Posts by DarioKehl

78

How can anyone really be a 100% confident atheist given the paranormal and occult?

by yadda yadda 2 in

jw
friends

i don't believe the bible is inerrant nor do i hold a 'christian worldview' any longer as my profile details say (which i am unable to update on my profile), but i just can't see how anyone can be absolutely 100% confident there is nothing out there we can call a 'god' or spirit creature in the face of endless first-hand accounts of paranormal and occult experiences that felt as 'real' to the person who experienced them as anything else in their lives.. there are untold reports of ghosts, faith-healing, ouija boards, seances, spirit mediums, stigmata, mystical born-again experiences, speaking in tongues, and then there's hypnotism, ufo sightings, poltergeists, remote viewing, etc, etc.

ok, so its mostly only anecdotal evidence, but the amount of it is so overwhelming it is practically corroborating evidence.

in the face of all this, how can anyone categorically assert that there is nothing out there that is beyond ourselves that we might call a 'god' or spirit creature?

DarioKehl

These stories always grow in the telling. When I was still inside, one of my favorite past times was sharing "demun stories" with all my JW friends. Sure, mysterious things happened all the time, but the human brain is remarkably deceptive. And I'll admit, when things happened (and at the time, I wasn't such a skeptic so I believed some of these experiences were real evidence of demons), I would "flavor" my story every time I retold it to another person. After awhile, I even started believing my own embellishments! So yes...I am guilty as charged for not only believing and embellishing, but actively convincing others of these accounts.

George Costanza said it best: "It's not a lie... if you believe it."

Thanks to Snare&Racket for bringing up James Randi's $1M prize. Every day that prize goes unclaimed is another powerful piece of evidence that there's just no such thing as the supernatural.

Sidenote: It did always seem kind of ironic to me just how much fear JWs had of demons and how much emphasis they put on their apparent powers and ability to interact physically in your life. They could scare the crap out of you with stories and warnings from WT but never had a problem explaining their way out of why angelic or godly intervention doesn't happen in modern times. If anything, for current JWs, demons offer more proof of the supernatural than jah ever does! Think about it: at one point in history, god supposedly parted the Red Sea, led by pillars of fire and cloud, maintained a constant ambient source of "spiritual glory" inside the most holy room of the tabernacle, but nothing like that occurs today because the mere existence of the WBTS supplies all the "proof" that we should need. Evidence of god and holy spirit is only manifested by this amazing global organization and its works of dispensing food. Meanwhile, demons make smurfs walk out of Kingdom Halls and garage sale items can strangle elders' wives during the night? But, the Revelation book says demons are currently in "Tarturus" so they can't be as powerful as they were in Noah's day? Yet they can still haunt your house and inanimate objects. Whatever.

33

Could you live with not talking to your JW family for the rest of your life?

by ÁrbolesdeArabia in

one of greatest obstacles to leaving the organization is the destruction of the family unit.

as lady-lee wrote about oompa, i thought of this topic, the society says "this is their way to get wrong doing people to return to the loving arms of jehovah after they repent of their sins" .

i know of men and women who are in good standings and hate their fellow spiritual jw family, i am willing to bet, wager that "jw-hatred" exceeds the worlds hatred, something about a self-assured group versus the "not so self assured' creates one plucked up structure.

DarioKehl

I have frequent nightmares about this very situation. In fact, I took a late morning nap and woke up from one and it's put a damper on my entire day. I'm not so much afraid of them shunning me. I'm afraid of watching them get hurt and knowing that I am responsible for their pain. They're great people. They don't deserve the extra heartache. It's not my interest to expose TTATT to them because, even though I know it's all a farce, this really is all they have in their lives!

188

About Anonymous they are working on things as we speak!

by life is to short in

soldier 77 just posted this about two hours ago but i think his post got lost is the great debate and straw mans that another posters was throwing around.. anyway i hope soldier 77 does not mind if i make a thread from his insight.

soldier 77 "this seems to have missed in the tangent argument going on: http://pastebin.com/3nitctlf.

anonymous are needing some more people on the inside to help.

DarioKehl

What's new in the world of Anonymous? Has anything developed or did this just fizzle?

29

Are We the Only Life in this vast Galaxy?

by frankiespeakin in

.

well i say the same condition for life evolving are relatively repeated over and over again in perhpas billions of solar systems with different combinations of chemical reactions producing all kind of self replicating molecules not just carbon based or dna based.

many stars having a much earlier formation and intelligent life much more before our earth was formed billions of years ago.. .

DarioKehl

I love you, wikipedia!

where:

N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible;

and

R * = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy

f p = the fraction of those stars that have planets

n e = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets

f l = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point

f i = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life

f c = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space

L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space [ 5 ]

[edit]

29

Are We the Only Life in this vast Galaxy?

by frankiespeakin in

.

well i say the same condition for life evolving are relatively repeated over and over again in perhpas billions of solar systems with different combinations of chemical reactions producing all kind of self replicating molecules not just carbon based or dna based.

many stars having a much earlier formation and intelligent life much more before our earth was formed billions of years ago.. .

DarioKehl

Drake Equation. Nerd time!

$N = R^{\ast} \cdot f_p \cdot n_e \cdot f_{\ell} \cdot f_i \cdot f_c \cdot L$

29

Are We the Only Life in this vast Galaxy?

by frankiespeakin in

.

well i say the same condition for life evolving are relatively repeated over and over again in perhpas billions of solar systems with different combinations of chemical reactions producing all kind of self replicating molecules not just carbon based or dna based.

many stars having a much earlier formation and intelligent life much more before our earth was formed billions of years ago.. .

DarioKehl

Answer to this thread's title: Improbable.

8

New Light" regarding active Field Service 10 hours and above.

by ÁrbolesdeArabia in

it's 9:50 am and a carload of ja-java-witnesses (witnesses who spend more time at coffee shops, and feel more pious than low hours ones!

)(arrive for coffee , by 10:45 the "fab-five" are out the door to tear up the "return visits".

was it my beard, was it my sunglasses, hat and long hair that shielded me from their presense?

DarioKehl

"...so you can stop the RUMORS about you"?????

OMG, doesn't she realize that's one of the main reasons people leave? To get away from the backstabbing, slander and hateful gossip??? And because THEY can't keep their mouths shut about you, it's somehow YOUR JOB to "stop" them???

I'll never miss it. Ever! The idea of spending eternity on the same planet with these people---UGHHH!!! TAKE A F###ING HINT, "Sister," how can I be expected to share forever with people like YOU when I can't even tolerate a 2-hour meeting with you?

"are you still my brother..." GOD that pisses me off. 100% loaded language and passive-aggressive guilt tripping. I'm seriously going to puke if I don't stop dwelling on this. I'da looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Apparently, I never WAS your brother. Anyway, I gotta scoot...You enjoy growing old in satan's system with your horrible, horrible friends and no 401K."

697

Why aren't you an Atheist?

by Bloody Hotdogs! in

jw
friends

long time lurker, first time poster.. .

i'm an ms (accounts servant) in a large congregation in canada.

over the last several years i've faught a hard-won battle to rid my mind of all religous and supernatural beleifs.

DarioKehl

I'm officially jealous now. Congrats, Bloody Hotdogs!!! Your first post already has 4 pages in less than 24 hours. Good topic! I gotta start more interesting threads, apparently.

Athiest, btw =)

33

Are Jehovah's Witnesses an American Sect?

by cedars in

this faq was recently added to jw.org.... .

are you an american sect?our world headquarters is located in the united states of america.

however, we are not an american sect for the following reasons:.

DarioKehl

It is, more specifically, an American CULT. A 19th century American annihilationist CULT. One of three American 19th century, annihilationist, works-based, antichrist, bloodguilty, predatory, abusive, hateful, soul killing, child-hating, hypocritical, false-prophecying, damaging, anti-fun CULTS (JWs, Mormons and Sevnth Day Adventists).

6

My First Presidential Election

by DarioKehl in

i voted for the first time in my life in 2010, but this is the first presidential election since my awakening and subsequent fade from the jws!

i can't wait!

that's not to say i'm really excited about either candidate (i'm not), but this is another exciting milestone in my exit and healing process.

DarioKehl

I voted for the first time in my life in 2010, but this is the first presidential election since my awakening and subsequent fade from the JWs! I can't wait! That's not to say I'm really excited about either candidate (I'm not), but this is another exciting milestone in my exit and healing process. The "world" takes this small thing for granted. From my perspective as a faded JW, I'm taking this right to make my voice count very seriously. Yay ME. No matter who our next president is, I feel like I'll be the winner on election day this year!

Who else is popping their election cherry next month? How do you feel about it? I'm pretty stoked!

(oh, and the best part is... the voting center for my district is located inside a LUTHERAN CHURCH!!!! )