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In This Science Age, Do People Have Faith In An Invisible God Almighty?

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goodlife | 08:57 Mon 30th Sep 2013 | Religion & Spirituality
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If they have no faith in Him now, could we expect a sudden burst of faith in the near future, when the worst comes and they are obliged to acknowledge their own helplessness and that of modern science?
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if the 'worst' happens - then it will be god fault, won't it? - so why on earth would anyone turn to and pray to a sadistic god that was trying to kill everyone?

its a bit like people in power who are largely hated behind their backs, but fawned over to their faces - so that they believe they are popular - this is because all those people simply want something from them, so they pretend to worship them - be it a job, power, money, reflected glory, fun etc etc - it is however - NOT REAL

You seem to be saying that when the end comes people are 'obliged' to turn to god to save their souls -- but any one who would suddenly turn to god at the end of days or on their deathbed - is FAKING.
so whats the point?
is god so stupid that he would fall for that?
or is he such a supremely arrogant megalomaniac that he doesn't care if its genuine or not -as long as he is being worshipped and adored, he's happy.
either way, its not a god i care to devote anything to.
Faith is the failure to acknowledge that in the end it is your own mind, experience and reason upon which you rely to draw your final conclusions on what to believe.
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That it’s not my fault—it’s the economy, crooked business people, the high cost of living, when they find themselves in deep financial trouble.

Yes you see people get advice that they want to hear, but when economic hardship raises its ugly head, they look for someone else to blame.

And that why we got the world like today with foolish complainers or fault-finders.


You see Mentally blinded ones do not want to believe. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
of course they don't want to believe - because they know it is foolish nonsense -
there is a very good reason people dont believe - because they have thought it through and realised it is preposterous and something to be pitied

why do you think people should 'want' to believe...?
you say ; You know 150 years ago, humans began to develop elaborate sewage and waste-disposal systems. However, there already was an expert in this disposal—a little ant found in tropical. etc etc

what complete tosh: God didnt create the Thames embankment sewerage system: Peter Bazalgette did. I was univeristy with his grandson and anyone less like God or a close a relation it is hard to imagine.
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Peter Pedant
//what complete tosh: God didnt create the Thames embankment sewerage system: Peter Bazalgette did.//

Personally , I think you are talking a load of “tosh”.
Who gave this man his brain in order to do such things? God did. The intelligence came from the Creator. He did not create man to be robots or to wander around in loin cloths forever and ever. History and archaeology proves that a lot of modern conveniences we have today, were actually around in Roman times and even before.
History and archeology does prove that a lot of conveniences we have now, the Romans had - and thatis because you can dig it up and see it.

what there is no evidence at all of is "intelligent creation"
what there is evidence of, is evolution
that is yes you can see bacteria evolving under the microscope.

also if you dig up the thames embankment you will dig up things Peter Balgette made, not God's creation
LazyGun @you are so out of touch, People around the globe can relate to all your words,but so many atheist when they personally face a severe crisis, they still cry out to God for help.

"Out of Touch? How so? And what is the evidence for this assertion that "so many atheists cry out to God at times of crisis?"
Remember - what can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed (as drivel) without evidence.

"Today, the term cults is used freely by religious writers, critics, and others, slinging it like a mud pie at whosoever offends their own brand of religious sensibility.
But is that a sound basis for judging? Rather, would it not be best to follow the guideline Jesus provided and examine their “fruits”? He said: “By their fruits you will recognize them.”—Matthew 7:16.so simple for some."

-The term "cult" is used advisedly, from examining their actions ( fruits, in your syntax). One definition of cult would be;
"a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous."

And I think the JW's fit that description. Regarding their actions - you still have avoided the discussion about what Charitable measures the JW's take - despite taking full advantage of the tax status of being classed as a Charity. So we could judge JW's as being hypocrites by virtue of their actions, no?

"Which faith stands up under test—that of the atheist or that of the religious believer? Consider, for example, the origin of life."
- OK, lets.

"Richard Dawkins claims that by virtue of the vast number of planets that must exist in the universe, life was bound to appear somewhere. "
- Not just Richard Dawkins. Not just atheists. This is a widely held view amongst scientists and the general public. Any rational, logical, reasonable, half-way educated person, not blinded by religious dogma would acknowledge the entirely reasonable point. I could go into the math - but I am unsure that you could follow it.

"To me it would be like getting into a taxi and telling the driver to drive around the block repeatedly until his car ran out of fuel. That is foolish—and costly! travelling in circles with your life."
- Strange analogy to draw.Firstly, I would travel by foot or cycle, rather than hiring a taxi to go everywhere - how lavish your lifestyle must be! It most certainly would be foolish and costly to do that. However, the last part of your statement presumes that this search is circular and all-consuming, becomes the only focus for someone's life - which is just both incorrect and stupid. In fact, observation and experience shows us that those people who exhibit such a circular path, such a fixation with these issues, are most often members of cults or are religious fundamentalists - rather like you, in fact!

"Without convictions, you’ll be wishy-washy. Like a chameleon, you’ll change colours to blend in with your peers—yes a sure sign that you don’t have your own identity".
-But I have convictions - plenty of them!; ranging from matters political to matters cultural and social and indeed matters religious when it affects general society. None criminal though, fortunately! :) Rejecting the nonsense of dogmatic religious belief does not necessarily make you blend in with your peers - one can reject nonsense and still hold many different and stong convictions outside of that.

Your religious "lessons" fail because they are mostly cut and pasted and often incomprehensible. Your scriptural references fail because very few are bothered to look up the text you refer to and just ignore them instead. Others will reject your literal interpretations of the bible as explanations for anything, because they defy rationality and logic. When you attempt a reply of your own, these fail the test of reason too.All you do is to crystallise peoples disdain for JW's.

Tell us all again - how do JW's justify the charitable status that they enjoy?
.
GoodLife wrote: You see Mentally blinded ones do not want to believe. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

I think 2 Cor 4 : 6 is
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ

I wondered what "mentally blinded" was in Greek and it looks as tho
I will never find out

however the [a] refers to Genesis Chap 1 v 3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.


I admire the idea of quoting the Bible in order the illuminates the otherwise dull lives we lead
and if only GL did, it might have an effect
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Like all thing time will tell ,some thing you haven't got.

You can say what you like,Jehovah’s Witnesses today welcome all to examine their activities closely,

We are confident that if people do, they will find that the negative reports about the Witnesses are untrue,

Just as such reports about early Christians were also untrue. Outstandingly, the Witnesses obey the new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples: Love one another; just as I have loved you.—John 13:34, 35.

You see Christian witnesses of Jehovah are known as a New World society of principle of love, love for Jehovah and for their neighbor. This is so obviously true that time and again the public press commented upon it when reporting on their Triumphant Kingdom assemblies that are held all over the world.
goodlife //upon it when reporting on their Triumphant Kingdom assemblies that are held all over the world //

Bit early to celebrate your triumph.

Jesus still hasn't shown up again and He is nineteen centuries late.
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That where your Mentally blinded,simple.
In response to people criticising your posts, GL, you resort to personal insult, which does not seem a particularly christian approach.

Who is "mentally blinded"? Anyone who criticises your religion/cult? And what exactly do you mean when you say "mentally blinded" anyway?

And for all the trite reassurances
"You can say what you like,Jehovah’s Witnesses today welcome all to examine their activities closely,

We are confident that if people do, they will find that the negative reports about the Witnesses are untrue,"

When asked direct and pointed questions about the JW's you offer bland nothings. Do JW's perform charitable actions? Do they even believe in charity? If not - why do they claim charitable status? Is that not hypocritical?

And as for "loving one another" - disfellowshipping, or "shunning" over some contravention of rules written thousands of years ago does not sound at all loving to me.

Your cult rejects science and rationality and reason, that much has become very clear. You offer nothing original - your arguments are cut and pasted from the approved watchtower website or lapse into incomprehensibility when you are stung into responding directly to a post.

Your cult offers nothing worthwhile to your average modern day individual. Its a cul-de-sac branch from the Abrahamic religions, all of which have far greater numbers of adherents and much greater visibility. Most of them also, to their credit, do charitable works - improving the lot of their fellow man, after their own fashion. Not so for your sect.

The particular interpretations of scripture that inform Jehovahs' Witnesses was irrelevant when it was formed and has only become more so over the decades since.
/Who gave this man his brain in order to do such things? God did./
GL, if your god existed I'm sure he would be very disappointed with what you have done with you brain. If he had only wanted you to read watchtower and pray he could have given you a brain the size of a pea.....
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//exactly do you mean when you say "mentally blinded"//

It mean that standards of this world, their situation ethics,”are the result of minds that are in darkness mentally, alienated from the life that be longs to God.

The world says in effect, Do your own thing, meaning that one is a lawmaker to oneself, not bound by any outside code or rule that would limit one’s freedom. This standard allows for one to become insensible in one’s heart. “Anything goes,”

But in saying that they although know full well the decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving ............Rom. 1:28-32.

//And as for "loving one another" - disfellowshipping, or "shunning" over some contravention of rules written thousands of years ago does not sound at all loving to me.//

Just consider this: When a hardened criminal is sent to prison for breaking the law, is that viewed as harsh or coldhearted? No, because the public has the right to safeguard the peace and security of the community. In effect, the criminal is disfellowshipped from law-abiding society during his prison term.

Disfellowshipping is a loving arrangement because it upholds God’s holy name and it protects the congregation. Also, it demonstrates love for the wrongdoer by encouraging him to repent and -turn around Acts 3:19.

//Your cult offers nothing worthwhile to your average modern day//

History Founded in 1872 in U. S. A. Incorporated 1884 as Zion’s Watch
Tower Tract Society, present name adopted in 1896. Is and has always been entirely non-political, non-profit, non-commercial, charitable, religious corporation, devoted exclusively to Bible education.

Clearly your Understanding is very poor, cults are generally understood to be religious groups with radical views and practices that clash with what is accepted today as normal social behavior.

Usually they conduct their religious activities in secrecy. Many of these cultic groups actually isolate themselves in communes. Their devotion to a self-proclaimed human leader is likely to be unconditional and exclusive. Often these leaders boast of having been divinely chosen or even of being themselves divine in nature,

So poor you, try to keep to understand why the Bible is so little understood is one way.
"It mean that standards of this world, their situation ethics,”are the result of minds that are in darkness mentally, alienated from the life that be longs to God"

Life does not "belong" to god. You have no evidence, no proof, nothing to suggest god even exists,let along holds hostage our lives.

"Just consider this: When a hardened criminal is sent to prison for breaking the law, is that viewed as harsh or coldhearted? No, because the public has the right to safeguard the peace and security of the community. In effect, the criminal is disfellowshipped from law-abiding society during his prison term."

You are justifying social ostracisation of members of your community because they believe in something different - not because they have committed a crime, like rape, or murder or burglary - crimes against the individual and property. The crime you and your cult accuse them of is thought crime; daring to think for themselves, and it is a deeply unpleasant notion for a religion that prides itself supposedly on tolerance and love.
And if you cannot see the difference between a criminal that requires locking up and a member of your flock that cannot put aside love of a relative that has contravened your pointless and outdated laws, then you are the poor one, not me.

I know JW has been founded recently; Despite all the airy-fairy comments, no detail - How do they justify charitable status? What specific charitable works do they do? Your continued defence is hypocritical.

And no, I do not think my understanding of your sect/cult is that deficient; JWs are an anachronistic blind alley.
goodlife, does denying blood fall into the category of demonstrating love for the wrongdoer?
You say God created life and blood symbolises that life,why then do you refuse something that your God has created?
Question Author
LG@
Of course life belongs to God. He is the creator and life giver. If he so desires he could stop the rain, the sun, the moon, etc. Then there would be no life!

As to your point on disfellowshipping, you have absolutely no idea of what is involved in this. You state a criminal is disfellowshipped when put inprison. If everyone lived by God’s law there would be no criminals whatsoever. In fact if a JW did do any of the things you mention they would be disfellowshipped for a certainty.
If the laws of the land state that JWs are worthy of charitable state – who are you to question that authority? I can assure you we do far more charity works than you are aware of – the difference between us and other charities is that we dedicate all funds to the charity none of it is siphoned off plus the fact we do not need a town crier to go round telling all what we do. Just go to the lands where we have helped out and you will find the evidence. Even at 9/11 it was JWs who gave the comfort to the injured – not the religions or charities.

And Yes, your understanding of Jehovah’s Witnesses is deficient and you will NEVER get the full understanding because you really don’t want to know. You are blinded spiritually and mentally.

Vulcan@
All I am going to say to you is to ask a Jehovah’s Witness next time they call. Blood is precious and so is life, especially to JWs. We do not needlessly refuse medical treatment as do some other religions and there are other forms of treatment/transfusions we have that do exactly the same as a blood transfusion but which is much safer.

Now I am finished with this thread I have said all I want to say, bye bye for now.
@GL You continue to make the same, cardinal error. Stating as fact what is only your belief
"Of course life belongs to God. He is the creator and life giver. If he so desires he could stop the rain, the sun, the moon, etc. Then there would be no life!"

You have no evidence of a creator god beyond your bible - thats it.

And in that absence, our lives are our own, and nothing at all to do with your faith in god.

Your comments about imprisonment and disfellowshipping continue to demonstrate your confusion and what a bad analogy that was. It was you that, essentially suggested that people within your community were disfellowshipped in much the same way that society at large imprisoned convicted criminals and for essentially the same reasons, which is a chilling and rather horrible association.

Criminals commit severe harms against the person and are locked up to keep society safe, as a form of retribution, and also in part in the hope that such prisoners might reform; Your community disfellowships people for thought crimes - thoughts that are only crimes if you accept the evidence and interpretation of scripture of your own community. Its a stupid and cold hearted practice, made all the more sinister by the assertions that it is "done with love".

As for your charitable actions - again you assert, but again you provide no evidence - mostly because you cannot.

And what is this all about?
"If the laws of the land state that JWs are worthy of charitable state – who are you to question that authority?"
I have every right to question that authority, you numpty - that is what being part of a democracy is all about! That is what our society is all about - being free to think, being free to demonstrate, being free to object! What on earth is wrong with you?
But of course we can see why such questioning of authority might be anathema to the religious - because faith demands no such questions, faith requires total submission to authority, doesn't it? You guys lack the mental toolset to properly appreciate that.

Regardless - The Charities Commission do review the charitable status of organisations, and definitions are redefined. I think the JWs fall outside that definition, personally. Its noticeable that you offer a "personal assurance" but can offer no concrete examples. I reject your "personal assurance" as worthless, and I and other readers can see how deficient your religion is when it comes to charitable works.

And why do you not answer Vulcan properly? What exactly forms the reason for the objection to a blood transfusion? Which pieces of scripture inform that decision? You seem very willing to offer scriptural references for every other post you make - why no scriptural reference for this?

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