Does being an atheist in some way disqualify me from discussing the Bible?
Not at all, that's not what i am saying.
someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.
1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.
once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.
Does being an atheist in some way disqualify me from discussing the Bible?
Not at all, that's not what i am saying.
someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.
1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.
once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.
Thanks Lance,
If your channel is just about you and why you left, then i can see why you want to do that. I am sure it is a part of the healing process upon leaving the JW's.
I guess i have felt that your channel is maybe to use the bible to put doubts in JW's minds, or even to make them question the JW teachings, a bit like shazoolo's. If that is not the case, then i have got the agenda of your channel wrong. If it is to tell your story then go for it. As i have said on the second post here i wondered what you're agenda was in refering to the bible, it appeared to me that you were using the bible to argue against the JW teachings which is what i could not understand.
Paul
someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.
1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.
once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.
Now, which is easier to help a believer, especially a JW? To say the Bible is fairytales or to say that "You don't have the truth." ?
Easier to demonstrate the lack of truth to the believer, or to examine them by their own standard, then to afterward show them why it is so easy to reveal their lack of truth by their Bible because the Bible is fairytales.
I guess then that the question then comes as to what is Lance's agenda in disproving the JW's as far as the bible is concerned. I have always been able to see why someone who believes in another version of scripture would want to disprove an alternative view, such as JW's, mormons or whoever. Their agenda is to 'save their life'. I cannot however understand why an atheist would want to represent an alternative scriptural view on a point.
Plus, Jw's use the Bible to condemn everyone else, so it is important to show them how it can condemn them.
I can see that point of view, but isn't that just tit for tat? It's as if you're saying they knock me with the bible, so i'll knock them. So again it comes down to the agenda.
Paul
"26 evidently, nebuchadnezzars seven times involved seven years.
in prophecy, a year averages 360 days, or 12 months of 30 days each.
(compare revelation 12:6, 14.
Luke 21:22-24
Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for (B) there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by (C) the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and (D) Jerusalem will be (E) trampled under foot by the Gentiles until (F) the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Jw's argue the first section is directed towards a first century fulfillment of Jerusalem's destruction, including the first half of v24, yet why do they change tack on the 2nd half of v24 and apply that and that sentence only to Daniel's prohecy?
A classic example of taking scripture out of context.
Paul
someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.
1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.
once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.
Hi Lance,
What i find hard to understand about your channel, is that if you are an atheist then why do you use the bible to critique JW's?
Surely by representing an alternative biblical argument to a JW is futile if you do not believe that yourself? It's like using one set of lies to rebut another set of lies.
Paul
i have been in touch today with an old school friend, after around 20 years.
his mom used to be a jw, but became a christian years before he was born, i always remember him as having a faith, but it was something that during his teen years he put to one side.. anyway this brings me around to today.
we got in touch recently through facebook, turns out he only lives 5 minutes away so i went around today to see him.. we had a great conversation, catching up.
I have been in touch today with an old school friend, after around 20 years. His mom used to be a JW, but became a christian years before he was born, i always remember him as having a faith, but it was something that during his teen years he put to one side.
Anyway this brings me around to today. We got in touch recently through Facebook, turns out he only lives 5 minutes away so i went around today to see him.
We had a great conversation, catching up. But then got talking and it turns out he is a leader in a local non demonational evangelical group. I have to say i have not discussed the bible, beliefs, Jesus like this for many years. Initially i was only going for a coffee and had to get back to work, but stayed over an hour. I discussed the JW's with him and why i left all those years ago, i never forget a conversation we had when i was 13 and my mom started studying. From one 13 year old to another, he said it may all seem fantastic to you now, but the hard part comes when you try to leave. I reminded him of that conversation and he remembered. His gran was a JW at the time.
He has always maintained an interest in the JW beliefs, i guess from his mother. But he has had that born again experience that many talk of, i can tell there is something within him, i would put it down to a passion, i guess he would say it's the holy spirit.
Talking to him today was a real eye opener. As kids we never spoke like this, i guess i never spoke JW beliefs to school mates and he never discussed his christian beliefs. Our friendship was always based on the usual lads stuff.
To my surprise all my scriptural knowledge was coming back, along with my critique of the JW religion which i have learnt over the years. I was amazed by his scriptural knowledge and i feel he thought the same of me too.
It has made me wonder as to how many here are born again? How did this make you feel? Did you have that born again experience?
Thanks in advance
Paul
the federal bureau of prisons does have statistics on religious affiliations of inmates.
the following are total number of inmates per religion category: .
catholic 29267 39.164% protestant 26162 35.008% muslim 5435 7.273% american indian 2408 3.222% nation 1734 2.320% rasta 1485 1.987% jewish 1325 1.773% church of christ 1303 1.744% pentecostal 1093 1.463% moorish 1066 1.426% buddhist 882 1.180% jehovah witness 665 0.890% adventist 621 0.831% orthodox 375 0.502% mormon 298 0.399% scientology 190 0.254% atheist 156 0.209% hindu 119 0.159% santeria 117 0.157% sikh 14 0.019% bahai 9 0.012% krishna 7 0.009% .
The Federal Bureau of Prisons does have statistics on religious affiliations of inmates. The following are total number of inmates per religion category:
Catholic 29267 39.164% Protestant 26162 35.008% Muslim 5435 7.273% American Indian 2408 3.222% Nation 1734 2.320% Rasta 1485 1.987% Jewish 1325 1.773% Church of Christ 1303 1.744% Pentecostal 1093 1.463% Moorish 1066 1.426% Buddhist 882 1.180% Jehovah Witness 665 0.890% Adventist 621 0.831% Orthodox 375 0.502% Mormon 298 0.399% Scientology 190 0.254% Atheist 156 0.209% Hindu 119 0.159% Santeria 117 0.157% Sikh 14 0.019% Bahai 9 0.012% Krishna 7 0.009%
Total Known Responses 74731 100.001% (rounding to 3 digits does this)
Unknown/No Answer 18381
Total Convicted 93112 80.259% (74731) prisoners' religion is known.
Held in Custody 3856 (not surveyed due to temporary custody)
Total In Prisons 96968
Wow, bet the WTBTS doesn't advertise that.
Paul
this is from the pakistani news report...it is her opinion apparently - sammieswife.. .
written by www.daily.pk sunday, 01 february 2009 01:09"another israeli spokeswoman, tzipora menache, stated that she was not worried about negative ramifications the israeli onslaught on gaza might have on the way the obama administration would view israel.
she said 'you know very well, and the stupid americans know equally well, that we control their government, irrespective of who sits in the white house.
Didge
Is america then responsible for the palestinian holocaust?
S
If the Bush administration had been critical they would have stopped.
da jooooooooooooooooos!.
hitler jr. must be waiting in the wings:.
the organization, which says its aim is "to stop the defamation of jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all," says the seven-nation survey confirms that anti-semitism remains strong.. the poll included interviews with 3,500 people - 500 each in austria, britain, france, germany, hungary, poland, spain.. it says that in spain, 74 percent of those asked say they feel it is "probably true" that jews hold too much sway over the global financial markets.
Nah...the majority of us blame it on America
Paul
this is from the pakistani news report...it is her opinion apparently - sammieswife.. .
written by www.daily.pk sunday, 01 february 2009 01:09"another israeli spokeswoman, tzipora menache, stated that she was not worried about negative ramifications the israeli onslaught on gaza might have on the way the obama administration would view israel.
she said 'you know very well, and the stupid americans know equally well, that we control their government, irrespective of who sits in the white house.
I'd say Israel is run by America
Paul