Did the serpent lose legs or feet as means of movement as a result of the divine curse recorded at Genesis 3:14? Watchtowr, June 1964
At Genesis 3:14 we are told: "And Jehovah God proceeded to say to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life.’" This is the only place in the Bible where any indication is given that the serpent did not at one time travel on its belly.
What is said here is, of course, directed principally to the invisible spirit creature who used the literal serpent as his mouthpiece. It foretells his debasement. But for the symbolic application of this judgment upon the wicked spirit creature who became Satan to have any force there must be a fulfillment of it in the literal serpent, which has come to symbolize Satan. It, therefore, is reasonable to conclude that before God cursed it the serpent possessed legs that elevated it above the ground. As he had the power to create the serpent in the first place, God had the power to transform its body so that it ceased to have legs and was able to move about on its belly.
Oops! New Light Alert
Did the serpent that spoke to Eve have legs? Watchtower, November, 2007
As recorded at Genesis 3:14, Jehovah God addressed the serpent that had deceived Eve in the garden of Eden. God said: "Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life." The Bible does not specifically state that the animal used in tempting Eve had previously had legs but lost them. While the wording of Genesis 3:14 might lead some to think so, we need not necessarily conclude that prior to this curse, serpents had legs. Why not?
Principally because the real object of Jehovah’s judgment was Satan—the invisible spirit who had misused that lowly animal. The Bible describes Satan as "the father of the lie" and "the original serpent." Both of these expressions apparently point back to Satan’s using a visible animal, a serpent, as his mouthpiece to induce Eve to disobey God’s command.—John 8:44; Revelation 20:2.
God created serpents, and Adam had apparently given serpents their name before Satan’s deceptive act. The unreasoning serpent that spoke to Eve was not to blame. It would have been unaware that Satan was manipulating it, and it could not understand the judgment that God rendered against the disobedient parties.
Why, then, did God speak of the serpent’s physical abasement? The behavior of a serpent in its natural environment, crawling on its belly and flicking its tongue as if to lick up dust, fittingly symbolized Satan’s debased condition. Having previously enjoyed a lofty position as one of God’s angels, he was consigned to the lowly condition referred to in the Bible as Tartarus.—2 Peter 2:4.
Further, as a literal serpent might wound a man’s heel, Satan in his debased state would ‘bruise the heel’ of God’s "seed." (Genesis 3:15) The primary part of that seed proved to be Jesus Christ, who temporarily suffered at the hands of Satan’s agents. But the symbolic serpent’s head will, in time, be permanently crushed by Christ and his resurrected anointed Christian companions. (Romans 16:20) Thus, God’s directing his curse toward the visible serpent aptly pictured the debasement and ultimate destruction of the invisible "original serpent," Satan the Devil.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bound Volume Letter
Elders just received a letter from the Watchtower stating that any publisher who makes extensive use of the Watchtower cd-rom may want to consider not ordering bound volumes.
It's expensive to supply all those bound volumes and a lot of times the brothers don't even pay for them.
It's expensive to supply all those bound volumes and a lot of times the brothers don't even pay for them.
Tracing The Whereabouts Of Jehovah's Witnesses in History
When the Watchtower writing department was researching this topic for the Proclaimers book in the 1990's, Karl Adams gave Barbara Anderson, the researcher for the Proclaimers book, just four criteria to identify a group of Jehovah's Witnesses:
During the 150 year period from Henry VIII to Charles I (1500 and 1600's) anti-Trinitarianism was pursued consistently and vigorously by 'heretics'. Many of these 'heretics' such as the Unitarian Bishop of Transylvania (Hungary) had such radical views in other areas they can not be considered acceptable to a Jehovah's Witness.
In 1919 The Finished Mystery pp.23-72 claimed that the Seven Messengers or Revelation 2 and 3 were St Paul, St John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe and Luther and Russell. However Waldo, Wycliffe and Luther were Catholics and Protestants whose beliefs were strongly at odds to both Russell and the essential doctrine listed above.
The groups closest to Witnesses that have been mentioned in Watchtower publications are the Waldenses, Cathari, Albigenses. Lollards and Huguenots. These were all basically Protestants and adhered to many Protestant teachings considered wrong by the Watchtower Society. The Minor Brethern (Socianians) is the group most similar to Jehovah's Witnesses today. A brief look shows none of these would be acceptable to be called a Jehovah's Witness.
- rejection of the Trinity
- rejection of hellfire
- rejection of immortality of the human soul
- acceptance of the ransom sacrifice of Christ as defined by Jehovah's Witnesses
- "Throughout the centuries there have always been truth lovers. To mention just a few: John Wycliffe (c. 1330-1384) and William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536) furthered the work of Bible translation even at the risk of their life or freedom. Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (1478-1541), Martin Cellarius (1499-1564), Johannes Campanus (c. 1500-1575), and Thomas Emlyn (1663-c. 1741) accepted the Bible as God's Word and rejected the Trinity. Henry Grew (1781-1862) and George Storrs (1796-1879) not only accepted the Bible and rejected the Trinity but also expressed appreciation for the ransom sacrifice of Christ. Although we cannot positively identify any of such persons as "the wheat" of Jesus' illustration, certainly "Jehovah knows those who belong to him."" Jehovah's Witnesses-Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.44
During the 150 year period from Henry VIII to Charles I (1500 and 1600's) anti-Trinitarianism was pursued consistently and vigorously by 'heretics'. Many of these 'heretics' such as the Unitarian Bishop of Transylvania (Hungary) had such radical views in other areas they can not be considered acceptable to a Jehovah's Witness.
In 1919 The Finished Mystery pp.23-72 claimed that the Seven Messengers or Revelation 2 and 3 were St Paul, St John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe and Luther and Russell. However Waldo, Wycliffe and Luther were Catholics and Protestants whose beliefs were strongly at odds to both Russell and the essential doctrine listed above.
The groups closest to Witnesses that have been mentioned in Watchtower publications are the Waldenses, Cathari, Albigenses. Lollards and Huguenots. These were all basically Protestants and adhered to many Protestant teachings considered wrong by the Watchtower Society. The Minor Brethern (Socianians) is the group most similar to Jehovah's Witnesses today. A brief look shows none of these would be acceptable to be called a Jehovah's Witness.
The Original Religion
Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves part of "The one original religion introduced by mankind's Creator (as apposed to) the many counterfeit kinds introduced by his adversary." (Awake! 1989 Jan 8 p.7)
It is taught that there have always been Jehovah's Witnesses.
Although they really have no real proof of this statement, they insist that it is true
"Jehovah's witnesses have a history almost 6,000 years long, beginning while the first man, Adam, was still alive, … [Abel was] the first of an unbroken line of Witnesses…Jesus' disciples were all Jehovah's witnesses [sic] too."
Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose pp.8-9 It is said that in 33 A.D. Jesus established a Slave Class to spiritually care for his people. The slave has continued uninterrupted since Jesus death, and will continue until the time of his return. Since 1919 that slave has been identified as operating in its cleansed, awaken format as the Watchtower Society.
These completely unproven statements show clearly that the Watchtower has absolutely no respect for the intelligence of its readers and believes that they can throw anything out there and it will be believed. The unfortunate fact is that it usually is!
My question is: If the Jehovah's Witnesses are the one true religion and can trace their religion all they way back to Adam, why did God chose the apostate Catholic Church to compile the Bible Canon in the 4th and 5th century and not use his "Faithful Slave"?
It is taught that there have always been Jehovah's Witnesses.
Although they really have no real proof of this statement, they insist that it is true
"Jehovah's witnesses have a history almost 6,000 years long, beginning while the first man, Adam, was still alive, … [Abel was] the first of an unbroken line of Witnesses…Jesus' disciples were all Jehovah's witnesses [sic] too."
Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose pp.8-9 It is said that in 33 A.D. Jesus established a Slave Class to spiritually care for his people. The slave has continued uninterrupted since Jesus death, and will continue until the time of his return. Since 1919 that slave has been identified as operating in its cleansed, awaken format as the Watchtower Society.
These completely unproven statements show clearly that the Watchtower has absolutely no respect for the intelligence of its readers and believes that they can throw anything out there and it will be believed. The unfortunate fact is that it usually is!
My question is: If the Jehovah's Witnesses are the one true religion and can trace their religion all they way back to Adam, why did God chose the apostate Catholic Church to compile the Bible Canon in the 4th and 5th century and not use his "Faithful Slave"?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Are Jehovah's Witnesses Loyal to Their Religion
A major new survey presents perhaps the most detailed picture we've yet had of which religious groups Americans belong to. And its big message is: blink and they'll change. For the first time, a large-scale study has quantified what many experts suspect: there is a constant membership turnover among most American faiths. America's religious culture, which is best known for its high participation rates, may now be equally famous (or infamous) for what the new report dubs "churn."
The report, released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is the first selection of data from a 35,000- person poll called the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Says Pew Forum director Luis Lugo, Americans "not only change jobs, change where they live, and change spouses, but they change religions too. We totally knew it was happening, but this survey enabled us to document it clearly."
According to Pew, 28% of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another one. And that does not even include those who switched from one Protestant denomination to another; if it did, the number would jump to 44%. Says Greg Smith, one of the main researchers for the "Landscape" data, churn applies across the board. "There's no group that is simply winning or simply losing," he says. "Nothing is static. Every group is simultaneously winning and losing."
An even more extreme example of what might be called "masked churn" is the relatively tiny Jehovah's Witnesses, with a turnover rate of about two-thirds. That means that two-thirds of the people who told Pew they were raised Jehovah's Witnesses no longer are — yet the group attracts roughly the same number of converts. Notes Lugo, "No wonder they have to keep on knocking on doors."
Lugo would not speculate on whether such a buyer's market might cause some groups to dilute their particular beliefs in order to compete. There are signs of that in such surveys as one done by the Willow Creek megachurch outside Chicago, which has been extremely successful in attracting tens of thousands of religious "seekers." An internal survey recently indicated much of its membership was "stalled" in their spiritual growth, Lugo allowed that "it does raise the question of, once you attract these folks, how do you root them within your own particular tradition when people are changing so quickly."
The Pew report has other interesting findings; the highest rates for marrying within one's own faith, for example, are among Hindus (90%) and Mormons (83%). The full report is accessible at the Pew Forum site.
The report, released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is the first selection of data from a 35,000- person poll called the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Says Pew Forum director Luis Lugo, Americans "not only change jobs, change where they live, and change spouses, but they change religions too. We totally knew it was happening, but this survey enabled us to document it clearly."
According to Pew, 28% of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another one. And that does not even include those who switched from one Protestant denomination to another; if it did, the number would jump to 44%. Says Greg Smith, one of the main researchers for the "Landscape" data, churn applies across the board. "There's no group that is simply winning or simply losing," he says. "Nothing is static. Every group is simultaneously winning and losing."
An even more extreme example of what might be called "masked churn" is the relatively tiny Jehovah's Witnesses, with a turnover rate of about two-thirds. That means that two-thirds of the people who told Pew they were raised Jehovah's Witnesses no longer are — yet the group attracts roughly the same number of converts. Notes Lugo, "No wonder they have to keep on knocking on doors."
Lugo would not speculate on whether such a buyer's market might cause some groups to dilute their particular beliefs in order to compete. There are signs of that in such surveys as one done by the Willow Creek megachurch outside Chicago, which has been extremely successful in attracting tens of thousands of religious "seekers." An internal survey recently indicated much of its membership was "stalled" in their spiritual growth, Lugo allowed that "it does raise the question of, once you attract these folks, how do you root them within your own particular tradition when people are changing so quickly."
The Pew report has other interesting findings; the highest rates for marrying within one's own faith, for example, are among Hindus (90%) and Mormons (83%). The full report is accessible at the Pew Forum site.
Public Service Announcement
Jehovah's Witness Elder/Molestor On The Run, Have You Seen This Man?
Frederick McLean (AKA: MCCLEAN,RICK; MCLAIN,FREDERICK; MCLAIN,RICK) was featured on America's Most Wanted and is currently on the US Marshal's Service Top 15 Most Wanted criminals.
He is described as an armed and dangerous child molestor. Please check the links at AMW and MSNBC for the story and photos of this monster. I
f you know where this fugitive is please alert law enforcement immediately. He is considered armed and dangerous so do not apprehend him, just report his whereabouts to the authorities.
Have you seen this man?
Dept. Of Justice US Marshal Page http://www.usmarshals.gov/investigations...
America's Most Wanted http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id...
MSNBC Text Story Page http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/
MSNBC Video Story http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-u...
I am posting this here because a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses read this blog. It is possible that this criminal is hiding amongst Jehovah's Witnesses unbeknownst to them. No other implication is being made by this posting.
Frederick McLean (AKA: MCCLEAN,RICK; MCLAIN,FREDERICK; MCLAIN,RICK) was featured on America's Most Wanted and is currently on the US Marshal's Service Top 15 Most Wanted criminals.
He is described as an armed and dangerous child molestor. Please check the links at AMW and MSNBC for the story and photos of this monster. I
f you know where this fugitive is please alert law enforcement immediately. He is considered armed and dangerous so do not apprehend him, just report his whereabouts to the authorities.
Have you seen this man?
Dept. Of Justice US Marshal Page http://www.usmarshals.gov/investigations...
America's Most Wanted http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id...
MSNBC Text Story Page http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/
MSNBC Video Story http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-u...
I am posting this here because a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses read this blog. It is possible that this criminal is hiding amongst Jehovah's Witnesses unbeknownst to them. No other implication is being made by this posting.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Keeping The Congregation Clean
Watchtower 9/1/1987 pages 14-15 "A Time to Speak"-When?
Thinking Ahead Employers have a right to expect that their Christian employees will ‘exhibit good fidelity to the full,’ including observing rules on confidentiality. (Titus 2:9, 10) If an oath is taken, it should not be taken lightly. An oath makes a promise more solemn and binding. (Psalm 24:4) And where the law reinforces a requirement on confidentiality, the matter becomes still more serious. Hence, before a Christian takes an oath or puts himself under a confidentiality restriction, whether in connection with employment or otherwise, it would be wise to determine to the extent possible what problems this may produce because of any conflict with Bible requirements. How will one handle matters if a brother or a sister becomes a client? Usually such jobs as working with doctors, hospitals, courts, and lawyers are the type of employment in which a problem could develop. We cannot ignore Caesar’s law or the seriousness of an oath, but Jehovah’s law is supreme. Anticipating the problem, some brothers who are lawyers, doctors, accountants, and so forth, have prepared guidelines in writing and have asked brothers who may consult them to read these over before revealing anything confidential. Thus an understanding is required in advance that if serious wrongdoing comes to light, the wrongdoer would be encouraged to go to the elders in his congregation about the matter. It would be understood that if he did not do so, the counselor would feel an obligation to go to the elders himself. There may be occasions when a faithful servant of God is motivated by his personal convictions, based on his knowledge of God’s Word, to strain or even breach the requirements of confidentiality because of the superior demands of divine law. Courage and discretion would be needed. The objective would not be to spy on another’s freedom but to help erring ones and to keep the Christian congregation clean. Minor transgressions due to sin should be overlooked. Here, “love covers a multitude of sins,” and we should forgive “up to seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21, 22) This is the “time to keep quiet.” But when there is an attempt to conceal major sins, this may be the “time to speak.”
Thinking Ahead Employers have a right to expect that their Christian employees will ‘exhibit good fidelity to the full,’ including observing rules on confidentiality. (Titus 2:9, 10) If an oath is taken, it should not be taken lightly. An oath makes a promise more solemn and binding. (Psalm 24:4) And where the law reinforces a requirement on confidentiality, the matter becomes still more serious. Hence, before a Christian takes an oath or puts himself under a confidentiality restriction, whether in connection with employment or otherwise, it would be wise to determine to the extent possible what problems this may produce because of any conflict with Bible requirements. How will one handle matters if a brother or a sister becomes a client? Usually such jobs as working with doctors, hospitals, courts, and lawyers are the type of employment in which a problem could develop. We cannot ignore Caesar’s law or the seriousness of an oath, but Jehovah’s law is supreme. Anticipating the problem, some brothers who are lawyers, doctors, accountants, and so forth, have prepared guidelines in writing and have asked brothers who may consult them to read these over before revealing anything confidential. Thus an understanding is required in advance that if serious wrongdoing comes to light, the wrongdoer would be encouraged to go to the elders in his congregation about the matter. It would be understood that if he did not do so, the counselor would feel an obligation to go to the elders himself. There may be occasions when a faithful servant of God is motivated by his personal convictions, based on his knowledge of God’s Word, to strain or even breach the requirements of confidentiality because of the superior demands of divine law. Courage and discretion would be needed. The objective would not be to spy on another’s freedom but to help erring ones and to keep the Christian congregation clean. Minor transgressions due to sin should be overlooked. Here, “love covers a multitude of sins,” and we should forgive “up to seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21, 22) This is the “time to keep quiet.” But when there is an attempt to conceal major sins, this may be the “time to speak.”
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