Posts by SweetBabyCheezits

149

NOW how do you view the Future?

by theMadJW in

jw
friends

casting aside what little you learned about god and christ- are you thrilled with the future of mankind?.

SweetBabyCheezits

To clear up common misconceptions about science and evolution....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h9XntsSEro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vss1VKN2rf8

149

NOW how do you view the Future?

by theMadJW in

jw
friends

casting aside what little you learned about god and christ- are you thrilled with the future of mankind?.

Both concepts are equally beyond my comprehension at this point. That said, I've given creation its fair share of face time. Now I'm turning my attention to science and evolution. As it stands, I suspect I'll end up on evolution side of the fence (thought I would not rule out the alternative). Why do I see myself headed that way?

With each fundamentalist website or video I see -- for example the ones asserting the 6000 yr old universe concept or the ones where they get the holy ghost - the farther I move from believing in a divine being. It shows me how gullible and self-deluded people can be when it comes to faith and, with religion, it's a continuous pattern of prejudice that precludes critical thinking. Not all religious folks do this to the same degree. But religion is based on faith which, to me, gets used far to liberally. I don't see a methodical approach to analyzing doctrine, I see inconsistency and double standards. I left that shit behind when I walked out of the KH. When I left, my goal was to find unbiased truth - at least that which is knowable.

So I'm drawn to the scientific method due to the rigorous scrutiny a theory must undergo to be accepted by the scientific community. Peer review is another means used to eliminate bias and search for holes in theories. If you studied that alone I think you'd realize how embarrasing it is when undereducated people (or even educated) laugh off science as if to say, "Well, I'm smartur than yuuu scienTISTs. Everbuddy knows u cain't make life from a pot of soup or a rock! Stoopids!" But then those same people turn around use all of the technological advancements that are possible because of SCIENCE. If you can't currently conceive the technology used to build a CPU and argue about it with a computer scientist what makes you think you can so easily argue with a growing community of evolutionary biologists who've poured their lives into a study of evolution? I'm arrogant but not THAT arrogant. Understanding our own ignorance is a big step.

The same scientific method that was used to discover the physical laws of the universe to put man on the moon is also the scientific method that was used to discover the theory of evolution. Why, then, do some hastily discredit science but accept that god just made Adam from dirt and Eve from a rib?

Now that I've said all this, I feel bad for coming down hard on you earlier. I just read your experience on your personal thread. I'll say what I've said before: I don't think JWs are all idiots. That includes you. My father and brother are both incredibly intelligent and I consider them like this guy said...

“The great trouble with religion — any religion — is that a religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge those propositions by evidence. One may bask at the warm fire of faith or choose to live in the bleak uncertainty of reason — but one cannot have both.” -Heinlein

This beer's on me, MJW.

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

NVL, you remind me of a smartass buddy of mine. CFC! - funny

I gotta learn to be more concise. And relax a bit.

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

There is something, also, to be said for personal experience. For example, a near death experience. For me, I have a hard time believing them. However, if I was to experience one, I don't think it would matter what someone told me. I would know what I had experienced. So I can't REALLY judge people as closed minded when they had a specific experience that made them convinced of something supernatural.

I think a closed mind would go DIRECTLY to the supernatural explanation first and then refuse to entertain the more rational possibilities. True open mindedness would force a person to review the most plausible explanations before anything else. If all plausible explanations are defeated, I'd expect an open mind to pick the least implausible.

There's a reason, though, that anecdotal evidence is often unreliable...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPqerbz8KDc

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

BD, I added this edit to my last post but noticed you'd already posted before I submitted it:

[EDIT: Okay, sorry, BD. NVL made a good point that you used the singular form. My bad. Yes, any individual in any group can lack an open mind.]

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

I think the video is a bit too narrow. The scientist can also have a lack of open mindedness too. I haven't turned my back on the existance of the supernatural. I think a true open minded person allows for the possibility.

Before you generalize scientists, please make sure you're not misinformed. It's like people saying JWs don't believe in Jesus. (I always hated that!)

[EDIT: Okay, sorry, NVL made a good point that you used the singular form. My bad. Yes, any individual in any group can lack an open mind.]

While I could be wrong, I'm not aware of any reputable scientists stating that the supernatural world is impossible. Improbable, yes, but not impossible. Even Richard Dawkins writes in such a way as to leave an opening for evidence contrary to his current belief, should it ever be presented. (ie, Why There Almost Certainly Is No God)

Here's how one philosophy site describes open mindedness...

"The trait of open-mindedness is best understood as a disposition, rather than a current state of mind. It's not about what beliefs you actually have, but how open you are to revising them in appropriate circumstances. It requires the true humility of self-acknowledged fallibility. It requires that our minds be open to new evidence. But this is something very different from suggesting that we should be indiscriminately accepting of any and all viewpoints. That's not open-mindedness; it's gullibility. Rationality must remain as a filter.

Open-mindedness means that we will acknowledge the possibility that new evidence could in the future lead us to change our mind. But it doesn't preclude our drawing reasonable conclusions in the present."

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

I've always been able to explain any supposedly "demonic" thing that has happened as not demonic in actuality.

Could you not apply the above comment to supposed Holy Spirit manifestations (listed below) as well?

What is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? I'd have to point to the fruits of the spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22.

a gowing in love and understanding of Jesus would be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as well.

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

BD: I'm watching those right now, Stephen. I'll let you know what I think.

For those of you who accept the idea of demon attacks and exorcisms (or talking in tongues via holy spirit), did any of you watch the video I posted on page two? Any comments? I thought it was pretty enlightening and found no worthy argument to refute it.

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

What is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? I'd have to point to the fruits of the spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22. The Holy Spirit is talked about here, meaning that these qualities come directly from the Holy Spirit and not from ourselves. Even though we can manifest many of these qualities ourselves, we can know that the Holy Spirit is not present with someone that does NOT demonstrate these things.

So when a Buddhist monk who has no faith in Christ or the ransom exhibits love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, or self-control, do you believe that is HS in operation?

Also, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would "teach" us. The FDS would not be the ones to teach the bible to us. It would be the teacher or Holy Spirit. So a gowing in love and understanding of Jesus would be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as well.

So when you said there's sufficient proof of HS in action today that we don't need things like speaking in tongues... you didn't have more than the above in mind? Because there are sooooo many different understandings of the bible out there and plenty of people who claim to have the right understanding.

I'm missing the proof of anything more than 1) people being good people and 2) people reading and interpreting a book the way that makes sense to them and then feeling good about it. Not trying to bash your faith but you said proof and I'm kinda picky when it comes to proof.

200

Demons and the WTS

by brotherdan in

i remember growing up and hearing all sorts of stories about demonic activity from people.

some would be experiences that people had going door to door and visiting a "witch" or "warlock".

some would inadvertently go to a fortune tellers door and have a demonic experience.. i was always facinated by all the stories.

SweetBabyCheezits

DH, can you elaborate on your encounters?