Can you expand on the permafrost thing? I must have missed this scientific wonder of spiritual food.
Honesty, permafrost?
by carla 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Superfine Apostate
i only remember the image of a half-frozen brain. but i don't remember the story behind it.
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Paralipomenon
permafrost is in areas where the ground stays at or below the freezing mark.
Plants cannot grow in permafrost. So the seeds of "the truth" cannot take root in the mind of someone who's brain is in a permafrost state ie. normal. -
Honesty
Sure:
August 15, 1993 Watchtower magazine
Pages 14-16
Paragraphs 13-21
GO ON GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE
Learning is more than merely taking in facts or being able to recall information. Religious people in Jesus’ day did that with their repetitious prayers. (Matthew 6:5-7) But how were they affected by the information? Were they producing righteous fruits? Hardly. (Matthew 7:15-17; Luke 3:7, 8) Part of the problem was that the knowledge did not sink down into their hearts, affecting them for good.
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According to Peter, it should be different with Christians, back then and now. He urges us to supply to our faith the knowledge that would help us to avoid being inactive or unfruitful. (2 Peter 1:5, 8) For this to prove true in our case, we must want to grow in that knowledge and want to have it affect us down deep, touching our inmost self. That may not always happen.15
In Paul’s day Hebrew Christians had a problem in this regard. Being Jews, they had some knowledge of the Scriptures. They knew of Jehovah and some of his requirements. Later they added knowledge about the Messiah, exercised faith, and were baptized as Christians. (Acts 2:22, 37-41; 8:26-36) Over the months and years, they must have attended Christian meetings, where they could share in reading scriptures and in commenting. Still, some did not grow in knowledge. Paul wrote: "Although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God; and you have become such as need milk, not solid food." (Hebrews 5:12) How could that be? Might it also happen to us?16
As an illustration, consider permafrost, the permanently frozen ground in the Arctic and in other regions where the average temperature is below freezing. The soil, rocks, and groundwater freeze into a solid mass, sometimes to a depth of 3,000 feet [900m]. In the summer, thawing may occur in the surface soil (called the active layer). However, this thin layer of thawed soil is usually muddy because moisture cannot drain into the permafrost below. Plants that grow in the thin top layer are often small or stunted; their roots cannot penetrate the permafrost. ‘What,’ you may wonder, ‘does permafrost have to do with whether I am growing in knowledge of Bible truth?’17 Permafrost well illustrates the situation of one whose mental powers are not actively involved with taking in, remembering, and using accurate knowledge. (Compare Matthew 13:5, 20, 21.) The person likely has the mental capacity to learn various subjects, including Bible truth. He studied "the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God" and may have qualified to be baptized, as did those Hebrew Christians. He might, though, not "press on to maturity," to things beyond "the primary doctrine about the Christ."—Hebrews 5:12; 6:1.
18 Visualize some of those Christians at meetings back then. They were present and awake, but were their minds involved in learning? Were they actively and earnestly growing in knowledge? Perhaps not. For the immature ones, any involvement in meetings took place in a thin active layer, as it were, while below was a frozen depth. The roots of more solid or complicated truths could not penetrate into this region of mental permafrost.—Compare Isaiah 40:24.
19 It could be similar with a Christian today. While present at meetings he may not use those occasions to grow in knowledge. What about actively sharing in them? For a new or young one to volunteer to read a scripture text or give a comment in the words of the paragraph may take considerable effort, reflecting a fine and commendable exercise of his capacity. But Paul showed that with others, in view of the time they had been Christians, they should advance beyond that initial stage of participation if they want to keep growing in knowledge.—Hebrews 5:14.
20 If an experienced Christian never progressed beyond simply reading a Bible verse or making a basic comment straight from the paragraph, likely his participation came from the top "active layer" of his mind. Meeting after meeting could pass with the depths of his mental potential remaining in a frozen state, to continue our illustration of permafrost. We should ask ourselves: ‘Is it that way with me? Have I let a kind of mental permafrost set in? How mentally alert and interested in learning am I?’ Even if we are uncomfortable with our honest answers, we can begin now taking steps to grow in knowledge.
21 Individually we can apply the suggestions in paragraph 8. No matter how long we have been associated with the congregation, we can resolve to press on to maturity and greater knowledge. With some that will mean preparing for meetings more diligently, perhaps reviving habits that were followed years ago but that slowly lapsed. As you prepare, try to determine what the key points are and to understand unfamiliar scriptures that are used to develop lines of reasoning. Look for any new angle or aspect in the study material. Similarly, during the meeting, try to apply within yourself suggestions mentioned in paragraphs 10 and 11. Strive to be alert mentally, as though keeping high the temperature of your mind. That will counteract any tendency for "permafrost" to set in; this conscious effort will also thaw any "frozen" condition that may previously have developed.—Proverbs 8:12, 32-34.
Paragraph 8:
Beforehand, as you prepare for your study, survey the material to be covered. That means looking over the chapter title, subheadings, and any pictures used to illustrate the material. Then, as you read a paragraph or section of the publication, search for the key ideas and the supporting scriptures, underlining or highlighting these.To see if you learned the truths covered, try to answer the questions on the various paragraphs. In doing this, attempt to frame answers in your own words. Finally, review the lesson, trying to recall the main points and supporting arguments.
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Gopher
I remember being offended at this article while I was a loyal JW.
It seemed like that picture of someone with a half-frozen brain was a poke at the rank-and-file JW's, trying to tell them (as usual) they weren't doing enough studying or whatever.
Now that I'm out, I dislike the arrogance of men wearing leaky Depends telling other people their brain is half-frozen.
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Honesty
The cults indoctrinate with repetition repetition repetitionrepetitionrepetitionrepetitionrepetition repetition repetition
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nvrgnbk
Good points, Gopher.
Those bastards better thank their Jehovah for permafrost in the brain.
Without it, their "waters" would have dried up long ago.
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carla
Thank you!
Para,
You silly, of course I know what permafrost is, I meant according to the wt. But thanks.
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edmond dantes
DO NOT MESS WITH PERMA FROST.
In Siberia in an area the size of the USA is perma frost and underneath it, not very deep under it ,is METHANE GAS . dig a hole where ever you like in it , throw a flame into it and stand back because you are likely to get your head blown off.
Here's the worrying bit; due to global warming the frost is melting and scientists are worried that if global warming accelerates the whole lot will go up .
Don't say I didn't warn you, it must be true I have just seen it on a television documentry.Now imagine all that methane escaping in the Kingdumb Hall as they reach down through their brains .Nope I would stay well clear of the hall until they find a way of burning off the gas safely.
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cultswatter
hey this is JWD. If you want to find out about permafrost go ask David Suzuki