Though Francis Hitching is convinced of biological evolution (but not of natural selection) the http://www.jwoolfden.com/procreat.html website gives criticism of his The Neck of the Giraffe book in addition to the books of various creationist authors, but I think that Hitching's book has a lot of informative accurate content. [To my surprise I haven't yet been able to find any online article written by an evolutionist (whether by a scientist or by a non-scientist) about Hitching's book which which says anything positive about the book. Granted Hitching's book promotes some incorrect ideas, but a lot of the content of the book is factual and important information.] In Hitching's book called The Neck of the Giraffe Hitching said that Bowden's book called Apemen - Fact of Fallacy? is the best of the creationist books, yet http://www.jwoolfden.com/procreat.html sharply criticizes that creationist book.
Disillusioned JW
JoinedPosts by Disillusioned JW
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Is most of the promotion of creationism, not just that by the WT, charlatanism?
by Disillusioned JW inis most of the promotion of creationism, not just that by the wt, charlatanism?.
https://www.fullmoon.nu/sources.bak/chapter%2010/part%202/gish%20exposed.html [which has an article called "creationism: bad science or immoral pseudoscience?
- (an expose of creationist dr. duane gish)"] says the following.. 'a look at the "scientific" creationist movement and a close examination of the tactics of a well-known and influential creationist will reveal that the creation "science" movement gains much of its strength through the use of distortion and scientifically unethical tactics.. .... with the facts explained and the lawsuits won, scientists declared victory and returned to their labs and offices.
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Disillusioned JW
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Is most of the promotion of creationism, not just that by the WT, charlatanism?
by Disillusioned JW inis most of the promotion of creationism, not just that by the wt, charlatanism?.
https://www.fullmoon.nu/sources.bak/chapter%2010/part%202/gish%20exposed.html [which has an article called "creationism: bad science or immoral pseudoscience?
- (an expose of creationist dr. duane gish)"] says the following.. 'a look at the "scientific" creationist movement and a close examination of the tactics of a well-known and influential creationist will reveal that the creation "science" movement gains much of its strength through the use of distortion and scientifically unethical tactics.. .... with the facts explained and the lawsuits won, scientists declared victory and returned to their labs and offices.
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Disillusioned JW
Is most of the promotion of creationism, not just that by the WT, charlatanism?
https://www.fullmoon.nu/sources.bak/CHAPTER%2010/PART%202/gish%20exposed.html [which has an article called "Creationism: Bad Science or Immoral Pseudoscience? - (an expose of creationist Dr. Duane Gish)"] says the following.
'A look at the "scientific" creationist movement and a close examination of the tactics of a well-known and influential creationist will reveal that the creation "science" movement gains much of its strength through the use of distortion and scientifically unethical tactics.
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With the facts explained and the lawsuits won, scientists declared victory and returned to their labs and offices. But stubbornly, the creationist movement refused to die. Scientists had misjudged their opponents because they had assessed the creationist arguments from a scientific standpoint. Many failed to realize that it is not facts or theories that drive the creationist machine; it is strong religious beliefs, and the need to protect traditional lifestyles and values from the threat of secularism and "godless" evolution. Because of this, creationists do not use the methods of science to spread their message. They rely on charisma, religious faith, and emotional appeals which depict evolution as a destroyer of society (LaHaye 1974) and evolutionists as materialistic atheists who conspire to suppress creationism while hiding the many supposed weaknesses of evolution (Gish 1990a).
In recent years, some scientists have implied or stated that creationists regularly use distortion and deception when promoting creationism (Kitcher 1984; Godfrey 1984). For example, Tim Berra, a zoology professor at Ohio State University has stated: "The arguments of these fundamentalist missionaries often involve tortured logic, a stubborn denial of the evidence, a shallow understanding, or a reckless disregard for the truth" (1990: 125-126). Do creationists knowingly use deception to promote their cause?
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According to the book, The Creationist Movement in Modern America, the psychology of creationists is very different from that of evolutionists (Eve and Harrold 1991). The authors say that creationists tend to perceive the world through the filter of their religious beliefs, and they differ from their opponents in "their most profound understandings of reality, religion, American society, and the nature of the scientific enterprise" (pp. 67).
In light of that perspective, it is not surprising that some people who have met or debated Gish have come to the conclusion that he is not knowingly dishonest.'
http://www.jwoolfden.com/procreat.html says the following.
'APE-MEN: FACT OR FALLACY?
Bowden, M.
c.1977, Sovereign Publications
ISBN: 0-9506042-0-8
An all-out attack on paleoanthropology, heavily criticizing all aspects of the evidence for human evolution. Besides being hopelessly mistaken in many areas, it's mostly obsolete since so many new finds and reinterpretations have been made in paleoanthro since 1977....
EVOLUTION: THE FOSSILS SAY NO!*
Gish, Duane
c.1978, Creation-Life Publishers
ISBN: 0-89051-046-6
Duane Gish has written three books in an ongoing attempt to discredit the fossil record as evidence for evolution. This was the first of the three. Long on polemics and short on details, riddled with mistakes in the few facts it does offer, this book shows little evidence that Gish really understands the details of the topics he is attacking.EVOLUTION: THE CHALLENGE OF THE FOSSIL RECORD
Gish, Duane
c.1985, Creation-Life Publishers
ISBN: 0-89051-112-8
Despite the different title, this is really just a rewrite or update of Evolution: The Fossils Say No! Like the earlier version, it's full of errors of many kinds.EVOLUTION: THE FOSSILS STILL SAY NO!
Gish, Duane T.
c.1995, ICR
ISBN: 0-89051-112-8
The third and (so far) latest version of Gish's ongoing attack on the fossil record as support for evolution. Like the two earlier versions, it's full of mistakes and fallacies of many kinds. It's interesting to note that this book is nearly twice the size of Evolution: The Challenge of the Fossil Record, which itself was twice the size of the first edition, Evolution: The Fossils Say No! The books keep getting longer because the collection of fossil evidence that supports evolution, which Gish is trying to refute, keeps getting larger.'Months ago I saw the book EVOLUTION: THE CHALLENGE OF THE FOSSIL RECORD at a thrift store and I thought of buying it, but I decided against doing so because I suspected it likely has numerous false and misleading claims in it, and I didn't want to spend a lot of time fact checking it. Due to what the article called "Creationism: Bad Science or Immoral Pseudoscience? - (an expose of creationist Dr. Duane Gish)" says it looks like I made a wise choice to not purchase that book. However, studying Gish's book would have caused me to see specific examples of the extent of the flaws of creationist statements about evolution, as well as seeing some problems with evolutionism. The WT in its criticisms of evolution and evolutionism is considerably influenced by creationist literature.
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Which WT book (or booklet) has illustrations of prehistoric animals?
by Disillusioned JW ini remember that i once saw a wt book (or maybe a booklet) which in depicting one or two of the creative days of genesis had illustrations depicting now extinct prehistoric animals.
which publication was that?
i think the illustrations were of a 1950s or 1960s style.. update: i found it.
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Disillusioned JW
dropoffyourkeylee, I wonder if the WT stopped making illustrations of prehistoric animals and prehistoric plants in depictions of the 5th and the 6th creative days because it might suggest to many people's minds (such as mine) the idea that life on Earth has existed for millions of years and that animals and plants have evolved over time. What do you think about that?
Some of the prehistoric animals shown in some of the illustrations are also classic examples of evidence of evolution shown in pro-evolution science books [as transitional forms, or as evolutionary 'cousins' of ancestors of current species].
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Which WT book (or booklet) has illustrations of prehistoric animals?
by Disillusioned JW ini remember that i once saw a wt book (or maybe a booklet) which in depicting one or two of the creative days of genesis had illustrations depicting now extinct prehistoric animals.
which publication was that?
i think the illustrations were of a 1950s or 1960s style.. update: i found it.
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Disillusioned JW
Yesterday when at my mom's house I looked in her copy of ' "The Truth Shall Make You Free" ' from 1943 and noticed in its chapter about the Earthly creation (in chapter 3 I think) that it also has illustrations of prehistoric animals (and of prehistoric plants).
The WT illustrations (in the old WT books) which depict extinct prehistoric animals and plants during prehuman times, are more scientifically accurate then the more recent WT books which depict modern species of animals as existing during the 5th and 6th creative days of Genesis.
Sadly I notice that the domain of www.strictlygenteel.co.uk (which had copies of old WT literature in it) has been suspended (as of at least two weeks ago). I hope the WT didn't shut it down. If the WT did shut it down it probably means they were noticing me directing attention on the https://www.jehovahs-witness.com site to the old books at www.strictlygenteel.co.uk and to me making quotes from those old books. However, I thought the person who operated www.strictlygenteel.co.uk had permission from the WT. I also thought most, if not all, of the literature which was on that site is in the public domain.
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Remembering Rutherford
by Sea Breeze inhe seems to me to be the angriest and most ill-tempered of all the wt presidents, especially after his stint in prison and failed prophecies.. “regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he [rutherford] once confessed to us at bethel, “i made an ass of myself.”” watchtower 1984 oct 1 p.24.
rutherford died at beth sarim on january 8, 1942, at the age of 72.
[220] cause of death was...carcinoma of the rectum..."[21] .
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Remembering Rutherford
by Sea Breeze inhe seems to me to be the angriest and most ill-tempered of all the wt presidents, especially after his stint in prison and failed prophecies.. “regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he [rutherford] once confessed to us at bethel, “i made an ass of myself.”” watchtower 1984 oct 1 p.24.
rutherford died at beth sarim on january 8, 1942, at the age of 72.
[220] cause of death was...carcinoma of the rectum..."[21] .
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Disillusioned JW
How high a percentage of Christians devote themselves to preaching/evangelizing instead of trying to become rich? The reality is that the vast majority of Christians put virtually no effort in spreading Christianity, and instead try to increase their personal wealth and to enjoy their life on Earth.I know because I work with Christians and am surrounded by Christians in my country. A small percentage of Christians, succeed in amassing massive wealth.
The message of the biblical Christ about pursuing kingdom interests first is in the context of a message of an imminent apocalypse and is suitable for such an apocalyptic message, but it has proven futile for people to be in anxious expectation of the return of a Christ who supposedly first came in the first century CE/AD.The largest churches/denominations of Christianity (such as the Roman Catholic and the bulk of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches [other than perhaps the most theological conservative churches], as well as the Anglican church, the Episcopalian church, and the Unitarian church) long ago gave up in preaching the apocalypse from their pulpits, and they don't go door to door to preach.
There is no kingdom of Christ (and no supernatural Christ) and there never will be. The Bible is wrong in its teachings of a kingdom of God by Christ. It is better to focus on being happy in one's life on Earth for there is no afterlife. Rutherford, an admitted former atheist for a period of time before learning the message of the Watchtower, acted rationally (even if immorally in certain ways) in trying to get the most enjoyment of his human life on Earth instead of pursuing in a fully biblical NT way a future life in heaven, since there is no personal god (and thus no Jehovah). Perhaps he was a 'closet atheist' while President of the Watch Tower.
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Remembering Rutherford
by Sea Breeze inhe seems to me to be the angriest and most ill-tempered of all the wt presidents, especially after his stint in prison and failed prophecies.. “regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he [rutherford] once confessed to us at bethel, “i made an ass of myself.”” watchtower 1984 oct 1 p.24.
rutherford died at beth sarim on january 8, 1942, at the age of 72.
[220] cause of death was...carcinoma of the rectum..."[21] .
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Disillusioned JW
According to the Bible, many of the Jewish patriarchs and the Jewish/Israelite kings lived in luxury and the OT Bible often portrays such as being an indication of being immensely blessed by Jehovah God (Yahweh Elohim/the LORD). If living in luxury as a Christian with one's religion paying the money for such is wrong (and it might be wrong) then many of the teachings (ascribed to God) of the OT Bible are also wrong.
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PIMO elder
by Reservations ini’m reservations, pimo elder.
i’m in no position to leave the organisation, maybe some people will see that as weak or whatever, but we have to all go down our own path in life.. i would like to be able to wake people up in my congregation, how do you think best to do this?
any ideas?.
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Disillusioned JW
Reservations, not all of the active believing JWs (at least some of those with some doubts) are happy about being active in the religion (and not all of them are close minded to dissenting views), even if they don't appear to be unhappy. I know because I was one of them. I thus believe it is important to somehow find a way to help such ones. I wish someone had helped me (prior to age 25) to see the truth about the JW religion and about the Bible not being the word of a god, for such would have freed me 10+ years earlier (from mental bondage and from servitude to the WT). I intend to make a much more detailed post about this later (I am in the process of writing a draft of it). -
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Is the door to door preaching work not the primary focus anymore?
by pistolpete ina few months back, one of my uncles who was an elder, asked the co, why jehovah would allow the door to door preaching work, to come to an abrupt end.
this was when my uncle was starting to have serious doubts about the organization.. the co told him to be patient, and hang in there, because the governing body was on top of things and in time would explain what is happening regarding the preaching work.. my uncle asked; “what do you mean?”.
co said; “focus on the wt study articles in the coming months” .
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Disillusioned JW
I've checked multiple translations and none of those say they are "large women"! The NWT (at Psalms 68:11) says "The women proclaiming the good news are a large army." It is there army that is said to be large, not the individual women.
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2021-Powerful By Faith-Talk Transcripts!
by Atlantis in2021--powerful by faith, talk transcripts.. https://www.filemail.com/d/bpludvmsuqmaqdz.
https://we.tl/t-qbpywfpzyd.
atlantis!.
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Disillusioned JW
One can watch the official videos of apparently the entire convention at https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/categories/JWB2021Convention . I admit that I find the videos to be very impressive - far more interesting than my experiences in the 1990s attending WT/JW conventions. If such had been produced back in the 1990s and if the current minimalist requirements for field service time existed back then and if one could have listened to Kingdom Hall meetings at home back then, then I might would have continued in the WT religion for years more than I did. The JWs today have it so easy (and with far fewer pages of the WT and AW to read per year) and in a format that is more captivating. In watching one video (which might not have been a convention video) with one governing body member speaking, I became halfway persuaded by what he was saying. It actually seemed logical, if one accepts certain presuppositions - wow! [It is located at https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwb-080_7_VIDEO .] If it wasn't what I have already learned I might would been fully convinced by what he said - scary.
Interestingly in one of the convention videos a theological/scholarly book (with photos of pages of the Greek Septuagint containing the name YHWH) is shown being pulled out of a bookcase in which the books to the right and left of it are Rutherford's books. I wonder why did they did that? Are they implying that Rutherford's books are of equal caliber to the other book? Do they think that JWs won't recognize the other books as being by Rutherford? Perhaps some of the people seeing the video will be interested in reading Rutherford's books. Also in the video (in a different scene), there is what appears to be a re-enactment of the work of creating the 1950-1960 NWT in the late 1940s and in that scene there is a opened thick green covered book which seems to be the 1963 compilation (Students Edition) of the 6 volumes of the NWT. If so, that is anachronistic to have a book edition from 1963 in a scene set in the late 1940s.