Posts by defender of truth

41

Vermont Sisters Sue Jehovah's Witnesses For Child Sex Abuse

by Watchtower-Free in

http://digital.vpr.net/post/vermont-sisters-sue-jehovahs-witnesses-child-sex-abuse.

.

defender of truth

Punk, good point.
"This is a civil suit, but the mom says she talked to police. We did confirm with state police that they investigated the case back in 1996 and forwarded it to the Windham County state's attorney at the time, Dan Davis. Davis told WCAX News that he cannot recall the case and couldn't say why charges weren't filed."
http://www.wcax.com/story/26665831/child-sex-abuse-lawsuit-filed-against-vt-jehovahs-witnesses

13

Wales - ITV Report: JWs sex abuse victims call for organisation to be held accountable

by AndersonsInfo in

itv report (wales).

29 september 2014 at 6:00am.

jehovahs witness sex abuse victims call for organisation to be held accountable.

defender of truth

Thanks Barbara.

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

defender of truth

If you are the thinking type of believer in God, please read the following article. Here's a quote from it:

"Is God guilty of animal cruelty?
Many diseases and defects are endemic to specific kinds of animals.
It’s almost as if predation and accidents alone were not enough suffering, so God designed specialized bacteria, viruses, parasites and diseases to multiply the suffering of animals.
Take, for example, the Tasmanian Devil we discussed earlier. Even at birth, his odds of dying outnumber his odds of surviving. Those that do survive are more than likely to contract Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a fatal contagious cancer that causes large growths on the devil’s face, making it difficult for them to eat or see, and putting the entire species at risk of extinction.

Why? Have they done something to offend God? Did they eat of the forbidden fruit? Does their suffering help increase their faith? Or help them to experience the full extent of free will?"

http://500questions.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/42-why-does-god-allow-animals-to-suffer/

21

The Bible Teach book illustration about the child having to be put through a painful operation

by defender of truth in

had you going there for a minute ;).

now you're here... there are several problems with that illustration, as i see it.. ..... 1) god is the one who inflicted the life threatening ailment that requires an operation.

(he supposedly decided what sin would be defined as, then once adam 'sinned', he cursed all of adams descendants to sin, grow old and die.).

defender of truth

Why did Jehovah not destroy Satan? is a talk on this weeks ministry school..

My points regarding this, from the OP:
"Why did He not simply kill, render speechless or even just ignore the other doctor (Satan) who challenged Him?
Let me guess, because it wouldn't prove the other doctor wrong?
If some sadistic man said to you, 'Hey, I bet that.. if you were to give me your children, each one for an undefined time, maybe just for a day or maybe for over a hundred years..
I want to emotionally and physically torture them, cause them to suffer infinite types of agony whilst they call to you for help, and you would have to ignore their tears and pleas for rescue.. whilst you stand there and watch it all happen.. I bet they wouldn't still love you, think you are the best and most loving parent possible, and do anything you say throughout that time. Don't worry though, you can have them back and bring them to life, even give them eternal life when I'm through with them.. just as long as they are one of the few that will pass the test, or you'll have to leave them dead for giving up on you and being disloyal'.
..What would you do? Especially bearing in mind that this guy (Satan) had already tried to get your kids to do something that would get them killed, right in front of you (think 'story of the forbidden fruit', they were told they would die and Satan knew that, so he effectively tried to get them killed, bear with me here).
Even if he wouldn't shut up, would you feel that you HAD TO prove the guy wrong? Or would you: restrain him in some way/ignore him/render him unconscious/kill him? Surely you'd do anything but accept the challenge..
Would your sense of 'fairness' and 'justice' cause you to feel that you had NO CHOICE except to settle the issue with that sadistic man once and for all?"

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

defender of truth

cofty posted 2 years ago (3/2/2012)
Post 2680 of 13507
Joined 12/19/2009
"Take just the one example of the cheetah. Every feature of its body is designed to catch prey and tear it apart. Its eyesight, hearing, camoflague, teeth, claws, skeleton, muscles and digestive system. Its very muscle fibers called myosin are of a particular type that permits it to accelerate to 60mph to catch its hapless victims.
So how many of these features did the cheetah have before the naked lady listened to the talking snake and ate the fruit?
Now ask yourself the same questions for every one of the millions of predator and parasitic species on the planet."
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/222352/6/Theists-why-does-God-allow-suffering

2596

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

by cofty in

yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.

we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.

they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.

defender of truth

"Would any good parent choose to allow their children to suffer, in order for others to be moved to try to alleviate their childrens pain, fear, and anguish? When the parent could fully remove their suffering immediately?"
In case it was unclear, I was here referring to the God of Christian theism.

2596

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

by cofty in

yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.

we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.

they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.

defender of truth

'3 - God uses suffering like the Asian tsunami to teach us about compassion'

God allows people to go through intense physical and mental suffering, so that others can suffer (perhaps even more than the person themselves, if it was your child especially..) and be moved to try to temporarily help or alleviate the pain of another person who suffers? That sounds like a cycle of unnecessary suffering to me.

Would any good parent choose to allow their children to suffer, in order for others to be moved to try to alleviate their childrens pain, fear, and anguish? When the parent could fully remove their suffering immediately?

No human can fully heal another. Many wounds never heal, despite the compassion that we may show to a person.

And from another angle...
If you were in severe pain, would you deny yourself pain-killers and spend the rest of your life in agony, in order to increase your compassion for those who are in constant pain?
No?...
Then why does God think that people must lose those that they love in disasters, and be moved by other disaster victims suffering, so that they learn to have compassion?
Many have been so badly hurt by the immense suffering of themselves or of others, that they stop caring about people or life altogether.

.......
"for there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes."
Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
....

"Not all scars show, not all wounds heal. Sometimes you can’t see the pain that someone feels."

754

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One in

..specifically, the suffering of animals.

you can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to god etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. but how can you love a god that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with god, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways.

i could list stories i've read that would probably make you feel ill, but i'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate.

defender of truth

Twitch posted 2 years ago (3/1/2012)
Post 3783 of 4202
Joined 3/20/2005
"A buddy has a saying 'there is no altruism in nature' and I think it rings true. Mother Nature is unforgiving and ruthless. The young, the weak and the sick are usually the first to go. Many species breed fast and in large quantities just to ensure enough live long enough to reproduce. Even dem cute lil mice will eat their young. Ain't no picnic living in the forest, Yogi.
If god knows when a single sparrow falls, then I wonder what he does to ignore the constant din of all creation at any given point."
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/222352/4/Theists-why-does-God-allow-suffering

21

AJWRB Press Release

by Lee Elder in

we are responding the announcement by ashya king's father that he will allow.

blood transfusion if medically necessary.

those not familiar with the story can.

defender of truth

Good news..
" Brave Ashya King finally had his first bout of hi-tech laser therapy as it was revealed his brain cancer had not spread.
The five-year-oldwas said to be showing a “lot of improvement” and a top doctor said he had been “smiling and moving his hands and limbs”.
Tests were carried out to check whether traces of the disease had passed to other parts of his body, but the results came back negative. "

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ashya-king-showing-a-lot-4265791

21

AJWRB Press Release

by Lee Elder in

we are responding the announcement by ashya king's father that he will allow.

blood transfusion if medically necessary.

those not familiar with the story can.

defender of truth

" The Kings’ eldest son Danny had earlier defended his father Brett, due to appear in court on Monday at an extradition hearing with wife Naghmeh.
Speaking to leading local Spanish paper Sur as he left the hostel where they were arrested with the five siblings he is now looking after, the 22-year-old said:
“My parents are not kidnappers.
“They just want the best for our brother Ashya with an alternative type of treatment to the one he was receiving at the hospital in England.
“It might seem like madness what we’ve done coming here by car from Great Britain but it’s got nothing to do with the fact we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“When they operated on him two months ago, we agreed to them doing blood transfusions but thankfully it wasn’t necessary."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/11067254/Ashya-Kings-brother-defends-parents-actions-as-couple-await-court-ruling-in-Spain.html