those were the words of an elder during my judicial committee.
it's weird that they suddenly came to me, weeks later.
i can't help recalling the disappointment i felt when i heard that.
As I later told my wife, out of everything that I was put through--with her, the elders, my brother the theocratic bulldozer, my mom--not one of them sat down with me, opened the Bible, and showed me thoroughly where I was wrong.
Ditto. I pointed this out to a few JWs; not one of them had tried to show me how they had the truth and I was wrong.
my own faith did not survive an 'outside test for faith'.
below, the author gives an example of how outsiders to most religions examine those religions critically, and dimiss them.
turning a critical eye towards my beliefs was a bit scary, but i decided it was the only proper thing to do, for me.
I personally think I have the "God-gene". Faith is difficult at times but I can't image not believing in God and having a relationship with him.
my own faith did not survive an 'outside test for faith'.
below, the author gives an example of how outsiders to most religions examine those religions critically, and dimiss them.
turning a critical eye towards my beliefs was a bit scary, but i decided it was the only proper thing to do, for me.
This guys is a scientist (consultant surgeon) and a Christian. He refuses to have faith without some form of evidence. He spoke at our church a couple of weeks ago;
http://media.libsyn.com/media/tartanpodcast/alpha_2010_week3.mp3
Here's the PDF of a his PowerPoint presentation;
http://media.libsyn.com/media/tartanpodcast/Christianity_Reasons_Alpha_Riverside.pdf
Here is his website;
Note for Farkle:
You may find this massively offensive;
Second, unlike the new atheists, I take scholarship seriously. I have written that The God Delusionmade me ashamed to be an atheist and I meant it. Trying to understand how God could need no cause, Christians claim that God exists necessarily. I have taken the effort to try to understand what that means. Dawkins and company are ignorant of such claims and positively contemptuous of those who even try to understand them, let alone believe them. Thus, like a first-year undergraduate, he can happily go around asking loudly, "What caused God?" as though he had made some momentous philosophical discovery. Dawkins was indignant when, on the grounds that inanimate objects cannot have emotions, philosophers like Mary Midgley criticised his metaphorical notionof a selfish gene. Sauce for the biological goose is sauce for the atheist gander. There are a lot of very bright and well informed Christian theologians. We atheists should demand no less.
Third, how dare we be so condescending? I don't have faith. I really don't. Rowan Williams does as do many of my fellow philosophers like Alvin Plantinga(a Protestant) and Ernan McMullin(a Catholic). I think they are wrong; they think I am wrong. But they are not stupid or bad or whatever. If I needed advice about everyday matters, I would turn without hesitation to these men. We are caught in opposing Kuhnianparadigms. I can explain their faith claims in terms of psychology; they can explain my lack of faith claims also probably partly through psychology and probably theology also. (Plantinga, a Calvinist, would refer to original sin.) I just keep hearing Cromwell to the Scots. "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." I don't think I am wrong, but the worth and integrity of so many believers makes me modest in my unbelief.
By Michael Ruse.
2005 - 8,524 partakers.
2006 - 8,758 partakers.
2007 - 9,105 partakers.
@Krettnawe - you're perhaps missing the point. The Watch Tower Society is a religion claiming to be Christian, relying only on the Bible and claiming to solel speak for God. Therefore, the arguments against their teachings need to be based on the Bible.
As for what's pagan etc, it sounds like you've still got a JW head on.
i enjoyed reading some of these criticisms.
the faux pas of modern atheist unity.
1. the plea for atheist unity.
Great stuff. He cuts right to the very heart of the collective atheist arrogance.
2005 - 8,524 partakers.
2006 - 8,758 partakers.
2007 - 9,105 partakers.
It's not about God hurting you. It's about a publishing corporation claiming to be Christian but encouraging 7 million people (plus the other 7 million who come out of guilt) to deny Christ.
2005 - 8,524 partakers.
2006 - 8,758 partakers.
2007 - 9,105 partakers.
bttt
christ's true followers (5).
true christians (3).
(matt.
Hi madJW. In terms of following Christ, how do you square away refusing his body and blood at the Memorial?
.
if you're an ex-atheist, what changed your mind?.
please be as brief or comprehensive as you'd like.
I with Chalam; read "The Language of God".
.
if you're an ex-atheist, what changed your mind?.
please be as brief or comprehensive as you'd like.
John Doe says;
More emotional based diatribe. I grow weary of the intellectually dishonest.
Diatribe?
diatribe |'di??trib|
noun
a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
Perhaps not reading these threads would be useful.
