the title of an interesting book by ian wilson about the idea that the legend of noah's flood originated from a cataspastric(sic) flooding in pre-recorded times circa 5600 bc when water from meditterean burst through to flood what is now the black sea.. (my bookclub sent me two copies of each book,possibly the result of an administrive error,the other being earthly remains, i did think, should i tip the two extra books into the kh carpark!
) .
interestly it mentions the institue for creation research who the wt quotes from in their evolution/creation book who claim that john morris saw the ark on ararat,(their is a ark shaped structure on a nearby mountain but it is a geological structure that has `slipped'.. the wood that has been found on ararat probably comes from a byzantine hermitage,it has been dated to c. ad400.. lets hope the wt publishes yet more bullshit!
cataspastric(sic)
Cata-what? I can't find this word in a dictionary. Obviously you're quoting verbatim but do you have any idea what the word means or which word the author intended to use?
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
many of you may know that i teach at a small christian liberal arts college in nebraska now.
my pre-med students sponsored a blood drive yesterday and asked me to donate.
so, i donated blood for the first time.
Didja do it just for the look? Or because of the....uhh...the OTHER thing tongue piercings are rumored to be good for.
Both! And it's not just a rumour
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
christians who believe in the bible and the teachings of christ use that as a moral core and code of conduct.
for those who don't believe in god, where do you get your sense of moral right and wrong?
what is your moral foundation?
RWC,
Is it possible to conceive of a world (think parallel universes) that is ruled by an evil god? Just try to imagine it. Unlike our own, which you believe is ruled by a just and moral god, this hypothetical one is ruled by a sadistic god who delights in slowly torturing his creation. Is that god, by virtue of being the creator of that universe automatically moral, or is there some outside standard by which he might be judged?
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
despite the failings of many who claim to follow the bible and believe it, this gives no excuse to dismiss it's contents.
thru the centuries it has proved reliable and remains the word of god despite all else.
There's no point arguing with clash_city_rockers. He's a presuppostionalist, which by definition means he will never be swayed from his circular argument. It's also the reason he's not able to make any valid points. He doesn't understand why people won't believe unfounded assertions, in particular, the mythology which he has arbitrarily chosen to believe.
If I was parodying the most absurd form of religious silliness, I could hardly do better than the following:
Remember TD the bible is absolutly true and reliable because of the selfclaims that are in the bible and it reflects the unchainging and impeachable moral character of a Holy GOD. The bible claims are true and are outside the bounds of any tent of and independent of human testamony infact the Bible is the tent that testafies to man.It's true because it's true because it's true....No one is nutral
All arguments are circular
The question is how can we validate a curcular argument regarding theology?
Answer: You begin with scripture
Yes I am a Van Tillian Presupositionalist.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
i have'nt really been to this site for a few months and i'm wondering if the wtbs have officially aknowledged their involement with the un.. also how are they handling phone calls when people ask if they have been with the un?
Also how are they handling phone calls when people ask if they have been with the UN?
I phoned the Irish branch office, and was told by Arthur Matthews that the Watchtower Society's association with the UN was only for access to UN materials and that, at the time, no acceptance of UN rules was required for association. He also confirmed that the UN is still viewed as the "scarlet-coloured wild beast" of Revelation and told me that the Watchtower Society had disassociated itself from the UN before the Guardian article was published.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
g'day teamsters, in an attempt to alleviate some enmity within the posters in this board, i deliver to you all some puzzles!!
avagoyamugs !!.
** there are two rooms, in one there are three lights, in the other there are three switches; you cannot see one room from the other, each switch controls only one of the 3 lights.
What will the marking on the ship's water line show?
30 feet. Ships float, so the rising tide won't make a difference.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
g'day teamsters, in an attempt to alleviate some enmity within the posters in this board, i deliver to you all some puzzles!!
avagoyamugs !!.
** there are two rooms, in one there are three lights, in the other there are three switches; you cannot see one room from the other, each switch controls only one of the 3 lights.
Am I missing something here?
Yes. Take any ten pennies, x coins will have heads up, y coins will have tails up, x+y=10, which means that in the other group y coins will have heads up. When you flip the 10 you took aside, x coins will be tails up, and y coins will be heads up. This works no matter which coins you pick.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
spike milligan, one of my favourite comedians and famous for being one of the goons, passed away today.. he devoted some of his anarchic sense of humour to his poetry.
as a small tribute i would like to share one of his poems:.
well bread.. if you cast your bread on the waters,.
Was he still living in Umima? (North of Sydney)
No, in Sussex. (Considerably further north of Sydney)
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
jw in france were asked by the court to pay the tax in dew which since 1998 they been contesting.. joe.
le parisien , 1er mars 2002 .
[texte integral.
Here's a (computer-assisted) translation into English. It's a bit clunky but accurate enough, I think:
Le Parisien, 1st March 2002
[complete Text
The Versailles Court of Appeal confirmed yesterday the payment of back taxes imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses.
The judges ruled in favour of the tax authorities who are demanding from them, since 1998, 45 million euros (295 MF). This colossal sum corresponds to a tax of 60% on the gifts and offerings of believers that associations not recognized as religious have to settle, as is the case with Jehovah's Witnesses, listed as an apocalyptic sect. "Such a ruling, if it were to be confirmed ", would constitute "a grave threat for religious freedom", protested Jehovah's Witnesses.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
the anthropic principle .
it's true that life as it exists on earth, and the behavior of the universe as a whole, is finely tuned.
these constants, most physicists believe, were introduced at the time of the big bang, when the universe seems to have been created, or at least, to have begun again another cycle of creation.
Since we are philosophizing, let me just throw another suggestion into the melting pot, following through on your comments.
Suppose a full cycle universe evolved a being that attained such a state as to transcend the end of it's own universe, and have an influence on the creation of the next, or the next, or the next.
Since that being proceeded to give an immature universe a leg up, so to speak, and informed the first intelligent creation of it's existance; would it not have grounds to be righteously miffed at the conduct of it's offspring?
Suppose that same being was unspeakably evil. What if all humanity's suffering is a direct result of this sadistic creature? What if he plans to torture everyone for all eternity, regardless of how they live their lives? What if he'll only torture those who worship the god of the bible? Or those who don't? Or black people? Or women? Or any arbitrary group of his choosing? The problem with Pascal's wager is that it doesn't cover all the bases. It covers one possibility from an infinite selection and therefore without a solid reason to choose that gamble over any other, there's a vanishingly small chance of it being correct.
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"Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything." -Robert A. Heinlein
