Posts by Jonathan Drake

posted

4
JWs lose Charity status
by Gayle in
1. watchtower
2. child-abuse
charity tribunal rejects jehovahs witnesses charities' latest appeal attempt.

governance | kirsty weakley | 9 apr 2015 a jehovahs witnesses charity has been refused permission to appeal a charity tribunal ruling that had denied it extra time to appeal against the opening of a statutory inquiry.

the watchtower bible and tract society and appealed the charity tribunals decision not to extend the period of time that they had to file an appeal into a statutory inquiry that had been opened by the charity commission.
Jonathan Drake

Just to be clear, did they ACTUALLY finally lose charity status or is this just still a denial for more time with possible loss of status pending?
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

I welcome your participation, but when the subject is theism / atheism, you manage to make your intervention extremely unpleasant, bordering the insult, and you hijack the thread to suit your proselitizing agenda.
I feel the need to point out this is kind of instigatory. These kind of comments are what initiated Coftys more.. assertive replies.
I feel compelled to defend cofty here just because I can't disagree with this statement more or I would. I've been on your side of things Eden and while I did get frustrated with some of Coftys points, like when discussing the Quran for instance, it was never how you describe here. It was an honest debate and discourse and Coftys posts are just to the point and factual. It may come across cold, and thus aggressive but it's just straightforward. Even when on your side I actually appreciated this about each post. You have to remember, or rather I suggest remembering, that how something comes across (especially when lacking tone of voice such as text) is completely up to you - not cofty.
I even look back and appreciate some of Vivs posts to a point (lol). And I agree with everything she's said here.
45
Why do we get TTATT and others don't?
by quest81 in
1. jw
2. friends
i have thought about how ttatt came full circle for me.

how the connecting the dots was simple and just made sense,.

how silos of information are literally at our fingertips today.. why is it that the ones we love cannot get ttatt?.
Jonathan Drake

As was pretty much said above, I firmly believe many don't WANT to see ttat. If they don't want it they won't get it.
You have to realize that these people have many reasons to want the lie. My mother has lost loved ones very dear to her, and she believes she'll see them again. In her mind if you take the so called "truth" away that hope goes with it. The question, "what if I'll never see them again?" for her would be extremely distressing, perhaps even damaging.
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

Lol Viv. That's like this ENTIRE thread. Just about. Fo real.
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

Cofty was no where being a bully. In a debate or a discussion you have to agree upon definitions and subjects. Wanting to define the God being discussed isn't bullying. If you can prove a God exists but is absent, everyone is going to want to see it.
Before you can assert this proof or make any suggestions or postulations you have to establish what God you're talking about. Then we can talk about the evidence. This was a civil discussion through and through until you were defensive. .
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

I used this example to counter Cofty's silly assertion that "absence" pressuposes "existence"
Ok but here's the problem. Every other definition of absent DOES presuppose existence except this one.
So either you're using the one that means non existent, and are agreeing with people like me; or, you're using one that presupposes existence and cofty is right.
Either scenario, you lose.
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that God is absent
Right. And per your own definition from websters absent means not present or NONEXISTENT.
Thats called checkmate.
284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it just dawned on me.

the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.

so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
Jonathan Drake

You're clinging to the notion that "absence" implies "existence".
The very defintion you chose, which is from the same source as the one I posted, states that something that is absent is non-existent.
What we are all pretty much saying here is that God is absent from the universe. Hence, God does not exist. I stopped posting because, especially after your chosen definition, I see you as agreeing with me. There is no God.
76
Active posters: What education have you had, what degrees do you possess?
by EndofMysteries in
1. jw
2. friends
from so many posts and conversations on here, you'd think over 1/2 the posters here possess doctorates in theology, physics, biology, etc.

i'm curious aside from the books and research people have done here, what degrees they have.

to start, i just got an aa and going straight through full time to an mba.
Jonathan Drake

After recent events and enlightening I'm going to be going to college soon.
planning on majoring in computer sciences
87
Why people don't believe in God
by pressman in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
do you want to know why i think people don't believe in god?

well i believe people don't want to believe in god because they are scared.

they know that if they finally do gorge the confidence to believe in him, he might discipline them for their skepticism.
Jonathan Drake

You might as well just in case hell is real.
Ah, the old "what if you're wrong?" chestnut. Well, I am actually god and this has all been a test and you have nearly passed - you just need to send me $10,000 to be guaranteed of eternal life. Can you afford not to just in case it's real?
Lol, this made my day.