Can A Non Believer Have An Immortal Soul.

[modeller]

I was speaking to a friend recently who said in a passing comment he didn't believe in "Gods and all that heaven bunkham but did believe in the immortal soul " His words not mine.

The comment came about because his neighbour had had an elaborate funeral despite living on benefits.

I don't get it ! Even if he's right , what's the point. ? Going nowhere, doing nothing , for eternity.


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[vetuste_ennemi]

Goodlife to VE: "...the teaching of predestination does not honor God, but casts a pall over him...". How did you get from Doris Day to Calvin, Goodlife?

[birdie1971]

Goodlife - “... I have with closer inspection, the teaching of predestination does not honor God, but casts a pall over him. It paints him as cruel, unjust, and unloving—the very opposite of what the Bible says about him, but that atheists for you...”

I take it you haven't read Lazygun's post [11:33 Wed 13th Feb 2013] where he said, “... your cut and paste approach to posts here is not appreciated - because it is intellectually dishonest, since you fail to attribute your cut and paste, and because it deprives the reader of vital information - namely the source and therefore possible bias...”

Again you cut and paste someone else's quote without citation. You are both lazy and dishonest and yet you claim to be a man of faith... the mind boggles.

I've taken the trouble to find where you plagiarised your quote from -
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102009048

I read the article and found it quite laughable; the amount of circular reasoning on display was quite staggering particularly in the last section called, “How Can You “Choose Life”?”. In retrospect, I can now understand why you don't like to link your copy and paste answers – they make the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ look rather foolish.

[goodlife]

Birdie@ //I take it you haven't read Lazygun's post [11:33 Wed 13th Feb 2013] where he said, “... your cut and paste approach to posts here is not appreciated - because it is intellectually dishonest, since you fail to attribute your cut and paste, and because it deprives the reader of vital information - namely the source and therefore possible bias...”//

I have told you I copy & paste from the WT. Have you nothing better to do than search for the C & P. You poor soul! I also told you that as all the writers on the WT are anonymous there is no one to credit the writing with except that as already said I have told you. Do you not read or do you just nit pick!

As to JWs looking foolish - why is it then that so many are choosing to look into the Bible and find that what they are taught is so diferent from other religions and millions have already made that decision?

[LazyGun]

@goodlife I think you are spectacularly missing the point.

It is a simple matter for you to offer a summary of a parable or piece of biblical screed with which you wish to illustrate a point, together with a link to the original source.

This has the benefit of reducing the amount of text on screen. It allows for people to read the parable in its original setting, so they get a sense of the beliefs or biases that might be motivating the post, and it affords attribution to the original author, anonymous or not.

To do otherwise, to do as you do, is dishonest. It is lazy. In case you are unaware, these are not virtues. For those of us who have experience of your posts, we are aware now of what you do. For others, new to the site, or just browsing the internet, they may actually believe that the eloquence is yours, that the thought behind the article is original, and yours, and when in forums like this, it protects you from defending your posts with words of your own.

As it stands, it is just drive-by propaganda - relentless proselytising representing little or no effort or thought on your part - churnalism, online preaching. Its distasteful, dishonest, and lazy. Have I already said that?

On those rare occasions when you condescend to grace us with words of your own, we can see why you prefer to shelter behind the anonymous essays of watchtower :)

This is principally a discussion forum - not a platform for you to preach from. That means we discuss and debate and argue about postings, and that means you should have the courage of your convictions and use your own words and thoughts.

[naomi24]

Goodlife, //...why is it then that so many are choosing to look into the Bible and find that what they are taught is so diferent from other religions and millions have already made that decision? //

There are a lot of gullible people in this world. Catholics say the same about the bible, but end up with an entirely different interpretation - and Muslims say the same about the Koran.

I agree with LG. This forum shouldn't be abused as you're abusing it with your constant preaching.

[goodlife]

The blind only see what they want to "see".

I told you that as all the writers on the WT are anonymous there is no one to credit the writing with except that as already said I have told you. Do you not read, and you just nit pick!

Jesus set us the example for all true Christian saying it is written, and to obey it. By taking heed to his Word we can keep clear through this dirty world. His Word taken into hearts and heads can make our minds over, and in this way can transform our lives away from all imitating of this atheists corrupt world, over to a course that is acceptable to God on in to his new world.—Rom. 12:1, 2,

[LazyGun]

@ Goodlife - Thats a cop-out to explain your intellectual dishonesty and laziness.

There are people here who are new to the forum, or maybe just come across this particular question during their browsing of the internet. Without knowing your history, they would not necessarily recognise your cut and paste reproductions of the sections of the Watchtower website for what it is; Evangelising propaganda.

We can all read perfectly well, and comprehend too - unlike, it seems, yourself, who is just repeating the weak excuse that all authors at Watchtower are anonymous to justify your laziness and intellectual dishonesty.

This is a discussion forum, for argument, debate, discussion. It is not primarily designed as a platform for you and other JWs to evangelise. If you want to discuss, use your own words, make your own points, and respond to the criticisms raised, rather than resorting to that worn out phrase you are so fond of, " the blind only see what they want to see".

You singularly fail to recognise just how ironic it is, you using that phrase.

And once again - offering some biblical tale of Jesus' adventures in fairyland is not evidence or proof of anything.

[goodlife]

I can say the same to you, Coming for from your atheism propaganda could explain the morbid gloom, the heightening anxiety, and the sheer absurdity of life, and that it, admittedly, not all atheists will accept the truth. But there are many who are willing to consider another viewpoint. Sad about you though.

[LazyGun]

@goodlife well you could, were it true - but as usual with your postings, it isnt.

I do not preach on here. I do rebut your nonsense though. Nor do I preach doom and gloom - I think, on balance, things are broadly improving for humanity. I have great optimism for human ingenuity and the benefits of science.

Only you seem terrified by the prospect that life might come to an end after your natural span. I do not suffer from heightened anxiety,I do not live in an atmosphere of morbid gloom,I do not see life in a naturalistic universe as absurd. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Only you and those of you who believe in similar brands of religious nonsense need to believe in everlasting life and a master creator. Only you and yours, thankfully a fairly insignificant minority, reject the evidence and the science in favour of wishful thinking and faith.

All in all, it is sad about you though...... (A phrase you have used repeatedly- you do not appear to be motivated out of a spirit of human generosity, do you?)

P.S. Good for you though - a post that was all your own words - A creditable effort :)

[birdie1971]

Goodlife - “... I also told you that as all the writers on the WT are anonymous there is no one to credit the writing with except that as already said I have told you. Do you not read or do you just nit pick!...”

I'm not surprised that the writers on the Watch Tower are anonymous if the article I linked earlier is anything to go by! It's embarrassingly feeble and simplistic. I would call my analysis of the piece a reasonable and rational critique; you call it nit picking.

I say potato, you say 'God's blessed root vegetable, Amen'.


In further posts you say, “... [atheists espouse] morbid gloom, the heightening anxiety, and the sheer absurdity of life...”

First and foremost, what “heightening anxiety” are you talking about? I fail to understand this. Secondly, you seem think that atheists are somehow morbid because they don't believe that a person can survive their own death. There's nothing morbid in that. It's simply the reality of life and death.

As for your claim that atheists think that life itself is 'absurd' then I cannot disagree with you more. I don't know how you've arrived at the conclusion that someone like me believes life is absurd (ie. life is foolish and/or unreasonable). What are you talking about? Life (and more importantly, sentient life) may be unlikely and rare and precious but I've never heard it called absurd.

Maybe you can further explain what you mean; in your own words of course.