Posts by inbetween

29

evolution

by inbetween in

since my awakening from the mind control of the wts, it has been an exciting also frigthening journey of exploration and free thinking.. i would say, today i try to be open to anything, i ll go whatever direction facts show.

while i`m no scientist, i think i have a glue about the scientific method.

i also agree with the statemant, that some extraordinary claim needs extraordinary proof.. so far, it is a difficult question whether god exists or not, and probably in my lifetime i will not get a conclusive answer.. however, my concerns are about evolution, since even a confirmation of evolution does not necessarily exclude the existence of a god, it just proivdes an alternative explanation, in case there is no god.. even though i did not really read a book yet about evolution, i read other books of people, whose reasoning i can agree to, and they believe in evolution.. .

inbetween

sorry, strange, I can`t see the answers only my original post ?

29

evolution

by inbetween in

since my awakening from the mind control of the wts, it has been an exciting also frigthening journey of exploration and free thinking.. i would say, today i try to be open to anything, i ll go whatever direction facts show.

while i`m no scientist, i think i have a glue about the scientific method.

i also agree with the statemant, that some extraordinary claim needs extraordinary proof.. so far, it is a difficult question whether god exists or not, and probably in my lifetime i will not get a conclusive answer.. however, my concerns are about evolution, since even a confirmation of evolution does not necessarily exclude the existence of a god, it just proivdes an alternative explanation, in case there is no god.. even though i did not really read a book yet about evolution, i read other books of people, whose reasoning i can agree to, and they believe in evolution.. .

inbetween

29

evolution

by inbetween in

since my awakening from the mind control of the wts, it has been an exciting also frigthening journey of exploration and free thinking.. i would say, today i try to be open to anything, i ll go whatever direction facts show.

while i`m no scientist, i think i have a glue about the scientific method.

i also agree with the statemant, that some extraordinary claim needs extraordinary proof.. so far, it is a difficult question whether god exists or not, and probably in my lifetime i will not get a conclusive answer.. however, my concerns are about evolution, since even a confirmation of evolution does not necessarily exclude the existence of a god, it just proivdes an alternative explanation, in case there is no god.. even though i did not really read a book yet about evolution, i read other books of people, whose reasoning i can agree to, and they believe in evolution.. .

inbetween

since my awakening from the mind control of the WTS, it has been an exciting also frigthening journey of exploration and free thinking.

I would say, today I try to be open to anything, I´ll go whatever direction facts show. While I`m no scientist, I think I have a glue about the scientific method. I also agree with the statemant, that some extraordinary claim needs extraordinary proof.

So far, it is a difficult question whether God exists or not, and probably in my lifetime I will not get a conclusive answer.

However, my concerns are about evolution, since even a confirmation of evolution does not necessarily exclude the existence of a God, it just proivdes an alternative explanation, in case there is no God.

Even though I did not really read a book yet about evolution, I read other books of people, whose reasoning I can agree to, and they believe in evolution.

Anyway, there a two points, which stand in the way of accepting the theory of evolution.

1) missing link: I do not have to go into the fossil report, what puzzles me is, that there are no missing links alive today.

Let me explain: According to my understanding of evolution, natural selection works together with mutations, so a change in an animal will survive, because it is better fit for a particular environment.

This change must be gradual, perhaps affecting only one little area of the DNA. Lets call this animal of one kind A. The goal of evolution is animal of kind B. The one with the little change we call A+.

So next must be many of A+ animals before the next advantageous change occurs, we call it A++.

Then many of A++ must live in order for the next change and so on, until B occurs.

My question: today we have animals of kind A and B all over the place, but where are the A+, A++ and so on ?

There should have been much more of them, because of the nature of gradual change, which needs a big population of those animals. Even if they may be hidden in the fossil record, why are they not here today ?

2) our brain

We trust our brain to be able to discern this world and its natural laws, however, if it is only product of some natural selection process, how can we trust our brain in order to find out the truth ? On the other hand, by trusting our brain tobe able to find out all other things in nature, does it not imply, that it is from a higher source ?

I would be very interested in your comments, I hope I made my points clear.

English is not my first language, so I may not have succeeded in the endeavour for a precise language, sorry about that.

inbetween

90

More anti-apostate rhetoric from the Watchtower - are they running scared?

by cedars in

yes, the may 15th watchtower is now available for download from jw.org.. the final study article, on page 26, directs another salvo at apostates - and warns witnesses not to try arguing with them on the internet:.

indeed, we ought to move as far away from wrongdoing as possible and not see how close we can get to it without being overcome by sin.

for instance, we need to guard against succumbing to apostasy, a sin that would make us unfit to glorify god.

inbetween

Let the witchhunt begin....

articles like this are designed to raise suspicion among the witnesses,

Lately people tend more and more to mention concerns about certain methods or teachings, the WTS knows that and reacts with articles like this.

Its nothing new actaully, and years ago, this tactic may have well worked, but now, the evil internet......

27

When you read this sundays "Holy Spirit" Watchtower:

by Lore in

jw
friends

mentally replace the word 'spirit' with 'magic'.

14 jehovah has equipped us to resist the spirit.

of the world.

inbetween

last Wt study said, today we will not get wisdom in miracolous ways....

ok, what then is the holy spirit supposed to be, if not something miracolous ? (or magic ;-)

30

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 02-03-2012 WT Study (WARNING)

by blondie in

jw
friends

1, 2. in what ways can you benefit from bible examples?.

find in him a good example of one who.

that the only warning we find in solomons.

inbetween

JW gone bad: I thought exactly the same thing, when I was at meeting yesterday.

If a brother, even with the smallest privilege (like carrying the micros, yes its a privilege ;-)), would be removed immediatley if he started dating an unbelliever, but Solomon could be on Gods throne for 40 years despite repeated disregard for Gods laws, even be blessed with wisdom and granted to write bible books...

what can we learn from Solomons example ? The WTS and their God do not make any sense at all, just live your life as you please, either its okay, or you will be grilled, you cant tell anyway....

37

Do you feel sorry for those that are still in.

by jam in

jw
friends

at one time i felt my jw famliy members hated me.

because i turn my back on the cult.. today i feel sorry for them and it,s not hate they.

feel.. they way i see it, first of all it,s frustrating serving a. god that you can never please, serving a god that.

inbetween

I feel sorry for those, who are still in, but feel something is seriously wrong, but supress it all under the "Where els shal lwe go " -line.

Their cognitive dissonance is high as a kite, they feel confused, and lost.

I was among them, now I´m enlightened, (thanks to forums like this), still in for family unfortunately...

However, there are still those, who blindly agree to every nonsense the WT set before them, and they are happy about it, because maybe they were drug adicts, alcoholics or whatever before they joined...they are happy witnesses, no need to feel sorry for them...

33

Anybody play videogames here?

by DonutZ! in

my favorite games are fallout 3- played over 250 hours, black ops- played over 500 hours multiplayer/zombies, gta 4- played around 90 hours, pokemon ruby- played over 30 hours, pokemon firered- played over 30 hours.

i have modern warfare 3 but its kinda not what i expected, black ops was more fun.

what do you guys play?

inbetween

skyrim and mass effect 2 atm.

love the setting of skyrim, huge game, many options, free world.

oups, I know what you think, I should rather spent my leisure time in field circus ;-)

28

Should we attend our first Birthday Party?

by Flicka in

so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.

we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.

she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.

inbetween

to my knowledge, participating in birthday parties, even though strongly discouraged, is not a df offense, unlike Christmas.

It does not in itself constitute partaking in practices of other religions.

Of course, if it becomes known, elders will inquire, and always can pull the "loose conduct" or similar card.

141

"Theocratic Warfare" and the Annual Report

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

one of the things i certainly noticed as a jw, and even during the time i was in bethel, was the complexities of reporting "truth.".

beginning with an observation on a personal level, i consider myself an honest person.

but something happened along the way, beginning when i pioneered.

inbetween

factfinder:

I think i understand your frustration. To me, reading how dishonest some "witnesses" were regarding FS was also shocking. My experience is and was, that most take it very seroius, even too serious. I was engaged in many discussions, as how and when we should begin counting time. it was not taken lightly by most of them, rather restrictive. According to my experience, faking was and is very little in the org on the pub-level. That knocking on doors, were nobody is at home, is wasting time, is another story.

You are also right, when you state, not knowing the person behind the posts here on jwn. Some may indeed for several reasons have an agenda to attack, sometimes unbased, everything the WTS does. Therefore, I do not give too much weight to personal experiences here without any proof.

However, I still learn a lot about the "truth", by simply following the reasoning of very knowledgeable persons here, by being shown the contradictions and fallacies in the literature of the society, by getting to know another viewpoint on certain bible passages, which often make much more sense then the societies awkward interpretations.

The facts will speak for themselves, once you are granted to see them, no matter if the person posting here has an agenda or not.

just my 2 cents,

inbetween