I wasn't being sarcastic at all. I was saying what I was convinced of as being true. Years ago a postal clerk told me that and later I verified its accuracy on the internet. The government (congress?) does regulate how much the post office can charge for postage (and votes on proposed names for post office branches), but the post office raises their own money (through what they charge in postage and fees) to their customers. Perhaps I am in error about the post office's finances, but I meant what I said.
Disillusioned JW
JoinedPosts by Disillusioned JW
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A group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations
by Disillusioned JW ina group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations.
that is a major goal accomplished by the biden administration.
seehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/countries-agree-to-global-deal-to-curb-tax-avoidance-11633709979 .. if corresponding legislation gets passed into law in the usa it will be much harder for corporations doing business in the usa to move their operations out of the usa to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
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Disillusioned JW
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A new generation of anointed that will not pass away.
by Fisherman inobviously, the older “ anointed ” from 1914 died.
and because they were anointed, they hopefully went to heaven.
in the first century though, a newer generation did not replace the old.
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Disillusioned JW
God believing people (whether Christian or Jewish) please consider something in the book called "According to Luke" which I opened up one my many different translations of the Bible to a day ago. Please read Luke 4:31-37. When you read it please ask yourself would a demon ever be in a house of worship of a congregation of the biblical God?
The account says a demon who was possessing a man was in a Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath day cried out. According to the biblical book this happened before Christian congregations existed (since Jesus hadn't died yet and the followers of Jesus attended synagogues and the Jewish temple). Is that which you believe is God's house, his place of worship, a place where one or more demons sometimes exist in while a meeting of worship is taking place to God? [This post relates to this topic thread about a generation of the anointed since the account, which I am referring to, says the demon proclaimed that Jesus is "the Holy One of God" (RV, ARV, and ASV Bibles).]
Furthermore, for those of you Christians who are rationally inclined do you really believe that a demon - the spirit of an unclean demon - would bear witness out loud (act as of one of YHWH God's Witnesses) to Jesus Christ as being the Holy One of God? Doesn't instead this account seem to you be contrived, to be pious fiction, in order to convert people to a form of Christianity? Keep in mind that in the first and second century CE many people were highly superstitious and that many gentiles (including Greeks) believed in the existence of multiple gods and demons (daemons/daimons) - including believing that some demons (daemons/daimons) were good, serving as helpers to humans and as intermediaries between humans and God). If this ancient idea of good demons is unfamiliar to you, please see https://greekerthanthegreeks.com/2016/10/lost-in-translation-word-of-day-demon.html and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudaemon_(mythology) .
Consider that Acts 16:16-18 says there was a female slave who had a spirit of prediction (divination) which enabled her to make accurate predictions of the future and thus greatly financially profiting her masters, until Paul ordered the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. According to the account, before the spirit was called out of her, the spirit proclaimed that Paul and those with him are "servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way to salvation" (RV/ARV, and ASV Bibles). Notice that this passage also says a spirit acted as a witness of God. The passage also said that the spirit told people how they can gain salvation. Do you who believe in demon spirits think that such spirits would ever make such public proclamations, even in a mocking manner? Yet people in the ancient world thought many demons (daemons/daimons) were good and acted as intermediaries between humans and the Most High God. Many such people (in or about the second century CE) reading those accounts in Luke and Acts would readily accept what those accounts were saying about the demons.
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A new generation of anointed that will not pass away.
by Fisherman inobviously, the older “ anointed ” from 1914 died.
and because they were anointed, they hopefully went to heaven.
in the first century though, a newer generation did not replace the old.
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Disillusioned JW
LV101, I invite you to start up topics on Lawrence Krauss' book and naturalism.
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Is the FACT that no God/god ever communicates with humans evidence that no God/god exists?
by Disillusioned JW inis the fact that no god/god ever communicates with us evidence that no god/god exists?
i think it is very strong evidence that no personal god/god exits, especially a benevolent god who wants humans to know him him/her/it, to obey him/her/it, and/or to love him/her/it.
since no god/god communicates to us (including those who sincerely want communication with the/a god/god), wouldn't it be sensible for those who pray to what they believe is the/a god/god to cease all efforts to communicate to a god/god?
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Disillusioned JW
[Correction: In my post from a year earlier, on page three of this topic thread, where I said "There are many Christians who are convinced that God does answer prayers (not just their own prayers, but anyone's prayers)" I think I meant to say "There are many Christians who are convinced that God does not answer prayers (not just their own prayers, but anyone's prayers)".]
Hello Nephilim87. I was raised from infancy as a JW, became baptized as a JW while I was an underage teen, was a regular pioneer for nearly 3 full years, was a ministerial servant for several years, and even gave some 45 minute long Sunday Public Talks in a Kingdom Hall. In about the year 2000 or 2001 I had major doubts about the WT and the JW religion and was burned out from the routine of the religion. I thus choose to become inactive as a JW (other than attending the Memorial and local JW assemblies and conventions for several years). That provided me with much more free time. I used much of that additional free time to read the entire Bible (and to study much of it), including the Apocryphal books found in the Bible canons of the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Slavic Orthodox churches. I read all of it. I also read much of the book of Jubilees (it is part of the Bible of the Ethiopic Orthodox Church), all of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, portions of other Gnostic gospels, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and other books. To some degree I also increased my knowledge of of what scientists say pertaining to evolution.
Reading the Bible, and studying it carefully in a critical manner, contributed greatly to me ceasing to believe in Jehovah. That is because I noticed numerous problems in the Bible. Learning certain things (from a person in an online forum) about how the geologic record clearly disproves certain key things about the Genesis chapter one creation account and of the Genesis account of 'Noah's' flood convinced me that Jehovah/YHWH God did not inspire those accounts or other parts of the Bible. That along with earlier numerous things I had learned caused me to cease believing in the existence of Jehovah/YHWH God. What I learned of the geologic record also convinced me that Jesus was wrong to believe in the Genesis flood account and in the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, and that thus Jesus (whom the gospel book called "According to John" says made everything other than himself and God the Father) was not the son of God and not Christ.
Regarding the question of what evidence I was looking for from God after I prayed, I left it in God's figurative hands (if he existed) to reveal the evidence to me, evidence of a kind which he knew (if he existed) would convince me. I never became convinced again of his existence, nor did I become convinced that some other kind of God, such as a deistic god, exists.
But years later, for a number of days I was very nearly convinced that a deistic creator god exists (but not the biblical God nor any other alleged theistic God), due to me reading a book which I found out the WT had quoted form extensively in their Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? book (for a number of quotes of scientists). [I learned of the book as result of me making an intense concerted effort (after I had become an atheist) to discover the sources for the all of the quotes of scientists mentioned in the WT's Creator book (First Printing, copyright 1998).] The book is called Show Me God: What the Message from Space Is Telling Us About God (Wonders, 1), by Fred Heeren, and the WT quoted form the First Edition of the book (copyright 1995 or 1997). It is written by a science journalist who is convinced of the Big Bang theory and now also of biological evolution (with the biblical God playing a role in the process) and he also evangelizes for Christianity and he digs up fossils. The book interviews multiple scientists. The latter part of his book argues for evangelical Christianity. The WT does not mention the name of the book nor its author in the WT's Creator book. You might like the book. I seriously considered buying a copy of the latest revised edition of his book.
The book by Heeren severely shook my confidence in atheism and in scientific naturalism. I later regained my confidence in atheism and in scientific naturalism after I carefully read and studied certain scientific articles pertaining to the Big Bang and the rapid inflationary phase of the early universe, and as what existed before the Bang. One of the articles is published in Discover magazine. Other major factors which helped to me to regain my confidence were somethings I read in books by Victor Stenger regarding how an expanding universe makes room for localized order to come about despite the total entropy of the universe increasing.
I discovered the WT's Creator book quotes from a number of books authored by scientists who are Christians making intelligent design arguments in support of belief in God, and that in a few of those books the scientists also promote evangelical Christianity.
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A new generation of anointed that will not pass away.
by Fisherman inobviously, the older “ anointed ” from 1914 died.
and because they were anointed, they hopefully went to heaven.
in the first century though, a newer generation did not replace the old.
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Disillusioned JW
Sea Breeze, I noticed to said the following.
"I agree VH7. I will gladly remove the below post if DJW would start a new thread on Scientific Naturalism. If this is his yearning to get other adherents like he says... he shouldn't be afraid of honest discussion."
Since starting about 9 months ago I have been blocked from creating a new forum topic on this website, I invite you to post comments about Scientific Naturalism in my old forum topic that is located at https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5722523307081728/fact-that-no-god-god-ever-communicates-humans-evidence-that-no-god-god-exists?page=3 . Of the 27 (or 28) topics I created on this site, that one is probably the most suitable to a discussion specifically about Scientific Naturalism, since the title of the topic includes the phrase "evidence that no God/god exists" (though it is in a question). It is unclear to me what you mean by "... the information ... that is inherent in light, matter ...." I would like to know what information you think is in light and matter. Please clarify that in the other forum topic. I also wonder if you chose to use the word "information" in regards to light and matter in order to imply that someone outside the universe must have put something into light and matter, rather than the so-called information merely being an attribute which came about through purely natural processes. Please also elaborate on that in the other forum. I also notice that mention what you consider to be "the three major components to naturalism" but I don't exactly have those views. In some regards you seem to be getting your idea of what naturalism is from what intelligent design critics of naturalism say naturalism is, instead of solely from what naturalists say naturalism is.
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Dr. Bart Ehrman Live Webinar Did Jesus Call himself God?
by Diogenesister inthere's a live webinar with dr. ehrman on the subject of the divinity of jesus.
folks will be able to put questions directly to dr. bart, the cost is $14.00 with the webinar covering the following topics:.
• soon after jesus’ death, his disciples claimed that he was god .
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Disillusioned JW
Since about a few months ago (or so) I started believing again that Jesus brother of James son of Joseph probably existed. I currently still believe he probably existed.
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Is the FACT that no God/god ever communicates with humans evidence that no God/god exists?
by Disillusioned JW inis the fact that no god/god ever communicates with us evidence that no god/god exists?
i think it is very strong evidence that no personal god/god exits, especially a benevolent god who wants humans to know him him/her/it, to obey him/her/it, and/or to love him/her/it.
since no god/god communicates to us (including those who sincerely want communication with the/a god/god), wouldn't it be sensible for those who pray to what they believe is the/a god/god to cease all efforts to communicate to a god/god?
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Disillusioned JW
waton, 'those setups', as you refer them,were done ingeniously in order to overcome the fact that humans don't have access to the mind boggling amount of energy that existed at the Big Bang. But the experiment lend support to the cosmological scientific theory in reference to the very early stage of the universe. Before the Big Bang, there existed energy, perhaps as a singularity. Immediately after the Big Bag or during the Big Bang some of that energy transformed into subatomic matter and thus brought matter into existence.
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A group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations
by Disillusioned JW ina group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations.
that is a major goal accomplished by the biden administration.
seehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/countries-agree-to-global-deal-to-curb-tax-avoidance-11633709979 .. if corresponding legislation gets passed into law in the usa it will be much harder for corporations doing business in the usa to move their operations out of the usa to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
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Disillusioned JW
Yesterday (August 12, 2022) the USA House of Representatives passed the The Inflation Reduction Act. It passed the USA Senate earlier in the week. It included a minimum tax rate of 15% for big corporations, thus closing some corporate tax loopholes. This is another example of Biden and the Democratic Party accomplishing their agenda - one in which I approve of.
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A group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations
by Disillusioned JW ina group of 136 countries set a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big corporations.
that is a major goal accomplished by the biden administration.
seehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/countries-agree-to-global-deal-to-curb-tax-avoidance-11633709979 .. if corresponding legislation gets passed into law in the usa it will be much harder for corporations doing business in the usa to move their operations out of the usa to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
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Disillusioned JW
Anony Mous, I noticed that your said the following. "Name a government program that is self funded or profitable. There is none." The USA federal government's postal system is entirely self funded and receives no tax money. Right?
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What Do You Like About Biden's Build Back Better Agenda & the Democrat's Build Back Better Act?
by Disillusioned JW inwhat do you like about biden's build back better agenda & the democrat's build back better act?
is it liberal and progressive enough for you or do you wish it would go further?
https://www.vox.com/22711083/biden-reconciliation-build-back-better-polls-infrastructure has some comments about it.
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Disillusioned JW
Several months ago a major portion of the proposed Build Back Better Act was passed by both chambers of the USA congress in the form the Infrastructure bill. it was signed into law by my lawfully elected USA President Biden.
This week a large portion of the climate change provisions and a large portion of the health care provisions of the proposed Build Back Better Act were passed by the USA Senate in the form of the Inflation Reduction Act. Manchin played a major role in negotiating for that bill. Senator Ron Wyden of the great politically progressive state of Oregon saved the bill by adding an amendment which raises money in new taxes to offset Senator Sinema request that a particular tax loophole not be closed. Sinema then fully supported the bill and voted for it. The Inflation Reduction Act even has provisions to make a substantial cut in the USA federal budget deficit. Awesome!
Yesterday (last Friday) the USA House passed the Inflation Reduction Act and soon the legislation will go to President Biden for him to sign it into law - see https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/12/house-passes-inflation-reduction-act/10287418002/ for more information. This is incredibly great news! I am so thrilled! During recent months other legislation promoted by Biden has been passed and signed into law by Biden (such as the bipartisan legislation pertaining to gun safety and the bipartisan "CHIPS and Science Act"). Biden is thus now winning on major portions of his progressive agenda (which is also Bernie Sanders' agenda - agenda that I voted for Biden for President in the general election of 2020 (and when I voted for Bernie for President in the Democratic Party's primary in 2020). Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!
Biden is now showing that he can get both chambers of the USA congress to get important legislation passed - something which in 2020 he said he would do if were to get elected as President! He is fulfilling his campaign promises. Biden is now on a roll of win after win after win after win! My side, the progressive side, is now wining - big time! It will Make the United States of America Even Greater! I favor what I am now calling the "Make America Even Greater" movement!
Furthermore, there are now polls which indicate that the Democratic party might even gain one to three seats in the USA Senate and also retain their control in the USA House of Representatives (hopefully without loosing any seats) in the midterm elections of 2022. Those matters are also very encouraging to me.