7

I'm looking for the Watchtower seals. Help.

by avengers in

jw
friends

a while back somebody posted an article about the watchtower-seal.. i can't seem to find the post.

would somebody point me to that post?.

i have been asked to do research on it.

funkyderek

Are they like a "theocratic" version of the Navy Seals? Sent in to find and destroy apostates, perhaps?

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

31

My boyfriend is a JW

by little_red_birdie in

jw
friends

i am just a young teenager, and my first ever boyfriend is a jw!!

at that time i didn't even know what a jw was, no one at school ever really mentioned anything.

i had no idea what i was getting into.

funkyderek

hmmmmmm......

Just what I was thinking...

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire

26

Why prayer and Does it work?

by Undecided in

jw
friends

why i began thinking on prayer was the request from my spanish neighbour to my wife.

they requested that she come down and pray for his/her child who has been sick.

my wife believes in prayer and says she knows it works.

funkyderek

I remember as a child my brother had terrible warts on his hands. My dad took a bit of water and dropped it (the water) on the warts and chanted something like "warts go away" over and over. Within a few days the warts had started to disappear and eventually went away. My dad tried the same thing on me and it didn't work. I can only assume it was because I was older and didn't believe it would happen

So it worked once and wasn't reproducible, and you "can only assume" that it was your lack of belief that caused it to fail? A more likely scenario is that the treatment has no real effect (being only water), and your brother's cure was coincidental, especially as you admit that it didn't happen straight awy. Children's warts tend to disappear with or without divine intervention.

--
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit attrocities - Voltaire