Posts by THE GLADIATOR

160

I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them

by minimus in

jw
friends

...and that applies to religion as well as politics.. if someone simply believes such and such is true, it doesn't really matter whether you "prove" it or not.

people will believe what they want to believe..

THE GLADIATOR

Apognophos (4) "We should respect the fact that other people will not accept what we consider to be facts no matter how hard we try."

This is also true. Respecting other peoples right to illusion is a noble thing. I deliberately allow certain illusions to exist in my life because it is in my interest to do so. However I know they are illusions and do not seek to convince others that they are facts. I would do that only if thought sharing would help others and if I could prove my assertions. Otherwise I keep my illusions to myself.

I have some sympathy with your explanation of individuals right to interpret life according to their own needs and wishes. I can see that you are keen to keep things friendly on the forum and probably in real life. (It tend to be that way myself, though I do have a cut off point if pushed too far)

What I have tried to offer is the value of separating fact from fiction. There is some benefit to our subjective inner world, and to personal interpretation of facts, though out there in our fast moving and dangerous world, objective facts are an essential survival tool and need to be kept in a separate tool box.

160

I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them

by minimus in

jw
friends

...and that applies to religion as well as politics.. if someone simply believes such and such is true, it doesn't really matter whether you "prove" it or not.

people will believe what they want to believe..

THE GLADIATOR

"(1) We can't be 100% sure of anything. Did evolution happen? Almost certainly. But nothing's 100%. To dispute the uncertainty of our knowledge is ridiculous. Are you even 100% sure that the sun will rise tomorrow? Then you are arrogant or ignorant."

This is an accurate statement because the sun will not rise tomorrow. That is just a subjective way of stating how our position on earth appears in relation to the sun from our point of view. It is acceptable for everyday speech, but if we are to use this as an example of the unreliability of fact, it is important to accurately describe what we are saying.

The fact is the sun does not rise. The earth, which we now know to be spherical, will continue to turn until the bit we live on faces the sun again. I am 99.9999999999 certain that the earth will complete its rotation every 24 hour for many years to come.

I realize that being so pedantic makes me sound like a smart-ass but it illustrates the need to be precise in matters of science. The USA was able to land Neil Armstrong on the moon because they accurately understood the precise mathematics of the task they attempted. On occasion they have got their sums wrong, with tragic consequences. Science and engineering nowadays is a very precise business. Guesswork is not acceptable.

45

Horse Meat found In hamburgers in UK and Ireland

by Pterist in

london (cnn) -- uk food safety officials have ordered the testing of all beef products following the discovery of horsemeat in beef lasagna sold by uk firm findus, only weeks after many meat lovers were dismayed to learn horse and pig dna had been found in burgers.. http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/08/world/europe/uk-horsemeat-probe/index.html.

THE GLADIATOR

Many in the UK object to eating horse meet because they claim to be 'horse lovers - being a town boy I am not sure what that entails. The objection is not so much that horse meat is used but that people should be correctly informed which meat they are buying. Of course some vegetarians see all meat eating as gross.

I have eaten horse in France, as is the custom.The thing is that horses get injured of put down as they have no useful life left. Years ago they went to the ‘knackers yard’ to be slaughtered and turned into glue. Why waste horse meat or give it to dogs and cats? In Hong Kong they eat all those creatures. As I kid all I got was 'spiritual food, served up cold by the Watchtower Society. Horse meat or 'steak de cheval' is a vast improvement.

160

I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them

by minimus in

jw
friends

...and that applies to religion as well as politics.. if someone simply believes such and such is true, it doesn't really matter whether you "prove" it or not.

people will believe what they want to believe..

THE GLADIATOR

Re: I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them.

Sometimes there is benefit in delusion. My father spent most of his life believing he would never grow old and die. Because I refused to accept his belief he stopped speaking to me many years ago.

A few years ago, he was 80. While dying in hospital it was reported to me that he was still talking about what he would do as soon as he was well again. While heavily medicated he died in his sleep. He died still believing that he would never grow old and die.

I envy him his delusion because although he had to die like any other living creature, his faith enabled him to believe that he never would. I don’t miss him. I spent many years trying to delude myself but my rational brain refused to buy it.

Even becoming a gladiator or adopting some of the 3,000 gods on offer, will not help me escape death. Joining one of the many religions on offer will not change reality but just provide comfort for those able believe that the script they write will alter reality.

Memento mori

( Remember your mortality - Remember you must die)

20

Do you believe that God is using the faithful and discreet slave

by trujw in

it seems that this question is used by elder to trap us and close their minds(the jw elder) to thinking.

if you answer no they wrap up a jc in short order.

i was wondering if any have tried to use a more pointed question to actually get them to think themselves.

THE GLADIATOR

The Watchtower Society no longer even pretend to know who the faithful and discreet slave is anymore.

160

I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them

by minimus in

jw
friends

...and that applies to religion as well as politics.. if someone simply believes such and such is true, it doesn't really matter whether you "prove" it or not.

people will believe what they want to believe..

THE GLADIATOR

Apognophos “Everybody has their own definition of every word, though. Whether your definition matches the one found in the dictionary or not, and whether you're right or not, isn't the point I'm making.”

You can make whatever subjective point you want. However it won’t make words mean what you want them to. The fact is that dictionaries are right and people who apply their own meaning to words are wrong. They may be happy in their ignorance but they remain ignorant. Facts are rather inflexible things. That is why they can be relied upon.

9

Don't know if it was mentioned already, but now you can be Auxilliary Pioneer with only 30 hours for both March & April.

by Theocratic Sedition in

jw
friends

just got my hands on the letter from a service committee brother this morning.

if this was already posted, my bad.

i did a quick search, but didn't see anything.

THE GLADIATOR

Theocratic Sedition Thanks for sharing that important information . This shows how Jehovah is richly blessing his servants so close to the end of this wicked old system of things.

Mind you Jehovah did cut the meetings in half, cancel the book study, shorten assemblies and reduce the Watchtower magazine to a pamphlet. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

The members must not be given too many privileges of service or their hearts will burst with joy.

21

The ransom sacrifice contradicts the "issue of universal sovereignty"

by yadda yadda 2 in

if jesus is the exact representation of his heavenly father, and if "god is love", and if there is no greater love than to give up one's own life for others, then if jesus gave up his life for mankind as the greatest act of love ever performed, why would jehovah be more concerned about his own name being vindicated and his rule being proven to be superior to man's rule than preventing untold millions of innocent persons over thousands of years from suffering and dying horribly?.

wouldn't jehovah be just like his son, jesus, and choose to sacrifice his own name and reputation out of his great love for mankind rather than permit so much suffering for thousands of years?

why would the almighty creator of the universe care so much about being 'slandered' by a rebellious spirit creature that he would have to permit so much suffering for so long?

THE GLADIATOR

In the real world the issue of universal sovereignty is likely to be USA versus China . That is until the lid comes off the Muslims and Islam takes over.

Jehovah and Jesus are just a fictitious side show like Batman & Robin. At least Batman shared the danger with Robin!

12

APOSTATE 'NEW LIGHT'?

by The Searcher in

at the special assembly day (s.a.d.

) last weekend, the district overseer had us all read matthew 5:22, which in part says, "whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt will be accountable to the supreme court; whereas whoever says, you despicable fool!

will be liable to the fiery gehen na.".

THE GLADIATOR

EdenOne " Maybe I'm just confused by your grammar, but what point was the DO trying to make?"

Trying to make sense of the Watchtower Society’s ever changing pronouncements can lead to madness.

Of course the problem with this lenient view towards dissenters is that the rank and file won’t know who to shun.

The frog king

12

APOSTATE 'NEW LIGHT'?

by The Searcher in

at the special assembly day (s.a.d.

) last weekend, the district overseer had us all read matthew 5:22, which in part says, "whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt will be accountable to the supreme court; whereas whoever says, you despicable fool!

will be liable to the fiery gehen na.".

THE GLADIATOR

So, only Jehovah can call someone an apostate. This is good advice to Watchtower slaves but I reserve the right to continue to call myself an apostate. Having paid a high price to earn this badge of honour, I don't want to lose my mantle.

A slave who won his freedom.