Posts by EdenOne

42

#1 ANSWER THIS: Why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?

by EdenOne in

i'll be starting a series "answer this:" with thought-provoking questions for debate.

your arguments for and against are most welcome.. i'll start with this: .

why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?.

EdenOne

Please keep in mind my own agnosticism. I'm not taking sides here, merely instigating debate.

I think modern judaism makes a much better job at coming up with a concept of 'god' that is more consistent with the reality of this world. However, by making explicit reference to 'omnibenevolence' and 'omniscience' as traits of the divinity, I am referencing clearly a god that a certain strain of christianity believes in, one that JW's would subscribe to.

I don't see how a divinity allowing a quarter of a million people to be killed by a tsunami and then use that (either on purpose or opportunistically, either way, with variable degrees of accountability) to test the faith of the remaining humanity can still be considered 'omnibenevolent'.

Outlaw - I would have to believe in an "Unintelligent Supreme Being"..

LOL!

t_b_k - Satan challenged God's authority. In order to save face with creation, God accepted the challenge and now mankind suffers to appease God's ego.

So what does that tell us about god's 'omnibenevolence'?

42

#1 ANSWER THIS: Why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?

by EdenOne in

i'll be starting a series "answer this:" with thought-provoking questions for debate.

your arguments for and against are most welcome.. i'll start with this: .

why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?.

EdenOne

Ugh. Spiders. Bad. Evil.

82

incident going on in central london

by Ruby456 in

jw
friends

unfolding now - could be terrorist.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/22/man-shot-police-outside-parliament-officer-reportedly-shoots/.

EdenOne

Smiddy:

Consider this: the New Testament writings precede the Quran by 400-500 years.

Christianity is a direct development from OT judaism, whereas Islam is (albeit borrowing some elements from judaism and early Christianity) a new religion from its inception. Its writings reflect the somewhat barbaric society (by our western civilization standards, to which I subscribe) where they originated from. Islam is a problem because nothing within Islam with sufficient authority has superceeded yet those original writings.

42

#1 ANSWER THIS: Why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?

by EdenOne in

i'll be starting a series "answer this:" with thought-provoking questions for debate.

your arguments for and against are most welcome.. i'll start with this: .

why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?.

EdenOne

I'll be starting a series "Answer this:" with thought-provoking questions for debate. Your arguments for and against are most welcome.

I'll start with this:

Why would an omnibenevolent and omniscient god put us through tests of faith?

Think about Adam, Eve, Abraham, Job .... as well as modern examples.

if god is able to foretell the outcome, and can do no evil (notice that not stopping evil when you have the power to do so is in itself evil) then why god put humans through tests of faith - many of them consisting of unimaginable suffering?

1

TERROR attack in London. Moments ago.

by EdenOne in

follow the story:.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-photographer-iduskbn16t1y5.

EdenOne

Follow the story:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-photographer-idUSKBN16T1Y5

496

This is What I Would Need in Order to Believe

by cofty in

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.

EdenOne

The moment you make a claim to the effect that "god IS ...", it falls into the scope of science. If you stick to the realm of possibilities, then you are discussing metaphysics. it's that simple. You are misrepresenting what metaphysics is.

496

This is What I Would Need in Order to Believe

by cofty in

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.

EdenOne

Atheism is a metaphysical claim.

You're confusing two different things. Asserting that deities don't exist is a metaphysical claim. Stating that 'I don't believe in deities because there's no compelling evidence to support it' isn't a metaphysical claim.

Atheism is a position regarding lack of belief, not an assertion about the existence of deities.

52

Australian Congregations announce Child Safeguarding Policy is available upon request

by wifibandit in

this week all congregations in australia have been instructed to make the following announcement:.

if a member of the congregation would like a copy of the child safeguarding policy of jehovah’s witnesses in australia, please see the coordinator of the body of elders or the secretary.. .

childsafeguardingpolicy-eau.pdf.

EdenOne

Half-hearted effort.

it should be available so that anyone could ANONYMOUSLY read it. Make it a bound item at the KH's library, or downloadable from the website, ffs. They are still controlling and intimidating the members if they have to get through the Coordinator or the Secretary.

28

Shunning via Rumor

by NeonMadman in

jw
friends

well, i went back to the area of my old congregation yesterday.

my daughter's best friend amanda was getting married, and despite my trepidation, amanda had begged me to show up and to dance a dance with her.

my trepidation was twofold; first, my ex-wife was going to be there, and after our messy divorce only six months ago, i had no desire to be anywhere where she was.

EdenOne

When I was inactive, I was going to the shopping mall to meet my wife and son who were having lunch with my mother-in-law and a couple of JW's (my wife was still in). When I was turning the corner I ran into my father-in-law. I greeted him, extended my hand, and he turned his face, ignored me and kept walking. I was floored. I then met my family and had lunch with them and the other JW's, who were visibly uncomfortable with me being there. That was an odd day.

Months later, my father-in-law apologized and said he had done that because he had heard that I had been disfellowshipped (duhhh ... he could have asked me or his daughter, or his wife, right?)

45

Does Anyone Know The "Real" Attitude That JWs Have Towards "Inactive Ones"?

by minimus in

jw
friends

does the rank and file or the elders view us as disassociated or disfellowshipped or simply "weak" or possibly a "prodigal son" type?.

EdenOne

According to the WT, as per Ezekiel 33:6, those who become inactive in the ministry shall perish at Armageddon, because they will be bloodguilty for the death of the wicked whom they failed to warn.

The inactive are de facto considered bad examples, cowards, materialistic-minded people, worldly , weaklings, a 'bad company that spoils useful habits' for the other publishers in the congregation. Last year's RC lambasted the inactive and suggested that the publishers should avoid close association with them, even if they are family members.

Especially those who are perceived as critics of the Organization and the GB will be treated with nearly as much avoidance and contempt as a disfellowshipped / disassociated person.