Posts by tornapart

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

tornapart

Cofty, there's nothing wrong with anyone doing that. That isn't the point I'm making. If someone wants to believe in God then that's their perogative and they shouldn't be made to feel wrong for doing so. Just because someone believes in God doesn't mean they haven't looked at the facts, it just means they've come to a different conclusion.

I'm not so sure I understand why the atheists on here are so keen on getting christians to dump their faith? I can understand fully why you'd want JW's to dump their faith in the WT organisation but when someone simply wants to have a personal relationship with God without involving anyone else, why are you so interested in what they believe anyway?

As far as I'm concerned, you're an atheist, you're happy being an atheist... you've done all the 'God/religion' thing and decided you don't want it. Who am I to try and change your beliefs? Or even try to. What you have found has made you happy. On the other hand, what I have found has made me happy. Why are you so concerned with trying to change it?

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

tornapart

Sometimes reality can actually be an illusion of reality. For instance an atheist will say 'God doesn't exist'... a theist will say 'God does exist'....

To a theist, his belief is his reality. To an atheist, his belief is his reality. The reality actually is that neither side can either prove nor disprove the existence of God.

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

tornapart

I mean, it's all about control. I gave my freedom away to a man made religion. I've taken that freedom back, I can think for myself. I have given a lot of thought to evolution and 'if God exists, he's cruel' ideas. I've also come to satisfactory conclusions and I still believe God exists. When someone starts telling another person how they should feel, think, act, believe... regardless of whether they are theist or atheist, it takes that freedom away. (Even if it just the inference that they are stupid, deluded or ignorant).

My point is, that every single person on this planet has the right to their own personal beliefs... that's freedom.

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

tornapart

My belief in God is very important to me, why would you want to threaten it?

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

tornapart

Freedom, that's the important thing. Freedom to believe in what we want regardless of what it is, freedom to believe in God, freedom to not believe in God.

Religion took that freedom away and forces people to believe in what they tell them. What I don't want is atheists coming along and preaching their own religion to me and trying to take my freedom away once again.

If atheists don't like people believing in God then that's up to them but don't use it to try and take other's freedom away again.

4

"Take Me As I Am" (a song by Rumer)

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

i was deeply touched by a story titled i escaped a cult, and it ruined my life by rachel mirante saavedr which she posted on facebook.

in it she makes the point that, to jws, "love is absolutely conditional.

" it was my experience, too, that the concept of unconditional love is totally rejected by jws, and, thinking back, that may well have been the very first discrepancy i perceived between the christ-like personality and what i observed within the jw culture.

tornapart

Beautiful song... sad...

60

A one sentence reply that could jolt a JW

by HBH in

jw
friends

my mind was wandering last night, and i though of this as a reply to a jw.. "oh, your the people who believe 8 men in brooklyn, ny are directing the world's only true religion.".

the sentence is a fact that they can't deny, but clearly shows delusion.

any other one sentence "stingers"?.

tornapart

One that hit me many years ago and I never forgot it, from a christian householder.

"You believe Jesus is Michael the Archangel don't you? Why is that?"

It made such an impression I can still remember the house! I went away and did my 'research' and I was stumped.

72

New Understanding of this Generation

by pronomono in

another tidbit of information about this generation from the 1/15/2014 study edition under "let your kingdom come - but when?".

they've changed it again.. this generation will not pass away14-16.

what is a third reason for believing that gods kingdom will come soon?.

tornapart

The baby in this photo belongs to the same overlapping generation as his G-grandfather.... funny, looks like 4 generations to me...

Maybe I'm just looking at it as a mentally diseased apostate...

Sorry, image won't post..

http://www.mglalumni.com/4%20Generation%20Cooks.jpg

23

So you want to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Watchtower-Free in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynxo8nj-jpo.

.

from roguepixel100 on youtube.

tornapart

"Tell your congregation overseer that he's a horse's ass and walk into the nearest pub to enjoy a celebratory brandy and cigar...you'll be chucked out by teatime"... ROFL! Brilliant!!

Whoever did this is a genius!!

14

monthly report

by search4truth in

jw
friends

has anyone refused hand in monthly report with explanation that this practice is not biblical and what were the consequences of that ?

tornapart

Even putting in one (ficticious) hour a month can keep you under the radar. Once you miss a month your name is written down with the irregular/inactive publishers on the monthly cong. report. (I know this happens in my cong anyway).