cofty

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Posts by cofty

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  8

  Help please

  by PhillipThomas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello...been baptized for about a year and a half...just aware now...they are watching me...possibly even now...help me!!

  !i'm too afraid to say too much here...they could even be here disguised as ex-jw's to watch for people like me...how do i get help??

  who do i trust?

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  cofty

  They have no power that you do not grant them.
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  7

  Why does the Borg never use the terms Grace or Ezer

  by HiddenPimo in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  let me start with: this is not a discussion of the validity of the bible or whether it is inspired of god.. my question is why do you think they don't use grace in their teachings when this is such paramount teaching in the rest of the christian world.

  and why do they not reference the hebrew word for helper in genesis 'ezer'.

  this word as applied to a woman seems more dignified as it carries the connotation of strength where the man is weak.

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  cofty

  It's a really good question.

  Grace disappears when Jesus' sacrifice is transformed from vicarious punishment to a legal transaction.

  For most Christians - and for Russell - Jesus died for our sins. For Rutherford he died in order to purchase the value of Adam's perfect life.

  There is no room for grace when all a JW has is a clean slate at baptism and then has to begin earning their own salvation by obedience to an organisation.
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  7

  Incest, Rape and Abuse in the Amish World

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  so familiar and for all the same reasons.. the amish keep to themselves.

  and they’re hiding a horrifying secret....

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  cofty

  'Virtually every Amish victim I spoke to—mostly women but also several men—told me they were dissuaded by their family or church leaders from reporting their abuse to police or had been conditioned not to seek outside help (as Sadie put it, she knew she’d just be “mocked or blamed”). Some victims said they were intimidated and threatened with excommunication. Their stories describe a widespread, decentralized cover-up of child sexual abuse by Amish clergy.'

  This is also the reality in the Watchtower. They now state that victims have the right to go to the police but every JW is 'conditioned' not to do so. Especially if the perpetrator is in good standing in the cult.
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  7

  Incest, Rape and Abuse in the Amish World

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  so familiar and for all the same reasons.. the amish keep to themselves.

  and they’re hiding a horrifying secret....

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  cofty

  So familiar and for all the same reasons.

  The Amish Keep to Themselves. And They’re Hiding a Horrifying Secret...
  
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  9

  People Were More Ingenious in the Past

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  ok, you'll have to bear with me with this one.. i want to talk about toasters.

  a) a toaster you can buy today, any brand.

  b) a toaster invented in 1948. for a bonus, how long do you think a toaster purchased today will keep working?

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  cofty

  That is genius! A little bit terrifying but genius.
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  50

  King David's Three Choices

  by Jehalapeno in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  editor's note: found this on reddit...thought the meat of the post would be a good post for discussion here as well.. consider the three choices god forced upon david for taking a census.

  these three choices were forced on king david, not for murdering people, not for raping women, not for lying, stealing, or any crime we can think of in our modern world that is repugnant, but simply for taking a census or in other words, counting people.. for counting people, jehovah forced a decision on david that involved the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people.. the choices all dealt with the “way” jehovah would kill thousands of unsuspecting loyal worshipers.. 1 chronicles 21.

  “these are the choices the lord has given you.

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  cofty

  Joan you clearly have no interest in honest debate. Typical theist.
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  50

  King David's Three Choices

  by Jehalapeno in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  editor's note: found this on reddit...thought the meat of the post would be a good post for discussion here as well.. consider the three choices god forced upon david for taking a census.

  these three choices were forced on king david, not for murdering people, not for raping women, not for lying, stealing, or any crime we can think of in our modern world that is repugnant, but simply for taking a census or in other words, counting people.. for counting people, jehovah forced a decision on david that involved the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people.. the choices all dealt with the “way” jehovah would kill thousands of unsuspecting loyal worshipers.. 1 chronicles 21.

  “these are the choices the lord has given you.

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  cofty

  I did answer it Joan..

  Almost every creature that has ever lived perished of starvation, predation, infection, exposure, disease or parasites. Five times - before humans even existed - almost every creature on earth was wiped out in mass extinction events. For 200,000 years humans just like us have lived lives that were nasty, brutish and short.

  Take it up on this other thread where it is on topic.
  
  
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  50

  King David's Three Choices

  by Jehalapeno in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  editor's note: found this on reddit...thought the meat of the post would be a good post for discussion here as well.. consider the three choices god forced upon david for taking a census.

  these three choices were forced on king david, not for murdering people, not for raping women, not for lying, stealing, or any crime we can think of in our modern world that is repugnant, but simply for taking a census or in other words, counting people.. for counting people, jehovah forced a decision on david that involved the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people.. the choices all dealt with the “way” jehovah would kill thousands of unsuspecting loyal worshipers.. 1 chronicles 21.

  “these are the choices the lord has given you.

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  cofty

  Pre-exile account
  Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah. - 2 Sam. 24

  Post-exile version
  Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. - 1 Chron. 21
  
  
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  50

  King David's Three Choices

  by Jehalapeno in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  editor's note: found this on reddit...thought the meat of the post would be a good post for discussion here as well.. consider the three choices god forced upon david for taking a census.

  these three choices were forced on king david, not for murdering people, not for raping women, not for lying, stealing, or any crime we can think of in our modern world that is repugnant, but simply for taking a census or in other words, counting people.. for counting people, jehovah forced a decision on david that involved the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people.. the choices all dealt with the “way” jehovah would kill thousands of unsuspecting loyal worshipers.. 1 chronicles 21.

  “these are the choices the lord has given you.

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  cofty

  Gibberish. Am I going to have to spoon-feed you?

  Back to the OP topic. The OT is unapologetic about the fact that god behaves capriciously.

  It is not until after the exile that the Hebrews adopted Satan from the Zoroastrian religion to serve the role of god's evil nemesis.
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  50

  King David's Three Choices

  by Jehalapeno in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  editor's note: found this on reddit...thought the meat of the post would be a good post for discussion here as well.. consider the three choices god forced upon david for taking a census.

  these three choices were forced on king david, not for murdering people, not for raping women, not for lying, stealing, or any crime we can think of in our modern world that is repugnant, but simply for taking a census or in other words, counting people.. for counting people, jehovah forced a decision on david that involved the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent people.. the choices all dealt with the “way” jehovah would kill thousands of unsuspecting loyal worshipers.. 1 chronicles 21.

  “these are the choices the lord has given you.

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  cofty

  I know atheists define evolution as " gratuitous pain, suffering and waste." - Joan

  Firstly evolution is not about atheism. Millions of intelligent christians accept the fact of evolution. It is only Muslims and a small percentage if fundy xtians who deny the facts.

  Secondly evolution is not immoral it is amoral. There is no moral dimension to reality. It doesn't care.

  On the other hand you have the impossible challenge of explaining why the world that you claim was designed and controlled by an omnipotent god is perfectly designed to MAXIMISE suffering and pain. This is a dilemma for theists not for rationalists.