Posts by knowsnothing1

84

Spirit Channeling at Wallkill's Bethel

by Marie33 in

look what an ex-bethelite has to say about the spirit channeling he saw first hand up at wallkill:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfmqnzbyrko.

now i believe rayven's story of horror at brooklyn bethel:.

knowsnothing1

deegee,

What you are saying is that God will protect you from demonic attack, but he won't protect you from other life threatening, fatal situations? Why is God's protection so selective? This doesn't make any sense to me.

You still haven't arrived at a conclusion that he exists, so how can you question what doesn't exist?

But you can take Paul's example. God didn't prevent his suffering, not Christ's, nor many of the thousands upon thousands of Christians executed. They happily went to their deaths. Suffering != God's inexistence, so you're going to need a better argument.

(5) How, exactly, does an immaterial spirit interact with a brain and body of matter?
What force or causal influence does it exert, and by what mechanism?

I'm not sure. Just because I can't explain it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I have not experienced many of the symptoms you have related. When I pray, I don't receive a vision or anything, just peace of mind and comfort. If I've sinned, my conscience draws me to repentance and to confess my sin to God.

78

Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

by cofty in

i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

knowsnothing1

War can never happen on the scale of WWII again. It would be the end of humanity as we know it. The rules have changed.

78

Pacifism is Morally Indefensible

by cofty in

i have been surprised recently to see so much support by ex-jws for the watchtower's refusal to fight and kill.

in my opinion it is a vice masquerading as a virtue.

of course war should always be a last resort but there are occasions that it has to be done.

knowsnothing1

In defense of pacifism, remember that in a war, many civilian casualties occur. There are other ways to stop criminals that involve non lethal methods. Tasers, nets, mace, I mean the list is endless. I don't think anyone is advocating for criminals or terrorists to run over you.

When police in the US want to stop a high speed chase, they don't always shoot. They set up traps to blow tires, box criminals in, etc. Using force doesn't necessitate using deadly force.

84

Spirit Channeling at Wallkill's Bethel

by Marie33 in

look what an ex-bethelite has to say about the spirit channeling he saw first hand up at wallkill:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfmqnzbyrko.

now i believe rayven's story of horror at brooklyn bethel:.

knowsnothing1

Hi deegee, sorry I didn't see your response.

I think you are going a bit off track here, your going into the problem of natural evil, the Epicurean trilemma.

The first question shouldn't be why evil exists, but rather is God real? Then we deal with the problem of evil.

The other question about why he chooses to act in certain situations and not others is also another dilemma, but I don't feel has merit in this discussion.

The question is, was my and your experiences real? Did we misinterpret something that we saw? Are we or were we crazy? Were these experiences only in our mind, or were there external players?

I take it you don't believe in God, you believe these experiences were in our minds only, and that believing in this stuff is rubbish and even harmful at times, and that we should stick to a strictly material view of the world. I don't want to box you into a belief system, I'm trying to understand what you believe and where you are coming from so we can further develop this conversation.

6

Good standing

by Jrjw in

hi does anyone know why you're classed as not in good standing if youve separated when you aren't breaking a commandment by being separated.

1 cor 7:11 - but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled with her husband; and a husband should not leave his wife..

knowsnothing1

The organization has extra biblical rules it piles on to its adherents.

For example, where in the Bible does it say you have to have a certain number of hours in field service to qualify as a ministerial servant? There are many more examples.

29

What if the crucifixion never took place..

by Jayk in

i googled it and pretty much my understanding is the same as what i imagine.

no one really knows, your guess is as good as the next.

interesting thought to consider imo..

knowsnothing1

venus,

The OT is full of prophesies of Jesus, and that he would have to suffer that fate. The whole OT is a "shadow of the things to come". Each year, animals were sacrificed for atonement of sin. Jesus was the only sacrifice able to pay for the sins of all.

John 1:29

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

If you believe in the resurrection, the only way it's possible is because of Jesus' death and resurrection.

1 Cor 15:12-20

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

29

What if the crucifixion never took place..

by Jayk in

i googled it and pretty much my understanding is the same as what i imagine.

no one really knows, your guess is as good as the next.

interesting thought to consider imo..

knowsnothing1

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus

No scholar worth their salt denies a man called Jesus was crucified over 2000 years ago under Pontius Pilate. You can disagree that he was a Divine being, you can disagree that he performed miracles, but you cannot deny that he was crucified.

10

Christian "NO GO" zones in US

by Coded Logic in

i can't believe this is taking place in our country!

all across america there are areas where people are trying to enforce christian law!

outsiders are strictly forbidden from entering and they have private security and guards to keep people out.

knowsnothing1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_bMgkJya5DQ

56

Is this life all there is?

by Fisherman in

jw
friends

what do you sincerely think?

do you nurture any hope?.

knowsnothing1

notsurewheretogo,

Nobody can convince anyone. I didn't believe because someone told me, I believe because I saw. You can't make an appeal to majority for truth, you know many hold erroneous beliefs.

Again, how do YOU arrive at truth? At some point you are trusting your senses, fallible as they may be.

56

Is this life all there is?

by Fisherman in

jw
friends

what do you sincerely think?

do you nurture any hope?.

knowsnothing1

notsurewheretogo

How can you tell whatever experience you had was in fact "real"? Might it be "real" in your mind only?

How can you trust any of your senses, let alone prove your existence? There are many assumptions we take for granted in order for us to arrive to certain conclusions and beliefs.

If my experience with the shaman doing the egg cleaning, "limpia" in Spanish, was all in my head, then yes I belong in a mental institution. However, what I saw and heard was with my own eyes. I trust it wasn't a dream, and I trust it wasn't just me being crazy. I also trust the black ink that came out was no sleight of hand, same as the bubble over the yolk that looked like an eye. Those were eggs I BOUGHT at the store.