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?