Saintbertholdt

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Posts by Saintbertholdt

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  49

  Who would you vote for Today?

  by James Mixon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  d. trump or h. clinton and why.. i would vote for gun slinging trump..

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  Saintbertholdt

  
  

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  10

  Is this possible?

  by WasOnceBlind in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  first of all my parents don't know that i no longer consider my self a jw of believe in the stuff they say (after 10+ years of dissociation it shouldn't be rocket science) and there is no way my dad would ever listen to me if i were to talk to him about tatt and all the contradictions and false prophecies.

  however, he is always reading, and he spends a lot of time in the computer using the wt library (the cd one).

  i was wondering, if there would be a way to maybe "hack" the program, maybe replace some wt books with copies of something like crisis of conscience.

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  Saintbertholdt

  I was wondering, if there would be a way to maybe "hack" the program, maybe replace some WT books with copies of something like Crisis of Conscience.

  Even better, tell him to read the James book on the Library.

  It was written by Ed Dunlap and edited by Raymond Franz. In my opinion its the precursor to In Search of Christian Freedom,
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  11

  Sexual reproduction as an argument against evolution

  by Saintbertholdt in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  about a day ago startrekangel mentioned that an idea was put forward by a jw that sexual reproduction was an argument against evolution.

  here's startrekangel's quote: "is this some kind of talk being spread around in congregations?

  the funny thing is that a while ago someone tried to make the same argument, saying they could disprove evolution because no one can explain how we evolved male and female at the same time.

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  Saintbertholdt

  Hello there all,

  About a day ago StarTrekAngel mentioned that an idea was put forward by a JW that sexual reproduction was an argument against evolution. Here's StarTrekAngel's quote: "Is this some kind of talk being spread around in congregations? The funny thing is that a while ago someone tried to make the same argument, saying they could disprove evolution because no one can explain how we evolved male and female at the same time. Not much later than that, a friend of mine (a JW) told me the same thing. I thought either he read the same post or this is going around the congregations as a means to challenge evolution. I know my friend and I know he does not come around this website."

  Well I have now come across this as well. A close relative of mine who is a JW made the same argument in writing that gender had to emerge very rapidly, therefore pointing to the idea of divine creation rather than natural selection. My first thoughts on this was quite straight forward:

  Without even looking at the scientific evidence, one could reason that if evolution was true then the further back one went into living organism history up to single celled organisms, the more asexual reproduction would be the primary method of heredity in organisms, with a combination of sexual and asexual reproduction becoming more prevalent over time, and then the emergence of a proto-sexual reproduction method before the sexes are fully defined.

  So then I turned to the interwebs:

  I went looking for the oldest organisms to emerge in the animal kingdom which turns out to be Sponges in the phylum porifera (pore bearers). It seems that they can reproduce 4 ways: 3 ways asexually and also 1 way sexually without the use of gonads. So sexual reproduction could therefore have evolved slowly and become more defined while asexual reproduction was primarily being used.

  At about the same time the animal kingdom shows up in the fossil record, other Eukaryotes (organisms with defined cell membranes and a nucleus) also appear namely Ciliates (protozoans with hair like organelles). They don't have sexual reproduction per se (they also have various asexual methods) however they can exchange genetic material with each other through a process called conjugation. I would call this a proto-sexual process.

  Going back even further in living organism history one gets to a process called horizontal gene transfer (which is still happening today in bacteria) where even totally different species can exchange DNA material and the reproduction boundaries are utterly blurred. To me it seems as if these ancient one celled organisms were a bunch of hedonistic miscreants! Incidentally this process of horizontal gene transfer makes the identification of LUCA (the Last Universal Common Ancestor) seemingly highly improbable.

  So....

  Is my logic reasonable?

  Is there a simpler/better way to explain this?
  

  Are there any good books on this particular topic?
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  4

  RIP, Jonah Lomu

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've just read the sad news that jonah lomu died in the early hours of wednesday morning, 18/11/15.. he was just 40 years old.

  he apparently had been fighting a kidney problem for some time and was on a kidney dialysis machine for some of the time.

  he died from a heart attack.

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  Saintbertholdt

  A brilliant player who was able to propel his 6 foot 5 inch frame at such speed and nimble grace that he seemed absolutely unstoppable at his career peaks. Many times I felt pity for the cover defense that had to try and take him down.

  He set the bar very high.
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  31

  Facebook Meme made me angry

  by Seeking agape in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  Saintbertholdt

  
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  23

  New Book About Jehovah’s Witnesses Starts Creating a Buzz in The JW and Ex JW Community

  by GodZoo in

  1. social
  2. current

  a recently published book, by best selling author eugene walker has started creating a buzz inside the jehovahs witness community.

  in his new book, "jehovah's witnesses exposed - what really goes on inside the kingdom hall walls", eugene walker brings to light hidden issues that many jehovah's witnesses now face in the organisation.. .

  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/11/prweb13083118.htm.

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  Saintbertholdt

  But you make a valid point: I reserve judgement about the content of the book and its authorship until I've read it in its entirety.

  No I'll make a call from just the cover (looks like a Dummies guide to child abuse), the advertising slogan (the buzz is overwhelming), what I've read on this thread and the fact that its 68 pages from cover to cover (according to Barnes and Noble).

  This book is shit at its exceptional best.

  That it may be on the NY Times best seller list? I dunno perhaps its a pop-up book.
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  34

  Hypothetical Question...

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was just thinking that the org has said lots of outrageous things over it's history and most jws just continue onward without a second thought.

  so my question is what do you think would have to be said from the platform or wt to get people to get up and walk out immediately?

  is it even possible?

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  Saintbertholdt

  So my question is what do you think would have to be said from the platform or WT to get people to get up and walk out immediately?

  Recanting on the doctrine of the ransom.
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  28

  I'm a cynical, sarcastic and curmudgeonly old bastard most of the time.

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  but as i move into my early 50's i find i'm more and more comfortable in my thick, leathery hide.. please get it into your thick skull's that i don't insult or make snarky comments with the intent of hurting anyone's feelings.

  that being said, if your precious feelings are hurt it's probably your fault for being a prissy, over sensitive drama queen who can't defend his argument.. i do actually love you all, it's just that most of the time you spineless pussies really get on my nerves!.

  good god i feel better for that!

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  Saintbertholdt

  
  
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  44

  Why do people follow demonstrably False Prophets?

  by WireRider in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  why does everyone just turn a blind eye to the false teachings of the watchtower?

  the bible warns us many times and in many ways not to follow false prophets - including the lake of fire.

  fundamentally why do the followers of the watchtower just ignore the very bible they claim to live by?.

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  Saintbertholdt

  Well according to what I observe Harris is introducing spiritual ideas to secularists such as meditation. This is not new but what is new is the attempting of a 21st century rational scientific justification for it. Harris has a background in Buddhism so naturally he will extract the useful tenets of that doctrine.

  What Harris has missed which others have previously picked up on (such as Lavey and early socialist ideas such as "God-Building") is the human desire for ritual. Lavey recognized that at the core of religion sits ritual. It doesn't matter who you are, human beings love rituals. I suspect it gives surety, definiteness and a sense of order. From initiation/acceptance rituals such as a Jewish bris, to African marriage dancing feasts etc.

  Then there is also superstition which is where the human sub-conscience overrules the most rational human behaviour.

  Deep reverence is an idea which was popularized by Carl Sagan. which he argued was not only the purview of religion but also science.

  Then there's also religious prophesy which secularism is for the first time attempting: The technological singularity

  Sooner or later these ideas are going to be amalgamated into new secular religious philosophies.

  This is a logical next step.

  And yes, music did reach it's peak in 1979!

  What? Disco, Punk and/or Glam Rock?

  Oh come now, don't be a grandpa... Listen to some NIN, Depeche mode, Wolf mother, Radiohead or even Knife Party.
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  44

  Why do people follow demonstrably False Prophets?

  by WireRider in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  why does everyone just turn a blind eye to the false teachings of the watchtower?

  the bible warns us many times and in many ways not to follow false prophets - including the lake of fire.

  fundamentally why do the followers of the watchtower just ignore the very bible they claim to live by?.

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  Saintbertholdt

  Sam Harris is inventing a new religion?

  Well that didn't take long to misconstrue. I wrote: "You can already see this germinating..." I did not write invent...

  http://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/mindfulness-meditation

  Also see - Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Sam Harris

  Let me further rustle your jimmies nicolaou.

  In the 21st century you are of a generation of secularists that will rally and rail against any form of spiritual/religious idea. And just like every generation that thinks the new generations music and culture is crap, you will be stoic and curmudgeony about secular religion. But your grand children won't...