cofty

Joined

• started 464 topics
• posted 24,957 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by cofty

• 
  104

  Does anyone know of this guy, or agree with his statements on racial differences in IQ?

  by Sugar Shane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here are some quotes by the guy, from his youtube channel.

  his name is stefan molyneux, and he’s apparently popular among the alt-right crowd.

  he’s also widely quoted on these discussion boards, by certain ex-jws, who use him to help promote their political views.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Sugar - So no interest in confronting actual facts then? Typically your reaction is to run away shouting insults over your shoulder as you go.

  Science is NOT the enemy of equality and fairness. Quite the opposite. The mistake many make is to try to base their desire for equality on science-denial. That is a foolish strategy.

  There are very good objective reasons to treat everybody fairly without lying to ourselves. In the long run they are more stable reasons too.

  IQ research is full of so much bias as to make the whole concept of measurable intelligence a joke.

  Utter nonsense.
  
  
• 
  46

  What is the most troubling or disturbing biblical passage you ever had to rationalise when a Jw?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  now that we have stepped away from the jw faith, how do you feel about the bible itself?.

  what about those awkward sections of scripture?

  how did you rationalise or justify those sections?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Slavery - not the arrangement of one Israelite to another, but the full-blooded slavery where gentiles could be owned by Israelites as heritable possessions and effectively beaten to death.

  The bible's failure to condemn the principle of one human owning another rules out any possibility that it is worthy of respect.
• 
  104

  Does anyone know of this guy, or agree with his statements on racial differences in IQ?

  by Sugar Shane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here are some quotes by the guy, from his youtube channel.

  his name is stefan molyneux, and he’s apparently popular among the alt-right crowd.

  he’s also widely quoted on these discussion boards, by certain ex-jws, who use him to help promote their political views.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Sugar - I'm confused about what your point is.

  Are you denying the scientific conclusion that intelligence is strongly heritable?

  There is still some debate about whether the genetic factor affecting variation in intelligence is nearer to 50% or 70% but there is no serious dispute that variation in intelligence is significantly genetic.

  Of course it goes without saying that a person with a genetic gift for high intelligence won't flourish without a suitable environment - 'nature via nurture' as Matt Ridley expresses it.

  Just as an individual with the combination of genes for higher than average height won't achieve that potential without proper nutrition. On the other hand no amount of protein will cause somebody with the genes for less than average height to grow to 6' 4".

  IQ tests are not perfect but they are very good, and if you research the literature you will find that scientists go out their way to compensate for social factors when measuring groups. The commonly high IQ of Asian kids is not explained by pushy parents.
• 
  19

  Diminishing glory of JWs, confusions are at the root

  by Ireneus in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  when the world shuns jws because of difference of opinion, it is described as the action of satan.. when jws shun others because of difference of opinion, it is described as theocratic action.. such confused mind is at the root of getting wrong teachings.

  jws shun anything what anyone would rate as the best of the bible or christian traditions:.

  1)cross (with a longer descending arm) is the symbol of controlling the less powerful (“acts of the flesh”) with the more powerful (“spirit” within)—galatians 5:17, 19, 25.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  God of the Universe who is begging help from his fallen/weak children so that God Almighty may be empowered to give an answer to the taunt of Satan

  That would be a pathetic excuse for a deity. Personally I would have just told Satan to fuck off.
  
  
• 
  104

  Does anyone know of this guy, or agree with his statements on racial differences in IQ?

  by Sugar Shane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here are some quotes by the guy, from his youtube channel.

  his name is stefan molyneux, and he’s apparently popular among the alt-right crowd.

  he’s also widely quoted on these discussion boards, by certain ex-jws, who use him to help promote their political views.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Sugar Shane - the facts in no way depend on the work of one scientist.

  The heritability of IQ is no longer disputed by scientists. It is still denied by well-meaning sorts writing social 'science' blogs.
• 
  104

  Does anyone know of this guy, or agree with his statements on racial differences in IQ?

  by Sugar Shane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here are some quotes by the guy, from his youtube channel.

  his name is stefan molyneux, and he’s apparently popular among the alt-right crowd.

  he’s also widely quoted on these discussion boards, by certain ex-jws, who use him to help promote their political views.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  In other words, it’s nuture and not nature

  The idea that variation in intelligence between individuals is more to do with parental environment rather than genetics is a historical curiosity.

  The debate is whether intelligence is 50% or 70% inheritable. All attempts to account for environmental factors can get it down a few points but not by much.

  Identical twins raised apart are highly similar; identical twins raised together are more similar than fraternal twins raised together; biological siblings are far more similar than adoptive siblings raised together who are no more similar than two individuals chosen at random.

  The heritability of intelligence increases with age typically rising to about 80% - Yes you do turn into your parents!

  It would be strange if average IQ didn't vary between different ethnic groups but so what? We need to accept the science and find other reasons to treat everybody with dignity and respect.
• 
  20

  Celebrating a birthday for the 1st time

  by Whynot in

  1. social
  2. family

  after almost a year of thinking and eh feeling, not sure... i decided to throw a small birthday party for my son.

  this feels so strange, i have never been to a birthday party.

  my husband doesn't feel comfortable with it but he decided to play along lol.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  I'm no expert on kid's party organisation but congratulations. He will love his first birthday.

  I'm guessing yes to the music. I would Google kids party ideas. Fun competitive games are always a hit with boys. By next year it will feel normal. Just remember - NO beheading anybody!
• 
  80

  Are we losing our way a bit at JWN?

  by nicolaou in

  1. forum
  2. suggestions

  firstly, i want to be crystal clear how grateful i am for jwn.

  it's been my place of support for over seventeen years and it's the first online space i direct anyone to if they are taking steps out of the cult.

  i am not bashing jwn - i love this place and appreciate the hard work and expense simon puts in to keep it going.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  The solution is in all our hands.

  Read challenging and informative books, watch interesting TV and YouTube broadcasts and use the things you learn to start interesting new topics.
• 
  72

  Since Democrats Are All About the “Children” why does ABORTION Not Bother Them?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if everything is supposed to be about the lives of children, how can they hypocritically fight to take babies and kill them?

  what about the children and their quality of life?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  I just looked up the facts.

  The current limit in the UK is 24 weeks.

  According to studies between 2003 and 2005, 20 to 35 percent of babies born at 23 weeks of gestation survive, while 50 to 70 percent of babies born at 24 to 25 weeks, and more than 90 percent born at 26 to 27 weeks, survive.

  Something doesn't seem right there.
• 
  72

  Since Democrats Are All About the “Children” why does ABORTION Not Bother Them?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if everything is supposed to be about the lives of children, how can they hypocritically fight to take babies and kill them?

  what about the children and their quality of life?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  differentiation between fetus and human being (this one gets murky, but what we have now in place seems reasonable)

  Yes I broadly agree. I would be in favour of looking again at whether that limit should be reduced. New technologies are making premature births viable worryingly close to the cut-off for abortion.