Jonathan Drake

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Posts by Jonathan Drake

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  233

  What is BELIEF ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

  what exactly is "belief"?.

  is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?

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  Jonathan Drake

  Okay Eden, but your definition of God doesn't even have to be complex.

  Are you talking monotheism or polytheism?

  jusr answering this one question will allow a real discussion. I'm not sure if anyone asked you this yet.
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  233

  What is BELIEF ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

  what exactly is "belief"?.

  is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?

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  Jonathan Drake

  How am I supposed to define a deity which I don't believe in?
  

  What in the actual feck lol. are you just trying to rationalize a way for God to be possible for some reason?

  to me, as of this last post, you officially make no sense at all.
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  4

  Theory of god

  by azor in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have noticed that theists have an aversion to the word theory.

  as it is mostly attached to evolution, and they have a deep misunderstanding of what the word means.. i'm probably botching the following statement but the general idea is as follows.

  it has been said that whoever sets the parameters of the battle or frames the argument wins.

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  Jonathan Drake

  My favorite explanation so far of theory is below. I use it when talking to believers now.

  taken from:

  
  Original Article

  To truly understand evolution, you must first understand science. Unfortunately, one of the most misused words today is also one of the most important to science: theory. Many incorrectly see theory as the opposite of fact. The National Academy of Sciences provides concise definitions of these critical words: A fact is a scientific explanation that has been tested and confirmed so many times that there is no longer a compelling reason to keep testing it; a theory is a comprehensive explanation of some aspect of nature that is supported by a vast body of evidence generating testable and falsifiable predictions.

  In science, something can be both theory and fact. We know the existence of pathogens is a fact; germ theory provides testable explanations concerning the nature of disease. We know the existence of cells is a fact and that cell theory provides testable explanations of how cells function. Similarly, we know evolution is a fact and that evolutionary theories explain biological patterns and mechanisms. The late Stephen Jay Gould said it best: “Evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world’s data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts.”
  
  
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  233

  What is BELIEF ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

  what exactly is "belief"?.

  is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?

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• 

  Jonathan Drake

  Followed by yet another Ad Hominem:

  Cofty: stop trying to sound like Deepak Chopra.

  Your example here is not an ad hominem. Ad hominem would only be if somebody said something that attacked your character and then used that attack as reason to not listen to you.

  Example here:

  https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ad-hominem
  

  Ironically what you've done in trying to assert a fallacy is commit one yourself:

  https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/the-fallacy-fallacy
  

  You've done it several times I believe.

  If you read some of your posts you also appear to be making broad statements regarding what is or is not (such as regarding radicalism) without backing it up. I think I get where you are coming from with radicalism, but the problem is it's an observably wrong opinion. While you could argue that there are many in such religions that radicalize as Islam who defend it and make distinctions between radical and moderate; you can just look at the Quran. What is the average person going to think when they read it? I mean the normal everyday middle eastern man or woman who isn't a scholar or a professor or teacher. theyll see a book telling them they should kill oppressive unbelievers > they'll see their homes and land that have been obliterated for many years by the western world for various reasons > the west is the oppressor > here's a group of Islam brothers and sisters who agree > jihad.

  you can't just form uneducated opinions on things as facts. Books aren't enough. 60% of the Islamic community in the world is illiterate. So what do you think is making them radicalize? It's not just the book they can't read, and it isn't just the leader they don't necessarily trust. It's their FAITH (THEIR BELIEF) and what they see around them. Because it's all they have to make them radicalize.
• 
  233

  What is BELIEF ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

  what exactly is "belief"?.

  is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  Jonathan Drake

  From what I've read about it part of Sam Harris point in the book is the danger of faith in general. So it would cover your recent posts in theory.

  ill receive it Tuesday probably. U should get it, we could compare our thoughts.
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  233

  What is BELIEF ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

  what exactly is "belief"?.

  is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jonathan Drake

  Eden I highly suggest reading this, I just ordered it myself:

  http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Faith-Religion-Terror/dp/0393327655
  
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  44

  Hebrews 10:25

  by millie210 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was asked recently by a still in friend (it was meant sincerely not sarcastically).

  "but what do you do with that scripture so far as not attending meetings?".

  i typed hebrews 10:25 in to the search bar but didnt get much.. .

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  Jonathan Drake

  Oubliette a post has it right.

  In in the first century the Christians would meet each week and share a meal and talk with one another in association. It was known that there were some Christians (I believe in Corinth) who forsook this gathering in that they drank too much wine or are too much - generally mistreated it. That is why Paul said this.

  secondly, this was written about a specific situation for a specific people. It wasn't meant to be used the way JWs use it.

  Basically, there is no way to apply this verse the way JWs have been taught to. It doesn't apply at all. Especially when coupled with all the other scriptures disproving them, like my favorite Heb 7:23,24.
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  36

  ...Which Way is the Cat Going?!...

  by OUTLAW in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i found this on yahoo news... while it doesn`t raise an important question... it raises an interesting question... .

  ........................................... ..........................

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  Jonathan Drake

  I just saw that and I don't get it. It seems to clearly be going down. Clues:

  cats front left paw is supporting its weight as it descends.

  The stair lips.

  The walls have the distinct horizontal marks on them that all such stairs usually develop.

  i don't get it. Clearly going downstairs.
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  44

  Hounded to his Death

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/inquest-concludes-dad-died-margate-night-went/story-26272711-detail/story.html.

  this story makes me ill with rage.

  this man's crime?

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  Jonathan Drake

  Before we are quick to make assumptions, I don't see anywhere saying in the article this man was a Jehovah's Witness.

  Tragic all the same, don't get me wrong. But I don't see it saying anything about denomination.

  EDIT: nvm read it again and saw.
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  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.

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  Jonathan Drake

  Is that so? Let's see if it holds truth. The first ad hominem came from you.

  You lied about Aten.

  Then

  You are impervious to reason,logic and sensible use of language.

  Your dishonesty is becoming intolerable

  Im only chiming in again so it's not one persons word against another.

  None of these quotes you've chosen are insulting. They are observations and conclusions based on your words and posts.