Posts by venus

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

venus

Xanthippe

You put very beautifully when you wrote: “Religions don't have anything to do with our existence on this planet or anything that may be beyond. They're selling tickets for a gig they don't know the way to.”

Religions are collection of individuals, hence no better than an individual in perspective. Various teachings would emerge depending on what you believe.

For example, in some parts of the world, many believe that death is the end of man, hence pain, suffering and death are viewed very seriously.

In other parts of the world, many believe that life is eternal, species change only bodies; hence death and pain are a helpful mechanism so that people don’t become too egoistic.

33

Irrationality of in important teaching

by Ireneus in

jesus used illustration to make things clear.

hence imagine yourself in a situation which reminds you of an important teaching:.

you are in a super market, and you are told: “someone has already paid for whatever you have purchased”[as churches teach through their ransom sacrifice].

venus

I think it is the greatest miracle that world doesn't understand even a fraction of what Thomas Paine did!

33

Irrationality of in important teaching

by Ireneus in

jesus used illustration to make things clear.

hence imagine yourself in a situation which reminds you of an important teaching:.

you are in a super market, and you are told: “someone has already paid for whatever you have purchased”[as churches teach through their ransom sacrifice].

venus

According to God’s own law, read from the context, it is Satan (not Jesus) who should have been crucified:

“If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime [Satan accused God of lying as He was allegedly withholding something good from humans], the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite [if Satan were to be found lying against God], then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil [Satan, not Jesus who is the symbol of sinlessness] from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Deuteronomy 19:16-21)

23

NWT support of John 1:1. Punching holes in it

by LevelThePlayingField in

this is what they have in the new world translation index 6a to support their version of john 1:1. they are not honest even to their own people.

they list the year of the bible, rendering, and source.

but there's only two sources that actually lend any type of support to their argument.

venus

Hi Vanderhoven7

I never knew this, and looked up the interlinear and found Thomas' statement as being literally: "ho theos mou" -- "the god of me"

Very interesting point which flatly refutes JW reasoning which plays with article such as "a" and "the."

20

Have you ever considered how bizarre the idea of "War in Heaven" really is?

by TerryWalstrom in

when you grow up and look back on childhood belief you have to laugh at how.

easter bunnies and santa were all too plausible for children because trusted adults who were otherwise unimpeachable sources of truth and reality assured and reassured kids.

why wouldn't they accept it?jehovah's witness kids didn't have santa, we had armageddon.only this morning i suddenly asked myself why i ever accepted the idea of a war in heaven as even remotely sane.

venus

When Jesus asked his listeners to "become like God" (Mathew 5:48) which is exactly what Satan supposedly told first human couple, he was in effect saying no such account as Satan leading a rebellion in garden of Eden has never been taken place which means the account of Satan is a later adoption.

The Greek word used in 1John 5:19 can mean both either wastefulness or a personification of wickedness.

5

Climbing Out of The Box

by Lost in the fog in

i have been reading the blog of bruce gerencser, a 61 year old evangelical pastor who moved on to being an atheist and humanist.

his description of climbing out of that box and the reasons why he did so will, i am sure, resonate with many of us on here.

https://brucegerencser.net/2015/02/danger-box-makes-sense/.

venus

Interesting statements about his life such as “The box I had lived in for almost 50 years was no longer large enough for me. When I was in the box it all made sense. It all fit. But now, outside of the box, at the bottom of the slippery hill, the things I once believed now seemed to be the strange language of an alien culture. I found myself saying, I can’t believe I actually believed.”

It is true that only when someone comes out of the box he would know what he believed was not believable at all such as:

Father elevating one child over others, one nation over others, crucifying Jesus instead of Satan, after seeing miracles such as parting of Red Sea and still going and worshiping calf, macro replica of which happened when Jesus did numerous miracles with no recipients coming for his help/defense nor for preaching work after his death …

51

Without god what is the basis of morality?

by OneEyedJoe in

i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?

my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?

" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.

venus

OrphanCrow,

Jeremiah renamed a priest "Terror on Every Side" because of the kind of persecution he received from him for doing good, testifies even the Bible. (Jeremiah 20:1-3)

51

Without god what is the basis of morality?

by OneEyedJoe in

i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?

my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?

" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.

venus

OrphanCrow,

Think of the time when religions were ruling supreme even with power to make/bless the coronation of emperors. Scientists like Galileo could not speak out the truth. In some places, if lower castes read the scriptures, they would receive very harsh punishment ... it goes on and on.

51

Without god what is the basis of morality?

by OneEyedJoe in

i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?

my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?

" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.

venus

Moral laws are such that those who practice them are benefited primarily. For example, if a shopkeeper returned the excess money you gave him unconsciously, you would give him more business, and even give maximum publicity to his honest and unselfish behavior. God is not a factor that influences the choices people make (see how some of the religious leaders acting greedily). You will find even scriptures dishonoring God with their irrational stories. There are Scriptures that say God is omnipresent which would mean God is equally present in the victim and in the victimizer. Hence I would say religions dishonor God and exploit the credulous because of which atheism arose and serve as a deterrent against the excesses of religion. In this sense, I would even say atheism is the arrangement of God whether they are aware of this or not. Interestingly, according to scripture of another religion, the first and foremost quality out of 16 qualities of spiritual person, is fearlessness which is the very basis of atheists

32

This Article Won't Change Your Mind - Great Read

by cofty in

this article won’t change your mind - the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.

brilliant article in the atlantic by julie beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs.

it includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.. spoiler - she is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.. the article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.. link....

venus

Very interesting read. What I liked was this:

"There are facts, and there are beliefs, and there are things you want so badly to believe that they become as facts to you."