Posts by peacefulpete

33

Who Is Jehovah?

by reporter in

christians should all honestly and thoroughly investigate the contradictions between the old and new testaments in terms of the descriptions of god.. .

the god of the new testament is described as a god of love, mercy and peace.. .

the god of the old testament is described as jealous, vengeful god, a war-monger.

peacefulpete

What you don't know can hurt you.... People without doubts are people who are good at lying to themselves.Of course it helps if everyone you talk to lies to you as well.

10

God "DOES NOT" ...know everything

by gumby in

many have argued here if god knows all.

some say no....or he would have to have known the outcome of his creation and he wouldn't have continued.

he chose not to know.

rebel...The matter of the name YHWH or YH being preIsraelite is a complex one. As evidentally the tribe worshipped EL originally then adopted the Midianite practice of addressing their patron god as YHWH. Midianite or Kenite name places utilized YHWH or varients long before any Moses was supposed to have lived. The name appears in the royal archves of Tell-Mardikh-Ebla, and have been dated to 2400 B.C. However not all agree on this date as is always the case. The most important work relevant is that of Professor Frank Moore Cross. Hisbook :Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic was ground breaking research. In the book he identifies the different eponyms of the god of the O.T. and demonstrates clear parallels to Ugarit and Midianite texts. The god EL was the chief god of a pantheon of lesser gods. Yawah like Baal were servants of EL who in time took on the role as top god in their respective cultures. The book is a challenging read but the effort is enlightening. It is of course ground breaking meaning controvertial and varying opinions about the details are many. The basic developement of Yhwh is however well established.

Edited by - peacefulpete on 2 January 2003 15:41:8

1

Anti-War Petition

by ApagaLaLuz in

i've noticed that the general consensus regarding the situation with iraq and the reactions from the president have been those of opposition.

if you share these feelings please take 2 minutes out of your day to sign this online petition.

this thread isn't to debate the potential war.

peacefulpete

thank you

9

Are you looking for beliefs or truth?

by Pleasuredome in

here's an interesting quote i found on the net about why we need truth rather than beliefs.

belief has nothing to do with truth.

there is danger in belief: it makes you feel that you know the truth.

peacefulpete

The real question that then begs answer is why are these tendencies to believe without complete information universal? Evolutionary psychologists have after extensive study concluded that this behavior is to be expected in an animal that eolved in a dangerous environment. Put simply if we had reanalysed all available information each time we neede to make a quick decision we would have been eaten by the time we arrived at the choice to flee. The ability to draw quick generalizations and detect patterns of danger(that big animal looks alot like the one that ate my brother) favored our ancestors in a world where the slow were dead. We have both the ability to contemplate a best course and the tendancy to rashness. In different situations each works to the advantage of the organism. What is needed then is to convince people that the lion is not at the door so they can calmly apply more critical thinking skills.

8

The "doctrine of the Nicolaitanes"

by Nathan Natas in

revelation 2:6: "but this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the nicolaitanes, which i also hate.".

revelation 2:15: "so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the nicolaitanes, which thing i hate.".

what is "the doctrine of the nicolaitanes?".

peacefulpete

According to one work there was a historical sect of christians who called themselves the Nicolaitans. They favored living for the day. Research reveals a much different picture of the early christians than presented in the Bible. There were many forms of Gnostic christianiy as well as the Ebionite brand that awaited Jesus' return to liberate Israel during the time of NT writing.

16

Question

by Mantis in

hi, i've been reading this site for quite a while now.

i've read the gentile times reconsidered book and found it very interesting.

i've tried to verify everything in that book and found it to be accurate.

peacefulpete

It was asked what was to be gained by clinging to 1914 and other outdated chronology, the answer is...belief. These men beleive what they are telling us and are themseves anxiously awaiting a heavenly calling. The power of belief coupled with he power to invent that belief have created a vortex. Who of us if we were told day after day by direction hungry people that we were God's channel wouldn't begin to believe it and could remain completely objective. Surely our own hopes of imminent salvation would taint our thinking too. This subtle but steady bias would easily be interpreted by us as God's leadings, thereby reinforcing the cycle. I have spent hours with governing body members alive and dead. They believe what they are teaching. They are victims of human credulity as much as we are and all of us alike are responsible for the present situation.

46

Evolution vs. Creation (on Earth)

by StinkyPantz in

i didn't necessarily start this thread as a debate but moreso as kind of a survey.

i just wanna know what people think and a brief reason why.

i want to know how you think life originated on the earth.

peacefulpete

gumby...read the book "Climbing Mount Improbable" by Richard Dawkins it will answer the question of appearance of design very well and tactfully. Then the more technical book "What Evolutin Is" by Ernst Mayr. I was myself writing a book on the proof of creation, until I learned what evolution is.

13

New JW sex abuse lawsuit

by Nathan Natas in

http://www.globe.com/dailyglobe2/001/metro/suit_charges_church_coverup+.shtml

suit charges church coverup.

jehovah's witness group is blamed in abuse of girl.

peacefulpete

Just a reminder that many here were once kind concerned elders or pioneers. Broad generalizations weaken our cause. We must not come across as JW haters as this will brand us as disgruntled fanatics. We must also realize that this policy evolved, in other words it is unlikely any one person saw the developement of this policy from start to finish. As needs arose the existing position was modified in an attempt to respect the rights of all and have support in scripture. Mistakes have been made that have ruined lives. Rather than being a wholesale reflection of Jehovah's Witness morals it demonstrates the problem of applying homespun family style rules of order to a multinational association of semi-strangers. A monster has been created through millions of trusting hearts not knowing what to do and therefore not doing enough.

35

Paradise: in Heaven or on Earth?

by artful in

the term "paradise earth" is one frequently used by the wts.

while researching the scriptural references to "paradise" (and the official wts explanation for each), i was surprised with what i found regarding the location of paradise.

these are the only three places that the word "paradise" can be found in the bible.. .

peacefulpete

Apparently some very influential Christians of the past were confused as well, as the quotes indicate. The questian is legitimate for the Bible appears to be saying two things.Both earth and heaven are called paradise. I've sad it before ut here it goes again, the Bible displays a obvious transformation of doctrine and sophistication taking place among the jews. Think about it. Even as it reads today it reveals much about how this happened. A typically primitive palestinian cult that offered bloody sacrifices to appease a god who was said to reside in a tent decorated with winged bulls(cherubs) turned into a hellenized philosophy of "salvation through grace." This transformation mirrored that of Mithraism and dozens of other ancient religions. The concept of paradise was thus transformed from simple agricultural bounty to delights of spiritual enlightenment. This too mirrors he teaching of other mystery cults that promised paradise for the devoted.

30

17 reasons why US should not invade Iraq

by back2dafront in

check out this article from a pakistan newspaper:.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-1-2003_pg4_2.

17 reasons why us should not invade iraq.

peacefulpete

Modern warfare does not involve the kind of broad domestic reorganizing that WW2 did. The weapons used are very specialized and only a few high tech and armnament manufacturers would stand to benefit Likewise the concerns of a draft is antiquated. Modern war is a war of smart bombs and long range weaponry. The role of the unskilled conscripted foot soldier has almost disappeared. This is a very real aspect as to why few Americans are voicing oposition to this slaughter. They feel insolated. Noone other than volunteers will face danger. The new Bush Doctrine of attack the weak before they can become a threat is a reversal of 150 years of foreign policy. Policy that was in place to prevent despotic presidents from using our militery to terrorize other nations into compliance. A strong militery can assist those who ask for help and are being victimized or it can act as a deterrent. It must not be allowed to become a political tool of extortion. The issue is about oil and exerting U.S. influence in the middle east. The phrase "weapons of mass destruction" was coined by the Bush administration and has become the word of the day. Problem is it is without definition and therefore rheteric. There has been found no proof tht Iraq has any WMD dispite the U.S. "proof" given to the inspectors. Hussein is not a good man or leader but this is neither new nor unique. I will not be proud to be an American if we slaughter another 60,000 "unarmed" people for cheap gas. Moveon.com is an excellent source for the real news that does not go through the media filter. If you go there anyone with no money or commitment can receive a regular email to keep up to pace with what is happening and why. When the world's superpower attacks an unarmed third world country it is not a war it is butchery.