God, I hope not.
Religion is a toxic drug.
Posts by donkey
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60Will science ever replace religion?
by onacruse infirst, there've been some really good threads here lately...i've been somewhat pre-occupied with a rather laborious personal project, so i haven't been able to engage myself in your conversations as much as i'd otherwise like; but i like to watch .
but, to the point: recently, scott atran (anthropologist, author of in gods we trust, and now working with the national center for scientific research in paris, and at the university of michigan) gave an interview in discover magazine.
the topic was "the surprises of suicide terrorism," but the concluding question (and answer) was what struck me most:.
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The Holographic Universe - Question for Skeptics
by Sirona inon the recommendation of "particlesandwaves" in another thread i'm reading the book "the holographic universe" by michael talbot.
the general theory is described here http://www.earthportals.com/hologram.html.
its fascinating.
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donkey
Sirona,
First off enjoy Sagan's book. It is one of my favorites.
On the matter of the Holographic Universe: if it is all just a holograph where is the button I can push that will flood my bank account?
Jokes aside, let's assume that this true and factual and the universe is holographic and materialism is not the end all. Thus we would have to conclude that persons who had their prefrontal cortex severed and were thus cured of their "vision" via lobotomy have either left the hologram or lost the gift to observe it. Do mind altering drugs allow us to see other parts of the holograph or do they just mess up the abusers internals?
You know what? I hope there truly exists a paranormal universe. It would change/add meaning to life for skeptics like me. But then why is that in almost 100% of the cases when scientists examine paranormal claims is the outcome always explained by some other effect - a material one? Sure there have been some unexplained events, but why do humans immediately leap to the "it's paranormal" explanation? History has shown that other events that were previously attributed to paranormal suddenly become explicble by the advances of materialistic study in science.
Sorry I am such an ass...
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31
I've arrived here seemingly by providence...heh heh.
by boa inits my first post and i don't really know where to start, there been so much on my mind.
i've been reading threads on this site like crazy and obtained a copy of coc from the library yesterday.
i stayed up until 4am reading it, and i'm impressed with the way it was written - its just like reading a w only the subject matter is a little different hehe.. i'll break myself in gently with this site over time but basically a few things about me are: born in a jw family, baptized as a young teen, 1 yr aux pio, several yrs as reg pio, 1 year as 'special' full time pio at bethel.
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donkey
Hi Boa
Welcome to the board.
I'snt it amazing how when we finally ALLOW OURSELVES to do nothing more than ask some simple questions our whole life can change? I was chastised for doing that on more than one occasion. Questions imply doubt according to the WT. To everyone else on the planet they are a necessary part of ediucation and growth.
Right now you seem to find yourself questioning the "truth". Please keep allowing yourself to keep doing so and also allow yourself to question things you "accept but cannot prove" also. I cherish every rationalist who walks the earth - there aren't many.
Jack
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Shaky Basis for Beliefs
by donkey ini am constantly amazed at believers.
they are impossible to argue/reason with as their basis for their positions is not founded on logic but on desire and emotion.. for instance, i was having lunch with a colleague and the subject of human cloning came up.
we spoke specifically of the south korean scientists who have now cloned human embryos for the purpose of stem cell extraction.
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donkey
I am constantly amazed at believers. They are impossible to argue/reason with as their basis for their positions is not founded on logic but on desire and emotion.
For instance, I was having lunch with a colleague and the subject of Human Cloning came up. We spoke specifically of the South Korean scientists who have now cloned human embryos for the purpose of stem cell extraction. He said he was dead set against this. Of course I asked him: ?Why??
His response: ?Because it is abortion?.
I asked him: ?J*** you are religious and I know you believe that those who are saved go to heaven. But what happens to babies who are aborted ? since they have not had a chance to accept Jesus and become saved??
?Why they go to heaven of course?, he responded.
?Well then if that is true then by aborting them we are ensuring that they never have a chance to reject God and thus end up in hell?, I countered. ?Why is that an issue? If I could be guaranteed of going to heaven I would take the guarantee?.
By this time his demeanor had changed considerably and muttered something like: ?we can?t play God?, which I considered an admission of defeat in the short debate. We changed the subject and enjoyed the rest of our meal.
This is just one case in point, though. I am constantly amazed at what people base their lives on and the systems they use to control their lives (even being willing to die for these illogical systems). Others tell me that we cannot use human logic to understand or explain these issues since they have to do with God. I reject that argument because I am a human. If God created me as a human then my human instincts and human intellects are the tools he has bestowed me with. I have never seen any claims of God asking us to be anything other than human ? have you?
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donkey
Bush and the democrats are just the same...they both overspend.
It is mental masturbation to think there is any difference or that your vote makes any difference. Further with the electoral college those living in states with high polarised voting in the direction of one particular party - your individual vote is a complete waste of time.
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53
Are you a people person or a loner?
by Strawberryfieldsforever ini've heard that there are people who thrive on being with people.
they gain energy from it.
then there are the loners who gain energy from being alone.
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donkey
Nothing is absolute but I am mostly a loner.
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30
Money and career tips for EX-JWs....
by logansrun init's a safe bet that if you were raised as a jw, or if you came into it early in life, you have some strange ideas about money and finances.
the wt for decades made even minimal post-secondary education utterly taboo and only recently has capitulated that "some" extra schooling might be neccessary (associate degrees good, bachelors degrees bad).
the average youth raised a jw has little understanding of investment due to the apocalyptic worldview of the organization (why invest in a dying system when the big "a" is right around the corner?).
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donkey
How do you know I'm not rich?
I have no idea if you are rich or if you aren't - my post was not directed at anyone in particular. Sorry if you took it that way - no offense intended.
It amazed me how many dubs during the stock market bubble all of a sudden became experts. From window washers to garbage haulers they were all getting their series 7 licenses and passing themselves off as financial experts to the other dubs - mostly selling crap like annuities and the like. So many of those who were taken advantage of are now quite bitter but they can't sue their brothers.
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Money and career tips for EX-JWs....
by logansrun init's a safe bet that if you were raised as a jw, or if you came into it early in life, you have some strange ideas about money and finances.
the wt for decades made even minimal post-secondary education utterly taboo and only recently has capitulated that "some" extra schooling might be neccessary (associate degrees good, bachelors degrees bad).
the average youth raised a jw has little understanding of investment due to the apocalyptic worldview of the organization (why invest in a dying system when the big "a" is right around the corner?).
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donkey
Yes, you really did misunderstand my thread. Somewhere between scraping by and getting rich is what I'm talking about.
Good points so far from everyone else.
Sorry - I guess I need a better education then.
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Money and career tips for EX-JWs....
by logansrun init's a safe bet that if you were raised as a jw, or if you came into it early in life, you have some strange ideas about money and finances.
the wt for decades made even minimal post-secondary education utterly taboo and only recently has capitulated that "some" extra schooling might be neccessary (associate degrees good, bachelors degrees bad).
the average youth raised a jw has little understanding of investment due to the apocalyptic worldview of the organization (why invest in a dying system when the big "a" is right around the corner?).
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donkey
Money and career tips...
The point of both is to get rich so that you need not have the career in order to earn money. What you do for fun when you have enough is up to you.
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Headline: "Jesus returneth, stumbles"
by SixofNine injune 25, 2004 .
fellow christians, .
the second-coming of jesus christ was a magnificent and joyous day for all.
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donkey
If Jesus is half the man you say he is then he surely could come twice...