My New Fascination - Evolution!

by pale.emperor 28 Replies latest jw experiences

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  pale.emperor

  Since leaving Watchtower I kind of hit the "reset" button in my mind and reevaluated what i thought i knew, what i believe and I require proof for every idea put before me before i commit to it. Lately i've been fascinated with evolution. As a JW i never even looked at the subject, dismissing it as "just a theory". Embarrassingly, i now know that i had no idea what a "theory" was. Im amazed that i ever believed humans were created after all. I mean, the bones that have been found of are not ape (we know what ape bones look like) and not modern human either.

  This is a completely new subject to me and i feel like a kid, reading up on it, watching documentaries, looking at charts.

  One more reason i could never go back to the JWs.
  
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  keinlezard

  Hi, Pale.emperor,

  What do you read or see exactly ?

  Because often ( I'm alway JW ... on the paper but not in my mind :). A long story ... )

  When I talk with people ( and JW particularly ) they only see / read subject that they've seen In publication.

  In my "reference", I know that "Evolution" is a Fact !! a Real Fact !

  Consider for example :

  - Erv ( Endo retro virus ) that are common between apes and mankind. This kind of virus could only be passed through reproduction and genes
  

  - Genetics

  There is alway all excellent book : Dawkins, SJ Goul, C. Sagan, Alexandre Meinesz
  

  Series : Cosmos ( Sagan and nowNeil deGrasse Tyson )

  Archeology, History ... even it's not really in touch with "Evolution" they give "clue" on what is really the World and what is "Evolution Theory"
  
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  You can see how uneducated Witnesses are when they parrot the WT's version of evolution's definition: "evolution teaches that something came from nothing" "evolution teaches that monkeys gave birth to us."

  The theory (or should I say "fact") of evolution is considered SO far-fetched to Witnesses... yet they're willing to accept ancient Hebrew cosmology of our earth's history. That there was "light" before the "luminaries" came to be. That there was vegetation (something that requires photosynthesis) before the sun was created. That Jehovah created a "separation between darkness and light" (darkness is merely the absence of light - no separation required. Alas, the ancient Israelites truly believed that darkness was a force of its own).

  NO respected theologian believes or teaches that the Genesis account is an accurate and literal representation of how humankind came to be. Whether from a young-earth creationist perspective, or an old-earth creationist perspective (the stance WT takes).

  I'm paraphrasing Richard Dawkins when I say that the only way God exists and created every species (including humans) according to "its kind" is if "the creator deliberately set out to confuse us" and lead us to evidence that we evolved. Why would God, who is so determined to be known and have his creation provide a strong testament of his existence, play such a mean game that disguises his own handiwork as the product of evolution?
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  cofty

  Well done. It's a project that every ex-JW should take on. I have a series of 39 threads that might interest you. Can't link from my phone but can do so later. I will be posting number 40 on the evolution of eyes soon.
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  You might pose this question to any Witness that tries to suggest that Jehovah created each species according to its kind and has even made it impossible for two different species to mate and propagate their genes to form a new, all-functioning species. Ask them, "if Jehovah set up clear genetic boundaries between the species, why were the demons able to create powerful offspring with human women - offspring whose threat of procreating could only be removed by means of a fatal flood? Wouldn't the genetic code/DNA of angels and demons be FAR more different than humans to procreate with?" It's funny how Jehovah's "divine laws of nature" are not even "laws" by definition. Divine laws set by a creator who sticks to His word can't be reversed or tampered with at will.
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  Vidiot

  Looking back, one of the key turning points in my fade was realizing evolution had to be true...

  ...and soon after, realizing that, nevertheless, the WTS could never budge on it.
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  OneEyedJoe

  Cofty's threads on the topic have been very interesting and put together very well so that anyone should be able to understand. Here's a link to the latest one, which also has links to the previous topics.

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5653141557084160/evolution-fact-39-homologous-structures
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  pale.emperor

  Cofty, would you give me your take on these creationist arguments as put forward by bible nut Jack Chick in one of his tracts:

  https://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0055/0055_01.asp
  
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Evolution is certainly fascinating.

  After I left the WT, I went to study Biology at uni.

  I kept a belief in creation when I first started. I wanted evolution and divine creation to 'get a fair hearing', as it were.

  But the more I studied evolution - the basics given by my lecturer, plus some extra reading in the library on my own - I quickly realised that it would be intellectually dishonest to maintain belief in creation and reject evolution.

  In fact, I don't even like to say I believe in evolution. There's so much evidence that no belief is required.

  Just acceptance.
  
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  OneEyedJoe

  Cofty, would you give me your take on these creationist arguments as put forward by bible nut Jack Chick in one of his tracts:
  

  I read through some of it until a pretty clear pattern emerged. Pretty much everything in there relied upon mischaracterization of the claims of evolution and the evidence for it. I think if you read through Cofty's threads you'll start to see a lot of the flaws of creationist's arguments.