Escaping Indoctrination - Faith Isn't a Virtue.

by cofty 144 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Apognophos
    Apognophos

    Yep, well said.

  • Mr Fool
    Mr Fool

    I can honesty say, with confidence, that I have found zero evidences of the possible existence of myself. It appears that I exist, but if I claim that I know that I exist, that would be very arrogant of me, because so far, my so called "evidences" of my existence, are based on what I believe is true. If the truth is beyond what I believe, then I may have a problem, if I exist.

  • cofty
    cofty

    if I claim that I know that I exist, that would be very arrogant of me - Mr Fool

    Let's try an experiment. Get Mrs Fool to smack you round the head and ask any little fools to report what happens.

    If they observe a loud noise followed by a yelp we can safely conclude you existed.

  • Mr Fool
    Mr Fool

    Maybe people around me (assuming that they actually exist) can conclude my existence, my intellect (assuming that my intellect is for real) has no idea. Is pain a proof/evidence of anything? Maybe, maybe not. It feels real, but how shall my assuming intellect know?

  • cofty
    cofty

    I don't know how you get anything done.

    Maybe you are a brain in a vat, maybe the whole universe was created last Thursday - so what?

    Living an evidence-based life works.

    What has faith contributed to human knowledge in the last 500 years?

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    The shrieking, threatening, insulting fundies add a great deal of clarity to debate in their own unique way.-cofty

    To be fair some religious fundamentalists helped me realise I needed some balance in my beliefs and that their beliefs are not a virtue. We don't all need faith to be virtuous, but some behave in a virtuous manner becuase they believe a God who will punish or reward them, is watching.

    Personally I believe God is the Creator, but I don't think he cares what people are doing. I think he leaves us to our own devices and evolve ourselves. It's not my faith that determines how virtuous I am it's my internal sense of justice that does. But I probably don't always get it right.

    Kate xx

  • Mr Fool
    Mr Fool

    I agree that living a evidence-based life works. Faith seems to have created millions of brain-washed people during the centuries. For me, I like to not bind myself to anything that is uncertain. If someone 500 years ago claimed that colors are illusions of mind, what appears as colors actually does not exist external, that the brain creates these "colors" through interpreting the wavelengths of light that reach the eyes, I guess that people around would see that person as wicked. And even today people believes that colors are an external reality.

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    What has faith contributed to human knowledge in the last 500 years?-Cofty

    Lots of tranlations of the bible. Reading the bible and all the different translations give us the knowledge that it's only written by humans and not God. Many bible scholars that used to have a religion, left after studying the bible properly.

    It's a book that must be read to be able to make an informed descision about religion.

    Kate xx

  • LV101
    LV101

    jgnat - Nice still life - I have one in my studio - skulls are still fun to paint!

  • Twitch
    Twitch

    I can honesty say, with confidence, that I have found zero evidences of the possible existence of myself. It appears that I exist, but if I claim that I know that I exist, that would be very arrogant of me, because so far, my so called "evidences" of my existence, are based on what I believe is true. If the truth is beyond what I believe, then I may have a problem, if I exist.

    May the Tao be with you, always ;)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi_(book)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao#Daoist_interpretations

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