Posts by Apognophos

74

Why Do Atheists Struggle So Much Against God Who Supposedly Doesn't Exist?

by Perry in

an athist made this casual statememt on another thread:.

this would suggest to me that there are at least some atheists that do have consistant beliefs.. .

as an atheist, how could he possibly trust the reason that suggests this to himself?

Apognophos

I would suggest that atheists are not struggling against God but against the tendency of man to believe in God. If you've ever found an aspect of mankind to just be totally unpalatable -- say, you're fed up with people being greedy, or ignorant of politics, or you disagree with an accepted cultural practice like drinking alcohol or eating meat -- then you know what it's like to feel that you need to protest the status quo.

"Angry" atheists are generally people who hate the tendency of man to believe in something he was taught by his parents, who were taught it by their parents, etc. They refuse to accept that people should be allowed to be so gullible. They see religion as the cause of many of man's problems and want to make it go away as soon as possible.

None of this has to do with any one particular conception of God and it does not require the atheist to believe in any such God, only to believe that other people believe in him/her/it.

24

Can anyone tell me any narrative of having successfully avoided Baptism while being raised JW?

by SonoftheTrinity in

i just worry for my stepkids about their future that way..

Apognophos

I just think that, from the standpoint of a believer in Jesus, the fact that he was baptized at 30 does not provide some example to be applied to all Christians. Jesus' situation was unique. Think about it this way: was Jesus not sure if he wanted to devote himself to God before 30? Of course not. So there would have to be some other larger reason why his baptism took that long, which would not apply to Christians today. If I were still a believing Witness, I would not be convinced by this analogy and would simply think someone was being deceitful and stalling for time.

24

CREATIVE "DAYS" - What do JWs believe?

by Bloody Hotdogs! in

a few weeks ago, i asked you to critique my website article on dinosaurs (http://www.jwbeliefs.com/what-do-jehovahs-witnesses-believe-about-dinosaurs/).

it was pointed out that much of what i wrote depends on the creative "days" being relatively short - something i believe jws teach.. after being prompted to review my conclusions/research, i was more convinced than ever that jws promote relatively short creative days.

the nail in the coffin was the teaching that day seven is indicative of the length of the other six days (i.e.

Apognophos

I agree, Slidin. They're definitely going with (c) for a few different subjects -- their old statements on certain banned forms of sex would be another example of deciding not to talk about something anymore and hoping it goes away.

P.S.: Please check your PMs, Hotdogs.

24

As a JW Did You Often Feel "Guilty" About Something?

by minimus in

jw
friends

if muslim is supposed to be the religion of peace, jehovah's witnesses has to be the religion of guilt..

Apognophos

stillajwexelder: Ahh, I gotcha

28

I am going to pioneer after the holidays!

by snakeface in

jw
friends

yes, you heard right.. as you know, most christian organizations publish and distribute little tracts with their gospel message.

well they also make some that expose the lies of the wt, and explain how it is a cult.

even if people are not interested in the "gospel message" in these tracts, the tracts do a good job exposing the wt as a cult.. now, those of you who are now agnostic or athiests or just non-religious, please keep reading, to understand what i plan to do.... i am expecting to receive $$ for christmas.

Apognophos

stuckinarut2, that makes me think that someone should set up a cart with all the literature from the Rutherford era and start hawking it like a carnival barker: "Jehovah the Almighty God lives in the Pleiades! Yes, that's right, the constellation! His throne is up there! Come learn more! Did you know that the world will end during World War II? It's true! Read it right here!"

When the Witnesses object, just say loudly in front of everyone that you're trying to help out by offering some of the older literature that they don't carry anymore.

24

Can anyone tell me any narrative of having successfully avoided Baptism while being raised JW?

by SonoftheTrinity in

i just worry for my stepkids about their future that way..

Apognophos

Honestly, I'm always hesitant to recommend a kid compare himself to Jesus while all the kids around him are getting baptized no older than 18 (it's likely to cause the JW to think, "Who do you think you are? You're some special case not like the rest of us?"). I like Terry's suggestion the best.

24

CREATIVE "DAYS" - What do JWs believe?

by Bloody Hotdogs! in

a few weeks ago, i asked you to critique my website article on dinosaurs (http://www.jwbeliefs.com/what-do-jehovahs-witnesses-believe-about-dinosaurs/).

it was pointed out that much of what i wrote depends on the creative "days" being relatively short - something i believe jws teach.. after being prompted to review my conclusions/research, i was more convinced than ever that jws promote relatively short creative days.

the nail in the coffin was the teaching that day seven is indicative of the length of the other six days (i.e.

Apognophos

Hotdogs: Yes, that sounds pretty correct. As close as we will come to agreeing, anyway :-) You can certainly acknowledge the ambiguity and say on your site that the teaching *was* 7,000 years per day at one time, and that they have maintained the "thousands" remark for a while now rather than confirm or deny the 7,000-years-per-day teaching.

When it comes to the final day, however, I am pretty sure that the Society still thinks day 7 is precisely 7,000 years and that the delay in creating Eve (and thus ending day 6) is simply much more than Franz thought. After all, why would the day be something like 7,040 years or 7,235? The Society wants to believe it's precisely 7,000 because it's a nice round, Biblical number and because it means the end is coming any time now.

85

Mormons getting hollowed out: The tipping point has occurred.

by Qcmbr in

ever since mitt romney turned the spotlight on the lds church a growing tsunami of disaffection has been accelerated and brought to a head.. the lds core faithful members are leaving in increasing numbers such that growth has not simply stagnated in the west but it has actively reversed.

to their credit the church is responding aggressively but not only is it too late, it is an impossible task.

you can only paint sh*t so many ways.

Apognophos

OEJ, interesting anecdote. I too remember when those attendance numbers would have been unacceptable. I'll have to listen for our numbers next time the CO comes here.

8

The Superior Qualities of Ancient Roman Concrete

by fulltimestudent in

these concrete walls in trajan's markets in rome are nearly 2000 years old and survived a major earthquake in 1349 ce.. .

caption: the concrete walls of trajan's markets in rome have stood the test of time and the elements for nearly 2,000 years.

they have even survived a major earthquake in 1349.. credit: photo courtesy of marie jackson, berkeley.

Apognophos

The Pantheon is another long-standing tribute to Roman ingenuity and Roman concrete. Its dome is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in history.

3

When you Create your own Bible, it is Much easier to convince of your Lies.

by objectivetruth in

the word in question is the hebrew word mishneh meaning "a double, copy, second" (http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/4932.htm) this word is a very specific word, which implies a double portion, or twice as much.. it is numerical and precise.. the new world translation translates this word as double in the below 2 scriptures :.

isaiah 61:7 "instead of shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout joyfully over their share.yes, they will possess a double (mishneh) portion in their land.

everlasting rejoicing will be theirs.

Apognophos

Perhaps it's the lack of sleep, but I'm not sure I get your point, objectivetruth. You're objecting to the translation of Jer. 16:18, aren't you? But then you quote the Society's take on Isaiah's double portion. This is based on a correctly-translated scripture in Isa. 61:7, is it not? I'm not clear on the reason you're giving for the Society translating "mishneh" as "full" in Jeremiah, since you go on to talk about the Society's belief about the "double portion".