I don't think it's a binary distinction, every religion is on the cult spectrum. JWs are more than halfway along the spectrum towards the damaging end but not as far as other groups.
IMO they are moving in the wrong direction.
Posts by cofty
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49How do you categorise the Society - Cult or High control religion
by UnshackleTheChains ini have often seen many categorise the organisation in different ways.
some say cult, some say high control religion.
cult or high control religion?.
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Aron-Ra: Meteorology and the Flood
by schnell ina few days ago, aron-ra posted a new video commencing what he promises to be a new series debunking the noachian flood.
he did this despite the fact that every adult should know it didn't happen, and yet many do.. i'd like to remind everyone what the insight book says: .
the genesis account of creation tells how on the second “day” jehovah made an expanse about the earth, and this expanse (called “heaven”) formed a division between the waters below it, that is, the oceans, and the waters above it.
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cofty
Evolution is much too grand an idea to be confined within a small box labelled fact - SBF
No it isn't.
I was responding to your statement "evoltution seems like a good explanation for the variety of life whereas creationism is a poorer explanation".
Evolution explains that living things from humans to trees descended from a common ancestor over millions of years. This is a simple irrefutable fact at the heart of evolution as contrasted to creationism.
But if we want to be pedantic, ultimately there are no pure facts,
Nobody except you wants to be pedantic. As usual.
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Aron-Ra: Meteorology and the Flood
by schnell ina few days ago, aron-ra posted a new video commencing what he promises to be a new series debunking the noachian flood.
he did this despite the fact that every adult should know it didn't happen, and yet many do.. i'd like to remind everyone what the insight book says: .
the genesis account of creation tells how on the second “day” jehovah made an expanse about the earth, and this expanse (called “heaven”) formed a division between the waters below it, that is, the oceans, and the waters above it.
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cofty
evoltution seems like a good explanation for the variety of life
Evolution is a fact beyond all reasonable doubt. It is as certain as the fact that planet earth is not flat. Oh that's right you won't affirm that the earth is not flat.
creationism is a poorer explanation
Creationism is a superstitious delusion.
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Aron-Ra: Meteorology and the Flood
by schnell ina few days ago, aron-ra posted a new video commencing what he promises to be a new series debunking the noachian flood.
he did this despite the fact that every adult should know it didn't happen, and yet many do.. i'd like to remind everyone what the insight book says: .
the genesis account of creation tells how on the second “day” jehovah made an expanse about the earth, and this expanse (called “heaven”) formed a division between the waters below it, that is, the oceans, and the waters above it.
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cofty
Magnabosco's approach is very interesting. He tries to never debate facts but only investigate the reasons for beliefs - epistemology. I think it has a lot of potential for helping JWs.
doesn't anyone else find the relentless "why are believers so stupid" attitude of Aron Ra a bit tiresome? - SBF
Nope.
There is room for Aaron Ra and Magnabosco.
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60
Now I'm Convinced There Probably Is No God
by pale.emperor inyesterday i made a visit to the museum in my city.
the top floor is the planetarium, which has a connecting room with a huge dome ceiling where they project lessons and lectures and you have a 360 view of the night sky etc.. this particular lecture explained about our galaxy, and how it's only one of billions in the universe.
and then we learned about each planet, some of their moons and the sun.
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cofty
IMO there is at this point of human history no way to prove god does not exist nor that he does.
That is only true if we refuse to define "god" using words that actually mean anything. If by "god" we mean a supernatural creative being who is active in human affairs, the god of christians for example, then yes we can prove beyond all reasonable doubt that she does not exist.
its hard to believe that natural selection can account for this
Every living thing evolved from a common ancestor. Natural selection was one of the primary factors. It only hard to believe until you make the effort to study the evidence.
I don't believe in agnostics.
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An interesting reasoning for the existence of God (from JW public talk)
by anointed1 ini was on an official tour last week to another part of my country.
on my way to the hotel, i noticed sign-board of jw kingdom hall.
i thought i would attend sunday meeting as i knew no one would recognize me.. seeing “a new-comer” in the audience, public speaker adapted his material making it especially appealing to me.
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cofty
On the other hand, however, these spiritual properties correspond exactly to the characteristics that distinguish the extremely puzzling and wondrous phenomena in the quantum world
Gibberish.
Whenever you see a theist using the word quantum you can safely ignore what follows.
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An interesting reasoning for the existence of God (from JW public talk)
by anointed1 ini was on an official tour last week to another part of my country.
on my way to the hotel, i noticed sign-board of jw kingdom hall.
i thought i would attend sunday meeting as i knew no one would recognize me.. seeing “a new-comer” in the audience, public speaker adapted his material making it especially appealing to me.
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My Thoughts on the Subject of Faith
by Saethydd ini've had several discussion about the basis for faith in an all powerful creator for the universe, and it seems as if the conversation often comes back to, "well, either way, you have to have faith either in a creator or in the process of evolution because you can't observe that either.
" setting aside the issue of creation and evolution (where i currently sit at undecided), i was also troubled by the tendency to treat faith as a static or absolute concept when in reality it is far more complex.. to begin with, faith isn't just about belief, it combines the concepts of belief and trust.
for the purposes of this discussion, i will be focusing primarily on the second attribute.
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cofty
To begin with, faith isn't just about belief, it combines the concepts of belief and trust. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be focusing primarily on the second attribute.
It is not possible to trust somebody until you first show that they exist.
Since there no evidence that the god of christianity exists believers use faith to fill the gap. Faith is pretending to know things that we have no evidence for.
We can show beyond all reasonable doubt that the god of Jesus is impossible.
"Well, either way, you have to have faith either in a creator or in the process of evolution because you can't observe that either."
Yes people who know absolutely nothing about the evidence for evolution do like to say things like that. Don't fall for it. Evolution is a fact....
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Bro Knorrs Notes RE Disfellowshipping & Two Witness Rule
by pale.emperor inhi guys.
a fellow ex jw shared this with me.
haven't time to read them yet (i'm using my phone to go on internet).
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cofty
Very interesting. Notice that the reason for the disfellowshipping was to be stated to the "company".
Would rightly result in legal action for defamation now.
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Update to UK “Child Safeguarding Policy”
by wifibandit ina known poster on this site (anon) says:.
i have just received a text from an elder i've known for decades in my circuit who has some sympathy for my feelings and who is aware of the arc, the uk charity commission, etc., etc.
here it is verbatim, and my reply.
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cofty
In the event a matter involving the abuse of a child is brought to the attention of congregation elders, two elders will contact the Legal Department at the branch office as soon as possible for legal advice to ensure that they comply with any relevant laws.
So no change at all then. Idiots!
The law in the UK does not require reporting therefore NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
I have been involved in child welfare through sport for many years. Every adequate Child Welfare policy emphasises one key point...
If you become aware of an allegation of child abuse you WILL contact the police or social services. If a child doesn't want you to contact the police you will still contact the police. You should also inform the child welfare officer of your local club or national sport governing body. However this is secondary to your requirement to inform the police or social services.
This will not do.