Where did all the information in DNA come from? Heck, where did DNA come from? It alone is a masterpiece of engineering. Can Rocks bumping together in an ocean do this?
The discovery of DNA was the end of this outdated theory for a lot of folks.
Posts by Perry
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61Simple introduction to the theory of evolution
by Diogenesister inhi new folks, lurkers and trolls.
i thought i would post this simple but interesting video which shows how scientists bring multiple lines of evidence together to prove evolution is true; for example:.
comparative anatomy.
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Imperfection is the charm of life, not a curse
by Ireneus inthere is no charm in going to a cricket match after knowing the result.
similarly, there is no charm in living if there is nothing left to know.
we are surrounded by both—knowledge and mystery.
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Perry
Personally, I think a big part of my growth as an adult (not to mention an XJW) was realizing
that......with regards to "perfection"......there's actually no such thing.
Vidiot,
Imagine the benefit of eliminating the majority of the past mistakes in your life that you are now aware of. Further, imagine an internal gyroscope compass that keeps you from making many more mistakes that you are not even aware of. Then, imagine that the mistakes and the evil that you still experience are somehow transformed into working for your good. (Romans 8:28)
For me that would be perfect.
This is what the Christian life looks like after making friends with God through the blood of Jesus apart from your works. Perfection is not the elimination of evil in your life, it is the elimination of mistakes in the face of it. -
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First year with baby!
by Darkknight757 ini wanted to share a few recent pics of izabella with everyone.
this week marks her one year since her coming home from nicu.
she has been growing and changing so much these last few months in particular.
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Perry
Awesome!!
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37
God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both
by moley ini consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.
i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.
could be imagined could be real.
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Perry
I reached my post limit one day last week and the post to FHN was denied. Then 3 days later it shows up after I reposted!
LV101,
Thanks. It's weird, we ran the skunk out but he never sprayed anyone. After he ran about 15 yards, he decided that he didn't like it outside and ran back all the way back into the wall....where we had to do it all over again. I guess he was pretty upset about being kicked out of his home.
Bees weren't too happy about it either. The hive was in the walls in between two different stud sections. We made some smoke using cow dung in a shovel and smoked them until they calmed down. Then, we ate the honey. Took about thee days for the hive to finally dissipate completely.
After I finish the project, I'll post a few pics on this forumn. The inside was a wreck. Had a 2 sf hole in the roof for about 5 years. Had to be gutted. Mold was everywhere. I bought the land and basically got the cabin for free. The foundation was good and about 90% of the studs were solid. Septic system still works. -
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God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both
by moley ini consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.
i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.
could be imagined could be real.
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Perry
FHN,
My post didn't post before I left town. So sorry to hear about your sister passing. I know that must be tough. Please let me know if I can't help in some way. Yes, many people are leaving the Watchtower.
My long-time assistant / office manager passed away last year. Only 50....cancer. So,I moved office back to house to try and take this year a little easier. I'm a general contractor - been rehabbing a cabin in woods this year. Almost done.Before
Still need to clean up and paint
A skunk was living in one wall and a bee hive was living in another. Took it down to the studs and started over.
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37
God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both
by moley ini consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.
i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.
could be imagined could be real.
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Perry
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that about your sister. I know that hurts deep. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
I have tried to not work so much this year. Closed my office down after my long-time assistant died from cancer. Have been working from home for nearly 12 months now. It's about time to start cranking back up. I'm a General Contractor in the restoration industry.
I spent most of the year re-habbiing a cabin in the woods. (my man-cave) Still needs paint on the outside...but I'm getting close to finishing. Inside is all done.So far...
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37
God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both
by moley ini consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.
i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.
could be imagined could be real.
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Perry
Time fundamental and not emergent?
Well there are some physicists that are challenging the the assumption that space-time is fundamental. They propose it is fluid and is not fundamental. We will see where is goes. Some say it may one day unify physics.
All of these views, including my own, require assumptions. Just can't get much thinking done otherwise. It is just as easy to assume God as the ultimate fundamental principle as some assume time to be. Stephen Hawkin sees evidence for space, time and matter to have all come into existence at once, even though he admits he doesn't know what was "before" that. I have an answer for that... "In the beginning GOD."Genesis 1, you cited as proof is wrong, There was matter before the Earth, and our planet was not created at the beginning, but 10 billion years later.
Unless of course space-time is fluid, emergent and can be manipulated. It is interesting that in the bible space is characterized as a fabric that can be stretched or manipilated:
Isaiah 42:5 “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out;
Psalm 104:2 “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.”
Isaiah 48:13 “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens:
Isaiah 51:13 “And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens,
Zechariah 12:1 “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”
The heavens are still expanding, or being stretched out to this very day. -
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God and the afterlife. Do you need to believe in both
by moley ini consider myself an atheist, i completely reject the idea of a totalitarian desert god/any god and the bible is a book of fairytales and folk legends.. i do however sort of believe that this life is not all there is.
i’m not talking about heaven or hell but in a tangible state of being.. there are a few experiences i’ve had in my llife.
could be imagined could be real.
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Perry
Time fundamental and not emergent?
Well there are some physicists that are challenging the assumption that space-time is fundamental. They propose it is fluid and is not fundamental. We will see where is goes. Some say it may one day unify physics.
All of these views, including my own, require assumptions. Just can't get much thinking done otherwise. It is just as easy to assume God as the ultimate fundamental principle as some assume time to be. Stephen Hawkin sees evidence for space, time and matter to have all come into existence at once, even though he admits he doesn't know what was "before" that. I have an answer for that... "In the beginning GOD."
Genesis 1, you cited as proof is wrong, There was matter before the Earth, and our planet was not created at the beginning, but 10 billion years later.
Unless of course space-time is fluid, emergent and can be manipulated. It is interesting that in the bible space is characterized as a fabric that can be stretched or manipilated:
Isaiah 42:5 “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out;
Psalm 104:2 “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.” (or fabric)
Isaiah 48:13 “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens:
Isaiah 51:13 “And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens,
Zechariah 12:1 “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”
The heavens are still expanding, or being stretched out to this very day.
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Humans only survive for 3-5 days without water...
by purrpurr inand yet today's watchtower and indeed the bible condemns the israelites for moaning about having no water!
it's never occurred to me how unjust this is!
and how could a so called loving god not provide a basic human need?!.
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Perry
purrpurr,
Here's an interesting take related in the Jerusalem Post:
"Rashi notes that the process of increasing punishments was necessary to demonstrate God’s power – not only to the Egyptians, but to the Jews. He notes that during the first five plagues, Pharaoh himself was responsible for his hardening heart.
In addition, Pharaoh’s heart was “strengthened.” (Exodus 7:13) and then became “heavy.” (Exodus 7:14) Why does the Torah use three different words to describe what amounts to a single description of his stubborn obstinacy? We will answer this shortly.
Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, (Mishne Torah, Hilchot Teshuva) insists that everyone has free will; one can choose to do good, or evil. The ability to choose freely defines us as human beings; our choices define us as individuals. Freedom to choose is an essential and inherent right, but it is not absolute; there are consequences to actions.
This explains why three different words are used to describe Pharaoh’s heart. He changes his mind, perhaps from lack of awareness and fear of losing a valuable commodity. It’s understandable, given his position. That is what is meant by “hardening,” and “heavy.” He refuses to change, even though he recognizes God’s existence. But then he becomes recalcitrant and arrogant – which is described as “his heart was strengthened.”
The key to understanding this psychological debilitation – and what Torah teaches – is Pharaoh’s lack of self-criticism. The ability to choose, to exercise free will without honest self-evaluation and introspection, is self-destructive and destructive to others. In Pharaoh’s case, he led his army and his nation to disaster."
My thoughts: Perhaps after 5 times that Pharaoh changed his mind, God finally gave him the complete separation from common sense he sought so Pharoah could completely indulge his self-centeredness? If so, this allowed for greater displays of protection for the Israelites that should have formed a larger basis of trust for them.
The God of the ot is not morally acceptable by any standard
Well, I think that billions of people would disagree with that statement. It is the basis of our judicial courts and all of judeo-christian western culture.... the greatest and freest culture ever seen on earth.
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Humans only survive for 3-5 days without water...
by purrpurr inand yet today's watchtower and indeed the bible condemns the israelites for moaning about having no water!
it's never occurred to me how unjust this is!
and how could a so called loving god not provide a basic human need?!.
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Perry
days of future,
That is very true. God could have frozen the Egyptians, allowed the Israelites to walk away, and then unfrozen the Egyptians afterward.
However, my impression of the history of God dealing with people is that he places a premium on two things -
1. Free Will
2. Trust
It seems like he does things in a way that attempts to respect free will and foster trust in him when possible. The 10 plagues seem to accomplish those two things. The plagues got progressively more intense and Pharaoh should have let them go after any one of them. But, he defied God in the face of overwhelming evidence of his power...even to the point that he and his army were required to drown in the Red Sea to stop their abuse.
The Israelites, on the other side of the coin, were just about as obstinate as Pharaoh. They should have been able to fully trust the Lord after all this. They didn't. It took a long time in the wilderness to get them to even trust God a little bit.Both accounts aptly picture the depravity of man and his (near total?) inability to relate to God and to trust him. This is why he eventually became a man in the person of Jesus Christ so that we could relate to him better.
The Ipuwer Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian document that corroborates some of the plagues leading up to the Exodus.
kris malone,
You recite a number of common objections and raise good questions. All of these have been gone over in detail many times on this forum over the past 19 years I've been here.
The best sources I've found for getting an accurate ancient picture are: