Giles Gray

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Posts by Giles Gray

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  16

  JW Guide to Critical Thinking

  by Saename in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just found this chart on reddit here: reddit.

  and here's a copy:.

  what i find scary is that... it's accurate.

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  Giles Gray

  So true.

  This strategy encourages Jehovah's Witnesses to make the claim they use critical thinking.

  It's enough to make you facepalm.
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  167

  Sudden General Election in UK to be held June 8th 2017

  by freddo in

  1. social
  2. current

  theresa may the british p.m. has called for an election.. the house of commons has to vote tomorrow and have a two-thirds majority to agree and the main opposition parties want it to happen too so it looks pretty certain to go ahead..

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  Giles Gray

  So Scotland will vote in the UK General Election.

  Then they hold a referendum and could vote to leave the UK.

  So if Scotland leaves and I don't like the result of the General Election can I protest to have another election after they have gone?

  What a mess.
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  20

  $25,000 for one-day assembly in our area

  by Bonnie_Clyde in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  they started out with a $3,500 carry-over but by the end of the day they were short $25,000.

  the speaker eloquently beseeched the audience to go the atm machines and give their generous contribution or at least their widow's mite.

  after the sessions were over, our friend who attended walked from one end of the assembly hall and then to the other end and noticed long lines up to both machines with people who couldn't wait to run up their credit cards.

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  Giles Gray

  Maybe a paedophile lawsuit happened during the interval.
  
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  21

  Are Children born crippled/diseased, uncared for, and dying prematurely proof that God does not exist?

  by anointed1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  are children born crippled/diseased, uncared for, and dying prematurely proof that god does not exist?.

  1) what do children born healthy and well cared for prove?

  2) what do babies aborted (many of whom might have led a normal healthy life, and some of whom might have contributed much to the society like many scientists, doctors, engineers ....) prove?.

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  Giles Gray

  If we are talking about the god of the bible... it would make him a complete piece of shit, if it was believed that he does exist, being that he indulged in the slaughter of innocent infants.

  But on that one fact that bad things happen to children... no, it would not on its own prove god does not exist. It would just prove that a god is hopelessly incompetent.
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  49

  Infinity versus nothing

  by Fisherman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some people like to believe in something others believe in nothing; so in what location did the substance that expanded into the time/space universe exist before the big bang?

  where did the energy that caused the big band come from?

  how did the substance that became the big bang change from being inert and sterile and come to life to having the properties and drive that it does?

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  Giles Gray

  SBF- “Saying there is no God isn’t an answer either. Because even if you say there is no God, you still have the problem of why there is something rather than nothing.”

  This point stands up to logic. But this question is only problematic if there is such a thing as ‘nothing’. If there is no such thing as nothing, which physics is understanding more and more, then the possibility is that there has always been ‘something’, which is still a problem to solve, but doesn’t have to involve a God in order to have an answer.

  If we were to write off the problem of why there is no such thing as nothing, and attribute it to some God, it stifles any understanding that could prove otherwise.

  In this field of physics in the last few years, so much has been learnt that shows that there is no such thing as nothing. If you hit space hard enough, even though there is nothing in it, you can extract matter. So even empty space is ‘something’.

  SBF- “…if there is no greater intelligence, or being outside of being, then why should anything ever arise naturally from nothing?”

  Because there is no such thing as nothing. A difficult concept for human logic to understand, which we are far from understanding at the moment. But from what physics seems to be discovering, there is no such thing as nothing, which has a further knock on argument to the concept of a creator.

  SBF- “Or why has something always been?

  This is a great question, without an answer at the moment unfortunately. But this question highlights the lack of necessity of a God creating anything at all. An alternative question could be… if ‘something’ has always been in existence, how could God have created it?

  If energy and matter don’t ever go out of existence and expand into eternity by transformation or by morphing into alternative particles/forces etc, it means these forces are ‘immortal’. If they are immortal it means they were never ‘created’. If they were not created then a God could never have made them, because as you say in your question, ‘something’ has always been there.

  So when you look at this perspective from a completely alternative logic… it stands to reason that if there is no such thing as ‘nothing’, there always had to be ‘something’… which could never have been made. What that is and how it all works is being worked on right now.

  Coincidentally, last night I was privileged to attend a lecture in London by Lawrence Krauss, in celebration of Darwin Day. All of these questions have been worked on to a large extent and are covered in his new book.

  The lecture was an overview of his new book. I have not read it fully myself yet, but after yesterdays lecture and having a quick dip into his book, a lot of the questions that you have asked have been addressed. Might be worth a read. It is fascinating what they now know and have recently discovered which I’m sure you will find interesting.

  
  
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  41

  Witnesses really hate it when you appear to leave.

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a certain customer, whom we will call sally.

  i know sally only by face and only through work.

  i am a truck driver on a local dedicated route, and i often deliver to her work.

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  Giles Gray

  But look at what you have done schnell.

  We are that close to the end, one of our feet is already in the New System.

  Two years ago you were nearly there. Now you have thrown it away, when we are this close.

  You have allowed Satan to seduce you and for what......? a few years, or even a few months, fulfilling your own selfish desire and at the same time rejecting Jehovah.

  Can you think of how Jehovah feels with the decision you have made?

  It's hard to understand the extent of selfishness that could drive someone like you to reject Jehovah and his organisation, when it is so obviouse that we are at the time of the end.

  And the fact you have a beard shows that your decision was made through rebelliousness on your part.

  Can you understand why Sally would hold you in such disdain?
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  79

  TV commercial seen in the United States, from a Law firm "Asking if you were ever sexually abused by JEHOVAHS WITNESSES, please call".

  by Dunedain in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  ok, so i don't know if this is "old news", and if this has been seen, and or mentioned already.

  if it was, i do apologize, but i feel i have to mention what has been seen on tv, within the past 24 hours.. first off, i would like to say that i did not personally see this commercial.

  however, it was seen by someone that i can verify 100% is telling the truth, as it was my own father who saw it.

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  Giles Gray

  Could this be the reason why the Watchtower has been selling off so much real estate?

  Could they have foreseen this coming?

  How much of a big deal is this kind of advert to the society in the US?
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  40

  Uk members ?

  by midnight in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi anyone from the uk ?

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  Giles Gray

  Yes.
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  63

  Life is changing for me: no pioneering, got a job!

  by Skepsis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a month ago i decided to register in this board.

  i had decided to step down pioneering but was frightened about the consequences.

  i had finished my university degree some months before (despite disaproval from brothers in my congregation) and i had to choose: continue pioneering and working in jobs with no future or starting a career, working full-time.. i was thinking to postpone the decisiton but... i was fed up with preaching.

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  Giles Gray

  Skepsis,

  Your depression is the sign that all is not well...

  Cognitive dissonance seems to be what you are experiencing. Not at all easy to cope with.

  You are now up against the peer pressure that an organisation like the Watchtower puts on you. It's going to be hard to break from without feeling like a bit of a 'Judas'. So the 'fear of losing everything' that you are feeling right now is quite normal.

  It's great that you are feeling relieved, but you are a long way off of attaining total peace of mind, and to get there is quite a journey.

  Getting a career and making friends outside the congregation is a very wise first step.

  Don't be in any rush to make changes. As time goes by it will become evident as to where your future lies.

  And keep posting.
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  65

  Short stay

  by midnight in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  after much research and prayer i am returning to being a jehovah's witness i can find nothing that eliminates them from being god's directed people , in the end they will reach the end of there journey despite mistakes and errors just like the israelites entered the promised land , thanks for your input and all the best on your personal journey ☺.

  midnight..

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  Giles Gray

  midnight.

  Well if you are feeling "a bit messed up psychologically" then you should definitely wait until you get back to some sort of equilibrium, before making any life changing decisions. Else you are leaving yourself vulnerable to acting irrationally.

  For example... now would not be a good time for you to enter into a committed relationship with a boyfriend/girlfriend. Many people have, and regretted it for the rest of their lives. Easy mistake to make.

  It's the same with the Watchtower. I would be interested to know how many people on this forum were taken in by the JWs when they were in a vulnerable state of mind.

  Sounds like you need to talk through what is causing your emotional issues, in order to be able to clear your mind of its agitation.

  People here are very understanding, although being selective would be a wise thing. So why not talk it out with someone you are comfortable with?

  Hope you get peace of mind soon.