Posts by little

63

How the Watchtower Screws Up Your View of Scripture

by CalebInFloroda in

while i do not argue the stand of atheism (because as a jew i find it totally logical and acceptable), i have noticed that there are odd carryover preconceptions about scripture that some hold as axiomatic about the bible (at least the hebrew texts), misconceptions that have nothing to do with the jewish scriptures themselves.. so regardless of what you may think of scripture, whether you believe it is of g-d or not, i thought some of you might enjoy a reference to see how much the watchtower teaching on scripture might still be influencing the conclusions you are making today...at least about the tanakh.

jews read their texts acknowledging the following:.

1. no scriptural concept of original sin.

little_Socrates

CalebinFloroda.... you say that certain texts where removed because they where Greek and not Hebrew.(yes I know a horrible oversimplification)

Yes when the scriptures where being gathered there was no evidence for those scriptures in Hebrew. However it is my understanding that modern scholarship has decided that there is evidence that those texts where originally in Hebrew. What is your take on this?

Also it is interesting to note that Jesus quotes the Septuagint many many times. So we do know that in the time of Christ that those texts where widely distributed and respected.

15

How do you deal with Anxiety!

by little_Socrates in

so the other day i was walking through the huge local regional outlet shopping mall.

i see this sign "how do deal with anxiety" didn't take very long at all to confirm it was a jw booth.. that sign bothered me.

do jw actually think they have something to say about anxiety?

little_Socrates

dubstepped....

I am probably ADD as well! However you will notice I have a thing for succinctness... I feel if I can't explain myself in a few sentences... I feel I don't really understand the topic! Look at my OP how much I say in just a short bit :)

I think that probably the vast majority of people with ADD have issues with anxiety. Fortunately for me... I don't get too involved in negative self thinking, so I get more physical symptoms than psychological.

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

Just a curious question... Do any other non Christian religions believe in the concept of a suffering God? Is this a uniquely Christian idea?

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

To answer the question from a Christian perspective.... "Why does God allow suffering"

There must be some inherent value to suffering that we can't see or understand from our current perspective. Proof of this (from the Christian world view) is that God himself through his son choose to suffer. If God chooses to suffer there must be some degree of value to it.

If God during his mortal existence choose to suffer... who are we to think we can avoid suffering?

God is not asking anything of us he didn't already choose for himself.

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

"If there is a creator god, as christian theism asserts, then she designed a world where the quantity and quality of pain and suffering experienced by her creation was not only low in her list of priorities, it wasn't even on the list."

I am sorry I just think that statement is just as absurd as many say theistic arguments are. I guess if we hold different fundamental viewpoints... we will always be like ships passing in the night. I think this is an unwindable argument for both sides. It is fun to stretch our minds for a bit though.

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

Let me see if I understand... the problem isn't that there is suffering. It is that there is too much suffering. Do I understand you?

If so, how do we decide what level of suffering is appropriate and what level isn't?

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

CalebinFloroda THANK YOU you explained what I wanted to say much better than I could have. Coming from a different background than I really helped :)

15

How do you deal with Anxiety!

by little_Socrates in

so the other day i was walking through the huge local regional outlet shopping mall.

i see this sign "how do deal with anxiety" didn't take very long at all to confirm it was a jw booth.. that sign bothered me.

do jw actually think they have something to say about anxiety?

little_Socrates

So the other day I was walking through the huge local regional outlet shopping mall. I see this sign "how do deal with anxiety" didn't take very long at all to confirm it was a JW booth.

That sign bothered me. Do JW actually think they have something to say about anxiety? Do they think they can help?

or

Are they actively recruiting people with mental health problems? Do they see them as an easier mark?

For most here I know how they answered the question "how do you deal with anxiety". They left the cult!

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

I am sorry you are confusing me...

"I have never asserted that all and any suffering tells us anything about god"

"Suffering proves the god of christian theism does not exist. It is a point worth repeating. Please stop trying to change the subject."

How do you reconcile these two statements? Are you saying suffering disproves "the god of the bible" but dosn't necessarily disprove of some other type of God?

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

little_Socrates

Do Christians really believe that every word in the bible was literally written by God? Is it crazy for me to think there is a combined human and divine authorship?

little_Socrates

Posts by little_Socrates

CalebinFloroda.... you say that certain texts where removed because they where Greek and not Hebrew.(yes I know a horrible oversimplification)

Yes when the scriptures where being gathered there was no evidence for those scriptures in Hebrew. However it is my understanding that modern scholarship has decided that there is evidence that those texts where originally in Hebrew. What is your take on this?

Also it is interesting to note that Jesus quotes the Septuagint many many times. So we do know that in the time of Christ that those texts where widely distributed and respected.