i don't believe the bible is inerrant nor do i hold a 'christian worldview' any longer as my profile details say (which i am unable to update on my profile), but i just can't see how anyone can be absolutely 100% confident there is nothing out there we can call a 'god' or spirit creature in the face of endless first-hand accounts of paranormal and occult experiences that felt as 'real' to the person who experienced them as anything else in their lives.. there are untold reports of ghosts, faith-healing, ouija boards, seances, spirit mediums, stigmata, mystical born-again experiences, speaking in tongues, and then there's hypnotism, ufo sightings, poltergeists, remote viewing, etc, etc.
ok, so its mostly only anecdotal evidence, but the amount of it is so overwhelming it is practically corroborating evidence.
in the face of all this, how can anyone categorically assert that there is nothing out there that is beyond ourselves that we might call a 'god' or spirit creature?
I accept that many of these types of events may well "be in the mind" - but not all.
I know of another experience involving 4 people - all saw and experienced the same event.
In the end no-one knows for sure - but to explain away tens of thousands of experiences as "in the mind" or "they were actually asleep" or "it is a fraudster" does not wash.
i don't believe the bible is inerrant nor do i hold a 'christian worldview' any longer as my profile details say (which i am unable to update on my profile), but i just can't see how anyone can be absolutely 100% confident there is nothing out there we can call a 'god' or spirit creature in the face of endless first-hand accounts of paranormal and occult experiences that felt as 'real' to the person who experienced them as anything else in their lives.. there are untold reports of ghosts, faith-healing, ouija boards, seances, spirit mediums, stigmata, mystical born-again experiences, speaking in tongues, and then there's hypnotism, ufo sightings, poltergeists, remote viewing, etc, etc.
ok, so its mostly only anecdotal evidence, but the amount of it is so overwhelming it is practically corroborating evidence.
in the face of all this, how can anyone categorically assert that there is nothing out there that is beyond ourselves that we might call a 'god' or spirit creature?
A friend of mine was dragged out there bed by the ankles while "someone" was shouting in there ears. She was in the room alone.
Explain that?
She was traumatised by the experience for many years.
(She has had several experiences since then though less dramatic.)
A few coming on here saying all this paranormal stuff is just BS etc etc - but then offer no explanation for the 1000s of experiences.
Some of it can defo be explained away but the sheer volume of experiences is thought provoking.
An intersting subject.......
richard dawkins' new series, the first episode was aired last night on the u.k's more4 channel, is entitled "sex, death and the meaning of life".
he doesn't waste a moment on whether god exists or not, but is looking forward to a world without god, and tackles questions such as where will morality come from in this world, is sex somethng to feel guilty about etc etc.
one revealing interview was with steven pinker who shows that as the world becomes more godless it has become a more moral place, and a much safer place to live, things are getting better and better.. unlike the doom and gloom wt pinker has solid evidence to back up his claims.. i don't know if you can catch up with a more4 prog.
Hi slimboyfat.
I am not from Helensburgh, though not that far from there - Glasgow area.
It is going back a while but if I remember there was a thread on here about how we met our partners and I had mentioned that me and my wife walked along the front at Helensburgh (roughly October 1997) and it was a pivotal day.
It was the first time we held hands.
We were married within a year.
richard dawkins' new series, the first episode was aired last night on the u.k's more4 channel, is entitled "sex, death and the meaning of life".
he doesn't waste a moment on whether god exists or not, but is looking forward to a world without god, and tackles questions such as where will morality come from in this world, is sex somethng to feel guilty about etc etc.
one revealing interview was with steven pinker who shows that as the world becomes more godless it has become a more moral place, and a much safer place to live, things are getting better and better.. unlike the doom and gloom wt pinker has solid evidence to back up his claims.. i don't know if you can catch up with a more4 prog.
""I don't believe something just because Pinker or Dawkins say it is no, dear Scotsman, but as I said, there is evidence to support the view.""
I do not deny this may be true but try and prove that it is purely down to a world becoming more godless?
Also - I am far from convinced the world is becoming more godless - perhaps less religious though. History shows the rise and fall of religion over many centuries.
I feel that religion\belief in god "can" be a force for good - but unfortunately often it is not.
Oh - and Phizzy - good tip with the haggis on the kilt. I just need to catch one of those pesky haggis's!
richard dawkins' new series, the first episode was aired last night on the u.k's more4 channel, is entitled "sex, death and the meaning of life".
he doesn't waste a moment on whether god exists or not, but is looking forward to a world without god, and tackles questions such as where will morality come from in this world, is sex somethng to feel guilty about etc etc.
one revealing interview was with steven pinker who shows that as the world becomes more godless it has become a more moral place, and a much safer place to live, things are getting better and better.. unlike the doom and gloom wt pinker has solid evidence to back up his claims.. i don't know if you can catch up with a more4 prog.
You kiddin me?????
"One revealing interview was with Steven Pinker who shows that as the World becomes more godless it has become a more moral place, and a much safer place to live, things are getting better and better.""
And you "actually" believed this?
LOL
what are your new years resolutions?.
here's mine:.
in the new year, 2012, i resolve to let the former hurts perpetrated by my parents and the wtbts have a lesser grip on my throat.
the 2012 yearbook has released the publisher statistics for the 2011 service year.
a scan of the report can be found at http://www.jwfacts.com/images/2011-publisher-report.pdf and i have started updating the graphs at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php.
as expected, it is following on from similar trends to the last 15 years.
Thanks JWfacts - very informative.
Surely the Borg will need to change the whole "anointed" and "partakers" situation!
I am not sure when it was last at 11,824 but there must be at least some publishers scratching there head about this in wonderment!
The Scotsman
now theres, sound of music, its a wonderful life, philadelphia story, the great esacape... what else though?.
Last year I watched The Polar Express and I loved it.
Give it a go.
hey guys - i do not post on here very often these days, though i regularly pop in to catch up.. just wondering if the latest annual report was out yet - i am completely out of touch with watchtower land.. have they crashed and burned or are the still on the up and up?.
the scotsman..
Hey Guys - I do not post on here very often these days, though I regularly pop in to catch up.
Just wondering if the latest annual report was out yet - I am completely out of touch with Watchtower land.
Have they crashed and burned or are the still on the up and up?
The Scotsman.
a series of events led up to an arugment with my parents last night.
my mom and dad told me that they found my videos that i was doing on youtube, and they told me that i was an apostate.
they said that they would help me if it was an emergency, but other then that, they didnt want anything to do with me.
I am constantly bewildered by the power a religion can have on someone - this is a prime example. Rejecting there own kids because someone told them it is the right thing to do!!!!
I never "quite" reached the stage you have - managed to keep contact - but it has never been the same.
You could try and back down a bit - remove videos etc. On the other hand they may not actually follow-through with shunning you.
No easy answers.
Good luck.....The Scotsman
