for additional information:.
for additional information:.
for additional information:.
Because the chemical process for stalactites forming in limestone caves is different to those formed on concrete ceilings.
As I mentioned in the first response on this thread Perry, places like Talk Origins have the information to hand to explain these type of arguments.
in a discussion about the best flavour of ice cream everybody's opinion is equally valid.. in a discussion about the shape of the earth or the origin of species everybody's opinion is equally irrelevant.
only objective facts and evidence matter.. confusing these two categories is a common feature of conversations in this forum.
people deserve respect, errors do not..
To be fair Ucanthome, I should have been more specific to say the theory of evolution has nothing to do with abiogenesis. The theory of evolution concentrates on the how life has developed but presupposes the existence of life. Of course there is a relationship in the broader context of a discussion about the existence and involvement of a creator but in terms of this thread it's the theory of evolution that presents deists and creationists with the question of what they are prepared to accept as fact or hold an opinion on.
in a discussion about the best flavour of ice cream everybody's opinion is equally valid.. in a discussion about the shape of the earth or the origin of species everybody's opinion is equally irrelevant.
only objective facts and evidence matter.. confusing these two categories is a common feature of conversations in this forum.
people deserve respect, errors do not..
As jwfacts just repeated for the millionth time on this forum, evolution has nothing to do with the origin of life.
Regardless, how can one have cognitive dissonance regarding evolution? CD occurs when one is trying to rationalise two contradictory positions. What evidence is there that there is a divine creator who is actively interested in humanity? I would have to accept that before any CD regarding evolution could even begin to set in.
The reality is that ones like me who did once accept there was a creator and he had a plan had to shake of this belief because the weight of evidence belies this assertion. I fail to understand how an open, logical and reasonable evaluation of the evidence would result in science rather than superstition being the loser in a CD war.
in a discussion about the best flavour of ice cream everybody's opinion is equally valid.. in a discussion about the shape of the earth or the origin of species everybody's opinion is equally irrelevant.
only objective facts and evidence matter.. confusing these two categories is a common feature of conversations in this forum.
people deserve respect, errors do not..
Konceptual99, Ray Franz suggested that it might not have been a worldwide flood, but a regional flood. He bases his conclusion on the Hebrew word "earth" which could mean "land." That would cancel out all of the Australian animal problems.
That's not the position of the WT society or what the bible says. Both are adamant it was a global flood.
You are seemingly prepared to moderate your interpretation of the bible over something that even your cognitive dissonance can't reconcile regarding the flood, how about doing the same with creation or the development of homo sapiens?
between 1970-1999, i remember different "resolutions" being read and adopted (by applause) at the distict conventions.. i can't remember any of them or even what they were about, or anything about them.. does anyone know anything about these resolutions, or if the wts still reads these at the conventions any more?.
if anyone has these, could they post them please?.
hugs,.
Always some crap about resolving to always serve Jehovah and never trust man made governments.
It made for nice reading in the WT to say all "8 million in attendance worldwide were united as one as they said 'aye' in a loud, clear voice".
Now we get "all 8 million in attendance wept at the heart stirring fictional video presented as fact about living in a bunker during the big A before doing a Mexican wave then retiring to the concourse to share JW.org merch and have their pictures taken with banners saying 'see you in paradise'".
in a discussion about the best flavour of ice cream everybody's opinion is equally valid.. in a discussion about the shape of the earth or the origin of species everybody's opinion is equally irrelevant.
only objective facts and evidence matter.. confusing these two categories is a common feature of conversations in this forum.
people deserve respect, errors do not..
It might be fairly easy for one to chose to interpret the facts as supporting creation however where does that reasoning go with other events portrayed in the bible?
For example, a global flood 4,400 years ago? Given that nothing uncovered by science supports the proposition what should one be prepared to accept?
The more the bible is undermined so too is the narrative about the purpose and meaning of God. Belief in creation is critical if you want to try and frame all the other events in the bible, not so once you debunk them.
if you've worked in any kind of business where one group of people sells things that another group has to deliver as a service, you inevitably run into problems.
this is especially true in it services where poor sales people over-sell things.
that is, they can't sell 6 months of work but they can sell 3 months of work or throw in some other promises ... so they do ... and some techy person then gets landed with an impossible task and is viewed as under delivering while the sales-person gets a bonus for their great sales job unless their management is savvy enough (they never are).
They are also an organisation constantly having to sell to existing customers. Like a mobile phone provider they have to keep coming up with stuff to stop you going elsewhere.
You look at all the videos that have been produced for the RC. That's a heck of a lot of time and money there. Whose benefit is it for? New customers? Nope - it's all for existing subscribers.
i was in a close relatives house yesterday and she was having angry and resentful at the push to use electronic devices at the meetings.
she was talking to another relative of mine who has just got an ipad to use.
this relative of mine is very elderly and obviously prefers to use her bible and other books.
Tough luck for your relative. They better get on board the chariot. Tablets and electronic content is not just another method of accessing material, it's the way you have to go.
According to the WT study from this weekend....
We need to employ the preaching tools provided by God’s organization. Do you desire to do that? Are you alert to the guidance given at our meetings on how we can use these tools and how to do so most effectively? Do you view these directions as guidance from God?
Get with the program or be classed as baulking against guidance from Jehovah.
what do you guys think?.
are they only some uber religious zealots or do they pursue hidden agendas beyond religiosity?.
Having just watched a number of the RC videos, especially ones like the one set post GT and the bunker videos, I have to say the GB know EXACTLY what they are doing.
They may be deluded but the way the messages are being presented in these slick videos is utterly compelling if your mind is set to be receptive. The production values, music score, storyboard - everything about them - are the most powerful tools they have ever produced IMHO.
A picture tells a thousand words and the level to which the organisation is employing these videos now is evidence that the GB fully understands the impact that this medium can have. They have used stories and threads in images in publications before but the way these videos are interlinked and build towards a highly emotional conclusion is very, very well done and a takes the indoctrination machine to a completely new level.
The organisation used to lambast other religions for being biased towards emotion based worship. They used to sneer at the style over substance content typical of evangelical church services. They had a pride in their encouragement of study, albeit their own bastardisation of real study.
For those of us still attending meetings, have you noted that there is no longer the emphasis on meeting preparation that there once was? Ask yourself when was the last time you heard a talk that emphasised the need to pre-study the Watchtower or prepare for the midweek meeting? No longer do individuals have to come up with presentations, they are given by video then demonstrated by rote. The outline for all talks are there in the meeting workbook, far less scope for brothers to use their own material in instruction talks.
Family worship and high level "research" is still mentioned but the organisation has shamelessly moved from one that prided itself on pseudo academic study of the bible to one where the main method of control and indoctrination is through videos that provoke strong emotional reactions, inspiring responses that condition the mind into belief with zero underlying reason.
I repeat. The GB know EXACTLY what they are doing. They know that the march of time undermines their doctrine. They know the evidence that debunks their religion is a mere mouse click away. They know their religion is unsustainable and that eventually they will contract.
They know that the ONLY way of keeping people hooked in this fast paced society with it's short attention spans and countless distractions is through emotion, though tapping into base feelings that ensure emotional decision making at the cost of logic.
People choose what they want, not what they need. The GB is using every trick in the book now to make people want what they are selling above anything else in their lives.
all convention videos in english and all talk outlines for download.
http://avoidjw.org/2016-regional-convention/
Talk 15
Loyally Uphold Jehovah’s Judgments - Shun Unrepentant Wrongdoers
Outline
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwqmWMK7dwtlQ2tfT2ttZWtkRUU/view
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwcJUZ5-Vb4&feature=youtu.be
