Posts by mcsemike

283

News from Mother ship

by jefferywhat in

1. bethel in ny suspect high level apostate, cant identify it but know its there.

2. major organizational changes about to start rolling out, one is changes to the "service committee" and titles, po to be done away with, thats all i know for now.

was told that if you are the sort of person that cant handle changes, you wont stay in the org for long.

May 15th Watchtower - New Light?

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

the new watchtower asks the question: "when was satan cast out of heaven?

- rev 12:1-9".

and the answer it gives is: "so, then, the bible does not reveal the exact time when satan and his demons were expelled from heaven.

Evident to whom? Satan being thrown out of Heaven soon after Jesus took power is "evident". I will never understand how beliefs that are unprovable, happened "invisibly", happened where or when only a choice few saw it, etc. is so damn "evident" when the WT's stand on pedophilia, blood, and 90% of what they now teach as truth is so very "evident" to the world as being wrong. It's even evident to most JW's if they had the right to say so without suffering the consequences.

BTW: Leolaia, you made many good points. Bethel should read these comments so they'd learn something.

150

Article: The Atheist's Dilemma

by BurnTheShips in

campos: the atheist's dilemmaby paul camposwhy is stanley fish so much smarter than richard dawkins?

that question occurred to me last week, while attending a lecture at which fish, the well-known literary and legal theorist, did the thing he always does, which is to make the following point over and over again:.

"no believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong.".

mcsemike

Dr. Watson: First, is that name from the NT utility in computer servers? And I love Stewie. Funny as hell.

I used those terms because most people don't use others. I know of no common term for a person who feels he can prove God does not exist, so our professor 40 years ago set out the terms I used. I don't mind as long as we all understand what means what.

I like the way BMW's handle, but would never own another. They cost too much and use systems that fail all too often. I have a 1988 735i. Goes 150 mph but I've only had it up to 110 to test a rebuilt front end costing over two grand. Lots of open space on I-95 and in Florida. It needs extra wide $200 Michelins to do that. But taking jughandles at 70 mph with no lean isn't my thing anymore. I'll get a Lexus next time. LOL. My best to you.

150

Article: The Atheist's Dilemma

by BurnTheShips in

campos: the atheist's dilemmaby paul camposwhy is stanley fish so much smarter than richard dawkins?

that question occurred to me last week, while attending a lecture at which fish, the well-known literary and legal theorist, did the thing he always does, which is to make the following point over and over again:.

"no believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong.".

mcsemike

Thousands of people, many with genius IQ'a, have debated this issue, ships. Let's define a few terms if that's okay. When I studied physics, philosophy, religion, and psychology, we used these terms. Theist is a person who feels he can PROVE God exists. An atheist feels he can prove that God does NOT exist. An agnostic feels neither side can prove its belief SO FAR. But an agnostic leaves the door open. Now if this is okay, let's look at a few things.

I believe, and this is my degree in Psych speaking, that you violate the very concepts you are discussing. If an angel from God appeared, you say. How would anyone prove it was an angel? Even if you said "well, it's what we Christians think angels are or have seen them to be in the past" you still cannot prove it. It might be another type of creature that roams this planet. It could be an alien. It could be either of them with a sense of humor.

I want you to know I do not defend atheists. I feel their position to be untenable. How can anyone say God does not or cannot exist when he has not even left this planet? Do you people from either side realize how large this universe is? How many dimensions it might have? How time, space, and atomic behavior affect your senses and even your brains? Are you aware that there is more to the "how we got here" argument than just creation vs. evolution? Could there be a third method that produced what you THINK you observe today? What if there were a third or FOURTH method, but no one, including myself, can even imagine it due to the limitations of our minds?

Just because we have the intelligent or imagination to ask certain questions, it does NOT follow that we have the IQ to understand the answers. We could be in a jar on the shelf of some Martian laboratory for all you know. This might sound like I've watched too many Outer Limits episodes, but the fourth and last dimension isn't necessarily TIME and then that's the end of it. Many now question Einstein's theories and some now are exploring the string theory and others. Can you conceive of space being curved? Can you explain why time slow down the faster you travel through space?

What happens if you pass the speed of light? Many said you would turn into energy (and die). But if we never exceed the speed of light, how will we ever get anywhere in this galaxy? Do these angels of yours travel at the "speed of thought" as the poet states? What are they made of?

E=mc2 had a meaning for Einstein. Many also said matter cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed in shape or form. That's how matter becomes energy in an atomic explosion. If God is pure energy, who or what made Him? An old argument, but no one has yet to provide an answer that satisfies logic. "He's always been here"? How? Why wait for billions of years to make Jesus. To play chess with for billions more years, then say "hey, let's have some fun and make a universe"? I don't think so.

If you study infinity, positive infinity and negative infinity are supposed to be equal. Whatever number you name (n, n+1, etc.) as a positive, then a negative of the same number can be defined. In easy terms, we can imagine living forever and God living forever with us. It's like seeing a light go on or be on already and just picturing it never going out. But it's far more difficult to imagine that same light as having ALWAYS been on and asking this God "yesterday?" YES, the day before, yes, etc. That's what God would have had to be. Can you explain how something can ALWAYS HAVE EXISTED? Then can you prove it?? I doubt it.

The last point is psychology. No one is immune to preconceived or needed at the time beliefs. Most of us were rabid non-believers, then JW's, just as rabid believers, then many left and became more rabid non-believers. We saw no new evidence in the universe, what changed was what we chose to view and how we chose to view it. It happened to me so I'm not placing myself above you.

To conclude, I will give one million dollars cash to anyone who can prove in a proper scientific manner that God exists. I will never have to award that money in the next several million years. Humans don't have the technology to explore enough of the universe to say with certainty what is or is NOT out there. And we'll leave LSD and other things out of this, but if you want a really good argument, try telling someone who is tripping that the telephone poles are NOT swaying in the wind on a calm day.

Good luck.

39

What did you find upset elders the most ?

by KAYTEE in

what i found that upset elders more than most things was, when you made them verify their statement with scriptural backing.. when you showed their complete lack of common sense coupled with lack of christian knowledge.. on one occasion when having a heated discussion, i constantly made them refer to the org.

book for the answer, they ridiculed me, saying "are you getting your little green book out again".. all i was trying to point out was the answer (according to the society) on the subject at hand, most organisation will have some sort of code of conduct, the little green book was theirs.. they wanted to be right in all things even if it meant going against the org.. kt.

.

mcsemike

Mary, I liked your list. Years ago, we had a real lunatic, power hungry mental case become an elder. He looked just like Howdy Doody. I was driving to Bethel with a long time elder to pick up literature. I had just been made a MS again after stepping down. I asked the older elder who was driving if this new elder was going to be required to see a psychiatrist before he started as an elder. Boy, that's the most pissed off I ever saw that old elder become. Within a year, the new elder was hated by all and was DF'd later for some sexual thing, I wasn't told the details and I don't care. If you attack one of their own, they get ticked. No sense of humor. But the R and F are supposed to have a sense of humor when they read the WT's printed garbage.

16

Reporting feild servie time via email

by Iwonder17 in

our hallnow allows you to report your time via email, anyone else do this?.

i kinda takes the sheparding out of the whole thing, doesn't.. not that i am complaining, but aren't the service overseers supose to talk with you so they know how you're doing?.

mcsemike

I wonder what's next that uses the Internet? I remember writing letters to countries that were mistreating JW's back in the 1970's. Then older or sick people started doing phone witnessing.

I bet someday it's okay to WITNESS to the public by using email, IM, video conferencing, or general trolling for people so they can engage them in a conversation online and count the time.

Anyone seen this happen already?

32

Whay did Gilead teach about CTR? ... my latest video

by Awakened at Gilead in

see here: please comment here or there... i welcome your feedback.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agw0mgl0eew.

.

mcsemike

I heard about this many years ago since we had all the older publications. What I find offensive and hypocritical on the WT's part is their claim that anyone who disagrees with them (NOT the Bible, not Jesus, and not God) must be evil, wicked, and have bad motives.

I find it sickening that men who cover up molestation, emotional abuse, lie about their background, and all the other things they do that violate Bible principles, attempt to analyze the motives of people who don't agree with them. They are not trained in Psychology and most have no education beyond high school. I have a degree in Psychology and I would never presume to say that all JW's who leave are evil people.

I wonder what Jesus would say to them today? I bet he would call them "pharisees". If they aren't the Pharisees of today, then who is? No cult comes closer to acting like the groups that Jesus condemned than the WTS.

20

BEST VIDEO ON JWS

by badboy in

jw
friends

any nominations?.

.

mcsemike

These men have no shame at all. How could a man be an elder all those years and a PO, and not know about the custody issue? They actually coach the JW (usually the mother) on how to make it look like the kids stay for after school clubs and lead normal lives. I've seen where the elders said in so many words to the JW parent that if they thought they would be leaving their mate, to take all the money and any other assets they could get away with. These people will stop at nothing. That elder is a POS. To sit in court and lie like that. Revelation says liars will die just like murderers. I think the elders and the rank and file walk around with this theocratic warface mentality for so long that their consciences do actually get seared. They are all a bunch of liars and hypocrites. I hope my health holds out long enough for me to see some of them go to jail.

Oh, and the 1975 talk. Did he, or did he not, say that the door WOULD BE CLOSED BEFORE 1975????? Well, it's not closed, is it? Yet they say they didn't predict anything for 1975. It is truly frightening to think that many who remain in this loony bin club would do whatever they were told. Would they do a Jim Jones or David Koresh? Only time will tell. They would kill their own non-JW parents if the WT told them to do so. Does anyone remember that article somewhere in the WT in the 1950's where they were complaining that they didn't have the legal right to execute all apostates? Can you imagine the utter tragedy if they were allowed to kill all who didn't believe like they do only to find out later on that the "light got brighter" and many that they killed for a wrong belief were right all along? This is a truly sick cult.

33

Satan Takes a Trip

by Farkel in

jw
friends

jehovah ushers satan into his presence.. jehovah: "listen satan, the thousand year reign is just about up, and according to the bible, i've gotta let you go back to earth and tempt the people, so you'd better go down and see what's happening before you get to work.

damn.

i wished i had picked another book to endorse besides that bible.

mcsemike

Farkel: Funny as hell. I've said it for years. Who would want to live forever in the WT's depiction of paradise? Elders are intolerable as it is right now. Imagine how arrogant they would be if they thought they were "Princes". Too bad lions don't eat elders in the new system.

29

What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life?

by cluless in

jw
friends

mine was simply the realisation that if a person had faith they wouldnt need a religon.. infact not associating with any religouse association is a bit like being on the oceon in a rowing boat.

but the thing is i dont care if the oceon gets rough.

it doesnt matter not having the answers.

mcsemike

Mine was when I knew two things. First, if there is a God, he wasn't using the WT at all and wasn't using any other group either. Secondly, after leaving the JW's, I returned to my previous position of being an agnostic. I now feel the existence of god cannot be proven or disproven.