VoidEater

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Posts by VoidEater

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  86

  A better way of doing it, with regards to the 'God' question. If you're a theist or deist, please answer this question.

  by Psychotic Parrot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  why are you a theist or a deist?

  please give any or all reasons why without resorting to a god of the gaps argument.

  that is the only condition i am making, since in my (& presumably every other atheist's) opinion, a god of the gaps argument simply isn't convincing enough to demonstrate that there is a god, only that there might be a god.. thank you.. p.s.

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  VoidEater

  Well, it isn't i who is defining God, it is the believer. However, i have not yet encountered a single deist or theist concept of God whose existence can be demonstrated. I would perhaps make an exception for pantheists, since they are merely asserting that God is nature, but in that case, i personally think that they are being misleading by referring to it as God

  You've caught yourself up in a bit of a pickle. Either you are not going to define what you mean by God and let others do it, or you need to let others define it. Which will it be?

  By your use of the term, you have something in mind. By your exposition, you have something in mind.

  So...what do you mean by "God"?

  Because it would be pretty silly for me to express a belief in something just to have you tell me that's not what you're talking about.
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  86

  A better way of doing it, with regards to the 'God' question. If you're a theist or deist, please answer this question.

  by Psychotic Parrot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  why are you a theist or a deist?

  please give any or all reasons why without resorting to a god of the gaps argument.

  that is the only condition i am making, since in my (& presumably every other atheist's) opinion, a god of the gaps argument simply isn't convincing enough to demonstrate that there is a god, only that there might be a god.. thank you.. p.s.

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  VoidEater

  I don't assert that God exists, though I use the term as a holder for certain processes.

  I don't believe there is any objective evidence for the existance of God.

  I am interested in how you define God, functionally or otherwise.
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  127

  LOVE your ENEMIES: where Jesus goes wrong

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  matthew 5:44 "but i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,.

  luke 6:35 "but love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.

  the most radical teaching attributed to jesus has implications if followed.. an invading hoarde of mongols would not be resisted.. a christian husband would not only allow his wife and daughters to be raped; he would be compelled to forgive the rapist, pray for him and offer.

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  VoidEater

  There's another recent Forgiveness thread. It might be nice to have these terms defined in the context of this discussion:

  - Forgiveness

  - Justice

  - Love
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  56

  THE MOST THRILLING MOMENT of your life.....?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is the most thrilling moment of my life.. i got to meet my film composer heroes john barry and miklos rosza at the beverly hills writer's guild theater for a seminar on filmmusic.. i was 30 years old at the time and going through my "you look like clint eastwood" stage.

  (i'm trying to explain my crazy hair!).

  i chatted with them and got them to sign my albums.. what was your most thrilling moment?.

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  VoidEater

  In order:

  Making love for the first time at age 24. Sorry, someone had to do the obvious...

  Meeting up again with my partner after a gap - knowing he was The One.

  My first experience with an entheogen - that's when I realized whatever judgments the WTS had weren't worth a rat's.
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  58

  Do People Just LIKE You?

  by snowbird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find that wherever i go, people just gravitate toward me.. is that your case?.

  syl.

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  VoidEater

  In a crowd I'm just another pretty face ;-)

  But in small groups and one-on-one people are quite taken with me. I'm told I'm the kindest person they know.

  Go figure...
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  26

  My story and help needed.

  by frigginconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have been posting here and there for a few weeks but never introduced myself.

  i will do that now because i really am in bad shape and in need of someone to listen.. i was raised in new york in the projects during the crack boom in the 80's.

  my dad was an abusive drunk non believer and my mom dragged us to meetings.

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  VoidEater

  I think its time to get the same attention from loving acts.

  Maybe in the coming years the human psyche will have evolved enough - or enough individuals will have become conscious enough - for loving acts to grab headlines. I don't see that we're there yet.

  However, you can develop your own spiritual garden, you can live a spiritual life with like-minded people. I doubt you'll ever find a group, or found a group, where everyone will agree with every detail - but through tolerance and compassion you can hang on to your own ideals while making a difference for others.

  You say you've already rejected all the other groups out there as falling into lies. So your choices are somehwat limited if you're set on working within a community:

  1) Accept all groups are flawed, but join one anyway. Work through their existing resources and networks to make the world better.

  2) Create a group of your own. You may want to live in an area where there is already a sense of reaching toward human potential - say, San Francisco as opposed to places in Virginia or Arkansas. Though nearly every place has a community of intentional living somewhere.

  3) Join a "monastic" order or communal living arrangement and just be surrounded by others on an inward spiritual path. Perhaps an ecumenical, non-denominationl arrangement.

  It's hard for me to separate what might be several things going on: the terrors you have seen likely have had a large impact. There seem to be a couple different needs - to be around conscious people, and to make a difference in the world. I'm not sure if you need to be around loving, conscious people as just a way to further your own healing, or if that really is how you want to express your contributions to the world.

  It may be that you need to heal yourself first. It may be that your desire to be loving to the world is an expression of your need for loving yourself, to love yourself. THat's always a good way to build a foundation for a loving life.

  I think it may be that with focused healing it will become more clear how to make your contribution to the world.

  It becomes such a routine that I hate to say it, but perhaps some individual therapeutic work might be helpful to put things in order for you...

  Cheers!
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  5

  Is it common to push the limits but staying on the safe side?

  by dgp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i imagine that all the stress and demands a jehovah's witness has to withstand, plus the always-present fear that they can never be sure they are actually going to be spared at armageddon, eventually force the person to wonder whether it is really worth it.

  it would be something like "i don't know if i will be spared.

  why don't i push the limits to the very end, so i can have more of a normal life, and yet technically be on the safe side?".

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  VoidEater

  It is a universal human process to test limits and find boundaries. This is true for physical space, emotional relationships, scientific exploration, and social institutions (to name a few). Not every individual may test the limits very far, but the process is in virtually every person.

  Parents understand this first hand.

  Everyone wants to know where the boundaries are. They will find them first hand or by observing others.
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  29

  Oil flow has stopped!

  by Deputy Dog in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  fox news is reporting: bp says the oil flow in the gulf has stopped..

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  VoidEater

  ^ too funny!
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  44

  Sick little boy!

  by crapola in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my 10 year old grandson is in the hospital with really high blood pressure.

  he has a urinary tract blockage which is affecting his kidney function,which resulted in the high blood pressure.

  his dad, soonernc7 and his mom are with him now.

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  VoidEater

  Ouch!

  I've seen this before, I'm sure it will be fine...just icky in the meantime... (warm fuzzy feelings for getting well soon!)
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  47

  OMG! I am 50 this year! Why am I freaking out? Anger - how do you cope?

  by hamsterbait in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was told when i hit thirty and was catastrophising, "just wait till you are 40, it just gets better.".

  ha!.

  i am fifty in a few weeks.

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  VoidEater

  I haven't had many of those days of late...I only started feeling human at 40, and I've felt better every year in the decade since.

  If my relatives are any indication, I'll be around perhaps another 50 years.

  I haven't had to put up with krazy kult members since getting out, they've rather had to deal with me - my lack of interest in arguing, my centered happiness, my shrugging off what doesn't matter to me. They seem to more respect than look down on me, at least the ones I know - and I really don't concern myself with their opinions, anyway.

  I'm pretty introverted. I look inside, and find a fierce sense of my own existence, in the areas of my heart and liver and belly and...well, other places. I focus on my own sense of my vibrancy and being. I am calm in the decisions I have made, and not hanging on to any preconceived notions moment to moment.

  I've let go of so much...and feel both empty and full at the same time.

  Being in this moment helps me through. There's so little going on in front of my eyes at any one time - and when there is, I just commit to dealing with what is in front of my eyes.

  ...and I pet the cat...