Saethydd

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Posts by Saethydd

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  102

  Any atheists here? Have you come to terms with your new reality?

  by kpop in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alone, without my safety net of "god" being there to remember me when i die.

  after much consideration, examining science, history and using logic, i have come to the conclusion that there is no "god" at least certainly no loving, personal "god.

  " shortly before my final conclusion was reached, i read an excerpt from an expression attributed to marcus aurelius, .

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  Saethydd

  How can someone be lucid when their brain is all eaten up with cancer, Alzheimer etc? This is powerful evidence of the existence of the soul (mind) that survives the demise of the body.

  Not really, it's evidence that when something as complex as the brain breaks it may still work occasionally. Unless you would also make the argument that a kitchen appliance with a defective control board that works inconsistently has a "soul."

  There is actually an interesting debate in the field of Psychology as to whether the "mind" really exists. Behaviorists say that everything traditionally attributed to the "mind" can be explained by the brain. Freudian students of psychoanalysis, however, are firm believers in the mind. Of course, as with God, it is hard to provide empirical evidence for something that cannot be physically perceived.
  
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  33

  Most Widely Circulated Magazine In The World

  by Calebs Airplane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  which magazine is now the most widely circulated in the world?.

  before responding, keep in mind that certain parameters (such as content and page count) ought to be met before any printed material intended for mass distribution can be categorized as a “magazine”.

  for example, the absolute minimum range for any publication to be considered a magazine is typically around 32 to 48 pages while the highest page counts are usually around 128 to 160, with some popular women’s fashion magazines coming in quite a bit higher than that.. so with that said, which is now the world’s most widely circulated magazine?.

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  Saethydd

  The point i was making is that WT rag is actually a pamphlet (NOT A MAGAZINE).... geez
  

  Oh, I don't think any of us here would argue with that, especially now that it is down to 16 pages a month in two different publications. We were (or I was anyway) just reinforcing your point and highlighting the fact that it doesn't deserve the title "most widely distributed" either.
  
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  496

  This is What I Would Need in Order to Believe

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sometimes theists challenge atheists about what evidence would be required before they would believe.

  various unlikely scenarios are offered in reply.

  i have taken the bait myself in the past.. i think the correct answer is much more ordinary.

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  Saethydd

  I agree with pretty much all of that, and it's one thing that helped me leave Creationism behind. All of the little details of the world just don't fit with special creation, whereas I can see many examples of small details that fit with evolution.
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  18

  The "Paradise" as promised by the Watchtower

  by Saethydd in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was thinking today about the descriptions of the future "paradise" presented by the watchtower, and i was struck by something about it.

  most of us are aware that the watchtower promotes an interpretation of the apocalypse that would result in the immediate execution of 99.9% of the population with no hope for resurrection.

  additionally, we have been told about the large group of people that are supposed to side with satan at the end of the thousand year reign of christ.

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  Saethydd

  The very second that anyone has/voices a doubt about Jehovah they become a member of Team Satan immediately.

  Well, Satan would already be destroyed at that point, according to their theology. So anyone who differed from God after the conclusion of the thousand year reign would only have their own "perfect" minds to blame.
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  18

  The "Paradise" as promised by the Watchtower

  by Saethydd in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was thinking today about the descriptions of the future "paradise" presented by the watchtower, and i was struck by something about it.

  most of us are aware that the watchtower promotes an interpretation of the apocalypse that would result in the immediate execution of 99.9% of the population with no hope for resurrection.

  additionally, we have been told about the large group of people that are supposed to side with satan at the end of the thousand year reign of christ.

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  Saethydd

  I was thinking today about the descriptions of the future "Paradise" presented by the Watchtower, and I was struck by something about it. Most of us are aware that the Watchtower promotes an interpretation of the apocalypse that would result in the immediate execution of 99.9% of the population with no hope for resurrection. Additionally, we have been told about the large group of people that are supposed to side with Satan at the end of the thousand year reign of Christ. Today, however, I thought of another group that would face destruction. Namely, any individual who has a difference of opinion with God after the thousand year reign of Christ was over.

  The example of Satan show's us that even a supposedly perfect being without any outside influence could come to hold a viewpoint that differs from God's on certain matters. According to the Watchtower, God is allowing the suffering today in the name of justice, so that he is able to give an answer to "Satan's challenge." The Watchtower has also said that this whole experiment in self-rule will allow God to swiftly execute any future "rebels." So, how many "perfect" beings over the course of an eternity may independently come to hold a different viewpoint from God on certain matters? Because, according to the Watchtower, all of those individuals will face a quick execution at the hands of our "loving" Creator.

  Anyway, that concludes my initial thoughts on today's episode of "Messed Up Watchtower Teachings."
  
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  33

  Most Widely Circulated Magazine In The World

  by Calebs Airplane in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  which magazine is now the most widely circulated in the world?.

  before responding, keep in mind that certain parameters (such as content and page count) ought to be met before any printed material intended for mass distribution can be categorized as a “magazine”.

  for example, the absolute minimum range for any publication to be considered a magazine is typically around 32 to 48 pages while the highest page counts are usually around 128 to 160, with some popular women’s fashion magazines coming in quite a bit higher than that.. so with that said, which is now the world’s most widely circulated magazine?.

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  Saethydd

  most widely read magazine in the world... It is The Watchtower.

  Eh, not necessarily. Well, it may possibly be the most widely distributed, but I'm not sure how they get that number. If it is based on how many are printed, then I'm pretty sure quite a few of those never get placed and instead end up in a box in some JW's attic. If it based on publisher time cards, then those numbers could easily be falsified, therefore they can't be considered as accurate. Furthermore, even if it is "the most widely distributed magazine in the world," that is no guarantee that it is the most widely read. After all, how many people may simply throw it away without reading it? Hell, I was a JW myself and there were some magazines I never read.
  
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  53

  Best statement a householder made to get you to leave them alone.

  by Esse quam videri in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  knocked on a door on a saturday morning.

  a window opened on the floor above me.

  a grizzled old man stuck his head out and said, " we're all heathens here!

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  Saethydd

  I've got a good one that a householder could use.

  "Oh perfect! I'm glad you're here. You see I'm in the process of summoning a demon to deal with unwanted solicitors, and I need two more people to stand at the points of the pentagram. The two acolytes I had for the position had an unfortunate accident when the last summoning went awry. So anyway, would you like to come in?"
  
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  102

  Any atheists here? Have you come to terms with your new reality?

  by kpop in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alone, without my safety net of "god" being there to remember me when i die.

  after much consideration, examining science, history and using logic, i have come to the conclusion that there is no "god" at least certainly no loving, personal "god.

  " shortly before my final conclusion was reached, i read an excerpt from an expression attributed to marcus aurelius, .

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  Saethydd

  He makes the statement "none of my views are based on what it is convenient to believe".

  Any level of reflection should cause one to pause before making such a sweeping statement.

  How does he know his atheism isn't based on convenience? He certainly doesn't want to believe it's based on convenience. But wishing doesn't make it so. And again, some reflection should cause anyone to pause before making such definitive statements about anything as complex as the brain, motivations and human psychology.

  He rules out the possibility that God could tell him anything about himself that he doesn't already know. Which is remarkable hubris.

  Well, perhaps he could have prefaced it with, "to the best of my ability I try to make sure that..." Other than that, his argument seems fairly sound and reasonable to me. He never said God couldn't tell him anything, in fact, the man in the video said that he couldn't tell God anything about himself that God didn't already know. (If God really is omniscient.)
  
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  9

  Does anyone here want to be saved or have the urge to worship?

  by Half banana in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i don’t know about any of you but does anyone else share my lack of impulse to worship anything?.

  i became a jw when still at school and had been puzzled at the time by the posters outside of evangelical churches telling me to repent and come to jesus and be saved.. for me it was an irrelevance, i never felt like being saved...what from?

  i was happy as an exploring type of child, i never knew of anything wanting to be worshipped and i didn’t need to worship anything either..

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  Saethydd

  I always felt kind of guilty that I didn't really care all that much about the "sanctification of Jehovah's name." I tried to care, I was told it was the most important thing in the Universe, so I'd try to mention it in my prayers. Honestly, though, it was never high on the list of things I was hoping to enjoy someday. Heh, maybe that just means I was never a good Christian.
  
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  102

  Any atheists here? Have you come to terms with your new reality?

  by kpop in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alone, without my safety net of "god" being there to remember me when i die.

  after much consideration, examining science, history and using logic, i have come to the conclusion that there is no "god" at least certainly no loving, personal "god.

  " shortly before my final conclusion was reached, i read an excerpt from an expression attributed to marcus aurelius, .

  1. 
  2. 
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• 

  Saethydd

  I am an agnostic deist. I find no comfort in human religions because I have yet to find one that doesn't require subjective assumptions and the acceptance of various logical fallacies. However, given my level of understanding with regards to the universe, I'm certainly in no position to completely close my mind to the idea of a creator. Until he speaks to me directly, though, (and speaks to me in such a way that I can be reasonably certain I haven't just suffered a psychotic break with reality, or am experiencing a hallucination caused by an altered state of consciousness) then I will have to use my best judgment to live me life and hope things work out okay.

  As for how I have made peace with the thought that I will most probably cease to exist one day with no hope for continuing my sentient existence. Well, firstly I look to science to determine what I can know about where I came from and what will happen to me after I die. Science tells me that the atoms in my body were forged in the heart of a star and that the matter and energy in my body will go right on existing long after my brain has died. Even if there isn't a supernatural force responsible for what is before life and after death, I think that the demonstrable facts around these events are amazing enough to satisfy me. Additionally, I came to the realization that, just because what I do may not matter in 10 billion years, it still matters now.