Posts by Abaddon

111

I REALLY DON'T CARE...............................

by Warlock in

i believe in god, but i also realize he may not exist.. if you don't believe in god, i really don't care, i'm just curious.. i don't have this need to start threads like "why you must believe in god", or other such nonsense, but some of you still have this "control" issue that you thought you left in the org.

it seems like you must still try to control what others think.

"think like me, or you are an idiot.

Abaddon

Warlock

Why do some of you non-believers have this starving need to tell others why they should not believe in God?

Because we see people believing in god for silly reasons that do not stand up to examination, or having silly beliefs about god that do not stand up to examination, or as funky points out, telling big fat lies even if only through ignorance.

"I believe in the Lord God because Jesus appeared to me, and I know we have to follow the Bible as God's literal word because it is true and accurate"

- is a good example of the kind of slack-jawed nonsense some people come up with.

Obviously a person who thinks this assumes;

All other visions by all other people of all other entities are false
All other visions by all other people of the same entity saying something contradictory are false

They thus place themselves in a special group yet are unable to provide any data that differentiates their paranormal experience from others they reject as false. This is not just silly, it is vain, delusional and often dangerous to other's liberty or happiness.

A person believing the above example to be true also obviously assumes almost everything we know about the world around is is wrong. Even though science works quite well with light bulbs, Space Shuttles, computers, nuclear power, brain surgery, etc., the minute the Bible contradicts it the Bible is true and science is false. They have no evidence to support such claims and ignore the evidence showing how silly their claims are for the most ludicrous of reasons.

Now, I admit the example given above is of the sort of religious person many other religious people run screaming from, but this is the sort of religious person that much of the "why they should not believe in God" stuff is directed at, because they believe in ideas of god that are just plain silly, offensive, or downright dangerous, and it's fun to play slap the fundy.

Most of the religious people here have far more liberal ideas about god, and would neither claim exclusivity of divine revelation or sole accurate interpretation. As they don't behave like idiots or believe idiotic things they don't get treated like idiots.

However, they get their feathers ruffled; invariably when you attack silly unreasonable beliefs in god some people who retain vauge beliefs in god feel their faith is under attack, even though their sort of faith (inoffensive and vague) is not under attack.

They're not really under fire; I could care less if someone believes in a non-sexist, non-homophobic, non-racist god who isn't an irrational unfair monster, or if they believe god made things the way they are but that it used the processes we see evidence for rather than magic.

I don't know why people in this category feel under fire when it is really the lowest form of Fundy or irrational idiot who IS actually under fire. Maybe it is because they have to rely on faith? And when you attack the beliefs of a Fundy Christian or Muslim, unfundy Christians or Muslims do not have hard evidence to support their beliefs, only a different species of belief to that held by their Fundy coreligionist.

Now, answer me this;

Why do certain religious people (group A, i.e. modern liberal belief) feel compelled to defend other religious people (group B) against having their beliefs questioned even if there is a vast difference between group A and group B's beliefs, often to such an extent that group B would say that group A are not proper believers?

I think secular people (group C) and many believers in god (group A again) have FAR more in common in terms of their beliefs about how one should act towards their fellow man and how society should work than those in group B (the fundies).

Yet group A and B stick together even when A and C would make better partners.

Why? I can speculate, but I'd like religious people's take on it.

6

Question about profanity...

by Confession in

i noticed the "terms of use" prohibits us from posting anything "profane.

" i want to post the letter i'm writing to my 20 year old daughter as she leaves home for the first time this week, and it contains a couple of words that--although used properly--are certainly considered profane.

i'm quite certain i've seen others post some of these words, used in a non-violent or threatening way.

Abaddon

'Rude' words are not in themselves banned, but rather the use of them in a rude way.

For example;

I went to a party, if was fucking amasing!!

A 'rude' word used in a non-rude fashion where 'fucking' is functioning as an adjective.

They are fucking pathetic

A 'rude' word used in an insulting fashion, i.e. in a profane way.

If the rule means something different then they need to chose a word other than profane; 'god' can be used in a profane fashion, for example.

13

Is Satan a hypocrite or the biggest sinner of all?

by The Dragon in

did jesus come to save sinners or hypocrites?.

if satan admits he is the biggest sinner of all....is he to be saved or destroyed with the hypocrites of self-proclaimed holy people?.

or saved with the sinners?.

Abaddon

Yeah, you missed out option three, which is that Satan is a fictional character

57

Is JWD a healthy place to be for those who have left the Watchtower?

by AK - Jeff in

everyday, that i read, write, think and talk about the watchtower society makes me think whether or not i have really left it for good.. .

i fail to see the good in reliving the past in this way.

the discussion board features individuals that have 3 to 6 years on the board and individuals who have left the organization more.

Abaddon

Jeff

Your friend seems to exclude the possibility that peoples continuing presense here is not all about them.

Some certainly still suffer actively from their involvement with the JW's years after and get help with it here.

Others may no longer do it to learn or heal; it may be simply a laugh, socialisation with those of the same ilk (entirely normal as like attracts like), and maybe even to help out a neewb from time to time.

Thus the continued presense of many is not a sign that they haven't really left, but a sign that they care about their past whilst still having a full present.

23

When a Friend is Driving Drunk. What to do????

by horrible life in

jw
friends

last night, a small group ( about 8 ) of teenagers gathered to go watch the meteor showers.

a young man, known to all, drove up, asking what was going on.

they told him they were talking about where was the best place to go watch.

Abaddon

Kudos for taking well-meant advice well

23

When a Friend is Driving Drunk. What to do????

by horrible life in

jw
friends

last night, a small group ( about 8 ) of teenagers gathered to go watch the meteor showers.

a young man, known to all, drove up, asking what was going on.

they told him they were talking about where was the best place to go watch.

Abaddon

Five of the teenagers did the smart but easy thing; ignore the a'hole.

Two did the smart and brave thing; call him on it

One did what I'd expect my daughter to do; call me (hopefully after calling HIM on it)

You dropped the ball; sorry, but there it is. You even wimped on calling his granny.

Unless they were close enough I knew calling granny would result in a more rapid and far more unpleasent reaction than calling the cops, I'd have called the cops.

It's 'nice' that you showed regard to his future, but as he showed none to either his or other people's futures, you extended him a courtesy he doesn't grant others.

One amusing ad-hoc punishment for someone who is reisting attempts to stop them going to their car drunk is to have someone go and let their tyres down (all of 'em) whilst final persuation is attempted. Watching someone change a tyre drunk is a laugh, especially if they are so drunk they don't notice they are all flat first...

... and in above scenario if final persuation does work, in the morning knowing that people were so convinced you were going to drive drunk they let all your tyres down is a sobering wake-up.

75

Not allowed to sleep over - is that weird?

by collegegirl21 in

okay, so my guy and i have been together for 10 months and we usually are ok together.

but there is something that has been getting to me and i think its unusual, but please correct me if i'm wrong - he won't let me sleep over at his house.

and he hardly ever stays at my house, he's maybe stayed here 3 times in our whole relationship.

Abaddon

Hey collegegirl,

Having been a collegeboy and been out with collegegirls and had friends who were collegegirls I'd say the following;

Most girls at college go out with at least some guys who are not worth wasting the time on. They do this either because they feel bad about themselves, even if this is only to the extent of doubting their ability to enjoy life without a boyfriend until they find another guy worth spending time with in that way or their ability to attract such a guy, or because they are with a guy who sucks them so far into their own psychodrama the girl can't see they're asting their time anymore.

Someone who confuses sleeping over (just plain old manners) to commitment is not worth wasting time on. Not sleeping over (for no reason) is one step removed from leaving cash on the pillow.

Someone who has the gall to call you on being insecure when they have a psychological condition (the OCD stuff) is not worth wasting time on.

I think you will discover more about yourself away from this guy; you're not responsible for his life being the best it could, only for your life being the best it can be, and I don;t think it can be with your current guys unless he sorts his act out.

Realise that most guys your age are about five years less mature than you simply because they have testicles. Realise that you don't HAVE to have a boyfriend, and that not having a boyfriend is NOT THE SAME as being celibate. Realise the more guys you have experience of (and I don't just mean sexually), the better choices you will make where guys are concerned as you will be able to better differentiate between time wasters and keepers; you will also know better in practise what kind of guy suits you better - this might be different from what you think/have thought.

Number of female friends I have seen spending months, even years, trying to turn a sows ear into a silk purse I cannot even begin to count. You are young, cut your lossses early and have some fun.

19

A few questions for the Brits!

by smellsgood in

jw
friends

so, have i heard right?

do you guys get free health, dental care?

including like, orthodontia, braces which cost roughly $5,000 w/o insurance in the americas, usually half with?

Abaddon

Do you guys get free health,

Yes. If you are working you pay "National Health Insurance", so it isn't actually 'free', just a National Heath Service. In Holland (where I now live) it's the same; if you're working a fee of about $115 covers you for all essential health care and far more. What distiniguishes the Dutch and British sysems from the US is that those on no or limited incomes can walk into an ordinary hospital and get the same service they would as if they ad been working. Those on normal incomes with big medical costs will almost always get the treatment they need.

As it is a public service, cutting edge treatments or very expensive drug therapy is sometimes not available in the UK unless it meets certain cost-benefit requirements. This nomally only hits the elderly and those who will probably die anyway as it is considered better to improve the quality of life of those with many years left than those with few years left (if a choice has to be made due to limited funds), but then again, you can go private.

dental care? Including like, Orthodontia, braces which cost roughly $5,000 w/o insurance in the Americas, usually half with?

Not sure about Orthodontics; I think maybe if you are on a limited income you get this free/subsidised. Basic dental work is subsidised, check-ups are free (I think).

Are your tuition fees below 2,000 pounds? I saw a bit on the BBC World where Students were PROTESTING fees "jacked" up to around 1,200 pounds??? Was I hearing that number wrong? Was it only for certain schools? It would be so unheard of cheap to me!!

Yes.

Are your petrol costs the equivalent of 6$, around 3 pounds, or are they 6 pounds, around $12??

In the UK petrol is 98p per litre, so $1.96 a litre, $8.63 per US gallon.

Do you like the way us Yankees talk?

I think what you are trying to say is 'Do you like the way that Yankees talk?', meaning North-East dialect as distinct from Southern, Mid-Western, West-Coast or other varients. Well, it can be, I think the word is 'cute', but it can also be a bit hard on the ears and let's not talk about grammar, eh? 'Us' English are fussy about that

Which is your favourite American fast food chain 'import'? Do you have Wendy's? Burger King? TGIF (I know Tokyo has them!) Applebees, Olive Garden?

'Favourite', 'American' and 'Fast-Food' are three words I would not put in the same sentence. Wendy's are good but unknown over here; there was one in London once. Burger King and McD's are endemic - at least you can pretend that Burger King is real food. Hard Rock Cafe is the nearest thing to good I can think of as an American food chain you can get here.

What's your favourite American t.v. show, if any?

At this moment, House.

What's your favourite British accent? :)

That of Mrs Eileen Puddersley of 57 Middlemarch Lane, Droitwitch.

How do you feel about David Beckham being a part of American football, soccer now??? What about his wife, do you like her?

Could not give a flying fig about Beckham or his scrawny bint.

Pip pip!

19

Guys, do you lay your wifi laptop on your lap?

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

one of the things i enjoy most about wifi is the way i can sit in my favorite living room recliner and surf the web while watching spongbob.

i was just sitting here browsing around the web when it suddenly occurred to me: am i microwaving my "boys"?

has anyone heard if there is are, ahem, "manly" dangers to using a laptop on the lap?

Abaddon

OK, go to 'Start', 'All Programs' and look for the 'Common Sense' Application.

R U the only male doing this?

Has this been happening for enough years for a wave of fertility issues confined to male laptop users with WiFi to be detected?

If the answers to the above are not enough, consider;

In a recent experiment, people who claimed to be extra sensitive to mobile phone masts were found to be unable to tell whether they were on or off, but if they thought they were on they still felt ill and manifested physiological symptoms.

Not one cluster of illness related to mobile phone masts has been proven to any satisfactory level or scientific rigour.

The best longitiudinal (over time) studies to date have not found any linkage between mobile phone use and and health issues in normal usage. 'Continual' usage for ten years or more might have a very small chance of giving you a brain tumour.

Workers in ocupations that exposed them to high RF radiation in the past 50 years have provided no evidence of increased occupational health risks, apart from one or two people who accidentally cooked themselves in freak accidents.

WiFi access points and cards et. al use power levels at most 10% as high as the most powerful modern cell phones, more usually around 2%.

Basically, you are more at risk from tight jeans or underwear. and the heat of a laptop's other innards raising the temperature of your balls to one unsuited to spermatogensis, than the minute thermal load of a WFi connection, or any other RF risks of the same.

31

Does your boss have a right to call you on vacation?

by TresHappy in

jw
friends

two weeks ago, i went on a family vacation.

there was a voice mail on my cell phone from my boss.

i didn't respond to it.

Abaddon

They have the right to call.

I have the right to ignore the call. One client's an old woman (as in whinginging moaner), and I just tend to ignore his calls.

Normally I answer, and have ended up with an extra days leave for a half hours work helping my boss out. I think this might have something to do with the level of disapproval I can generate down a phone line.

In total it's been maybe six phone calls in five years vacations (and this being Europe that's six months holiday over five years, so not bad), and I'm a Manager so I need to suck it up as an emergency is, well, an emergency. Only exception was this year when there were two small tasks partially completed when I left that I needed and expected to be contacted on during the first couple of days.

But for lower down the ladder it's an impostion.