braincleaned

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Posts by braincleaned

• 
  88

  Changing the Goalposts

  by braincleaned in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  creationists are not consistant with their otherwise apparant logic:.

  nothing comes from nothing check .

  everything has a beginning check .

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  braincleaned

  A clarification to the above video:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRn-mVPIl60&feature=youtu.be&t=6m42s
• 
  88

  Changing the Goalposts

  by braincleaned in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  creationists are not consistant with their otherwise apparant logic:.

  nothing comes from nothing check .

  everything has a beginning check .

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  2. 
  3. 
• 

  braincleaned

  http://youtu.be/aD9MtIma5YU
• 
  88

  Changing the Goalposts

  by braincleaned in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  creationists are not consistant with their otherwise apparant logic:.

  nothing comes from nothing check .

  everything has a beginning check .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  braincleaned

  Creationists are not consistant with their otherwise apparant logic:

  Nothing comes from nothing — Check √
  Everything has a beginning — Check √
  The universe cannot come from nothing — Check √

  Now we move the goalposts:

  God created the universe from nothing — Check √
  Everything has a beginning. um... except God — Check √

  (Studio Laugh Track)
• 
  95

  Just this simple fact of life is proof of God....

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'll be curious for any alternative plausible explanations for this...... .

  every lifeform on earth, humans, plants, bacteria, cells, anything with life originated with other life.

  all trees come from living seeds from other trees, etc.

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  braincleaned

  I'm tired also of the references to the same scientists that believe in God.
  If you are going to make a statement authority, lets go!
  Here's a novelty — a statement with references to fact-check the claims:

  More members of the "intellectual elite" considered themselves atheists than the national average.
  
  Only 7 percent of members of the American National Academy of Sciences believed in God. Whilst only 3.3 percent believed in God in the UK’s Royal Society.
  
  Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQ’s tend not to believe in God."
  
  Source: Aarhus University
  Ulster University
  Gallup

  Please do your homework EndofMysteries
• 
  95

  Just this simple fact of life is proof of God....

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'll be curious for any alternative plausible explanations for this...... .

  every lifeform on earth, humans, plants, bacteria, cells, anything with life originated with other life.

  all trees come from living seeds from other trees, etc.

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  2. 
  3. 
• 

  braincleaned

  Shaking my head...
  
  We are still here — creationists argue nothing comes from nothing and build a seemingly logical argument (ignoring what scientists ACTUALLY say) — then, against all logic — they change the goalposts and claim that their logic does not apply to God, who always existed! Duh!...
  Not to mention they claim out of their butts that God created everything from NOTHING!

  Such dishonesty is starting to tire me out.
  I'm sick and tired of arguing against the wind. So here's a pretty good explaination.
  The second video adresses some precisions that were overlooked in the first.
  
  http://youtu.be/aD9MtIma5YU
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRn-mVPIl60&feature=youtu.be&t=6m42s
• 
  67

  Do you detect an underlying sadness ?

  by Phizzy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  whenever i talk to jw's, and even in some of the jw official videos, i detect a definite vibe of sadness coming off these people.. i am very sensitive to "atmospheres" and to peoples emotional state, you wouldn't think so, because more often than not i do not react to what i detect, i just let people get on with it.. but i do get this feeling that they are sad, probably because very, very, very deep down they realise that it is all false, maybe ?.

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  braincleaned

  I see sadness and many friends drift away. Oh yeah!
• 
  15

  Who Really Is The Faithful Slave? Really? W-7/15/2013

  by apocalypse in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  who really is the faithful slave?

  i have, for some time, related to my family the underlying reason why the governors at headquarters (pg22p10) say what they say & do what they do.

  simply put, they need to make themselves big.

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  braincleaned

  It's all a mess, and they diaboliclly prepared the way for articles that will be studied this January:
  
  "When “the Assyrian” attacks, the elders must be absolutely convinced that Jehovah will deliver us. At that time, the life- saving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not. Now is the time for any who may be putting their trust in secular education, material things, or human institutions to adjust their thinking. The elders must stand ready to help any who may now be wavering in their faith. "
  
  (NOV. 15th Watchtower study, page 20, paragraph 17)
  
  We are the athority — now obey you puny mofos!
• 
  8

  My thoughts on Belief.

  by braincleaned in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it would be a grave mistake to imagine we can change the convictions of anyone even thru the most persuasive arguments we can muster.

  fact is, we are wired to deal with our cognitive dissonance by catering to it thru confirmation bias.. anything that contradicts our cherished beliefs will be rationalized against, or simply categorized as untrue.

  if any logical fallacy is detected on either side it will be used as if a bad argument is automatically proof of a false one (which is a fallacy in itself, amusingly called the "fallacy fallacy").. either way, nobody has changed cherished beliefs on a presumingly lost argument.. but all the rhetoric is not fruitless.

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  braincleaned

  It would be a grave mistake to imagine we can change the convictions of anyone even thru the most persuasive arguments we can muster. Fact is, we are wired to deal with our cognitive dissonance by catering to it thru confirmation bias.

  Anything that contradicts our cherished beliefs will be rationalized against, or simply categorized as untrue. If any logical fallacy is detected on either side — it will be used as if a bad argument is automatically proof of a false one (which is a fallacy in itself, amusingly called the "fallacy fallacy").

  Either way, nobody has changed cherished beliefs on a presumingly lost argument.

  But all the rhetoric is not fruitless. I have personally changed my deep beliefs and bias thru the pertinent counter-arguments of others. I went from theist (JW) to atheist. Others are touched the other way around, and go from atheism to theism. So we CAN change through debate and argumentation — but it is always a long process.

  Why?

  Because some of us have invested a lifetime in a belief or conviction. We have built a circle of peers, like family and friends. We are part of a like-minded community. We don't want to lose our emotional and intellectual investment, nor do we want to disappoint our peers (sometimes even lose them).

  I know.

  I went thru it all. It almost destroyed me. But the satisfaction of proving to self that we are capable of seriously questioning our biases — and humiliate ourselves if need be — can be pure bliss. It is humbling to find out we can be wrong, but if our quest is for "Truth", we will follow it wherever it leads us, even if it's not where we want it to go. Even if our reputation is at stake.

  On the path of this honest journey, there is such a glowing and warm feeling of satisfaction, and happiness peaks to an all-time high. Trust me.

  Of course, new understanding is not a guarantee of correct understanding. We need to stay open to the fact that our conversion may have been a mistake. Being open to correction is an ongoing process for as long as we live.

  Whatever we believe or not… we are doing something right if we are genuinely happy!

  Lasting Happiness is to not kid ourselves.
  
• 
  26

  Bertrand russell on sceptisism (the philosophy)

  by bohm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am currently reading bertrand russells "a history of western philosophy" and this passage struck me as true:.

  scepticism naturally made an appeal to many unphilosophic minds.

  people observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.

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  braincleaned

  Interesting words from one of my fave authors... a subject I wrestle a lot with. Thank you for sharing.
• 
  2

  Logic for a bad illustration

  by braincleaned in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as most of us have heard jehovah is compared to a parent that lets his children go thru a painful surgery to save their lives.

  this illustration is often used to explain why the mayhem and pain we suffer today.. .

  i respond with a bit of basic logic and ask the one using this lame illustration if he or she would still opt for the painful surgery if he or she could miraculously save their child's life if they had ther power to do so?.

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  braincleaned

  As most of us have heard — Jehovah is compared to a parent that lets his children go thru a painful surgery to save their lives.
  This illustration is often used to explain why the mayhem and pain we suffer today.
  
  Bullshit.
  
  I respond with a bit of basic logic — and ask the one using this lame illustration if he or she would still opt for the painful surgery if he or she could miraculously save their child's life if they had ther power to do so?
  
  Yes?
  
  Does God have that power?
  
  There. I rest my case.