Posts by konceptual99

90

Evolution Hole #1 - Origin of Life

by shadow in

disclaimer: my graduate degree is in business, not science so i'm writing as a layman in this field.

yes, i know that someone is going to say that evolution does not encompass this topic and should be sectioned off under abiogenesis.

i'm not trying to argue semantics here but it seems like a case of avoiding an uncomfortable subject.

konceptual99

Ever heard of this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis

90

Evolution Hole #1 - Origin of Life

by shadow in

disclaimer: my graduate degree is in business, not science so i'm writing as a layman in this field.

yes, i know that someone is going to say that evolution does not encompass this topic and should be sectioned off under abiogenesis.

i'm not trying to argue semantics here but it seems like a case of avoiding an uncomfortable subject.

konceptual99

How many times does it have to be repeated that evolution has nothing to do with the start of life?

11

When Captain America Throws His Mighty Shield!

by Cold Steel in

how does the society feel about two of marvel's most popular avengers?.

first, captain america.

the star-spangled man with a plan.

konceptual99

Not had any problems with my kids seeing Marvel films. I don't know anyone who is down on them.

LOTR/Hobbit on the other hand does invoke some judgemental noises.

Harry Potter - well that just makes you an apostate.

66

The wt has now changed Jesus definition of neighboor

by poopie in

jw
friends

the man asked jesus who is my neighbor jesus stated the one who acts mercifully toward other humans.

not good enough for watchtower neighbor must fit in three catagories only according to yesterdays wt wow changed the words of the son of god.

konceptual99

lanalonger - In line with sir82's post can I ask you to read an old thread of mine and comment?

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/323080001/why-jehovah-does-want-effective-preaching-work

At the risk of being accused of blatant self promotion I would ask you to consider if the seemingly deliberate inefficiency of the preaching work actually calls into question if Jehovah meets his own recommendations for neighbourly love?

SORRY - DOUBLE POST. MODS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DELETE

66

The wt has now changed Jesus definition of neighboor

by poopie in

jw
friends

the man asked jesus who is my neighbor jesus stated the one who acts mercifully toward other humans.

not good enough for watchtower neighbor must fit in three catagories only according to yesterdays wt wow changed the words of the son of god.

konceptual99

lanalonger - In line with sir82's post can I ask you to read an old thread of mine and comment?

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/323080001/why-jehovah-does-want-effective-preaching-work

At the risk of being accused of blatant self promotion I would ask you to consider if the seemingly deliberate inefficiency of the preaching work actually calls into question if Jehovah meets his own recommendations for neighbourly love?

66

The wt has now changed Jesus definition of neighboor

by poopie in

jw
friends

the man asked jesus who is my neighbor jesus stated the one who acts mercifully toward other humans.

not good enough for watchtower neighbor must fit in three catagories only according to yesterdays wt wow changed the words of the son of god.

konceptual99

Actually during the commenting on that paragraph we agreed it was everyone.
I stand by my defense of the article, it's tone, content, and intent were to teach, as one subheading expressed, to show love to all persons. One day that won't have to be taught, it will have been learned and be in practice, to everyone's 'exquisite delight.'

When I was fully in then I would have said exactly the same thing. Once I woke up to the pointlessness of the preaching work, it's value compared to practical charitable help was totally reversed.

35

Evolution is a Fact #11 - Tiktaalik

by cofty in

one of the biggest gulfs that life has had to cross was the transition from sea to dry land.. fish have conical shaped heads, reptiles have flat heads.

fish have no necks; their heads are attached to their shoulders by a series of bony plates.

land-dwelling animals all have necks; their heads can move independently of their shoulders.

konceptual99

OK then Creationists... let's for one moment presume that evolution is not correct and that Jehovah created each "kind" (whatever that really is) and there has been no transition from one species to another. The fact remains that fossils like Tiktaalik exist. Fossils show countless different life forms, virtually all of which are extinct.

Why? Why does the fossil record not contain examples typical of modern species, especially as you look into older and older rocks?

What reasoning is there for the amount of animal creation apparently evident in the fossil record simply not existing any longer? Was God simply making it easier for Adam to name them all?

77

Did you KNOW Ray and Cynthia or the legal copyright holder? Only a few maybe had limited contact.

by blondie in

jw
friends

i have known all of them over the last 15 years, talked at length with them, and knew what their wishes were, the copyright holder and spouse spent even more time with them socially and helping them set up their arrangements for when ray and cynthia passed.

i don't believe that anyone else on this board or others was a confidant.

there is no need to prove it to anyone but the copyright office which is satisfied with this.

konceptual99

Blondie's points are well made and I agree with them.

I think some of the content of the other thread is unfortunate however there is a context.

The OP on the other thread firstly identified themselves as working with the new copyright holder and asked for comments related not only to the publication of Ray Franz's works but also to issues with a third party. To most posters' credit the latter was given short shrift as most seem to view it as a pretty tiresome subject.

As for the former, asking for comments is always going to illicit different opinions and responses. For the most part I think people tried to be be constructive. I personally want to see the works made available in an official manner and in as flexible a way as possible that supports copyright and the goodwill we all have towards Ray Franz. I think most are sympathetic to the realities of passing over the copyright and I am sure that there are a number of people who, if asked, would support the copyright holder as much as possible to to make the works available.

Bootlegging will go on regardless but these works can be made available in a way that generates revenue. I can't say what Ray Franz's views on PDF distribution really were as I never knew the man but I think it would be a shame if the works were never officially made available electronically when it is possible to do so and this is without doubt the most convenient way for many waking up to the religion, to access the books.

What I can say for sure is that I would NEVER have read the books if I had not been able to get them electronically. CoC especially was instrumental in me waking up. I would have and still would gladly pay for it but there has been, and remains, no way of doing this.

I am sure the vast majority of activists out there would point to an official source. Whilst electronic bootlegging will never stop I don't think any active promotion of this is due to some casual indifference to copyright but simply because there never has been a way of getting the books electronically. My gut is that the physical bootlegging would stop once an official channel becomes available but if not then that is a matter that can be pursued by the new copyright holder.

I am sure the OP on the other thread can take away the feedback they asked for and help the copyright holder to formulate the next steps. The bigger picture might be that these books are simply part of a raft of material that is available however I really hope they become officially available again as soon as possible, not only so that the work and stand taken by Ray Franz can be respected but also so that all of us that participate in whatever way in the exiting and exJW community (for want of a better word) can put our literal and metaphorical money where our mouth is.

25

All shunning soon to end

by poopie in

jw
friends

this is just a first step clapping.

it's like the fed one quarter bases point at a time.

konceptual99

I can say with 100% conviction that if there were not life changing family and social consequences to just saying I don't believe it any more then I would have left 3 years ago.

66

The wt has now changed Jesus definition of neighboor

by poopie in

jw
friends

the man asked jesus who is my neighbor jesus stated the one who acts mercifully toward other humans.

not good enough for watchtower neighbor must fit in three catagories only according to yesterdays wt wow changed the words of the son of god.

konceptual99

Lanalonger,

Regardless of any argument over the what the actual scope of "neighbour" is, the article reflects the age old position of the WTS that passes off the ministry as the only charitable works with any real worth.

I know that there are many cases of individuals helping out their literal neighbours and strangers in practical ways. I know the WTS sends relief packages and personnel into disaster zones. I would even concede that for some, implementing the moral values in the Bible may help them become better citizens than they have been in the past.

What cannot be denied however is that very few Witnesses give up any time regularly in practical charitable works or in regular fund raising. The WTS itself does not operate any ongoing aid and support missions in war torn or poverty stricken areas. Their aid is concerned with believers first and foremost. There are well documented cases of them applying pressure to those they have helped to contribute insurance payments to the organisation.

If left to the WTS there would be no doctors and nurses looking after victims of war in Syria, no ongoing programmes in Africa to provide clean water supplies, no initiatives to improve sanitation in poverty stricken areas around the world, no homes for battered women and children, no soup kitchens for the homeless in cities across the world and so on.

I spent years agreeing with the WT position on this, justifying and defending the view that all of the above is just sticking plaster. As I woke up to the lies the WTS have been peddling for generations then I was also forced to examine my attitude to charity and working for the benefit of others. The more and more I considered it then the more I have come to have nothing but utter contempt for the attitude of the WTS.

Articles like Sunday's are nothing but hypocritical and disingenuous. The WTS refuse to engage with the wider charitable community. The WTS refuse to promote even some middle ground of a ministry coupled with unilateral charitable works. The WTS only acknowledge hours peddling literature as works worthy of a Christian. Simple works of humanity are not given anywhere near the same import nor are members encouraged to spend time engaged in them.

You can argue semantics about the meaning of neighbour in the magazine from Sunday but don't even start to tell me that the drones I see regularly standing for hours in central London holding out WT & Awake magazines in front of impotent carts to ZERO response are somehow doing the most important charitable work in the whole fecking universe.