Religion: pros & cons pt1 (Religion)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Friday, October 24, 2014, 22:29 (3682 days ago) @ dhw

PART ONE
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> DHW: The two passages in Acts tell us to abstain from things polluted by/sacrificed to idols, from fornication, from things strangled and from blood.... You claimed that the bible banned ingestion of blood. I pointed out that the OT used the word “eat” (I can't find “ingest”), which to me suggests a ban on blood as food.-Read Leviticus 17 (the entire chapter). I'm done arguing semantics. The prohibition against blood is firmly established. -> 
> DHW: If a patient's life can be saved by a blood transfusion, but the patient doesn't have one and dies, what part does medical safety play in your argument? ...
> You did not answer my first question. You have argued (correctly) that the practice is not safe. I'm arguing that if the patient dies, your practice is clearly not safe either. As a matter of interest, perhaps David could tell us roughly what percentage of his patients died from blood transfusions by comparison with those whose lives were saved.-I do not think that anyone ever claimed that refusing blood transfusions were safe. We claimed, and it is repeatedly stated throughout the bible, that blood is considered sacred and there is a clear prohibition against any use of blood save one, that of a sacrifice, a practice which was abolished under the new covenant.--
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> TONY: My guess is that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if we are right or wrong. It doesn't matter if none of us died or a hundred thousand of us died. We reject what is the social norm, and that, in and of itself, is enough to condemn us. Of course, no one mentions how our teachings and practices SAVE lives. No one mentions the drug addicts, alcoholics, smokers, or other reckless life threatening practices that Witnesses actively work to stop....etc.
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>.. You defend your interpretation of these biblical texts brilliantly, and I wish we had another scholar to debate the details with you, but the fact is that other scholars DO disagree with you, and (a) this proves that the bible is open to interpretation, and (b) by labelling them ignorant, malicious, or self-interested, you are expressing precisely the same dismissive (and grossly unfair) attitude that you resent when they “condemn” JWs.-People can twist anything. There are hundreds, thousands of truths that have been twisted for one reason or another. That doesn't make those truths less true. Even observable facts have been twisted at times, generally through ignorance or malice. Being ignorant is not a crime, and I am certainly not dismissive of people that, with an honest heart, did the best they could with what they know. In particular, it is with the latter category, the malicious, that I take issue. For example, removing God's name from the bible some nearly 7000 times, even though one of the major themes is to "Glorify his name" or "Sanctify his name" or "Make his name known throughout all the inhabited earth." I take issue with forbidding the translation into common languages so that they can hold a monopoly on power. I take issue with denying Christ despite the evidence. There is a difference between ignorant and malice. I do trust that Jehovah will judge appropriately when the time comes in perfect justice. Their disposition is not mine to say. -> 
> Tony: We hold life as sacred, but we hold that Jehovah's sovereignty, love, mercy, and justice is worth more than our own lives. It's called faith. I know you respect faith, but your answers over the course of this discussion make me wonder if you really understand it. So I pose a question. Do you have faith, and if so, in what?
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> I can understand people being willing to die for their beliefs, and I do respect such faith, except when it impinges on the life, health, wellbeing or happiness of others, e.g.
You ask if I have faith in anything. It's a difficult question, and I've had to think hard about it. The only answer I have come up with is so corny that I hesitate to put it in writing, but I will, because it's what I feel: I have faith in the power of human love and laughter.-That is a wonderful start. There is enormous power in love, and God wants us to be happy. (Psalms 98:4) "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music". Now consider, if we are made in God's image, reflecting his traits, how much greater than are his love, joy, justice, power, and mercy?

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.