One of JWs oldest beliefs, going back to the Bible Students, was quietly turned to old light in the latest WT. In Questions From Readers, it explains that when Satan told Eve 'you certainly will not die', he wasn't starting the doctrine of the immortal soul, but that rather came later, after the flood.
Old belief quietly discontinued
by neat blue dog 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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stillin
Right. Despite what it sounds like he was saying, it actually MEANT something else.
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blondie
1959
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1959321?q=immortal+soul+satan&p=par
It was the “wicked one,” Satan, who told mankind’s ancestors: “You positively will not die.”
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This was the first lie, from the father of lies, including his later lie about the inherent immortality of the soul. (Gen. 3:4; John 8:44)
1990
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1990327?q=immortal+soul+satan&p=par
Who was it that led humans to believe that lie? Jesus identified him when he said to the religious leaders of his day: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. . . . When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.” (John 8:44) Yes, it is Satan who developed the immortal-soul idea to turn people away from true worship. So one’s course of life and hope for the future are put on the wrong path by believing doctrines that grew out of the first lie recorded in the Bible, though at that time Eve no doubt understood the serpent to mean merely that she would not die at all in the flesh.
2019 (not QFR)
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2019363?q=immortal+soul+satan&p=par
Another satanic lie is that humans have an immortal soul. If that were true, everyone would live forever.
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waton
It happened all too quickly, had the snake waited until Eve stopped menstruating, there would have to be perfect humans on the way, boy and girl twins by the way* or even perfect sextuplets, perfect sex ^2, and we could have had an overlapping generations 6000 years ago.
*actually one would be enough, if the Mary + HS mix is any indication.
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Doug Mason
There was no Satan in the Eden story. That idea was created even later than the time when the NT documents were written.
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peacefulpete
Depends upon which WT writer this week. Stuff like this happens all the time. But to be honest the context of Gen 2 doesn't suggest the author meant anything other than having the snake contradicting the punishment of death if they eat the fruit. They and many others have read too much into this line.
The whole story was a deliberate appropriation of goddess imagery. The story reads like mythology because the author was basically using the ancient myth of the goddess Ashera (et.al.) with her sacred tree (and she was also represented as a snake) the giver of life and turning it on its head. Trying to read into it as literal and consistent is a mistake.
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Doug Mason
peacefulpete,
I fully agree with you. And, as the snake correctly told them, if they ate of the tree, they would be like the gods, knowing everything -- both good and evil. So when this mythical pair was denied access to the tree, they lost access to the knowledge of everything. That is the reason they were kicked out.
The first sin (again mythical explanation) was the murder of Abel.
The idea of original Sin was invented centuries into the Christian Era when they wanted to justify the need for infant baptism.
Doug
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smiddy3
Gen 2: ...17b 'for in the day you eat from it you will positively die ". They did not die on the day they ate from the forbidden fruit ?
Did satan tell the truth ? gen.3: 4 , "you positively will not die " gen.3:5 "for god knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God knowing good and bad."
Does that sound like Satan was lying to you ?
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punkofnice
How more boring can new light(tm) get?
Do the gluttonous, paedophile protecting GovBod, sit there thinking of the most boring, trite, uninteresting and meaningless balderdash in the universe?
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Half banana
Punky , yes.