soft+gentle

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Posts by soft+gentle

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  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

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  soft+gentle

  hey geneM

  excuse me taking over your thread. i am bowing out now
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  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  soft+gentle

  to me the idea of being at variance with oneself and the world around is a power. It enables one to see that there is potential for manipulation not just in religion, but also in politics in society, in relationships and indeed in nature too.

  For a believer in Jehovahs witnesses (I hope this is still on topic) it is this power to be at variance with oneself and the world around us (in the sense of having the capacity to differ to have reasonable doubts, but also includes being at war if one goes the whole gamut), that enables people to break free from manipulations.

  talesin, nature has always been my solace, my rescuer too but she is not a oneness to me or a oneness with me - for example she lets one disagree with her so that one can shape her if one wants (pls excuse the personifications and contradictory language). vive le difference
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  21

  Anyone watching the venus transit?

  by darthfader in

  1. social
  2. current

  http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/nasaedge/.

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  soft+gentle

  I love venus
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  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  oops sorry ST - I was actually referring to post 5686

  sizemik - I understand why you don't agree with the idea that belief and unbelief are concurrent. It was quite an epiphany for me when I finally understood what it means to be in a state of being at variance with oneself and with the world around us (and yes I agree, talesin, that this is quite contradictory, backward oxymoronic language & reasoning).

  But to take one example, to survive or survival indicates that there is a stance of of being at variance with oneself, and with the world, going on. I get what you mean about being in harmony with nature and I like to be so myself - but this takes conscious committment imo and is therefore not a natural state.
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  20

  Family pic taken Friday

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  monika (future daughter in law, also just graduated from uw) wife debbie, son alex, and some old dude who claims to be me.

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  soft+gentle

  lovely pic - thanks for sharing
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  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  to designs - you have not experienced the yawning void?

  if you haven't then I would describe it as

  empty space

  alienation

  a black hole
• 
  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  ST - I'm not sure I agree with you, that believers have not been down the road of unbelief as you say in post 5692. I think the road of unbelief runs concurrently alongside the road of belief - the difference is that believers have made a committment to believe and they actively choose to believe.
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  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  geneM - I suspect that many people are like that. I think our natural state is to be at variance with ourselves and with the world around us.
• 
  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  yes thats the one, ST. thanks
• 
  30

  Why are you a Christian?

  by GeneM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was having a discussion elsewhere on the internet about why people believe and why people don't believe in god.. i am of the opinion that people believe in god, not for evidential reasons, but instead because they have some emotional feeling that god exists.

  no amount of logic will make someone like this stop believing (any more than trying to talk someone out of being in love).

  the same goes for athiests.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  soft+gentle

  still thinking, I am fine with you not believing. What does trouble me is the yawning void that appears to open up for many when they stop believing in God after JWism. I suspect that it happens to many but not to all. Imo if it happens to even one person then it worth exploring.