The Pastor of my Old Church Tried to Re-Convert Me Yesterday

by cofty 2596 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Simon
    Simon

    Zound ... she'd been sked both publicly and privately to tone things down many times. Either she wont or she cant ... but either way, we're left with few choices if topics are not to be derailed andd people annoyed. Its just the same as people endlessly pushing a political party - not what the forum is here for.

  • Lozhasleft
    Lozhasleft

    Yes, I think you are, but your choice...

    Loz x

  • zound
    zound

    They likely blamed it on god. The flood for example. It was gods punishment on the evil people. I'm assuming that the 'evil' people also included children and babies etc. Probably all things they didn't understand was from god directly.

    Given that modern christians know about plate tetonics and the natural causes of disasters I find it more repulsive to pass it off as morally okay today than back then.

  • cofty
    cofty

    The Righteous Mind by Haidt - jgnat

    Sounds interesting. I look forward to highlights when you get time.

    Pre-exile worshippers of Yahweh were concerned with this life. Good things were a blessing form god and bad things were a punishment, even if you didn't know why. Job without the prologue and epilogue is an agonised cry against this simplistic worldview. Its a beautiful book IMO.

    Is it reasonable for modern christians to assume they know better than Abraham?

  • bohm
    bohm

    Cofty: have you read bart ehrmans book on the four explanations for suffering in the ot?

  • cofty
    cofty

    i consider myself a theist and catastrophes whether they be natural or man-made, diseases and all sorts of hardship are a challenge to my faith ... For the present time, i guess the best theist answer would be "i don't know// our knowledge of all things is limited" - Nobleheart

    Hi Nobleheart thanks for your honest answer.

    Imagine you thought you knew a friend really well. You knew he was capable of being kind and generous as he had demonstrated many times. Then to your horror you discovered he regularly beat his wife and children. You had proof to this effect. It would be foolish of you to overlook his violence as if his moments of kindness made it of no consequence. You would need to put your emotions aside in order to form a more honest appraisal of your friend. Similarly believers need to face up honestly to god's abuse of the human family he claims to love.

    Summary so far...

  • cofty
    cofty

    Hi Bohm. Yes I have Ehrman's book "God's Problem".

    It was a revelation to me that there is no biblical answer to the question of evil. Rather there is a series of answers that are contradictory. Its an excellent read.

    Here is a video of Ehrman talking on the topic, its well worth the time to listen.

    ...

  • Hummingbird001
    Hummingbird001

    The Israelites saw Mt. Sinai thunder, shake and spew flames. They attributed it to their God.

    Today, we would call it a volcano.

  • caliber
    caliber

    " So here we stand in darkened saddness....so silent in it's hollow victory...so absent of sweetness in it's final display!" ~~Cal

  • cofty
    cofty

    Welcome back Caliber.

    Summary so far...

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