Posts by Vanderhoven7

6

Have you ever? (Hypnotized)

by Terry in

jw
friends

(hypnotized).

(1978)i had been hypnotized the night before and "woke" in the middle of a job interview the following day.it startled me.. the face of my interviewer twigged as well, witnessing this emergence of a "new" amplitude in my ... well... let's call it "being.".

looking back on this, it's like those devil possession scenes in films when the beast makes itself known.except - i remind you - it was the real me.i'll give you a few seconds to catch up to what i'm reporting to you.. (pause)okay then.... my interviewer registered awareness of this transformation.the sleepwalking terry vanished.seated in the same chair, the refurbished "me" crackled with personality.. my interior was scrambling; playing catch up.

Vanderhoven7

There are dangers when submitting to hypnosis. Sounds like fun, looks like fun to onlookers as you are set up to perform tasks you would never do when aware of your surroundings and in control of your thoughts and faculties.

Had a friend, Brian, in his early twenties hypnotized by the Great Ravine in a theater in Montreal in the 60s. He and I went up on stage to be hypnotised. I wasn't, he was.

Brian soon became a famous pianist performing without a piano, bowing before the audience and the fun went on and on. Before he was awakened and sent back to join us in the audience for the intermission, he was told that when he heard the music at the end of the intermission he would be entranced again and would make his way back to the stage.

We laughed him to scorn wjen he rejoined us and told him what he would do when the intermission ended. He fought it with all he had...and remained in his seat. Afterward he told us that he was an emotional wreck as he fought the urge to go forward. Others of course complied and the fun continued for us...but not for Brian

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

The more I hear and read about David Berlinski, the more I like him despite his agnosticism.

. Has anyone provided proof of God's inexistence? Not even close. Has quantum cosmology explained the emergence of the universe or why it is here? Not even close. Have our sciences explained why our universe seems to be fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life? Not even close. Are physicists and biologists willing to believe in anything so long as it is not religious thought? Close enough. Has rationalism and moral thought provided us with an understanding of what is good, what is right, and what is moral? Not close enough. Has secularism in the terrible 20th century been a force for good? Not even close, to being close. Is there a narrow and oppressive orthodoxy in the sciences? Close enough. Does anything in the sciences or their philosophy justify the claim that religious belief is irrational? Not even in the ball park. Is scientific atheism a frivolous exercise in intellectual contempt? Dead on.

David Berlinski, The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

<<Vandy with all due respect even my year 8 kids could answer the multiple choice questions posed in the video (the two sitting at the desk). I'm absolutely gobsmacked that adults can hold such an event and think it does anything but make the questioner look foolish.>>

Yes, and the fact that the professor treated some of the questions seriously and attempted to answer them made him look equally foolish.

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

<<But let's get back to the topic. Please tell me about the books you have studied that present the scientific case for evolution.>>

How many books I've read is not the topic. Neither is how many books you have read against evolution. This line of questioning reminds me of the JWs who ask where I get my information about them. I tell them that the information I get can come from the devil himself if it is true.

Let me show you how to get back to the topic. What I have done thus far on this thread is to report on the poll results, state that I do not believe in microbe to man evolution and posted videos with findings that need to be critiqued.

For example:

Why do you think not one of the university students interviewed in the first video could support that their belief in evolution amounted to more than faith? They certainly had faith in their professors. Do you think perhaps they might not have read the right number of books?

In the second video, do you support the answers given by the professor to the simplistic questions asked? Do you agree with his closing assertion as to what he had to say was "Science"?

In the third video, how do you respond to Meyer's claim that random mutations in the genetic code could not mathematically amount to anything significant?

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

I don't believe I gave a percentage. The count was 32 likes and with my vote 16 dislikes at the time. What I said is that half the number of people voted for creation as those who did for evolution.

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

Poll Update: Numbers appear to be changing rapidly. If I was permitted to add my vote, the count thus far indicates that half of the number of forum members believe in special creation rather than the theory of evolution.

@cofty

Re: Microbe to Man Evolution

Can you please defend your faith without getting personal or labeling creationists as buffoons and the like? Discrediting people based on books they have or haven't read or how many science degrees they have or have not acquired rather than challenging their ideas will not convince anyone that your views on evolution are factual or even possible.

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

@Slim

"...it may be that evolution needs to be modified in unexpected ways, or even replaced by a different theory, as human knowledge progresses, since that is the pattern of the history of scientific knowledge in general."

It seems that Stephen Meyer agrees with you as well.

https://youtu.be/pZyRgYZe6tM

15

Holy spirit indwelling

by Ding in

is it your understanding that any jw can have holy spirit indwell them or is that an experience a part of the anointing that the wt teaches is reserved for the 144,000?.

please provide references if you can..

Vanderhoven7

WT teaching is that only 144 000 have Holy Spirit indwelling. But according to Romans 8:9 if one does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, he does not belong to God.

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

@ Cofty,

<<Do I rebutt it or not?>>

Most on this forum appreciate your input on evolution. Please feel free to critique either of the two videos posted on this thread or the short comments I made introducing them.

@Slim

<<...it may be that evolution needs to be modified in unexpected ways, or even replaced by a different theory, as human knowledge progresses, since that is the pattern of the history of scientific knowledge in general.>>

Agreed, scientific knowledge can and has changed over the years. I like your openness to that possibility applied to evolutionary theory.

81

Evolution or Creation Poll

by Vanderhoven7 in

evolution is how we got here.. demonstrate that you believe that all species evolved from a single cell over/within 3.5 billion years by tapping "like" below.. demonstrate that you believe in special creation by tapping "unlike" below..

Vanderhoven7

If I was permitted to add my vote, the count thus far indicates that slightly over a third of forum members believe in special creation rather than the theory of evolution. Statistically, according to a new Pew Center analysis, roughly a third of Americans reject microbe to man evolution as well.