Viviane

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Posts by Viviane

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  34

  Do you have / admire Charisma?

  by The Rebel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  "charisma is a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which the person is set apart from ordinary people and treated as exceptional".

  as a kid i was afraid of such charisma, as it was usually the quality i noticed elders, head masters, and parents had to exercise with unloving authority over me.. but now i think about it "charisma" doesn't need be only for people with authority.

  " charisma" is something even we can have?

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  Viviane

  This whole thread sounds very self-indulgent.

  It should be re-titled "How to Humblebrag or, Please Notice How Awesome I Am, DO IT NOW!"
  
  
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  405

  Origin of Life

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

  as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

  there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

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  Viviane

  In apophatic terms it could be said of God that he is both not alive and not not-alive.

  Apophatic theology is nothing more than an attempt to pretend not knowing anything means actually knowing something. It's funny that proponents of it think anyone older than 5 would fall for it.
  
  
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  405

  Origin of Life

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

  as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

  there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

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  Viviane

  I go for the rule: Life begets life

  How do you solve the problem of that logic leading to the conclusion that your god must then, by definition, cannot exist, unless you are about to change your claim to some version of mysterious woo that your god isn't alive?

  Also, that's not a rule, regardless of your personal experience. I mean, if "personal experience" was how rules are made, then it would be a rule that anyone on the internet claiming to be a microbiologist is a raging fraud.
  
  
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  405

  Origin of Life

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

  as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

  there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

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  Viviane

  .. and here lies the real motive of threads like these. To bicker with and poke at those who don't see things the way you do. They might be hoping for it to not happen, but you as well are wishing for the opposite, so what's the point? It hasn't happened yet, and until it does, they have as much right to doubt it as you do to wish it

  OK, so first, how do you presume to know the motive? Cofty posts many threads on science and evolution and does a good job of trying to keep things on track. He's also started threads on theism in which the discussion is around that topic. If theist are threatened by science, how is that Cofty's fault or motive?

  Second, why is it the opposite to hope scientists discover more? Would hoping for a cure for cancer fall under that same "opposite"? I ask because it's the same science, biology, chemistry and physics, that will give us both answers.
  

  Third, no one said they didn't have the right to doubt it, why would you pretend someone did?
  
  
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  405

  Origin of Life

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

  as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

  there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

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  Viviane

  Hi Viv, where have you been hiding? Good to hear from you. The wannabee microbiologist is again at your service.
  Interesting for a guy on psychedelic mushrooms to know man will reach a point in future where he is able to destroy his earthly home. It’s called prophecy, don’t you know? The little swallow knows not to defecate in his nest, a lesson man has not learnt as yet, especially now in the nuclear age.
  However, if vermin and insects invade your home and are in the process of destroying it, you get in pest control to get rid of them. Remember “Apocalypse Now!” and the general standing on the beach, saying: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” I, again, find solace in the words, “and to destroy those who are destroying the earth” (Rev. 11:18 NJB).

  Are you high?
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  405

  Origin of Life

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

  as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

  there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

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  Viviane

  Even then the majority of anti-theists and evolutionists will reject His authority (cf. Rev. 11:18).

  It always strikes me as bonkers that people that believe in invisible magic zombie sky fairies feel qualified to say with absolute confidence what other people think.

  OTOH, they believe in invisible magic zombie sky fairies, so why would anyone be surprised at another bonkers thing they believe in?

  I will just say: See you need an intelligent mind to create life.

  Logically, then, your invisible magic zombie sky fairy cannot exist without a creator.
  
  
  
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  39

  Is changing the "truth" / presenting "new light" really so bad?

  by Zana in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  playing devil's advocate here.... what's the difference between the gb changing bible interpretations compared to parliaments all over the world changing laws?

  although the us constitution (=bible) remains untouched, congress passes i don't know how many new laws every year.

  and of course people are expected to follow them.

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  Viviane

  What's the difference between the GB changing bible interpretations compared to parliaments all over the world changing laws?

  Great question! All you have to do to know that is look at the difference between a parliament and the GB to get that answer.

  GB - not elected, no accountability, claim to be speaking directly for God, claim to have the only truth

  Parliament - elected, accountable, speaking on behalf of those that elected them, open to points of view, compassion, and compromise
  
  
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  21

  Science the bible and some telling scriptures

  by Crazyguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  if one reads about god creating the earth with any critical thinking you'll notice that he created vegetation and the trees before the sun.

  another one that i just read about was the stories about the golden calves.

  one story involves the making of a golden calf by aaron and the other is about the golden calves that were set up at bethel and i think dan.

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  Viviane

  Not sure on your translation but if read the Hebrew, seed was created.

  
  
  
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  9

  Carts in Market Street, San Francisco

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, kinda at least the jw carts aren't making a noise .

  outside powell st station, opposite the westfield centre in market street, san francisco.

  street view: https://goo.gl/maps/usgcsjsntwz.

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  Viviane

  I saw some in the ticket counter area in O'Hare a few weeks ago, just standing there, chatting and playing with their phones while thousands of people in a hurry with somewhere to be completely ignored them. Seriously, could they have picked a place less likely to get someone to talk to them?

  Or, was that the whole point?
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  32

  Evolution Gap - Where's the Fur? Redux

  by shadow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am posting a second topic on this subject since the first one became overrun by snakes.. cofty posted a link to a published paper discussing this topic and referred to the information in it as "facts".

  here is my summary of that paper along with comments on it.. one of the opening statements says that:.

  two frequently debated aspects of hominin evolution are the development of upright bipedal stance and reduction in body hair.. so for those who believe this is a stupid topic, it is a subject of interest to many stupid people including the authors of the paper referred to by cofty.

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  Viviane

  The part is that the paper said which solution felt most likely. In other words, it fundamentally disagrees with shadow, and shadow doesn't even realize it.

  Seriously, do you creationist ever read to the end or is cherry picking and not know what you're talking about all you have?