by Freedom rocks 50 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I was talking to a jw and someone else the other week who don't know I used to be a jw and when I gave a comment about science the jw had the smug know it all look on his face when he said "I'm guessing you don't believe In creation". He said it as though I was stupid.
Im actually enjoying learning about evolution. I was watching a video on the evolution of whales and hippos yesterday and how the whale still has hip and leg bones even though they aren't used now.
I needed an answer as to how life, the universe, and everything came to be. And as I satisfied SOME of my need, I came to realize that the need itself was self-imposed nonsense.
If I didn't know whether life itself has a purpose, it doesn't stop me from making my own purpose.
If there are gaps in any explanation, speculation is okay.
Some may say they need to find the right path to please their "creator" but that is self-imposed nonsense too.
Even if there were a creator needing our worship and obedience, I would figure he would let us know what he wants, or be satisfied with our path of curiosity and understand how we got out of that cult and give us some slack.
Personally, I am satisfied that there is not a creator demanding certain things of us, but he would know my cell number if I am wrong.
We call something poisonous because we don’t know its proper use. Oxygen and Nitrogen are poisonous if breathed in separately; but becomes life-sustaining if breathed in ideal mixture of both with 78.09% nitrogen + 20.95% oxygen along with other gases and vapor in right proportion.
So is the case with other things you mention such as fungi. If Alexander Fleming can make an accidental discovery of Penicillin while he was studying staphylococcus, a type of bacteria that can sometimes cause infections in humans, it shows on purpose we find proper uses of everything we term as poisonous or wasteful.
Just like Police Department has trained dogs for things which they are unable to do we can do the same with all other species. Problem is that many people waste their time on unnecessary things such as creating mountains of wealth which they will use only a negligible part of it. Look at what 8 persons have done on earth. (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jan/16/worlds-eight-richest-people-have-same-wealth-as-poorest-50)
I agree, in principle, with what OnTheWayOut wrote. Creator would not prescribe a right path towards Him because every one is His child, acceptable to Him. There are many ways to know the beneficial ways, as Confucius rightly puts it: "By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and
third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Best to conclude, “We don’t really know” and honestly that’s ok!!! You’re allowed to believe whatever you want now. Don’t get stuck trying to find “the truth” or else you’ll just be left at someone’s mercy and basically back at square one.
It’s difficult at first to accept but we will only know if there is life beyond this life when we die so better to live the best you can and be a good person. At least your conscience will be clear before the curtain falls.
Hi Freedom Rocks,
As others have noted, it is important to recognize our limitations when looking to our origins. Acceptance of this fact is a milestone in our development here on this 3rd rock from the sun. I posted this on another thread recently:
My basic premise is that while all people are equal, ideas are not equal. And, while we cannot go back in time and see for ourselves what happened, we can try to ground certain conclusions with things we know to be facts (premises) now. Things like:
1. All life comes from previous life
2. All information comes from a mind
3. All books have authors
Etc.
A Transcendent God (one outside of our 3 dimensional universe) conclusion doesn't contradict the premises I listed above.
An evolutionary origin does violate them since there are no examples that could falsify the above premises listed.
Neither conclusion can be proved empirically, but that is not the point. The point is; which conclusion best harmonizes with known facts? Of course, if one or more of my premises are not true, then there might be a basis for a different conclusion. But short of that, a Transcendent God is a better conclusion.
The above might be a good place to start.
I like that science doesn't pretend to have all the answers to everything. There are just many answers that have yet to be discovered and tested. Watch out for misinterpretations of science - that's where a lot of the "science is wrong" arguments come from. Someone else mentioned the confusion over evolution (how living things change over time) being the same thing as abiogenesis (how biologic life started). I hear JWs and other religious people make this incorrect assumption all the time - and feeling very smart/smug about their dismissal of evolution. It's the same problem with their chimp/human argument. They claim we couldn't have evolved from chimps (or other current animal) since they're still around. It's yet another misunderstanding - evolution doesn't claim that. It's important to understand what's actually being said before dismissing it. If you like videos, here are a few good ones:
Evolution: https://youtu.be/XdddbYILel0
Irreducible complexity cut down to size: https://youtu.be/W96AJ0ChboU
What is Evolution: https://youtu.be/GhHOjC4oxh8
What is Natural Selection: https://youtu.be/0SCjhI86grU
Human Evolution: Crash Course Big History #6: https://youtu.be/UPggkvB9_dc
Evolution on Earth in 60 Seconds: https://youtu.be/OIWde6OpVZU
The Origin of Life - Abiogenisis - Dr. Zack Szostak: https://youtu.be/U6QYDdgP9eg
Proof of evolution that you can find on your body: https://youtu.be/rFxu7NEoKC8
Why Women Are Stripey: https://youtu.be/BD6h-wDj7bw
Cofty - I'm waiting for the God Delusion and The Greatest Show on Earth to arrive so I can read them. Its hard reading everything on my phone
Here's a recent large sweeping gene survey study that claims 90% of all animals appeared recently at the same time as man. Amazingly, the study also claims that "species have very clear genetic boundaries, and there's nothing much in between." Sounds close to what you’d expect to find based on the Genesis account of origins.
This is exciting news for creationists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=817&v=6qPsJ_a5gZA
Why is this of interest? Well for me the answer is obvious: If we were created by a being who is capable of starting life as we know it, it is reasonable to assume that he has the power over death as well.
If he does exist, we just might be able to make friends with him and keep living. Why should we cease to exist if we are friends with someone like that?
Freedom,
Through the centuries every question you, I or anyone can think of has been asked. Many have never been answered and never will be. When I finally realized that I should not remotely think that I would be the special one to find the answers I could relax and just enjoy this short little journey called life. We will always have questions and they are fun and interesting to ponder and discuss but don’t let them take over your life and enjoyment. No one has all the answers, not even Cofty (wink wink). Once you can come to grips with some questions never being answered you can move forward. Good luck with your journey.
