Posts by Half banana

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

Half banana

Towerwatchman, I do not have Adamic sin or any other defects curable by holy beliefs. I have no need for fairy tales to give me existential hope. You make a grave error in believing that the scriptures are something which we should respond to.

I greatly resent the idea that I should be grateful to an unknowable god for allowing me to live! Listen to yourself and realize that you are thoughtlessly repeating tired old religious spin, something which can never be proved and therefore of no use except in religious jingoism.

Paul's words were useful in recruiting for the early Christ cult and therefore selected for duty in the Roman Bible to rouse followers to action. It is only the the poor peasants who were led to believe this foundationless nonsense. They ditched reason for an impossible hope in a saviour figure who was renamed Jesus around 175 CE. We have moved away from peasantry.

Name me one person who has actually overcome death as promised in the Bible. Two thousand years, countless billions of people born and still no results yet!

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

Half banana

Only those exposed to the doctrine of the trinity would come up with a belief in a triune god.

However the real issue raised by discussing John 1:1 is the fundamental ambiguity of the nature of the the NT God.

The Hebrew myth shows an evolving god as the culture absorbed the ideas of its neighbours over time. Moving from a god who was someone you could talk to and argue with, to the rabid despotic deity who heartlessly would to kill all who didn't worship him. Simple reflections of a primitive society trying to raise the status of their fighting prowess. The OT god was the creator of good things and the bringer of evil as well. But although a son of El and having sixty nine brothers, Yahweh was always singular in nature.

So we might usefully ask why the NT god is so different? Surely God doesn't change?

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

Half banana

Only those exposed to it!

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

Half banana

Whatever the grammar and hence the meaning intended, it might be more important to understand why the church leaders wanted to include this text which stands outside of the normal run of NT scripture.

It is borrowed from contemporary Gnostic and Greek philosophy and would be useful in imparting some apparent gravitas to the usual rigmarole of cultic instructions and moral tales. Look it worked, we are still considering it today!

43

It seems that many witnesses simply dont care about facts?

by stuckinarut2 in

i often wonder if the current crop of witnesses, especially the youth and younger ones simply don't care about facts?.

i mean for some, even with knowledge of the past scandals, misleading teachings, mistruths, etc etc, they simply don't care.

"it is the truth after all".. they are so intertwined in the operations and activities of the society, that they cant see anything outside of it.

Half banana

The purpose of religion is always political. Its function is to pacify the masses.

Why should anything be believed if it has no factual evidence?

43

It seems that many witnesses simply dont care about facts?

by stuckinarut2 in

i often wonder if the current crop of witnesses, especially the youth and younger ones simply don't care about facts?.

i mean for some, even with knowledge of the past scandals, misleading teachings, mistruths, etc etc, they simply don't care.

"it is the truth after all".. they are so intertwined in the operations and activities of the society, that they cant see anything outside of it.

Half banana

Some JW 'facts':

Jehovah created everything

The Bible was written under inspiration of Jehovah

The JW org leadership is the mediator between humans and Jehovah

If you believe and do what the GB tell you; you will live forever in paradise

Note that the above beliefs have no chance of being proved and this is why religious doctrine is of no scientific or practical value. How can anyone seriously say "God is love" when there is no God willing to show itself in the first place? God only exists in the collective imagination of believers, and most of them were taught to believe so from infancy.

Religious belief only has value for the individuals who require hope beyond hope that a magic world exists somewhere. You cannot make any further developments from such elusive and slippery dogma.

By contrast a good example of the thoroughness required by scientific progress is seen in medical practice. Here exhaustive and critically appraised test evidence, including blind trials, is vital before we start using new medicines.

Why not use the same rigorous and factual "evidence based testing" for religion?

28

Part of Growing Up - Saying Goodbye to Invisible Friends?

by doubtfull1799 in

i don’t remember having any invisible friends when i was a really little boy, i don’t know if such a thing actually exists, i’ve only ever seen it in movies?

of course it might have looked to others like i was talking to someone on occasions, but i’m sure it would have just been me talking to myself.

the thing is though, i got introduced to an invisible friend in my pre-teens, and i kept the relationship going well into adulthood.

Half banana

Good point Xanthippe, people who don't reply are not worth talking to again but with prayer to God there comes a time when you realize was no one there in the first place.

When I was young I had a bible study trying to recruit a school friend and he said that prayer is like talking to yourself, it doesn't go above your head. I really understood that he was right but stubbornly persisted in trying to be a good JW. Stupid or what?

7

For those who have been out of the Borg for awhile do you have a Authentic Personality? Six points to look at.

by Still Totally ADD in

jw
friends

i remember when i first came on this site back in 2007 many of the threads talk about after you leave a cult you need to find your authentic personality.

i have found this takes a lot of effort.

i found this article from the huffington post under healthy living date 7-29-2014.

Half banana

STadd, a very sound post, I think you are trustworthy and authentic!

It is however a sad state of affairs when many of the eight million true believers among the congs today do struggle with lack of self belief and do not experience the normal confidence that adult life should bring with it.They are taught not to follow their instincts, so when they do leave the org; they have no experience in self determination and are likely to fail. The reason has to be that their upbringing as children enforced not humility but a life of subservience and subservience to an unworthy cult leadership at that.

The JW organisation has destroyed the self esteem of countless millions of followers...and to what end?....................To ruthlessly further its own financial standing and hence its status as a business corporation.

The JW org cares not a fig for its members, the only beneficiaries of this charade are the leaders, the ones who make up the stupid stories they claim to be "God's will".

May it soon be exposed and dismantled.

43

It seems that many witnesses simply dont care about facts?

by stuckinarut2 in

i often wonder if the current crop of witnesses, especially the youth and younger ones simply don't care about facts?.

i mean for some, even with knowledge of the past scandals, misleading teachings, mistruths, etc etc, they simply don't care.

"it is the truth after all".. they are so intertwined in the operations and activities of the society, that they cant see anything outside of it.

Half banana

Are you are poor, uneducated and maladjusted?

If you can honestly answer these three questions in the affirmative; then you can win a free pass to join Jehovah’s Christian Witlesses!

Indeed Tor, the org is a magnet for the nuttier members of our species and I should know having been one of them.

43

It seems that many witnesses simply dont care about facts?

by stuckinarut2 in

i often wonder if the current crop of witnesses, especially the youth and younger ones simply don't care about facts?.

i mean for some, even with knowledge of the past scandals, misleading teachings, mistruths, etc etc, they simply don't care.

"it is the truth after all".. they are so intertwined in the operations and activities of the society, that they cant see anything outside of it.

Half banana

The JW cult like all religions, depend only on collective beliefs.

Beliefs can happily flourish without any facts at all.

The 'truth' of a matter in a religion is validated, not by concrete evidence but instead by the number of people in a particular community who have been convinced to believe it.

So 'belief' is something to be shared in your culture group for the feel good factor and for forming a sense of group solidarity... and facts are for people who care about accurate perception like scientists and academics and many ex-JWs.