Gopher

Joined

• started 209 topics
• posted 10,871 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Gopher

• 
  24

  PROVERBS (of former JW's)

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of the books from the bible i still value is proverbs.

  it's a collection of wise observations of life.

  it causes me to think, which is a good thing.. however, i also know that among us former jw's are life lessons that can be reduced to that of a proverb.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  Do not complain. 90% of people don't want to hear it, and the other 10% will be glad it happened to you.
• 
  8

  Help with a 'study' please - atheists side.

  by GapingMouth in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was having an email chat with this guy (i dont know him very well) but he wanted a debate on gods existence.

  his english is terrible, but can you help me formulate a response please?

  he isnt jw, i don't think, but there are some questions here about evolution etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  GapingMouth, that is a huge agenda he built. I don't know how you can talk about Bible miracles, all the aspects of evolution he raised, and linguistics in one session. It'd be too confusing.

  I'd say take just one topic at a time, starting with the authenticity (or lack thereof) of Bible history.

  I have enjoyed listening to Dr. Hector Avalos of Iowa State University, a former Christian who came to understand that archaeology disproves the historicity of the Bible.

  This video might give you a good background to begin building your case.

  http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2008/04/hector-avalos-how-archaeology-killed.html
• 
  68

  OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

  by WuzLovesDubs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he couldnt bring the olympics to chicago but he accomplished this coveted award after only a few months in office.

  somebody out there sees this man as doing what the planet needs.

  perhaps.. but i for one am not as shocked as most.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  Mad Dawg,

  Regarding Woodrow Wilson, you said: " Wilson was awarded the Prize for his work on the Treaty of Versailles – it had nothing to do with the League of Nations." That is INCORRECT. The League was his major accomplishment in 1919.

  Read this: http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/index.asp?section=woodrowwilson&file=peace

  Regarding Tutu, you said 1984 was the beginning of the end for apartheid. How would anyone, including the Nobel prize committee, know that to be true as early as 1984? As I posted before -- Tutu hadn't accomplished anything. Using your standards for Obama, the Nobel prize committee should have waited before awarding Tutu its prize.

  The reason they gave awards in the past to men like Wilson and Tutu was the leadership and work they had put in to make a very positive impact on diplomacy and peace. In the view of the Nobel committee, Obama has already made a positive impact. He was one of the very few who opposed the Iraq war from the outset. In his presidential campaign he showed how America would approach world diplomacy differently if he were elected. America liked the message, and much of the rest of the world was also impressed -- friends and foes alike.

  The partisan divisions in America are the only reason any big deal is being made about this award. Even Obama himself tried to downplay the award, and he certainly did not campaign for the award.

  The world looks to America for leadership, and Obama is taking on a difficult job, especially in view of how the Cheney/Bush administration alienated most of the rest of the civilized world with its cowboy diplomacy.
• 
  68

  OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

  by WuzLovesDubs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he couldnt bring the olympics to chicago but he accomplished this coveted award after only a few months in office.

  somebody out there sees this man as doing what the planet needs.

  perhaps.. but i for one am not as shocked as most.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  BTS, if one of your favorite politicians - perhaps president Reagan - had won the Nobel prize, would you be decrying it?

  Even Obama downplayed his being awarded the prize. But in our polarized political environment, everything is overplayed. Apparently someone can't even be awarded a prize without being trashed and having the bestowers similarly trashed.

  Obama was voted into office not just by extremists but by over half of the American voters. The nation repudiated 8 years of Bush/Cheney with the election, and the Nobel committee has joined that repudiation.
• 
  20

  I had a dream last night that I died...

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was trying to catch a football and somehow landed on my car and crashed in the front window.

  there was a little boy in the back seat that was about 8 years old.

  i was now a ghost.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  Since we've seemed to reach a resolution to your dream, Cognac, I thought I'd share an experience.

  Once I dreamed that I was a wigwam, then I dreamed I was a teepee. These dreams kept alternating, so I went to a psychiatrist.

  She said the explanation was easy. I was too tense.
• 
  2

  God & Santa

  by AwSnap in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just like people choose to believe in santa claus and the easter bunny, knowing they're not real but it's fun to believe, is there anything wrong with going to church and believing in the christian god when deep down you know its not real either?

  that's where i'm at these days.

  how do you feel?.

  1. 
  2. 
• 

  Gopher

  What's the "fun" of going to church when you don't really buy what they're selling?

  The gods of many religions make you walk a tightrope = i.e. "the narrow path to salvation". I don't want to hear somebody's version of what an unprovable, unseen being teaches as ultimate truth, and you had better listen or else. As for the "self help" part of churches, you can get most of that at the bookstore or library, or maybe in the Bible itself. Maybe you can't get a church's social atmosphere on your own, although there are probably other more fun clubs to join that aren't based on superstition.

  OTOH, the advantage of enjoying Santa and the Easter Bunny is -- they don't threaten you with eternal punishment for any reason.
• 
  4

  Do I want to change my mind?

  by Nellie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  two brothers came to the door this morning wanting to know if i've changed my mind about my da.

  i've been wondering what was going on - i sent my da request in march, and as far as i knew, no announcement had been made.

  i've been pacing for months now, waiting, wondering, hoping beyond hope that they had a change of heart and would let me just be !!!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  It must be that the circuit overseer is coming, and the congregation secretary needs to clean up their loose ends. You're a "loose end", messing up their records. Now they can get on to more important matters.
• 
  21

  Worship only counts if you base it on faith, not proof of god's existance?

  by AdaMakawee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was reading an article online, about the upcoming vatican ruling on a shrine in the balkins.

  the shrine is built in a place where people say the virgin mary has been appearing, and people have been going there in the hundreds of thousands sort of like the lourdes thing.

  after the article, which supposes that the pope will rule that this is all from satan and meant to lead people away from the church, there were comments from people regarding the phenomena, the expected ruling, etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  Narkissos, thanks for that discussion of the historical background underlying various Bible approaches to the topic. I think differing churches take from these assorted Biblical discussions what they want to take. And of course some (like the JW's) who take the Bible to be literally inspired of God try to harmonize these thoughts of men into some kind of divine guidance.

  Personally I prefer the "humanitarian" brand of works that James promotes, as these spring from a good heart of people who are not necessarily doing so out of fear of an unseen deity but out of love of their fellow man. If that kind of "worship" promotes good deeds, then it can be a good thing.
• 
  68

  OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

  by WuzLovesDubs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he couldnt bring the olympics to chicago but he accomplished this coveted award after only a few months in office.

  somebody out there sees this man as doing what the planet needs.

  perhaps.. but i for one am not as shocked as most.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  Jeanniebeanz,

  That's not how Nobel prizes are awarded. Please read my post on page 1 of this thread.
• 
  33

  Learning the "Truth" Is not true is like...................

  by foolsparadise in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after 33 years of being mind controlled at 5 meetings a week, field service meetings, special day assembly, curcuit assembly,district assembly, finding out "the truth" is just a big hoax is like getting punched in the stomach-uppercut in the jaw-being kicked in the balls from behind and then having the rug ripped out from under you and smashing your head on the ground.

  what was it like for everyone else?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Gopher

  It was like an uncomfortable gassy feeling had been building up inside of me, and then it was like the great relief when it is suddenly expelled with a tooteloot.