Posts by tornapart

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

tornapart

I think they will be waiting a very long time! If it ever did happen who knows what the consequences could be.

Just picking up on a point Memphis made about test tube babies. Made me wonder a little bit. About life begetting life and whether cells are living or not. They say life really only begins when a sperm and egg cell meet... becoming a new life. The egg cell and sperms cells quickly die otherwise. But even using the term 'they die' seems to indicate that cells are already living. Our body cells are continually replicating, renewing, dying so that the body is a different body (so to speak) than the one we had 7 years ago, apart from brain cells. However we are still the same person. So it just makes me wonder what really is life? And what is 'spirit'? Can it be recreated in a cell or in the whole person/creature?

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

tornapart

So how exactly are scientists trying to demonstrate this then Cofty? (in simple terms that a dunce like me can understand). Surely if scientists are trying to make things happen then 'intelligence' is still behind it?

As for the implications on religious belief... who knows? I would think that it would turn some believers away from their faith in God but I'm sure just as many would stick with their beliefs.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

tornapart

I'll be one of those 'anonymous' readers to be brave enough to say what I think. I've been reading the thread with interest over the last few days and a lot of it goes right over my head and I can't make sense of any of it.

The only thing that makes any sense is the word 'If'........... the rest is a load of speculation.

36

This week's WT study article "Keep on the Watch" - the latest dumb article from the Gang That Couldn't Think Straight

by sir82 in

ok so this week's wt study article is entitled "why must we keep on the watch?"..

it is filled with statements on the importance of "being watchful" for the beginning of the "great tribulation".

paragraph 2: “keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is.”after that, jesus admonished them repeatedly: “keep on the watch.”.

tornapart

I was told I wouldn't leave school before 'Armageddon' came.... now they are saying it about my grandchild.....

34

Found Another Medieval Coin This Evening

by cofty in

i got in an hour metal detecting this evening and found this almost immediately.. it is a silver penny of henry ii minted in london by "davi" between 1180 and 1189. this adds a king i didn't have in my collection.

i now have the series of henry ii - john - henry iii - edward i - edward ii - edward iii.. i now need richard the lionheart to fill in the gap.

he was the brother of john and reigned after the death of henry ii.

tornapart

That's so cool Cofty! How fascinating! I live in an area that was pretty busy during the times of the wars of the roses and the early tudors. A friend while working actually discovered a hoard of coins, possibly hidden during the English civil war, they ended up in the local museum. It must be very exciting to discover something like that and to learn all about the area you live in and what it used to be like. Do you ever watch Tony Robinson's 'Time Team' on TV?

137

Mouthy has Passed Away

by Simon in

jw
friends

update on mouthy (grace gough)this is graces granddaughter.

i wanted to send an update that today my beautiful grandmother passed away - surrounded by friends and family.

- may 22 1927 - sept 2nd 2016. mouthys_granddaughter.

tornapart

Oh! That's so sad! She was such a wonderful lady, everyone on here loved her. Thanks for letting us all know Simon.

44

What are the chances of having a one on one with GB member

by Chook in

jesus drifted amongst the lowly folk .

tornapart

would you get a one on one with the pope?

30

CLAM Video: Aug 22-28 2016 – “Jehovah Will Care for Our Needs”

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

this video showed a married brother with three children living in a nice domicile and working full time.

his employer demands that he change his working pattern such that it conflicts with his being able to attend wt meetings at the weekend.

the brother decides not to yield to his employer’s demand and is thus dismissed.. the brother seeks for work very actively over a significant period but without any alternative being found.

tornapart

I appreciated the review, also on the beroean pickets site, of the 'clam' video, (It's all about control), I used it with my husband. The points brought out had completely gone over his head. The fact the brother could have gone to a different meeting, he didn't have to lose his job... the fact was he had to show loyalty to WT and go to the meeting where and when he was told to. Yes, it is all about control. He got the point!

It really helps those of who are trying to fade with loved ones still very much in, to be able to argue these points with them. I don't go to any of the mid week meetings, so your reviews and meleti vivlon's reviews are extremely helpful!

87

Evolution Gap - Where's the Fur?

by shadow in

evolution paints human ancestors covered with fur.

fur has several benefits as stated by britannica "the pelts of fur-bearing animals are called true furs when they consist of two elements: a dense undercoat, called ground hair, and longer hairs, extending beyond that layer, called guard hair.

the principal function of ground hair is to maintain the animal’s body temperature; that of guard hair is to protect the underlying fur and skin and to shed rain or snow.".

tornapart

My husband is very hairy for a human... he's beginning to stoop a bit too....

87

Evolution Gap - Where's the Fur?

by shadow in

evolution paints human ancestors covered with fur.

fur has several benefits as stated by britannica "the pelts of fur-bearing animals are called true furs when they consist of two elements: a dense undercoat, called ground hair, and longer hairs, extending beyond that layer, called guard hair.

the principal function of ground hair is to maintain the animal’s body temperature; that of guard hair is to protect the underlying fur and skin and to shed rain or snow.".

tornapart

The answers may explain why humans lost their fur in hot places like Africa but doesn't explain why they didn't grow it back again once they reached the Arctic. Most mammals have either thick fur of lots of blubber. Humans have neither. Without clothes they'd die of hypothermia.

And Ruby has a point.. that article of Cofty's is full of.. 'our model' 'we suggest' 'maybe' 'we postulate' 'a good case can be made' 'our revised model' 'we believe' 'we assume' .... they are not actually saying that these are all facts, they are 'assuming', 'predicting', conducting an experiment.

Sounds a bit like WTs 'evidently'.