by cyberguy 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I will be nicer than Alan
originally the watchttower said: "it's the number and magnitude of earthquakes..."
then they said: "oh no, it's about the property damage and the loss of life...."
then they said: "oh no, it's about the distress".
So there....I have looked at the magazines 'before I spoke'.
Of course 'more people are dying' of EVERYTHING becasue there are more people!!!!
The term is known as failed prophecy and it has been around for thousands of years.
Irony is putting it mildly, Nemesis.
Xenu wanted to know:
: Have more people died since 1914 from earthquakes?
Compared to what time period? Be specific.
AlanF
I won't bother to comment on Alan's observations: they are spot-on and irrefutable. Perhaps, they are even "indisputable evidence(tm)." Nah! Rutherford trademarked that one and Alan would be guilty of copyright violations for using it, even in moderation.
No! I will concentrate on this gem of a non-sequitur from that WTS article:
: Was Jesus referring to our day?
(Don't know. Let's see.)
: Many say no. They assert that the number of earthquakes has not substantially increased in recent decades. In fact, the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center reports that earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude and greater remained "fairly constant" throughout the 20th century. (Footnote: Some say that any reports of an increase in the number of earthquakes are simply due to advances in technology, which enable more seismic events to be detected.)
Those "many" have some pretty good evidence.
: Note, though, that the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy does not require an increase in the number or power of earthquakes.
But the WTS has said for decades that that was not the case: they said that earthquakes would be BIGGER and more powerful and kill more people, cf. "The Sign of the Last Days - When?"
: All Jesus said was that there would be great earthquakes in one place after another.
Gosh. The WTS actually admitted that is ALL that Jesus said. Imagine that!
Ok. They had earthquakes in "one place after another" then. And we have the same thing now. In fact, we've had the same thing since people recorded earthquakes. Big deal. We have earthquakes and have always had earthquakes.
Now, let the reader actually and carefully READ Matthew chapter 24 or Luke 21 or Mark 13. They all pretty much say that same thing:
Jesus was saying, "this stuff happens, but this stuff is NOT the "sign" of the end, you big dummies."
Now, fast-forward in Matthew 24 and find out what "sign" Jesus was actually talking about. He mentions that "sign" specifically: he's going to float around in the Heavens for a while and every eye will see him. Those are the real words of Jesus.
He hasn't floated around in those heavens to fulfill that sign, but I'm still the eternal optimist.
Farkel
Optimist Class
Alan F:
Compared to any time period.
Xenu said:
: Compared to any time period.
Ok, the answer is Yes.
For example, many more people have died since 1914 than died from January 1, 1913 through December 31, 1913.
Now, what do you really want to know?
AlanF
Perhaps you misunderstand my intention. What about a 100 year time period.
: What about a 100 year time period.
Ah! Now we're talking! I don't have precisely a 100-year period at my fingertips, but I have data on several 69-year periods. Go here http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/end4.htm and look at the quake charts. Let the board know what you think.
Note that the data is 99% based on Carl Olof Jonsson's book The Sign of the Last Days: When? which presents a comprehensive discussion of the Society's dishonesty re earthquakes, and which you ought to look at on general principles.
AlanF
AlanF:
From the material, it appears that the conclusion is that the Societys number are meaningless becuase they can not be proven due to lack of signigicant records prior to the 1800's?
: ... appears that the conclusion is that the Societys number are meaningless...
Precisely. But because the Society's men who compiled such misleading information and put it out in order to mislead people into putting faith in their predictions and Biblical interpretations know what they're doing -- all of them cannot possibly be so stupid as not to -- they're liars.
Actually, even though pre-1900 data is relatively incomplete and gets worse the farther back you go, there's enough to prove that the Society's compilation for the pre-1914 period is thoroughly misleading. The charts I pointed you to are one proof. Because post-1900 data is far more complete, it is evident that new information about quake deaths will only make the ratio of post to pre-1914 death rates lower -- again enhancing the proof that the Society has misled people.
If you really want to verify death rates for yourself, you can look here: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/sig_srch.shtml and spend a few dozen hours doing your own compilation.
AlanF
Is lack of evidence enough to discount a belief?
