Abaddon

Joined

• started 167 topics
• posted 5,219 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Abaddon

• 
  125

  The Hobbit and Evolution: So What's Up With That?

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  may you all have peace!.

  hubby and i happened to catch an episode of "nova" last night.

  fascinating stuff.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  You say; "it was not an attempt to discredit evolution".

  You also say "... several scientist/anthropologist/paleontologist admissions that there is actually very little known about... and in evidence to support... evolution."

  Which of those two statements is true dear?

  Because making contradictory statements like that WILL cause an argment, and that contradicts you saying: "I didn't make the thread to start an argument".

  Are you just stirring for the sake of it? Seems to me like you are just making a drama for the purposes of making a drama, and have ignored the responses made to you point regarding scientific and religious paradigms.

  I and others addressed this directly and it is discourious of you to ignore this and deceitful of you to say otherwise.

  To make it simpler:

  1/ Religious beliefs are not founded on evidence. This is why you have to use this thing called 'faith' to believe in them. Religious beliefs tend to deny the truth of other religous beliefs, yet have no stringent evidencary proof of either their own beliefs or the false nature of other religious beliefs.

  When a religion changes its beliefs it is not because of new evidence (it never had any anyway). It just means some theologian won an argument or because a political or socially expedient change was required.

  2/ Scientific theories are based on evidence. They are the 'best fit' to the evidence. New evidence can be found. This may mean that the theory changes so it remains the 'best fit' to the evidence. Rarely will this make a major difference - new fossils get discovered all the time but not ONE has disproved evolution.

  Pi and the mean force of gravity at sea level remain the same no matter who wins arguements or what society or politicians think.

  With less clear cut areas where the evidence requires more interpretation, there are scientific arguements. But no reputable biological scientist doubts we share a common ancestor with chimpanzees, and to say "... several scientist/anthropologist/paleontologist admissions that there is actually very little known about... and in evidence to support... evolution." is a gross distortion.

  But then, it seems you would not know 'evidence' if it bit you, eh?

  "There is NO EVIDENCE that directly links human evolution. None."

  "In the same vein, there IS evidence of a fairly global, if not fully global flood."
• 
  30

  Why This Atheist Respects the Jehovah's Witnesses-And why other Atheists should too!

  by RaustBD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm an atheist, and i'd like to take some time to talk about why i hold a great deal of respect for the jehovah's witnesses, and some words of encouragement that may put an end to the ridicule and disrespect you seem to get from, well, all sorts of people.. .

  i never gave this kind of criticism a second thought: i knew nothing about you, and i figured you were just another fringe group of christianity.

  i now feel terrible about this, and i wish to apologize for my (admittedly never spoken) disrespect.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  I have to ask; do you genuinely believe that or is this a trojan horse of an argument? Not that you'd tel me if it was, but your reply would be illuminating never-the-less.
• 
  13

  Why we laugh at the Christian Right.

  by whereami in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you just want to slap her silly.

  the end will come if these people get there man in the white house.. .

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v17wgtvphgg.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  Christian right is an oxymoron with added morons
• 
  125

  The Hobbit and Evolution: So What's Up With That?

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  may you all have peace!.

  hubby and i happened to catch an episode of "nova" last night.

  fascinating stuff.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  Believing in evolution with the exception of human evolution is like believing in the internal combustion engine with the exception of the Chevy V8.

  You seem to be profoundly unaware of how science works.

  Since people made up various religious texts, others have been produced denying the veracity of those that proceeded them. However, none of them can prove themselves to be true or others to be untrue.

  Scientific theories arise because of a burden of evidence supporting them. Sometimes new evidence causes refinement, revision. Please note I use 'theory' in the sense of 'gravity', not 'string'; the later is more if a hypothesis.

  When new evidence appears, it can take a while and oft times some argument - not always dignified - until there is a consensus of what it means and how it impacts the understanding of whatever field of science it falls under.

  I could go into detail about the decade-long bitchfest that is the 'out of Africa' and 'multi-regionalism' debate about our origins. For a long time the Afria lobby held the winning cards, but now new genetic methods are finding traces of H. neanderthalis and H. denisovius (sp?) ancestry in H. sap (us) X chromosomes, which kind of hints H. erectus evolved into the above regionalised humans before a further wave of H. erectus descendants (in this case H. sapiens) rolled out of Africa and displaced them with some admixture.

  H. florensis is a sideshow, albeit an interesting one.

  It in no way, shape or form puts into doubt that around 5 million years ago there were primates who were the ancestors of us AND chimpanzees.

  There is proof of this in our bones, in our genes, and in the ground (i.e. fossils).

  Feel free to question things though; however, given your level of education about evolution and you desire to believe in things not supported by evidence, you will be liable to error and rushing off to conclusions that fit your prexisting desire to not believe in human evolution.

  If you really wanted, you could study the subject.

  Anyway, I didn't make the thread to start an argument, truly. I only wanted to show that even "science" doesn't always agree... or know. Even when they say they do.
• 
  15

  Goodness gracious me...

  by Abaddon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people,.

  well, i kicked the jwd habit a few years back, but idle curiosity and a long daily commute got me sniffing around the other day, and after trying every possible password i have ever used i get back in.... it's been long time everyone... cannot believe that, give or take a tiny bit, everything (and everyone) is the same.

  some new names, some missing... has anything major happened in dubbieland or xdubbieland?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  AH debates with theists, those were the days... kinda like smoking too much weed... fun in its own way but doesn't really get much accomplished.

  Mind you, I used to be an atheist... but now, I know I am god...

  I definatey remember you Mouthy, and FlyingHighNow... weren't you in a film Keyser?

  Saw a Louis Theroux documentary when he went (for the second time) to see the nutbags at Wetboro Baptist... he met up with two young women who have left since his first visit

  .

  One looked like she was doing Cult Decompresion 1.01 (kinda cool rock chick thing going on, mmmhmm), but had it by the numbers; it was all about the ego of the members, no sign of guilt, called it a cult. The other was still obviously mourning the loss of contact with her family, poor dear, and is still in shadows I think.

  Reason I mention it is, that if you think about it, the JWs started off on a similar track with Rutherford, very confrontational... their coniving utilisation and subjegation of women, their compacent self-satisfaction and conviction of rectitude, their utter drabness... even the freaking KH's look like Westboro's church...
• 
  15

  Goodness gracious me...

  by Abaddon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people,.

  well, i kicked the jwd habit a few years back, but idle curiosity and a long daily commute got me sniffing around the other day, and after trying every possible password i have ever used i get back in.... it's been long time everyone... cannot believe that, give or take a tiny bit, everything (and everyone) is the same.

  some new names, some missing... has anything major happened in dubbieland or xdubbieland?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  Hi people,

  Well, I kicked the JWD habit a few years back, but idle curiosity and a LONG daily commute got me sniffing around the other day, and after trying every possible password I have ever used I get back in...

  It's been LONG time everyone... cannot believe that, give or take a tiny bit, everything (and everyone) is the same. Some new names, some missing... has anything major happened in Dubbieland or xDubbieland? What do you mean Armagedon came already? Shit, was I asleep or something?

  Don't get me wrong, JWD (and Tash's place before, Hi RedHorseWoman, I think we're the only one's left from off there) helped me lots back in the day...

  ... but I gotta say, continual reinforcement of identifying myself as an xJW is something I was glad to get out of the habit of doing. I miss it as much as I miss being a pothead. But then some of you oldies probably have a more balanced approach to life and don't turn it up all the way and rip the knobs off, LOL.

  Simon; iOS access to the Board; sort it out mate or Steve Jobs will smite you, yay, verily.
• 
  23

  Dating a Disfellowshipped Chick

  by SonoftheTrinity in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i'm this orthodox christian dating a disfellowshipped jw chick.

  my priest says there's hope because she's been disfellowshipped and to give it 6 months.

  one minute says she wants to become a citizen, the next minute i tell her that if she does that as an american i would expect her to salute the flag and especially vote if she naturalizes, and then she talks about going back to her own country!!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  SonoftheTrinity

  Respect to you for taking advice as it's intended

  I'm not meaning to be controlling but shouldn't a new citizen give at least the minimum, their vote, JW or not?

  You might think so, but she needn't agree. Nor is it actually that important at this stage in her recovery.

  You hit the money where you say you're used to debate and she isn't; what to you might be cheerful debate might to her be you telling her there's only one way. I debate like a propeller and know sometimes I can come across like 'this is right and nothing else is' even if I don't actually really think that.

  I was brought up to believe that the people that didn't vote were what was wrong with this country, especially if they were naturalized and didn't vote. Being nice and respecting the laws isn't enough, getting your hands dirty by voting and marching in protests for whatever you believe in is how you keep your country free. I know people who come from other countries often have an even more cynical view of politics.

  And you're perfectly free to have that opinion. She will not be as free to have that opinion for a while as she's been in a mind controlling cult where black pudding and voting were both BAD. Just because she's now out doesn't mean she can over come that programming easily or quickly

  I try to engage her about these things and she won't debate me! Why don't JWs debate, without debate, there would be no civilization!!!

  Her opinons in some area were never based on facts or reason.

  An opinion that is not based on fact or reason is very hard to overcome with facts or reason.

  without debate, there would be no civilization!!!

  That statement gets me as close to kissing a practising male Orthodox Christian as I ever am likely to. I hear you brother!

  (nothing against males or practising Orthodox Christians, just I don't normally agree with them so much I want to kiss them!
• 
  23

  Dating a Disfellowshipped Chick

  by SonoftheTrinity in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i'm this orthodox christian dating a disfellowshipped jw chick.

  my priest says there's hope because she's been disfellowshipped and to give it 6 months.

  one minute says she wants to become a citizen, the next minute i tell her that if she does that as an american i would expect her to salute the flag and especially vote if she naturalizes, and then she talks about going back to her own country!!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  You need to find someone who agrees with you, not someone who will do what you say.

  Last thing she needs coming out of a controlling cult is a controlling life partner; you'd both be miserable.
• 
  9

  How sinister is this? If you thought you knew how bad GM food was...

  by Mr Ben in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  scary, very scary.

  http://www.mercola.com/future-of-food.

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  This guy takes 50% fact and 50% unproven speculation and weaves it into a deceptive mix that is utterly convincing to most people without a science education.

  So, yes, that is sinister. He could quite probably persuade people to do something really stupid, but only those who wouldn't realise they were doing something really stupid because they were deceived by his smooth patter; let's not forget that he is also making money out of sick people.

  He distrusts vaccination (remind you of the JW's) and advocatesm people who believe in 'healing angels' describing one as a 'master energy therapist of energy psychology'.

  I stopped listning to segment one of the video after two major deceptive or contradictory arguments were used in it.

  Oh. I personally believe anyone moaning about GM food who owns a dog like a Peke that has been so distorted by 'genetic modification' it isn't fit to survive should be chained to a lampost and laughed at,
• 
  58

  TRAGEDY ; YOUNG JW MOTHER DIES AFTER GIVING BIRTH

  by stay young and beautiful in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7078455.stm .

  a young mother has died after giving birth to twins, following claims that she had refused a blood transfusion because of her faith.

  jehovah's witness, emma gough, 22, from telford, shropshire, gave birth on 25 october.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Abaddon

  tijkmo

  how is this different from non jws who are prepared to sacrifice their lives for other causes they believe in...like their families or their country

  Sometimes those (non-JW) people make an informed choice giving their life up. Because a JW is in a high control group, they cannot be said to have informed choice.

  and if we choose to believe evolution then surely someone dying young only serves to reinforce the concept that he/she wasn't fit to survive.

  If she were making a free choice then, yes, the level of stupid in the gene pool would decrease. But she was not making a free choice so she is not involved in anyform of selection, natural or otherwise.

  Why do we care? Because we have compassion, for her, for the peope in Darfur, for Indian kids working in sweatshops making GAP clothes. We can imagine what it might be like to be in their shoes and wish they weren't either.

  i'm still not convinced that blood saves any better than good medicine and blind luck.

  Well, it would seem your medical knowledge is at the same level as your knowledge of evolutionary biology, so you not being convinced about it means nothing for a given value of nothing. It's like a carpenter saying he's not convinced about the value of GPS in marine navigation.

  You're asking questions that have really obvious ommisions of reasoning or answers. Either you don't realise this or you're building up to making some hopefully clever point by being delibertely obtuse and emotive. If you really think you're not being emotive you need to think about the reaction your pattern of questions will cause; it's an emotive reaction. You see I don't think you're as dumb as you're making out... what's your point?