Posts by funkyderek

a poster( don't ask who said, it i don't want argument with the person) here implied a while ago that many of the xjw here no longer believe in god because they cannot accept the "fact" that they willl be destroyed during armageddon.

in other words you are looking for ways to discredit that you ( you.

meaning anyone) will be destoryed.

funkyderek

OK Zechariah, I probably shouldn't waste my time but there may be people here who can't see through you phony arguments, so for their benefit:

If a person believes in anything spiritual (unseen) it has to be because of faith based on reason having witnessed the effects cause by the spiritual thing. This includes all such things as gravity, relativity, and all physical and spiritual laws.

That's not true. Some people believe in things without any supporting evidence. I agree that they shouldn't but that's not what you said. By comparing belief in proven, observable fact with belief in unseen spiritual entities you're trying to elevate your mythology to the status of science. That just doesn't work. Are you really saying that all religious beliefs carry the same weight as belief in gravity? Or do you just mean your particular brand of spiritualism?

Unbelievers criticize believers for the exercise of faith. They want to give the impression they don't believe or know anything unless they personally see or hear it. They believe only that which they are willing to just as with everyone ele. They hypocritically claim to know things about life and its origin. They also claim their knowledge has nothing at all to do with faith. Does not what almost all things unbelievers claim to know about evolution or anything else that occurs in the world that they have not personally witnessed require faith. You must have faith in the person relating these unproven facts to you and in whom you are willng to believe. Willingness to believe is the essential prerequisite to faith and knowledge of any kind. The only thing we are debating though is faith in the creator.

There is a huge difference between belief in a proven scientific fact based on overwhelming evidence, and faith in an unseen spiritual entity. Yes, willingness to believe is needed in both cases, but that is where the similarity ends. If one stubbornly refuses to believe in evolution, it still occurs. The evidence doesn't go away. There are no leaps of faith needed, only extrapolation of the available evidence. Where the evidence is inconclusive, the beliefs are tentative. Not so with belief in a creator. Stop believing in him, and he goes away. The "holy" books that believers cling to are all demonstrably false, the products of superstitious minds who didn't know as much about the universe as we do. Their gods, for the most part, are petty and unimaginitive, like the primitive tribespeople who dreamt them up.

The only thing preventing the unbeliever from belief in God and encouraging him to block out all the overwhelming evidence of a creator is the unbelievers fear of disappointment which carries over to every aspect of their lives. They have had many disappointments in their lives and their greatest fear or phobia now is to be further disappointed. As fear is always worse than reality the unbeliever is willing to forego chances for happiness in close personal relationships by not giving anyone the opportunity to further disappoint them. This fear keeps them alone and unfulfilled. They are not able to fully commit or trust. This fear applies not only to romantic relationships but also to family relationships and ultimately to their relationship with God. The bad things they perceive those who they should be able to depend on for keeping them safe and well have allowed to happen to them are both unjustifiable and unforgiveable.

This is as offensive as it is inaccurate. Speaking personally, the only problems I have ever had with relationships are as a result of my oppressive religious upbringing. I have no problem with trust or commitment and am in a stable, romantic relationship. I don't need a mythological being for that. I'm certainly not afraid of disappointing a god. Sometimes I worry about disappointing my girlfriend, which makes me try harder, not distance myself and pretend she doesn't exist. I have a good relationship with most members of my family, again only obstructed by the oppressive religion in which I was raised. You're heaping faulty argument upon faulty argument. I am not alone, nor am I unfulfilled. As an adult, I expect nobody to keep me safe.

They reason like this: Certainly he does not love me and even if he does who needs that kind of love. Even though he pleads for me to understand why he has abandoned me and allowed me to be hurt and abused. He says it was for reasons that at the time were beyond my understanding and had nothing to do with his deep love for me. I hate my mate. I hate my parent. I hate my God. They will never have the chance to disappoint me again. They are no longer and will never be again a part of my life.

I certainly do not reason like that, nor do I know of any unbelievers who do. Your god does not plead to me, or if he does I am unable, not unwilling, to hear him. I don't hate my mate or my parents. And I don't hate your god, I simply don't believe in him.

The unbelievers reason for his disbelief has nothing to do with scientific proof or lack of it. No one can prove anything to someone not willing to believe it.

The reason for my disbelief has everything to do with lack of evidence. All belief should be based on the available evidence, and I have found none to support the existence of a god, a devil, a heaven, a hell, a Santa Claus, an Easter Bunny, etc.

Job in the same way rejected the creator for allowing him to suffer at the hands of Satan, the great child abuser of us all. It was not until Job accepted the counsel of the young man Elihu that he ceased his criticisms of God and renewed his faith. Now God could reward and restore Job better than ever before. It is us that suffer the most for refusing to believe. Being willing to hear and accept God's explanation is the key to a mutually beneficial relationship with him our heavenly father.

Job didn't stop believing in his god, when his god started playing games with him. He just thought it was a very unfair way for a god to behave towards his faithful servant. He never stopped believing. He just stopped believing in a just god. And I am willing to hear god's explanation, if it holds water I'll even accept it, but so far I've heard nothing.

....... It is a fascinating fact that virtually without exception one of a unbelievers least favorite colors is yellow. ............. Zechariah .........

This is no more a fact that any of the rest of the ill-thought out, shoddy, offensive tripe you posted. You suggest I'm a coward because I don't close my eyes to reason and blindly believe in your all-powerful invisible man with all the answers. I would say it takes a braver man to face life as it is, and to work towards making it better, but my unbelief is based on the lack of evidence, not the moral superiority of my position.

Perhaps you'd like to think in future before making sweeping, offensive statements about subjects you don't understand.

64

Reparations & Protest

by Larry in

jw
friends

this weekend i'm going to dc for the reparation march.

i know this is an highly volatile subject for some so i'm not even going to ask for opinions.

but, for the record here's my stand - i'm for reparations based on principle.

funkyderek

plus I have a little native american in me

Trauma, this is far worse than any form of slavery. Let him out, please

48

My cat--Need Your Help in Naming Her

by patio34 in

jw
friends

i have a new cat.

a smallish young adult (1-2 years old) female, with black & gold back and white chest, belly and feet.

i can't come up with a name i like.

funkyderek

I really hope that its a sick joke.

Cassi, rest assured. It's a sick (but very funny) joke, although several thousand people who think otherwise have signed a petition to have it closed down.

59

WT Says Jehovah a mistake

by garybuss in

jw
friends

"as to the old testament name of god, certainly the spelling and pronunciation "jehovah" were originally a blunder.

(the bible in living english, 1972, p.7, watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania) .

what's the deal?

funkyderek

We now know though that Yahweh is not even close seeing that the YHWH was originally pronounced using 3 syllabels, not two as in Yahweh, and that the vowel sound for that middle syllabel was an "O."

Have you got a source for that, You Know? I thought it was still a matter of some dispute.

Edited by - funkyderek on 17 August 2002 8:29:19

47

Is there anything that could make you go back?

by sleepy in

jw
friends

is there anything that could make you go back?.

what do you think, is there any change of belief or change of circumstance that could make you return to the jw fold?.

i cant see anything that could make me go back,but i was thinking mabye some of you religious types would go back if they changed some doctrinal things,or if they stopped banning blood.. how about if a family member was dying and hoped to see you in paradise would you go back for a while just to make them feel happy?

funkyderek

Only if it became an atheist group, apologised for all the wrong doing, changed its name, removed everyone currently in charge, completely changed its organisational structure, and started holding meetings in my local pub.

22

Oh Mother...

by joannadandy in

jw
friends

i get a phone call at work today.

i am very stressed, my boss has left, thus i am in charge.

i had little to no sleep and was very cranky that i was left to blow up 200 balloons by myself.. on the phone is my mother.

funkyderek

I get a phone call at work today. I am very stressed, my boss has left, thus I am in charge. I had little to no sleep and was very cranky that I was left to blow up 200 balloons by myself.

Your job is blowing up balloons? Cool! Or is that your' boss's job?

32

Non believers in god please.

by Monster in

jw
friends

a poster( don't ask who said, it i don't want argument with the person) here implied a while ago that many of the xjw here no longer believe in god because they cannot accept the "fact" that they willl be destroyed during armageddon.

in other words you are looking for ways to discredit that you ( you.

meaning anyone) will be destoryed.

funkyderek

Zechariah, you're full of crap.

If anyone can't see why, let me know and I'll try to post a more detailed rebuttal.