The article called "A Skeptic’s Ghost Story:Ghost hunting with science and skepticism" is very good and is located at https://thinkingispower.com/a-skeptics-ghost-story/ .
Disillusioned JW
JoinedPosts by Disillusioned JW
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99
If not the WT/JW relgion where else are 'we' to go? Why not atheistic/scientific philosophical naturalism?
by Disillusioned JW insometimes jws wonder if the wt/jw is not the truth, 'then where else are we to go?
' i say 'why not atheistic/scientific philosophical naturalism and why not a secular philosophy which teaches a way of life?
' what do you folks say?.
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Disillusioned JW
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Will Ukraine win?
by Fisherman ini was under the impression that it was going to be a short war, that russia’s military would indeed subdue ukraine’s forces quickly but that is not happening.
seems that russia’s military power is much less than it’s reputed to be.
no guess how it will all end..
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Disillusioned JW
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Crimean_status_referendum which says the following. "The referendum was illegal under the Constitution of Ukraine.[13] It is not recognized by most countries,[14] mainly due to the presence of Russian forces.[15] Thirteen members of the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of a resolution declaring the referendum invalid, but Russia vetoed it and China abstained.[16][17] A United Nations General Assembly resolution was later adopted, by a vote of 100 in favor vs. 11 against with 58 abstentions, which declared the referendum invalid and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity.[15]"
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Will Ukraine win?
by Fisherman ini was under the impression that it was going to be a short war, that russia’s military would indeed subdue ukraine’s forces quickly but that is not happening.
seems that russia’s military power is much less than it’s reputed to be.
no guess how it will all end..
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Disillusioned JW
Putin's actions, through his control of the Russian military, upon Ukraine are pure evil! See https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/24/ukraine-putin-referendums/ ("With Kalashnikov rifles, Russia drives the staged vote in Ukraine") and https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127691 ("War crimes have been committed in Ukraine conflict, top UN human rights inquiry reveals"). I now intensely hate Putin, whereas before (for more than 10 years) I was merely angry of Putin. It is imperative that Russia's war against Ukraine be defeated!
slimboyfat, the crimes that the USA have done in modern times are drastically less evil than those perpetrated by the U.S.S.R./Russia in modern times! In contrast, many (if not most) of the military actions of the USA were at least done with UN Security Council authorization.
Russia's current attempt to annex portions of Ukraine by referendums held at gunpoint in Ukraine are criminal acts (under both Ukrainian law and under international law)! The referendum in Crimea in 2014 pertaining to Russian annexation of it was illegal under the Constitution of Ukraine. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Crimean_status_referendum .
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It was good enough for C.T. Russell.....
by BoogerMan in....but not for jw's!.
w70 4/15 p. 250 -"in 1870 charles taze russell...was not satisfied with the sectarian [jw's are sectarian] explanations of the bible given him, so he started a bible-study class with several of his friends....".
km 9/07 p. 3 question box - "does “the faithful and discreet slave” endorse independent groups of witnesses who meet together to engage in scriptural research or debate?
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Disillusioned JW
The KM article (as posted on the org's website) also mentions the following.
"Some have pursued an independent group study of Biblical Hebrew and Greek so as to analyze the accuracy of the New World Translation. Others explore scientific subjects related to the Bible. They have created Web sites and chat rooms for the purpose of exchanging and debating their views. They have also held conferences and produced publications to present their findings and to supplement what is provided at our Christian meetings and through our literature.
... It is commendable for individuals to want to use their thinking ability in support of the good news. However, no personal pursuit should detract from what Jesus Christ is accomplishing through his congregation on earth today.
... For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they explore Insight on the Scriptures, “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” and our other publications, such as those that discuss the prophecies found in the Bible books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation."
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Is Jehovah WITHHOLDING something from Jesus?
by BoogerMan in(matthew 28:18) jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “all authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.. (1 corinthians 15:27) for god “subjected all things under his feet.”.
according to the washtowel, jesus is not going to have all of jehovah's power & authority, because he'll [jesus] need 144,000 dead/resurrected humans to help him run the earth: .
w08 5/15 p. 15 par.
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Disillusioned JW
According to at least the gospel book called "According to Matthew" (at Matthew 19:28) Jesus told his 12 apostles (yes, even Judas) that they "will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel." The book of Revelation says that 144,000 virgin Jewish males (12,000 from each of 12 tribes) will serve as kings and priests.
Does this mean that according to the scriptures that Jesus Christ will delegate some of the authority which God the Father gave to him (according to the scriptures)? Or, is the NT Bible contradicting itself on this matter? -
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It was good enough for C.T. Russell.....
by BoogerMan in....but not for jw's!.
w70 4/15 p. 250 -"in 1870 charles taze russell...was not satisfied with the sectarian [jw's are sectarian] explanations of the bible given him, so he started a bible-study class with several of his friends....".
km 9/07 p. 3 question box - "does “the faithful and discreet slave” endorse independent groups of witnesses who meet together to engage in scriptural research or debate?
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Disillusioned JW
Notice that though the quote of the KM article says that “the faithful and discreet slave” does not endorse independent groups of Witnesses doing independent Bible research, the quote does not say the “the faithful and discreet slave” forbids or condemns JWs from doing such. It does not state a prohibition on JWs doing such research.
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If not the WT/JW relgion where else are 'we' to go? Why not atheistic/scientific philosophical naturalism?
by Disillusioned JW insometimes jws wonder if the wt/jw is not the truth, 'then where else are we to go?
' i say 'why not atheistic/scientific philosophical naturalism and why not a secular philosophy which teaches a way of life?
' what do you folks say?.
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Disillusioned JW
For some sources of information of how abiogenesis took place (or could have taken place) see the following web pages.
- https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/06/02/abio-j02.html (this is of a socialist web site). The article is called "A pair of experiments reveal new details regarding the origin of life on Earth". It says in part the following.
'It has long been hypothesized that the origin of life on Earth involved the evolution of molecules, floating in the “primordial soup” 4 billion years ago, that assembled themselves into structures that self-replicate. Two recently reported research projects bring us closer to an understanding of possible mechanisms by which that took place.
... the results of these two research projects contribute to the demystification of the origin of life and reinforce our understanding that living things, including humans, do not embody some mysterious “divine spark,” as religion would have it, but instead are the product of natural, scientifically understandable laws of the material world.'
- https://singularityhub.com/2022/04/17/oldest-fossils-yet-suggest-life-on-earth-began-much-earlier-than-we-thought/ . The article in part says the following.
'On an outcrop of exposed volcanic and sedimentary rock on the eastern shores of Hudson Bay in northern Quebec, researchers have unearthed what may be the earliest fossilized life forms ever discovered. These microbial ancestors lived between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years ago, only 300 million years after the Earth formed—a blink of an eye in geologic timescales. If life developed this rapidly on Earth, it suggests that abiogenesis—the process by which non-living matter becomes a living organism—is potentially “easy” to achieve, and life in the universe may be more common than we thought.
... The researchers are confident that even if they are abiotic, they still “could indicate complex prebiotic forms on early Earth.”
... The researchers are confident that even if they are abiotic, they still “could indicate complex prebiotic forms on early Earth.” '
- See the two page article which begins at https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/scientists-recreated-classic-origin-of-life-experiment-and-made-a-new-discovery/ . That article mentions that Jeffrey Bada "re-analyzed the original samples" from certain experiments done by Stanley Miller and Bada "found this environment produced 22 amino acids, five amines, and several hydroxylated molecules."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_L._Bada says that between 1980 and 2009 Bada "was Director of NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Exobiology. ... He and his team also developed a Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA), which is a microfabricated capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument for sensitive amino acid biomarker analysis." -
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Two Bible teachings JW's DON'T know about....
by BoogerMan in....but the november 2022 study watchtower will definitely instruct them.. 1) god's name is jehovah!.
2) jehovah is using an earthly organization to do his will - not jesus!.
in study article 45, 'jehovah' is mentioned at least 60 times.
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Disillusioned JW
Regarding where the Bible says that the kingdom rule of the Messiah will be, notice that the Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible--Updated Edition says the following in its commentary on Psalms 110:2, in reference to "Rule in the midst of Your enemies."
"110:2 prophesies of Christ's reign on the earth (Revelation 6--9)".
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Latest Watchtower tells THE TRUTH!!
by BoogerMan inthe sheeple have always been indoctrinated to think of themselves as witnesses for jehovah.. but the 8m followers of the jw governing body are now told a biblical truth - that they are witnesses for jesus!.
december 2022 study watchtower, p.21, par.
17 = "one of the primary reasons why satan wages war against god’s people is that they “have the work of bearing witness concerning jesus.” (rev.
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Disillusioned JW
It is true that the Bible says that Christians are to be witness of Jesus and that Jesus is the savior. It is also true that the Bible says YHWH God's worshipers are witnesses of YWHW and that there is no savior besides YHWH. Consider Isaiah 43:10-11.
Verse 11 (in the 1995 NASB Updated) says 'I, even I am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.'Isaiah 44:8 (NASB Updated) says the following.' "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim it to Me in order ... And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.' " ' [The italics on the word "other" is that the NASB Updated, indicating that the word is not in the Hebrew text (that there is no Hebrew word with the meaning of "other" in that verse in the Hebrew text). That usage is like how the 1984 NWT inclusion of the word "other" in brackets in Colossians chapter 1.]
The Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible--Updated Edition has the following interesting commentary on Isaiah 43:10-11.
"Israel's task was to be a witness (44:8), telling the world who God is and what he has done. Believers today share the responsibility of being God's witnesses. Do people know what God is like through your words and example? They cannot see God directly, but they can see him reflected in you." Notice that the commentary on that verse didn't say Christ's witnesses or witnesses of Jesus [though I admit that the commentary in other passages teaches the trinity doctrine].
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For Born-Ins - If You Were 18 Again, What 7 Things Would You do Differently?
by Sea Breeze inhere's mine:.
1. go immediately to college and study construction management.
2. set up an ira and start contributing every year.
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Disillusioned JW
At age 18 I was already trapped in the religion, since I was baptized one month before age 16. At age 18 I had responsibilities in the congregation (but I don't know which specific ones I had at that age, other than handling mikes). I know I already had congregational responsibilities at age 18 since I was appointed as a ministerial servant at age 19. My first year of college was at age 18 and I opened a brokerage account (but not an IRA) on my 18th birthday.
The question of "If You Were 18 Again, What 7 Things Would You do Differently?" is somewhat puzzling to me. Do you mean if at age 18 I had the knowledge then that I have now, what would I have done differently? If so, I think that question is unrealistic since to there is no way at merely age 18 I could ever have had all of the knowledge back then that I have now. However, hypothetically if I had that knowledge (or at least certain very important portions of that knowledge) back then it would have done the following.
1. Resign from all responsibilities in the congregation. For example if I was an assistant in handling the sound system (not just the microphones) and an assistant in the magazine counter or the literature counter, I would resign from those positions. That way I would have more free time and I would not have become appointed as a ministerial servant.
2. Resign from the theocratic ministry school (I had joined it at age 8). If I did that I would have had no more number 4 talks after turning age 18 and thus not be forced to make a case for WT doctrines from the platform. I also wouldn't have had any more number 2 talks after turning age 18. I thus would not be compelled as much to study the Bible, especially from the WT's perspective.
3. Stop all participation at congregational meetings; don't answer any of the WT literature questions at meetings. Don't prepare for WT meetings. By doing those things besides the above, I would have greatly reduced my self indoctrination of WT and biblical doctrines. Tell my mother I don't want to attend congregational meetings any more, or at least not nearly as much.
4. Greatly reduce my studying of WT literature, and when I do study it (including the NWT Bible) analyze it critically to look for problems in what they teach. Look up the sources of the quotes contained in the WT literature, especially in regards to evolution.
5. Do as little field service as possible (preferably none at all). Tell my mother I don't want to do field service any more. Don't prepare for field service.6. Tell my mother I think I might have made a mistake in getting baptized. Tell her I need to take a break from active involvement with the religion in order for me to figure out what I should believe and so I can have more time to study my college courses. Ask for permission for me to avoid attending JW assemblies and conventions.
7. While in college take courses (or check out from the university library and county public library books pertaining to courses) which teach biological evolution (for example biology, historical geology, physical anthropology, and evolution). Take an introductory philosophy college course which includes teaching arguments against the existence of God (and/or a god). Read far more science magazine articles on biological evolution, chemical evolution, and cosmological evolution than I had been doing. Read the World Book Encyclopedia articles and the Britannica Encyclopedia articles about evolution, the fossil record, historical geology, radiometric dating (including carbon dating), and cosmology [the science of the origin and development of the universe]. Take a college English course in the Bible as literature, since it might would had presented the Bible from a critical perspective (or a non-believer perspective).
8. Find and read books which promote atheism and study the arguments made for atheism and naturalism. Find and read books which point out contradictions and other problems in the Bible.
9. Have most of my stock market activity be in the form of buying and holding for years growth stock no-load mutual funds. Don't allocate more than 25% of my stock market funds to me trading individual stocks and warrants. But, years later buy a lot of shares of Apple Computer stock on December 24, 1997 and hold onto all of those shares until at least the end of the year 2017.10. Study much more how to make money in the stock market and to avoid huge blunders in stock market trading and investing. Learn more about how the market reacts to economic factors (especially to Federal Reserve actions regarding interest rates and regarding other federal actions which have a major impact on the economy and the stock market). Observe and study more the stock market's irrational trading and price fluctuation patterns and learn how to filter out the 'noise' from the market's activity (and incorrect opinions of stock market analysts in news media reports and sensationalism by the media regarding the market), to recognize what is actually important in the market's behaviors.
11. At about age 20 or 21 instead of becoming an Operations and Materials Management major in college become a Finance major in college and take at least one college finance course specifically in the stock market.
12. Get counseling from my college in regards to how to do better in my schooling and in regards to career planning. From the college learn about internships so I can apply for them later when I qualify.13. Study much more about how to increase lifespan and healthspan, and then put the dietary information into practice (and do more exercise), including sharply limiting my consumption of desserts. Begin taking daily a supplement which is a multivitamin and multimineral pill. Ask a doctor if it is normal for me to get nauseated if I skip breakfast or lunch, and if not, what is the cause and what can be done to solve the problem (other than eating breakfast and lunch).