Watchtower spins quote from seismologist, October 1 Pubic Edition.

Open mind

October 1, pubic edition, page 7.

"If it seems to you that now more people than ever before are affected by earthquakes, you are correct. 'Suddenly we are seeing a spurt in seismic activity globally," observed Indian seismologist R. K. Chadha in 2007. 'Nobody knows why'. Moreover, rapid population growth in areas prone to earthquakes has increased the toll of these disasters."

The Watchtower failed to use the tried and true method of not citing their source. When they do, it's easily checked these days.

Here's the source:

http://nidm.gov.in/News%20in%20PDF/2007/April/04-04-07.pdf

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Y. Mallikarjun, The Hindu, Online edition of India's National Newspaper, Wednesday,
Apr 04, 2007
HYDERABAD: Seismologists at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)
here have embarked upon a study to decipher if there is any "global pattern" to the
slightly-heightened seismic activity all over the world for the past few years.
"Suddenly we are seeing a spurt in seismic activity globally, although earhquakes are
occurring in the expected regions," said R.K.Chadha, seismologist and deputy director,
NGRI. "Nobody knows why. We are studying to find out if there are any global patterns,"
he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
He said that Tuesday's tremblor in the Hindukush region, though of 6.2 magnitude on
the Richter scale had not caused devastation because it had a depth of 210 km.
The deeper the event, the wider would be the felt area (as in this morning's earthquake
which was felt up to Delhi) and as a result might cause less damage.
The Hindukush region was known for earthquakes of up to 300 km depth.
Such events normally occur in subduction zones (one plate going below another plate)
like Java-Sumatra where the Indian plate was getting subducted below the Burmese
plate.
Dr. Chadda said that shallow tremblors of less than 50 km depth and magnitude 8 or
more were found to have caused extensive loss of lives and damage to buildings in the
Himalayan belt and cited the examples of October 8, 2005 (Muzaffarabad), Arunachal
Pradesh (1950), Bihar-Nepal border (1934), (Kangra-Himachal Pradesh 1905) and
Shillong (1897).
However, complex tectonics seems to be taking place in the Hindukush region and that
probably was the reason for deeper earthquakes .He said that the region was a sort of
junction/knot between Indian, Eurasian and Arabian plates.

****************************

Notice the article makes two key points:

"slightly heightened"

and

"last few years"

JWs will take this quote and say Jehovah started REALLY jiggling the tectonic plates extra hard starting in 1914.

Just my $.02.

om

LDH

jiggling the tectonic plates

Priceless!

drew sagan

The Watchtowers view of earthquakes in my opinion is their most absurd teaching.

When I was leaving the JWs I brought up the absurdity of this teaching to an Elder in a private conversation. He admitted that there are things that he "doesn't take to seriously" and this was one of them.

Watchtower magazines are written by the ignorant, for the ignorant. It doesn't matter if the magazines contain any sort of scientific truth because they will never really be scrutinized at the level. That's the beauty of propaganda, it's always a one way street. Something that is meant to influence, not engage. In this case it's simply meant to impress people that typically have no interest in seismology, but rather like to use it as a way to read into the bible.

LDH

In this case it's simply meant to impress people that typically have no interest in seismology, but rather like to use it as a way to read into the bible

don't forget, it's also a way for those same people to go door to door spewing this foolishness as 'proof' they are right!

Leolaia

They're back to their old tricks, I suppose.

Jonsson & Herbst totally obliterated the Society's old egregious misuses of seismology in the best chapter of their SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS -- WHEN?, a book that doesn't get mentioned here enough. But I suppose all it takes is a new statement from a seismologist that could be spun in a favorable way....

drew sagan

Jonsson & Herbst totally obliterated the Society's old egregious misuses of seismology in the best chapter of their SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS -- WHEN?, a book that doesn't get mentioned here enough.

Ditto. I credit that book for helping me put the world of end times hysteria finally behind me for good.

VM44

I did a google search on "National Geophysical Research Institute" and "Chadda" and found that the ONLY results returned were for this one quote of his concerning a slight increase in earthquakes.

The Watchtower really latched onto it though...seems like they are desperate to use anything they can find.

Here is contact information for the research institute if anyone is interested.

National Geophysical Research Institute Uppal Road Uppal Hyderabad, AP 500007 India Vijay Dimri Chairman Phone: 91 4023434700 Fax: 91 4027171564

GermanXJW

Sorry, I do not see the point. Where excatly do they spin the quote? Keep in mind, the WT no longer teaches that there has been an increase in earthquakes since 1914.

Awakened at Gilead

Keep in mind, the WT no longer teaches that there has been an increase in earthquakes since 1914.

That is the point. If they no longer teach an increase (after Jonsson and Herbst's book that Leo highlighted) why do they cite as if they do? WT Doublespeak once again.

DanTheMan

Once when I was a JW, perhaps around 1994 or 1995, I overheard a conversation between a lady who was studying and the husband of the sister that was studying with her. She asked, "so, why exactly are there increased earthquakes? What is the cause of it?" His answer? The "increased activity of the demons".

At the time, I was still somewhat of an idealistic newbie to JWism, but when I heard the brother's answer as to what the cause of the earthquakes is, it was jarring. It's one thing to paint a picture of woe-to-the-earth in very broad strokes by saying that Satan and the demons were cast out of Heaven in 1914, and that this is the reason for all the troubles. But when you start thinking literally about the specific things that are supposedly happening because of this, and you imagine a group of invisible, undetectable, crazed beings somehow getting together to shake tectonic plates and cause earthquakes...I mean, really, come on! It's ridiculous!

But I took them at their word that an inexplicable increase in earthquakes was a fact of the 20th century. And so, later on when I really started feeling like JWism wasn't everything that I had thought it was at first, this was one of those "Where else can I go" strings that kept me tied me to it. :(

Watchtower spins quote from seismologist, October 1 Pubic Edition.

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