This is the question that brings many of us to atheism. If God created the world (universe), who created God? There is no reasonable, comprehensible answer. Everyone is on their own to try to imagine. There is no clear answer either to: how did the universe come about? That is the real existential question worthy of contemplation.
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Yeah. I talk about this friend a lot. My friends here might recognize me. I want to stay anonymous to maintain my boundaries. I don't want to have any inhibitions about speaking openly.
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Speaking with a friend from another country, she said that she'd never seen an LDS meeting house. I Googled it. Not only are there 5 meeting houses in her country but they also have a temple. The Church reports that there are about 1600 LDS members in that country. Can that number really support a temple? What's going on?
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Oh yes. A priori positions. You've more patience than I have, LW. You actually make an effort to understand the faulty points and respond conherently. Exhausting and frustrating is right.
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$110 Billion; $170 Billion; $1 Trillion. Who knows the real figure? In any event it ought to be enough to hire a gardener and a cleaning service for each of their ward buildings, and pay stipends for their sales people - er- missionaries and their 2 years forced labor.
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Thank you LW for helping me get a perspective on the person who wants to argue with everything. I was afraid I was missing something. I'll now feel comfortable to ignore the word salad sans dressing HB serves. Without a face to connect to a name, it's hard to get a handle on who is who.
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Your source (mad in america) doesn't impress me. As for Pinker being debunked? No. I think you are wrong. Where did you get that idea?
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If genetics is at work (and I'll assume it is) there will be differences in how children absorb religion's dogma. I believe temperament is an inborn quality. Fearfulness, independence, introversion, extraversion, imagination, are inborn attributes that will influence how information is received. Most harmful to me is the idea that there is free-floating evil in the world; that satan is tr
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Done & Done Wrote: > I do not know what the working ratio is between > nature and nurture. I don't believe anyone does. > I am only saying you cannot discount the impact of > genetics. Evidence is accumulating that nature - ie genetics - plays a much bigger role in human development than is commonly thought. For just one example, consider the studies of twins raise
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....... served in numerous callings. Her favorite calling was serving in the Primary where she loved practicing her “edible object lessons.” Wonder if one of those object lessons was cupcakes?
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Each week Maria Popova's newsletter, "The Marginalian" explores the deep thought, beauty, and unique perspective of authors and philosophers. The posts are always illuminating and thought provoking. This week's post is one of her best as she quotes from "Words in Pain: Letters on Life and Death" by Olga Jacoby, an atheist in love with life but facing her own death at a very y
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Hold on a minute while I look up the definition of 'semantics".
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n/t
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I'm gratified to know you carefully read my posts. Thank you. I sincerely apologize when I tell you I didn't do the same with yours. I'm a lazy reader and usually skim to those comments that are 3" or less in length. However, in skimming, I do try to find the salient points, admittedly probably inadequately. What I gather from yours (correctly or incorrectly) is: if it's the law, o
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How about if we make abortions available only when the woman is accompanied by the sperm donor prepared undergo a vastectomy? Or better still: The pair shows up together; a nurse flips a coin. Heads, an abortion. Tails, a vasectomy. Or: The woman meets with the doctor, privately. Everybody else butts out.
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seem to have a very unhealthy interest in your love life, your sex life, your reproductive life, your personal solitary sex life, your chastity. Were they absent on the day they taught "Mind your own business"?
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If you think abortion is immoral, don't have one. For me, and my understanding of genetics, trauma, memory, reproductive process, depression, family - most likely, I wouldn't choose to have an abortion. That's me and my moral sense. Not everyone has the same moral sense of what is "wrong". I think it's "wrong" to swear at your parents, ridicule your child, ask people f
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https://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/her-lesson-pennies-can-measure-your-success/
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Cabbie would have been so gratified to see these messages continuing month after month. He might even have allowed the use of his IRL name!
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My close family member has been a devout Mor-mon since age 12, the only one in her immediate family. She's bright, kind, responsible, not one to do anything half way. Followed her dufus priesthood holder in everything. Raised an admirable number of fine TBM kids, missions, lots of grandkids, etc. While everyone is gracious and congenial, there's a definite wedge. Thinking about it now,
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have you read the Amazon reviews of Chad Daybell's books pre Lori Vallow and the missing kids? Example: "Living on the Edge of Heaven" "Chad Daybell shares his incredible life story. His near-death experiences and closeness to the angels and heaven offer a fantastic insight into our true purpose here on earth. Loved his courage in sacrificing to live God’s purposes for his li
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Whenever I go searching for a partiular topic related to mormonism, the first few hits will be to the website "church of jesus christ . org". or "newsroom church of jesus christ . org" One wonders if there is a mission calling for members to sit at computers and flood the internet with mormon material so that it comes up first on any search?
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Ma ur ice Hark er. He says his methods for helping couples acheive strong relationships are inkeeping with the Doctrine and covenents.
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What is with all this preoccupation and judgment around sex? Chastity, purity, modesty! Fie on masturbation, adultery, indecency, fornication, pornography, carnality. Why, according to doctrine, it was God himself who sullied Mary's reputation and took her virginity!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvi5KrsZ5F4
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Those are fascinating charts. The myth that polygamy was about marrying the widows might have had its beginnings with Brigham, although no one mentions that a large number of the widows were Joe Smith's.
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If so, BY was sure a selfish pig. If he had 50 wives and had sex each night with one of them, his wives would have to wait for nearly 2 months for their turn. And if Amelia was his favorite, they'd have to wait longer than that. And probably got a wham bam, thank you, mam!
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This has been fascinating to follow since the kids were first missing. The doc is well done but due to time limits, leaves out a lot. No mention was made of the storage facility where the kids belongings were left. That was a chilling development. I recall hearing Julie Rowe's name mentioned early on connected to Daybell. Also his books on Amazon were interesting - glowing 5 star reviews fr
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The one that got away, that broke my heart and haunted my dreams, now suffers from advanced dementia. And the one who stole him from me now lives a lonely vigil as she cares for him, with his broken mind. You'd think that would be karma. But instead she and I grieve together.
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Were you repeatedly asked why you weren't in church? Did someone ask you if you had lost your testimony? Were your children invited to church events without asking you? Were you given a new calling that you knew you hadn't the capacity to fulfill? When the love bombing didn't get the intended result, were you given the cold shoulder? Was it suggested that you might have some sin yo
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