looking for simple messages that will appeal to locals in anti-witness campaign.
or if not downloadable ones - how about tracts that can be ordered from the publisher.. not wanting complicated or pro-christian ones, just something simple to make people not show interest in the 'truth'.. anyone?.
jeff
Crazy. Stuff like this only makes JWs more determined than ever to keep the faith. "Anti-witness campaigns" sound all to much like some Rutherfordian tactic just from the opposite point of view.
Individual Witnesses are in no real harm, and some of them might live better lives if they just stay right where they are. Those that want out will find that road on their own. That's what I did.
B.
st. augustine speculated that god exists outside of time.
this viewpoint would seem to make sense in our modern understanding of physics since time is dependent upon space; time is not an absolute, and it is not linear.
god, according to augustine and other theologians, sees all of history as one eternal present moment.
St. Augustine speculated that God exists outside of time. This viewpoint would seem to make sense in our modern understanding of physics since time is dependent upon space; time is not an absolute, and it is not linear. God, according to Augustine and other theologians, sees all of history as one eternal present moment. Of course, I can understand the concept, but I cannot understand what this really means, what it really feels like, just as I can't really understand what it means that time is space dependent, or that time slows down as one approaches the speed of light.
My question, though, is this: If God created the angels -- including the angel who became the Devil -- did he do this outside of time as well? Are the angels -- and the Devil -- in time or outside of time? If they are in time, what sense of time? Time as it is perceived by us humans living on a planet of such-and-such size travelling at such-and-such speed, hence creating a certain quality of time? (Which would imply he created them on this planet -- which doesn't make sense). Or some other "realm" of sorts in time?
Or, what if God created them outside of time. That would mean that they too experience all of eternity as one gigantic NOW. If so, in what way could it be said that a certain angel became the Devil (as this would imply a linear progression in time towards sin and rebellion)?
I'm not saying I believe in any of this, nor am I asking for silly comments like "it's all bullshit, don't waste your time." I can come up with that answer myself. I'm looking for a serious discussion here.
B.
at long last i feel i have come to a great spiritual truth: the human ego stands as an impediment towards self-realization and must be obliterated, or at least diminished.
i have seen this as a running thread throughout many of the readings i have done -- from buddha and shankara to meister eckhart to arch-skeptic and atheist dr. albert ellis, the idea is to get beyond this concept of i. .
what freedom this could be!
Terry,
Have you read much of Ayn Rand? Your philosphy and her's are similar indeed.
Did you know that Martin Gardner once called himself a "Platonic mystic"? If you don't know who Martin Gardner is, shame on you.
B.
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
I just wanted to add that you like just like the Great Teacher in your avatar, Little Toe. "Bring the young children to me..."
B.
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
Little Toe,
I didn't say that most Christians feel they are "worthy" of Grace, only that humanity is in a special position. And, in a sense, they are obviously "worthy" of Grace from God, otherwise he would not give it.
(I've been in a very Christian frame of mind ever since the Pope died. Strange).
B.
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last twenty-four hours and think I've come to some hypotheses why so many Christians -- even many "liberal" ones -- find evolution so hard to believe.
I don't think it is really the matter of literal interpretations of the Bible. In a sense, no Christian is a literalist. Even many "fundamentalist" Evangelicals will say that the "fires" of hell are symbolic of eternal seperation from God, or something to that effect.
If not Biblical literalism, what is the reason why evolution is not readily accepted in Christian circles? The reason, I speculate, is not so much theological, but psychological.
Central to the Christian faith is the idea of a personal God. In other words, a God who takes a personal interest in you. By extension, it could be said that God takes a personal, special interest in the human species. Darwinian evolution, on the other hand, seems to imply that there really is nothing special about the human species, or any species. We are the products of chance and necessity through natural selection.
This view of human's "non-specialness" would imply, by extension, that there is nothing special about you as a person. (For if there is nothing special about our species, there certainly can't be anything special about you)
Now, if I was a Christian (which I am not) I would argue that God, existing outside of time, can still look upon the human race -- and individuals of our species -- as "special" even if the process used in the creation was, from a human, finite point of view, nothing special.
Discuss.
Bradley
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
Terry,
I didn't like your comment about Sigmund Freud. Little "Ziggy" had some nutty ideas (e.g., penis envy) but was also a genius. His ideas about the unconscious are making somewhat of a comeback. There was a Scientific American article about this about a year ago. If I had time, I'd look it up, but I have a math test in an hour.
As for sounding dogmatic: Don't worry. It's not the worth thing in the world. God loves all sinners.
B.
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
Mega,
I just read Scott Pecks book the other day. He's a great writer, but I have to admit I found his relunctance to question whether the two "demon-possesed women" were just suffering from multiple-personality disorder, or some other psychological illness, very offputting. Sometimes I wondered if he is just a little too over-the-top emotionally to really make valid psychological assesments.
Did you read the book? Your opinion?
B.
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
It seems persons who demand dogma are really very very insecure.
Terry, do you ever think you come across as dogmatic?
i have a question for anyone who is both christian and does not believe in evolution (natural selection, darwinian paradigm, call it what you will):.
how do you feel about christians who do believe in evolutionary theory?
keeping in mind that one of the great modern christian apologists, c.s.
Qcmbr,
As far as I'm aware God must use evolutionary processes at least after the flood (and therefore why not before) since there is no record of a second creation and certainly not enough room in the ark for even a small percentage of creatures - there aren't even enough people on the ark as traditionally understood to repopulate all the human races (including giants like Goliath)
This hypothesis of yours would mean new species evolving -- by theistic direction -- at a rate far, far, far faster than is thought by any modern evolutionist. And, if God would use evolution after the flood (which the Bible doesn't talk about at all) why not use it before?
What I do believe in however is that God does play with genetics and that it doesn't happen by chance - I think genetics is very like a clever computer code that is designed to adapt to give life its best chance.
Is God responsible for genetic defects as well?
