Posts by JamesThomas

26

Rational Buddhism?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

does a type of buddhism exist that doesn't include the metaphysical aspects of traditional buddhism?

.

JamesThomas

Cappy, what are you hoping to find under the rock of Buddhism?

18

my 10 year old son is paying attention at the meetings

by user100 in

the public talk on sunday was about evolution.. my son pointed out flaws in the speakers arguments during and after the meeting... mostly about how animals aren't able to communicate etc.

he even brought up coco the ape that is able to communicate via sign.. i told him that i heard a ton of inconsistencies but i am afraid to say anything because your mom will get angry :).

im glad he is paying attention.. and the school system must be doing something right..

Language, is only a tiny facet of communication within nature, but even still words (sounds) and gesture (sign language) are certainly not limited to humans. As far as I know apes, other mammals and birds use sounds and movements to communicate.

The mind is a wondrous and powerful tool, yet its tenacity towards complexity, imagination and story-telling, often seems to place us in our own little bubble feeling as if we are cut-off from nature. Most of nature is not cursed by such a 'bubble' and is more open or one with the rest of life and so communicates in ways we know not of.

This is a great opportunity to help open your dear son's mind by investigating with him into the many ways that we are discovering how nature communicates (something that could become a life's work with the end result probably offering far more questions than answers).

An open and curious mind is not an environment in which JW BS can easily thrive.

On another note, the speakers arrogance that gives rise to him trying so hard to separate himself from the rest of nature, is in my mind not far removed form the mind-set that allowed people to slaughter the native Americans as “Godless savages”. I find it deeply repugnant. We have infinitly more in-common with each-other and nature than not. If we spent our energies discovering what unites us and universe, then there would be no wars. But then Jehovah never stood for that did he. He was a divider and destroyer, not a uniter. How I ever actually believed in such a terrible creature, is beyond me.

18

my 10 year old son is paying attention at the meetings

by user100 in

the public talk on sunday was about evolution.. my son pointed out flaws in the speakers arguments during and after the meeting... mostly about how animals aren't able to communicate etc.

he even brought up coco the ape that is able to communicate via sign.. i told him that i heard a ton of inconsistencies but i am afraid to say anything because your mom will get angry :).

im glad he is paying attention.. and the school system must be doing something right..

JamesThomas

So, you are saying that the speaker implied that animals don't communicate???

What a painfully egomaniacal and tiny-minded statement that is. All nature, all animals, insects, fungus and plants communicate in some way. Everyday science is blown-away by discovering more of the communication that occurs. Even individual cells and bacteria communicate. Atoms communicate so that molecules can function as a coherent whole. Subatomic particles somehow pass information so that the atom remain stable. Hell, it seems that the entire universe is nothing but data and the transference and communication of that.

The only void seems to be in that particular speakers brain; and fortunately your dear son caught-on.

8

What's wrong with Christianity?

by eyefell4it2 in

i found this comment on a yahoo article re same sex marriage and i happen to agree with it and thought i would share it.

of course there are others that can be added if you specify what's wrong with jehovah's witnesses but i think this list is a good overview.

would anyone else care to add anything to this list or comment?

JamesThomas

If our eyes are even a little open it seem to be pretty clear and obvious that the Bible is nothing more than a mis-mash of beliefs, stories and concepts created by the confused and finite human mind.

I's as if the words “Holy Bible”, could suitably and correctly be interpreted to mean: if you are looking for ultimate-truth, for a message most auspicious and pure then, don't look here”.

Yet billion do; perhaps because it seems to so perfectly lull us back to sleep in the blanket of our own warm and familiar bewilderment.

16

Even if everything about the "truth" was all true...........

by pontoon in

i will say that one of the most distasteful teachings for me is the idea of praising, thanking, worshiping, god every day for all eternity.

what kind of ego needs that?

like if i ever saved a person's life i would say buy me a bottle of scotch and we'll call it even.

JamesThomas

Perhaps the root of what you are saying is that the worshipers of the Bible deity/God, are far, far more moral, wise, kind and compassionate than the repugnant idea of "God" to which they pay homage.

We have eyes, but can not see.

Forgive us for we know not what we do.

11

A Tutting of Christians

by andrekish in

a tutting of christians:.

a tutting of muslims:.

a tutting of jews:.

JamesThomas

tut

(pronounced as an alveolar click; spelling pron. tʌt)

also tut-tut,

interj., n., v. tut•ted, tut•ting. interj.

1. (used as an exclamation of contempt, disdain, impatience, etc.)

2. for shame!

24

The boy who came back from heaven (the book), a hoax.

by James Mixon in

jw
friends

oh really.

the boy was six year old when he said he was in heaven with the angels.

now he admit it was made up for attention..

JamesThomas

I certainly have the equivalent of a fanciful and imaginative six year old weaving illusory stories within my mind about who I am and who others are, and what “reality” is.

28

A Mind at War

by cappytan in

right now, i feel like my mind is at war with itself.. on the one side is reason, logic.. on the other is tradition, hope and fear.. reason and logic are challenging life-long beliefs.

they are telling me, "is this any more believable than the story of the lord of the rings?".

certain doctrines of my belief system are crumbling.. my mind still wants to hold on to the belief in a creator, his son jesus and the bible.

JamesThomas

Cappy,

Look closer at your own innate wisdom.

You are clearly aware that your mind is at war. So leave the battle for a while.

Perhaps meditation and getting in-touch with the silent feelings and sensations in your body. may help.

Many people find Eckhart Tolle's teachings supportive in this regard.

The mind is a dumping ground for anything and everything. It helps to be grounded in a healthy silence in order to efficiently sift through all the stuff.

2

Whoopsie

by Simon in

i was so proud of the optimizations i just did.

some of it optimized things so much it didn't even load the scripts !.

erm ... which may have stopped you posting.. sorry about that .

JamesThomas

Ya, this morning I was going to post and then something in my head said: "NO, DON'T DO THAT CAUSE YOU'LL JUST SAY SOME CRAZY THING!"

Is that what you mean?

5

2015 has an extra second is anyone afraid?

by truthseeker100 in

the year 2015 will have an extra second which could wreak havoc on the infrastructure powering the internet.. at 11:59 p.m. on june 30, clocks will count up all the way to 60 seconds.

that will allow the earth's spin to catch up with atomic time.. the earth's spin is gradually slowing down, by about two thousandths of a second per day, but atomic clocks are constant.

that means that occasionally years have to be lengthened slightly, to allow the slowing earth to catch up with the constant clock.. but last time it happened, in 2012, it took down much of the internet.

JamesThomas

Kinda like the Superman effect were he turned the earth backwards to save Lois Lane, only this time forward 1 second.

Makes sense to me.