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I have now met a real life creationist.

And on another note, let's talk biology
Surely Wilson can enlighten us
What is life?
 
What is acceptable evidence to you?
You are an unbeliever.
If I presented to you a rough-hewn chair and told you that Jesus the Carpenter built it, proving his existence, what would you demand as proof?



Ha, you called Jesus a lousy carpenter.

Well DUH! Of course he was a lousy carpenter. That's why he went for the second oldest, and less honest profession...huckstering :diablotin:
 
You seem to be asking for my experience, so here goes - let's see if I do:
Years ago, I tested for a job that paid the most amount of money that I heard about up to that time. I wanted that job. The boss told me to start the following Monday and I felt good. But something crossed my mind: What are they making here? I asked and was told they were components for military weaponry.
My conscience kicked in. I cannot work on material that is used for killing! What do I do? A quick silent prayer works every time. The answer came from recollecting the words of God:
“. . .you must love your fellow man as yourself. I am Jehovah.” (Leviticus 19:18)
I turned the job down. Lives saved. No blood on my hands.
“. . .And when you spread out your palms, I hide my eyes from you. Although you offer many prayers, I am not listening; Your hands are filled with blood.” (Isaiah 1:15)


We? Jehovah has no dealings with unbelievers. He has been verified by millions of us already.

You mean communicating with stones, animals and trees?
What makes you right and everyone else wrong?
Those are YOUR words - not mine.
So your prayer caused the words in Leviticus 19:18 to be written?
Not a wise question.
I question your ability to spot wisdom if it smacked you in the nose.
You can question anything but there are ways to find out. Would you like to try?
Or were they already there - in which case, you were not getting an answer to your prayer, but rather you were reading an old book.
The big question is: Were those words appropriate? Up to the minute? Practical? Good advice? A resounding YES! Think of how many people could have lost their lives because of the things I made.
Compared to the number who did anyway? None.
I ask you again - Were those words appropriate? Up to the minute? Practical? Good advice?
YOUR answer?
The guy who took the job instead of you did all the harm there was potential to do.
BINGO!!!! You just declared me innocent of "all the harm" and its potential. THAT WAS MY GOAL!!! That is the way of JWs. NONE of us will work on arms or armaments that are meant for killing.
And you are telling me that is a bad thing?
The harm was caused by "the guy who took the job instead of" me, and he was either a member of another religion or an atheist.
The world remains full of weapons.
Yes - made by people of other religions or atheists. There is no blood on our hands.
You achieved nothing
On the contrary; knowing you're innocent and proving it by your actions isn't exactly "nothing."
- and the advice you found in an old book did zero to make the world a better place.
It is not the intention of the bible to "make the world a better place." It works best on individuals with honest hearts.
Effects do not precede causes.
Right! The effect was an act of love and peace. The cause was Jehovah God himself.
Sure it was. The effect was to give the job to someone else;
Right! No acts of war for me.
The cause was you putting far too much credence in an old book.
It contains stuff that works for us.
Stuff written in a book four centuries ago cannot be an explicit reply to a question asked today.
Then I invite you to name a social problem of today that the Bible does not deal with - ANY problem.
'Deal with' as in 'Provide a vaguely relevant sounding quote'; Or 'deal with' as in 'actually prevent from happening'?
Take your pick and name your problem.
The former is banal; The latter is clearly not being achieved (by definition).
Works for us.
Thousands - maybe millions - of people have claimed that same passage in the Bible as an answer to their (very different) questions; What you are doing is not 'having a conversation with God' - it is 'Reading what you want to see into stuff written in an old book'.
Works for us.
I said nothing about "having a conversation with God." I spoke of communicating with God. Was that good advice? Did I do the right thing?
You are avoiding the question: "Was that good advice? Did I do the right thing?"
"We have communication with him daily. Would you like to know what he is like?" - How can you tell anyone what he is like, if your communication is strictly one way?
Who said anything about "one way?" Not me. This is how it works:
These instructions are not for unbelievers:
“. . .But I did give them this command: “Obey my voice, and I will become your God, and you will become my people. You must walk in all the way that I command, so that it may go well with you.”’ 24 But they did not listen or incline their ear; instead, they walked in their own schemes, stubbornly following their wicked heart, and they went backward, not forward,” (Jeremiah 7:23, 24)
How could they "obey his voice" when he does not speak out loud from the heavens?
“. . .This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely.” (Joshua 1:8)
Remember - believers only.
Name your world's most pressing problem and let's see how God's Word handles it.
Our world's most pressing problem is climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels.
I don't think it is! That problem can be solved if not for the greed and selfishness that gets in the way. STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS! Get rid of the money factor and use the sun's energy. Can you do that? Or will money and greed continue to block your efforts?
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM IF MONEY WAS NOT A PART OF THE EQUATION?

Who makes the problem? YOU do! Do you really want someone to stop you from "burning fossil fuels?" Will you not go to war if anyone tried?
So - you really WANT the problem that you have because you will fight to keep it.!
How will he handle it?

"The Bible tells us that “the Former of the earth and the Maker of it .*.*. did not create it simply for nothing.” (Isaiah 45:18) The Bible also says: “The earth endures for ever.”—(Ecclesiastes 1:4, The New English Bible)
Yes, God will not allow the earth to be rendered uninhabitable. Rather, he will intervene in human affairs and bring an end to failed human rule and those who have no regard for the earth. At the same time, he will preserve alive all who lead morally upright lives and sincerely want to please him. Says Proverbs 2:21,*22: “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.” (AW 11/11 p. 13)

Yes! Remove the wicked men and their evil inventions! Permanently!

Does the Bible have any advice regarding which designs of Gen IV molten salt small modular reactors are best suited to replace coal power plants?
Same answer as above.
Can your old book tell us how to cheaply and efficiently store power from intermittent sources such as wind and solar, for use on still nights, in areas unsuited to pumped-storage hydro?
Same answer as above.
What is the Bible's advice regarding whether we are better off pursuing Thorium based or Uranium based reactor designs?
Same answer as above.
How does your religion recommend we generate electricity, so as to get the biggest benefits for the least harm?
My religion is not in the business of providing any kind of advice on power problems. It works to make better individuals.
What does the bible have to say about nuclear power plants?
This:
"And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, 29*filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, 30*backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, 31*without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless.......” (Romans 1:28-32)

They are obviously injurious - right?
“. . .For evil men will be done away with, But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth. ו [Waw] 10 Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:9-11)

Jehovah will not allow you to destroy the earth.
“. . .The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it.” (Psalm 37:29)

Nuclear power plants are the least injurious technology ever invented.

The computer you are currently using to read this is a far more 'injurious thing' than nuclear power.

You are very badly misinformed about everything (which is hardly surprising when you get your opinions from a book written before the industrial revolution).
 
What is acceptable evidence to you?
A chair wouldn't be evidence that Jesus thinks.
You have to read more carefully. I said: "...Jesus the Carpenter built it, proving his existence..."
I believe you can prove your existence. Do YOU think?
One would have to be stupid or deluded to think otherwise.
You got that part right!
Jesus, standing in front of me saying "I think X,Y and Z" or even "I think, therefore I am" would be evidence that the person standing in front of me thinks.
Unh-Unh! That would not work with an unbeliever because he is an unbeliever.
Dead people don't think, no matter how many people believe the dead person was magically endowed.
You got that one right, too.
You are an unbeliever.
You are a victim of manipulation/brainwashing.
I would be - if I paid any attention to you.
Were you raised by Christian parents by any chance?
Irrelevant. Now - answer the question:
"If I presented to you a rough-hewn chair and told you that Jesus the Carpenter built it, proving his existence, what would you demand as proof?"
 
What if I showed you a butter churn, and told you that it was the source of green cheese proving the moon was made of green cheese, what would you demand as proof?"



"what kind of idiot thinks that saying something proves the existence of something else, constitutes evidence?"
 
In all honesty we can't go off the deep end... dark matter, dark energy
This in no way suggests that we have a phenomenon that confirms the Bible's Jesus
 
"He who questions his training, is trained only to ask questions" - The Sphinx.

Pseudo-wisdom, via the Forer effect, is deeply unimpressive.

Those who are impressed by it can become Biblical literalists; but in doing so, they make clear to everyone else just how unwise they really are.

"When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you can head off your foes with a balanced attack".
 
Nuclear power plants are the least injurious technology ever invented.
You are very badly misinformed about everything (which is hardly surprising when you get your opinions from a book written before the industrial revolution).
Really?
http://www.psr.org/resources/nuclear-power-factsheet.html

https://www.rt.com/news/339763-disaster-nuclear-earthquake-japan/

Yes, really.

The death toll due to radiation released at Fukushima is zero; with an expected additional 0.2 deaths (one fifth of one person) due to long term effects.

But as you clearly don't give a rats about reality, I am not at all shocked that you don't know or care.

And wtf is this quoting RT and PSR about? I mean, I know that they are utter bullshit as sources; but I was told by you upthread that the Bible contained all the answers. So what gives? Are you admitting that the Bible DOESN'T say anything about nuclear safety, and that you had to find other sources for an answer that fits your prejudices in this instance?

What does the Bible say that supports your claim that nuclear power is 'injurious'?
 
Yes, really.

The death toll due to radiation released at Fukushima is zero; with an expected additional 0.2 deaths (one fifth of one person) due to long term effects.

But as you clearly don't give a rats about reality, I am not at all shocked that you don't know or care.
What about the rest of them?
Inform yourself:
Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth About Nuclear Power
"The nuclear industry seeks to revitalize itself by manipulating the public’s concerns about global warming and energy insecurity to promote nuclear power as a clean and safe way to curb emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce dependence on foreign energy resources.* Despite these claims by industry proponents, a thorough examination of the full life-cycle of nuclear power generation reveals nuclear power to be a dirty, dangerous and expensive form of energy that poses serious risks to human health, national security and U.S. taxpayers.

Nuclear Power is Dirty
Each year, enormous quantities of radioactive waste are created during the nuclear fuel process, including 2,000 metric tons of high-level radioactive waste(1)* and 12 million cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste(2) in the U.S. alone. More than 58,000 metric tons of highly radioactive spent fuel already has accumulated at reactor sites around the U.S. for which there currently is no permanent repository.* Even without new nuclear production, the inventory of commercial spent fuel in the U.S. already exceeds the 63,000 metric ton statutory capacity of the controversial Yucca Mountain repository, which has yet to receive a license to operate.* Even if Yucca Mountain is licensed, the Department of Energy has stated that it would not open before 2017.

Uranium, which must be removed from the ground, is used to fuel nuclear reactors.* Uranium mining, which creates serious health and environmental problems, has disproportionately impacted indigenous people because much of the world’s uranium is located under indigenous land.* Uranium miners experience higher rates of lung cancer, tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. The production of 1,000 tons of uranium fuel generates approximately 100,000 tons of radioactive tailings and nearly one million gallons of liquid waste containing heavy metals and arsenic in addition to radioactivity.(3)* These uranium tailings have contaminated rivers and lakes. A new method of uranium mining, known as in-situ leaching, does not produce tailings but it does threaten contamination of groundwater water supplies.

Serious Safety Concerns
Despite proponents’ claims that it is safe, the history of nuclear energy is marked by a number of disasters and near disasters. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine is one of the most frightening examples of the potentially catastrophic consequences of a nuclear accident.* An estimated 220,000 people were displaced from their homes, and the radioactive fallout from the accident made 4,440 square kilometers of agricultural land and 6,820 square kilometers of forests in Belarus and Ukraine unusable.* It is extremely difficult to get accurate information about the health effects from Chernobyl.* Government agencies in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus estimate that about 25,000 of the 600,000 involved in fire-fighting and clean up operations have died so far because of radiation exposure from the accident.(4)* According to an April 2006 report commissioned by the European Greens for the European Parliament, there will be an additional 30,000 to 60,000 fatal cancer deaths worldwide from the accident.(5)*

In 1979, the United States had its own disaster following an accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor in Pennsylvania.* Although there were no immediate deaths, the incident had serious health consequences for the surrounding area.* A 1997 study found that those people living downwind of the reactor at the time of the event were two to ten times more likely to contract lung cancer or leukemia than those living upwind of the radioactive fallout.(6)** The dangers of nuclear power have been underscored more recently by the close call of a catastrophic meltdown at the Davis-Besse reactor in Ohio in 2002, which in the years preceding the incident had received a near-perfect safety score.(3)

Climate change may further increase the risk of nuclear accidents.* Heat waves, which are expected to become more frequent and intense as a result of global warming, can force the shut down or the power output reduction of reactors.* During the 2006 heat wave, reactors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota, as well as in France, Spain and Germany, were impacted.* The European heat wave in the summer of 2003 caused cooling problems at French reactors that forced engineers to tell the government that they could no longer guarantee the safety of the country’s 58 nuclear power reactors.(3)

Proliferation, Loose Nukes and Terrorism
The inextricable link between nuclear energy and nuclear weapons is arguably the greatest danger of nuclear power.* The same process used to manufacture low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel also can be employed for the production of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.* As it has in the past, expansion of nuclear power could lead to an increase in the number of both nuclear weapons states and ‘threshold’ nuclear states that could quickly produce weapons by utilizing facilities and materials from their ‘civil’ nuclear programs a scenario many fear may be playing out in Iran.* Expanded use of nuclear power would increase the risk that commercial nuclear technology will be used to construct clandestine weapons facilities, as was done by Pakistan.

In addition to uranium, plutonium can also be used to make a nuclear bomb.* Plutonium, which is found only in extremely small quantities in nature, is produced in nuclear reactors.* Reprocessing spent fuel to separate plutonium from the highly radioactive barrier in spent fuel rods, as is being proposed as a ‘waste solution’ under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program, increases the risk that the plutonium can be diverted or stolen for the production of nuclear weapons or radioactive ‘dirty’ bombs.* Reprocessing is also the most polluting part of the nuclear fuel cycle.* The reprocessing facility in France, La Hague, is the world’s largest anthropogenic source of radioactivity and its releases have been found in the Arctic Circle.

In addition to the threat of nuclear materials, nuclear reactors are themselves potential terrorist targets.* Nuclear reactors are not designed to withstand attacks using large aircraft, such as those used on the September 11, 2001.(7)* A well-coordinated attack could have severe consequences for human health and the environment.* A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists concluded that a major attack on the Indian Point Reactor in Westchester County, New York, could result in 44,000 near-term deaths from acute radiation sickness and more than 500,000 long-term deaths from cancer among individuals within 50 miles of the reactor.(8)

Nuclear Power Doesn’t Mean Energy Independence
Assertions that nuclear power can lead us to energy independence are incorrect.* In 2007, more than 90 percent of the uranium used in U.S. nuclear power reactors was imported.(9)* The U.S. only has the ninth largest reasonably assured uranium resources in the world.(10)* Most of it is low to medium grade, which is not only more polluting but also less economical than uranium found in other nations.* The U.S.’s high-priced uranium resources and world uranium price volatility mean that current dependence on foreign sources of uranium is not likely to change significantly in the future.
One country that the U.S. continues to rely on for uranium is Russia.* The Continuing Resolution signed into law in September 2008 extended and expanded the program to import Russian highly enriched uranium that has been down-blended for use in U.S. commercial reactors.* This program, which was set to expire in 2013, has been extended through 2020 and expanded to allow more uranium imports per year from Russia.* While the program is an important non-proliferation measure (highly enriched uranium can be used to make a nuclear weapon), it means that the U.S. will continue to rely on Russia for a significant amount of uranium for commercial nuclear reactors.

Nuclear is Expensive
In 1954, then Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Lewis Strauss promised that the nuclear industry would one day provide energy “too cheap to meter.”(5)* More than 50 years and tens of billions of dollars in federal subsidies later, nuclear power remains prohibitively expensive.* Even among the business and financial communities, it is widely accepted that nuclear power would not be economically viable without government support.(11)* Despite this poor economic performance, the federal government has continued to pour money into the nuclear industry the Energy Policy Act of 2005 included more than $13 billion in production subsidies, tax breaks and other incentives for nuclear power.

The most important subsidy for the nuclear industry and the most expensive for U.S. taxpayers comes in the form of loan guarantees, which are promises that taxpayers will bail out the nuclear utilities by paying back their loans when the projects fail.* According to the Congressional Budget Office, the failure rate for nuclear projects is “very high well above 50 percent.”(12)** The nuclear industry is demanding $122 billion in federal loan guarantees for 21 reactors.* If these guarantees were authorized, taxpayers would be on the hook for at least $61 billion.

Making the Safe, Sustainable Investment
It is clear that alternatives to fossil fuels must be developed on a large scale.* However, nuclear power is neither renewable nor clean and therefore not a wise option.* Even if one were to disregard the waste problems, safety risks and dismal economics, nuclear power is both too slow and too limited a solution to global warming and energy insecurity.* Given the urgent need to begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the long lead times required for the design, permitting and construction of nuclear reactors render nuclear power an ineffective option for addressing global warming.
Taxpayer dollars would be better spent on increasing energy conservation, efficiency and developing renewable energy resources.* In fact, numerous studies have shown that improving energy efficiency is the most cost-effective and sustainable way to concurrently reduce energy demand and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Wind power already is less expensive than nuclear power.* And while photovoltaic power is currently more expensive than nuclear energy, the price of electricity produced by the sun, as with wind and other forms of renewable energy, is falling quickly.* Conversely, the cost of nuclear power is rising.(3,11)

When the very serious risk of accidents, proliferation, terrorism and nuclear war are considered, it is clear that investment in nuclear power as a climate change solution is not only misguided, but also highly dangerous.* As we look for solutions to the dual threats of global warming and energy insecurity, we should focus our efforts on improving energy conservation and efficiency and expanding the use of safe, clean renewable forms of energy to build a new energy future for the nation.
Call the Capital Switch Board (1-202-224-3121) to ask for your Congressional Representative and your Senators and urge them to oppose subsidies to the dirty, dangerous and expensive nuclear industry." http://www.psr.org/resources/nuclear...factsheet.html

And wtf is this quoting RT and PSR about? I mean, I know that they are utter bullshit as sources; but I was told by you upthread that the Bible contained all the answers.
Eh? Show me where I told you that. I wrote:
Name your world's most pressing problem and let's see how God's Word handles it.

So what gives? Are you admitting that the Bible DOESN'T say anything about nuclear safety, and that you had to find other sources for an answer that fits your prejudices in this instance?

What does the Bible say that supports your claim that nuclear power is 'injurious'?
It causes death and injury every time they slip up.
Waste from nuclear plants is ruining the earth.
Jehovah will “. . .bring to (their) ruin those ruining the earth.”” (Revelation 11:18)
 
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(Nuclear Power) causes death and injury every time they slip up.
I've been on four nuclear-powered commands. They slip up a LOT more than they kill people. I've seen 'slip ups' at every command, and seen nuclear power based injuries/deaths... Guess the number! Come on, guess! Or, guess how many fingers you need to count them! I'll even let you know it's less than the fingers of one hand!

But as Bilby says, reality is not a concern for wilson.
Or maybe it's a matter of definition? Maybe he doesn't count it AS a slip-up unless someone gets killed or injured? Then, WOW, there's a 1:1 correlation!
 
"Climate change may further increase the risk of nuclear accidents.* Heat waves, which are expected to become more frequent and intense as a result of global warming, can force the shut down or the power output reduction of reactors.* During the 2006 heat wave, reactors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota, as well as in France, Spain and Germany, were impacted.* The European heat wave in the summer of 2003 caused cooling problems at French reactors that forced engineers to tell the government that they could no longer guarantee the safety of the country’s 58 nuclear power reactors."(3)
 
"Climate change may further increase the risk of nuclear accidents.* Heat waves, which are expected to become more frequent and intense as a result of global warming, can force the shut down or the power output reduction of reactors.* During the 2006 heat wave, reactors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota, as well as in France, Spain and Germany, were impacted.* The European heat wave in the summer of 2003 caused cooling problems at French reactors that forced engineers to tell the government that they could no longer guarantee the safety of the country’s 58 nuclear power reactors."(3)

Sorry, but I am not much of a biblical scholar; which chapter and verse is that from?
 
"The Bible foretold a time when man would ‘ruin the earth.’ (Revelation 11:18) Some wonder if we are living in such a time. How much further damage will be done? Is there a point of no return? Indeed, will man ruin the earth beyond repair?"
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20140901/ruined-earth/

"We humans have always thought ourselves different in kind from other creatures, principally for our use of language and our possession of consciousness, but there is another reason for our uniqueness, which is becoming ever clearer: we are the only species capable of destroying our own home. And it looks like we will." http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...at-least-we-greens-made-him-wait-8554548.html

Observe:
http://www.lolwot.com/20-shocking-photos-of-humans-slowly-destroying-planet-earth/5/

"....and he shall "bring to (their) ruin, those ruining the earth." (Rev. 11:18)
 
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