dawkins: religion no moral compass.
by jason miks.
a number of readers noting your skepticism over religions role in society ask whether an absence of religion would leave us without a moral compass?.
Wonder if the WT will use this as a quote in one of their mags.....
" In Western Europe generally, Christianity is dying. Even in America, the figures show that religious adherence is being steadily reduced, and the people who now record themselves as having no religious affiliation is something like 20 percent ."
i had an idea for coming up with a standard(ish) set of interview questions which members of the ex-jw community could use to provide insights into their lives as a kind of series (yeah, i was thinking of "interview with a vampire", lol).. anyway, this is the result to show the sort of thing i'm thinking of (applied to myself) and i'd like feedback on the format and the questions as well as who you'd also like to see "interviewed".. feel free to provide your own life story as a separate topic or ask any additional questions that i've missed.
it's not meant to be rigid so questions / themes can be adapted as needed and split / joined as appropriate.
the common questions will hopefully apply to everyone for some consistency and to guide the writing process with additional questions asked that make sense to each subject.. well, here goes .... tell us a little about yourself and your family.. im an independent software developer who grew up in manchester (uk) but now lives in calgary (canada) with my wife angharad and two boys, liam and dylan.
Thanks for sharing your story Simon. A very interesting and enjoyable read.
i enjoy the odd thread about evoloution vs creation, etc but lately it seems that a large percentage of threads here devolve into fighting between atheists and theists and distract from what most of us here see eye to eye on, the wt and related things.
i wish things could be more civil here and fr people to realize that people will never see eye to eye on the topic.
it gets so tiring to see the contstant bickring and fighting on those threads.. they seem to go on page after page but very little of substance is discussed seeing as the existence or non existence of a god can be proven by anyone.
Well, my first post on this thread and I'm with BU2B in his OP on this one.....
just been listening to this and it really said something to my soul.
it feels angry and needy and the words say it all!
if you like rock, enjoy!
Just been listening to this and it really said something to my soul. It feels angry and needy and the words say it all! If you like rock, enjoy!
i spoke to a ms the other day, trying to get his opinion on the wt we'd just studied at the meeting.
the paragraph where the co didn't know if he had enough money to afford gas for a trip, he prayed and went anyway, and someone donated the exact amount to cover his trip.. my question to the ms was - the wt clearly are saying jah answered that prayer, yet there were a couple dozen jw's sheltering in a kh in the philippines, undoubtedly praying, yet they all died in the hurricane.
how's that work, how can jah answer some prayers but not others?.
I've said the same things to my elder hubby and he agrees too. He doesn't think it should be said either.
for the last year or so, the opening lyrics to gloria estefan's "always tomorrow" have been howling at me.. i've been alone inside myself, far too long.
never really wanted it that way, but i let it happen..... .
(btw, the message in that song is great for former jw's, if you want to think about the lyrics that way....).
AllTimeJeff:- My life needs to be about other people, and getting outside myself. (so yeah, I go ahead and write yet ANOTHER existential post about me...
Jeff, this is what is good about connecting with other people. We all need to share our experiences with each other, open up to others and get some feedback. I love reading other's experiences, trials, difficulties and recovery. It is very encouraging because you know you're not alone. We are all struggling in our own way, even for those who have left it far behind in their past. Our past and the things we have been through make us who we are now. When we can read how others have coped, it helps a great deal!
I'm glad you're back, I really enjoy reading your posts.
yo dudes.. .
i've been studying ttatt for nearly a year now, i'm pretty much convinced wt theology is a crock, but i can't just leave as i don't want to lose family, and i simply can't disappoint my elderly aging parent.. .
i'm prepared for the long game fade (could be a few years), but have been sowing seeds with the wifey little bit by little bit.
I'm in a similar position to you CB. It's very difficult to try and keep your trap shut sometimes isn't it? LOL
I'm lucky that I'm quiet and keep myself to myself. I'm friendly enough but I don't give anyone much to talk about. My big problem is that hubby is an elder and son is a MS/pio. So they are in the spotlight of the cong. Missing lots of meetings is not good for an elder's wife and I'm just waiting for it to be noticed. The CO had already noticed my very low hours. All I want is just to be left alone and not bothered by anyone and just do my own thing. Wonder how long it will last?
In India almost 6,000,000 babies were aborted in the last decade simply because they were girls. Is that moral or ethical?
tell us a little about yourself and your family.. in my middle years with grown/married children and grandchildren.
hubby is an elder.. .. were you a born in or a convert?.
.. are your parents / family jws?.
Thanks Cofty!
just getting a jump on the holiday season!!
i figure that i will post this every year for discussion.
these were my observations when learning ttatt.
I was thinking about this the other day too DD. I have come to the conclusion that God led the Magians to Jesus too. Obviously Mary and Joseph were dirt poor and even though Jesus didn't put any store on riches in later life, the gifts that were given to him as an infant would have helped the family enormously in bringing him up. The bible also tells us that he had his own house in Capernaum, down by the lake shore. Even though it also says he had nowhere to lay his head, I guess this meant while he was travelling around. He had a fine garment that even the Romans fought over once they had executed him. Also he had money to give to the poor. His best friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha also were quite well off (going by the perfume Mary put on his feet).
