One reason:
For at least 100,000 years the average lifespan of humans was about 34 years, including the year 1900. A loving god? Really? Nonsense.
out of interest, and to formulate a cordial chat, would you give your top one reason for your belief or non belief?.
my foremost 'one reason' for non belief is:.
the historical evidence that provides an explination and timeline for how the modern religious doctrine's and dogma developed over time.. .
One reason:
For at least 100,000 years the average lifespan of humans was about 34 years, including the year 1900. A loving god? Really? Nonsense.
the unknown writer of the gospel of john put the following words in jesus' mouth, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.".
persuading countless generations that it is a virtue to believe incredible things on insufficient evidence, is one of religion's cleverest tricks.. the more incredible the claim; the more flimsy the evidence; the stronger the belief; the greater the virtue.. this is the exact opposite of how we operate in every other aspect of our lives.. rational people must demand objective evidence for everything they are asked to believe.
"extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence".. leaving the dogmatic claims of the watchtower is only a first step.
Snare,
Eloquently spoken: "Any claims beyond what we have evidence for are nothing more than that to me now, claims. Now I use evidence and critical appraisal to decide what is true for myself and it is the most freeing aspect of being a JW no more."
I've said this before on this site, but you said it much better. Thanks. The only thing I would add - and it is my only reason for being on here - is that there is a methodology for analyzing evidence and for constructing or dismantling thoughts, ideas, theories and beliefs. Lazy minded people, or those who have never learned how to use their mental faculties to explore, I mean really explore, data, events and words, remain trapped. If the passionate, caring atheists on this site could do one thing, I would imagine it would be that. Remove the mental fetters. You will be surprised what you find; you will like it. A lot.
Too many theists think we come on here to win arguments or show how smart we are. For me, nothing could be further from the truth.
i was outraged at this and had to post it.. http://jehovahswitnessreport.com/blog/jw-refuses-to-provide-wedding-stationery-to-gay-couple.
i think she is a hypocrite and i bet she sells her invites to fornicators, or does she ask them if they are having sex before marrige, before she takes their money?.
i was never like this when i was a jw, it's even more disturbing that she is going to ask her elders what to do.
Every magazine? Really? Every tv show? Really? Nothing like hysterical reactionary comments like this to let us all know where you stand, is there? I have seen a lot of movies recently, read a lot of magazines, lots of tv shows (although to qualify I don't have cable/dish/etc.) and I am completely missing out on this gay agenda thing. I just do not see it. But I suppose when you are obsessed with something you see what you want to see.
Replace these comments with "I do get my hackles up with the black agenda which is in every magazine, every TV show, ad nausem promoting the black lifestyle and using terms like "racist" against every mother's son who doesn't buy into the black lifestyle." I'm certain there were millions of AOWM in 1964 who were saying the same thing about the civil rights movement. My father was and still is one of these AOWM spouting the same hatred.
Imagine how gays feel about being overwhelmed with 'straight' and 'hetero' lifestyle ads, tv shows and movies. Or how blacks felt for decades by rarely if ever seeing anything but lily white representations of society in media.
Keep on talking haters. Keep on using ridiculous, immature, emotional, reactionary and hysterically irrational rationale. You are doing more to educate lurkers than we ever could.
this site , the people posting, and the ability to connect with them this way has really helped me in such a huge way i can't even express.. thank you for all your time, hard work, and kind efforts to keep this open and safe for all that come in here.. .
Ditto. I was out of the Borg for 20 years before I thought I had anyting to offer. I'm glad this site exists. Thanks Simon and Ms. Simon. And thanks LisaRose for your kind reminders about site protocol. (Ms. Simon?). I will try to behave better. But it's not my fault; I was drawn this way. I've talked to my therapist (me) about my deep seated need to be a wise ass. My therapist (again, me) tells me that I have to be true to myself but to tone it down some. I will try. ;-)
i was outraged at this and had to post it.. http://jehovahswitnessreport.com/blog/jw-refuses-to-provide-wedding-stationery-to-gay-couple.
i think she is a hypocrite and i bet she sells her invites to fornicators, or does she ask them if they are having sex before marrige, before she takes their money?.
i was never like this when i was a jw, it's even more disturbing that she is going to ask her elders what to do.
Keyser,
Nice response to kiz. I'm continually amazed at how many narrow minded dumbasses there are on this site. I understand how and why they were attracted to the Borg; I'm at a loss sometimes to understand how they had enough sense to leave it. You can apparently take the Borgian out of the Borg but with some you can't take the Borg out of the Borgian. It's a shame too many didn't learn anything from the narrow minded, judgemental world of the Borg. These OPs always attract the same mindless responses from the Libertarians, the homophobes, the AOWM (redundant???) and the haters. But showing their stupidity helps the lurkers clarify issues from what some of you tell me, so I suppose letting them get the the keyboard serves a purpose.
Agenda? Really? Don't these dumbasses understand history? All movements from the oppressed or discriminated against have activists. Saying this one time should be enough for these dumbasses, but apparently they can't read or process data. The gay 'agenda' is similar to the black 'agenda' in the 60s and the women's 'agenda' early in the 20th Century, as has been noted repeatedly. And so on. A gay person has never ever attempted to force anything on me (views or other things). The dumbasses repeating these dumbass phrases as if they have meaning slay me. The dumbasses who attempt to justify or rationalize their hate also slays me.
There were lots of white haters sitting in front of their TVs in the '60s, watching MLK or others in the Civil Rights' Movent, and saying: "I'm sick and tired of the black agenda being forced down my throat." These dumbasses can't figure that out. Anyway, nice post Keyser.
obama speaks at us war cemetery on d-day landings anniversary.
"united states of america is and will remain the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known.".
on may 28, obama delivered a commencement address to the us armys newest officers at west point, where he argued america would remain an empire forever.. .
This OP should have died a very quick and painless death. Keeping it alive is sad. Posting something like this may get views from lurkers as desired by the OP, but some of those lurkers may work for agencies better known by letters of the alphabet. Sad.
i was outraged at this and had to post it.. http://jehovahswitnessreport.com/blog/jw-refuses-to-provide-wedding-stationery-to-gay-couple.
i think she is a hypocrite and i bet she sells her invites to fornicators, or does she ask them if they are having sex before marrige, before she takes their money?.
i was never like this when i was a jw, it's even more disturbing that she is going to ask her elders what to do.
3M.
I already knew the Libertarian stance. Mr. Holmes, after his hysterical reactionary comments, simply copied and pasted resposnes from Libertarian/Tea Party sites/commentary.
As Steve points out, your views are racist and hate filled. This isn't about political views; it is about hate. The courts are stating that discrimination based on persuasion is no different than discrimination based on race. And they are right. Nicely worded 'arguments' mean nothing to me 3M. It is hate. Cloak it as you wish and waste your words on yourself. In the US Constitutional/Economic world in which we live, discriminating against someone, refusing to serve someone, based on race, religion, etc., and persuasion is not within your rights. You may wish it so in the Libertarian nirvana, but you have no rights to do so in a democratic constitution such as exists in the US and most W countries. The courts are finally getting around to addressing an oversight.
Based on your views you think it acceptable to refuse service to blacks.
humankind has for centuries sought truth outside of themselves.
the soupmix of teaching ,ideas,philosophies and religious dogma had failed to see that the truth is within and if we seek ,knock and ask we find it within us.
the truth is that we are all light and pure love and that is buried deep within alll the layers upon layers which are being stripped away to reveal the true inner self .
Cassuk,
I for one would appreciate it if you would take your ministry elsewhere. Why do so many ex-Dubs and others come on here insulting many of us with their own interpretation of all things religious/god? As if we all shouldn't have gotten our fill - forever - of individuals and organizations trying to tell us they have the truth, the light, the answer and the correct interpretation. This is all utter nonsense, dude. That some respond to you as if you have something they need is more pathetic than what you are trying to do.
the truth is within you and god himself teaches us all the truth.we cannot find it in a building or religion.
the fusion between humankind and god was sealed by messiah in the 1st century.
until many recognise the kingdom within there will always be divsions,confusion, etc etc.
Is this a joke?
i was outraged at this and had to post it.. http://jehovahswitnessreport.com/blog/jw-refuses-to-provide-wedding-stationery-to-gay-couple.
i think she is a hypocrite and i bet she sells her invites to fornicators, or does she ask them if they are having sex before marrige, before she takes their money?.
i was never like this when i was a jw, it's even more disturbing that she is going to ask her elders what to do.
MMM,
You are entitled to your opinion, just as you are entitled to be wrong. The courts have rightly determined that you and your kind are wrong, and this isn't simply a US phenomenon. You are in the minority and growing smaller with each passing day. Rant on with your ridiculous rationale. You are simply trying to cloak your hatred behind faulty rationale, just like all of the other AOWM who aren't happy unless the world looks as they desire it: white, male, entitled with everyone else falling distinctly beneath them in the pecking order.
Your 'rationale' (and I am being kind) has been completely obliterated on this post and others like it. There isn't and never has been an 'argument' to support this type of hate. Your pathetic attempts to support your continued hatred of those not like you or for whom you have disgust is transparent to the vast majority of those on this site, the majority in this country and in the rest of the developed world. You are T-Rex short for the world. And I am glad.