I never knew (page 3)

peacefulpete

The story about Sodom and Gomorrah was a deliberate tall tale never mean to be taken for history. The very names are cues to the reader. Sodom appears to mean "secret" pehaps implying sin. Gomorrah means 'rebel city'. The setting was chosen perhaps as an origin legend to explain the barren and dead region around the sea. Even the salt pillar element is from the southern banks of the sea where large blocks of salt lay about, some even resembling a human figure from a distance.

Lostreality

sounds like the JW's of today

BluesBrother

I am not ready to reject the Bible, I am content to debunk the Borg for now, but If I were honest, I would be unable to defend the position , in the light of the observations here.

When we were dubs we accepted the stretched and vague explanations given by the WT, were content to "wait on Jehovah" to explain all. I remember as a lad having a chat with the group leader and asking "Why was Samson allowed to visit a prostitute, but if I did then I would be disfellowshipped?"

I swallowed it all back then, because the whole package of 'The Truth' seemed overwhelming, but it is evident now that the answers were wholly inadaquate.

Oroborus21

Greetings!

Just thought you should know. The evidence indicates that the "Outrage at Gibeah" that occurs at the end of the Book of Judges is either a complete fabrication (likely) or it is at least anachronistic.

-Eduardo

Pole

Anyone knows how the WTS accounted for this?

2 KINGS 2:23,24
And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

Oroborus21

Pole:

I think the account speaks for itself. You don't mess with a representative of God who has the power to call down evil upon you.

From the WT CD-ROM:

Similarly, the law of God does not excuse children for lawless acts merely on the basis of their being minors. For instance, when small boys showed gross disrespect for the prophet Elisha, Jehovah God did not spare them from punishment, even though it may have been the attitude of their parents toward Elisha that moved them to do it. (2 Ki. 2:23, 24) This illustrates that Jehovah God holds children accountable for knowingly violating his commands.

3

Children themselves are not entirely free from rendering an account to God. It is true that parents are primarily responsible before God for their children; thus if one of two parents is a worshiper of Jehovah, then any children born to this union are holy in God?s eyes. (1 Cor. 7:14) But it is well to keep in mind that the Bible record shows that God has not closed his eyes to the wrongdoings of children. At one time Jehovah executed a jeering gang of forty-two children by means of two she-bears because these delinquents showed disrespect for Jehovah?s prophet.?2 Ki. 2:23, 24.

Jehovah?s prophet Elisha was bald. After he had succeeded to the prophetic office of Elijah, he was proceeding uphill from Jericho toward Bethel when he was mocked by a mob of children who cried: "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" The primary reason for their jeers seems to have been not that Elisha was bald but that they saw a bald man wearing Elijah?s familiar official garment. They did not want any successor of Elijah around. He should either keep going his way up to Bethel or ascend in a windstorm to the heavens as the former wearer of that official garment had done. (2Ki 2:11) To answer this challenge of his being Elijah?s successor and to teach these young people and their parents proper respect for Jehovah?s prophet, Elisha called down evil upon the jeering mob in the name of the God of Elijah. It was a test of his prophetship. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha by causing two she-bears to come out of the nearby woods and to tear to pieces 42 of them.?2Ki 2:23, 24.

The ferocity of the female bear when its young are lost is mentioned several times in the Scriptures. (2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; Ho 13:8) Bears, on one occasion, served as God?s executioners against the delinquent youths who mocked the prophet Elisha.?2Ki 2:24.

Despite the prevalence of false worship there, the record shows Bethel as the location of a group of prophets in the time of Elijah and Elisha. Bethel was also the home of the group of jeering boys who mocked Elisha, this costing many of them their lives as a result of divine execution.?2Ki 2:1-3, 23, 24.

Great disrespect was shown to God?s appointed prophet Elisha by a group of small boys who derided him, crying out: "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" They wanted Elisha, who was wearing Elijah?s familiar garment, either to go on his way up to Bethel or to get off the earth as Elijah was supposed to have done. (2Ki 2:11) They did not want him around. Elisha finally turned and called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. "Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children of their number."?2Ki 2:23, 24.

Second Kings 2:23, 24 tells us that a band of youths jeered God?s prophet: "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" In response, Elisha "called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children of their number." Such Syrian brown bears could be ferocious when surprised or when their cubs seemed threatened. (2 Samuel 17:8; Proverbs 17:12; 28:15) God used them to execute divine justice against those who grossly despised his representative and thus despised Jehovah himself.

The Bible shows just how bad things can get when young people herd together without discipline. Jehovah?s faithful prophet Elisha encountered a band of juvenile delinquents as he traveled from Jericho to Bethel. They jeered him, showing great disrespect for him and his prophetic office. "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" they shouted. (2 Kings 2:23) By this, they may have meant for him to get off the earth as they supposed his predecessor Elijah had done. In any case, they did not want God?s representative around.

Elisha endured their jeers and taunts for a limited time. "Finally," the record says, "he turned behind him and saw them and called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children of their number." How the parents of those children must have wished that they had disciplined them and taught them to respect their elders! (2 Kings 2:24; Leviticus 19:32) But now it was too late! They reaped the harvest of their neglect.

-Eduardo

Pole

Thanks, Eduardo.

The article you quoted is truly appalling. I think if they have no problem explaining this story (probably made up by some frustrated looser), they'd have no problem explaining why God will kill millions of "juvenile delinquents" in Armageddon. It really shows the surface cult-like morality of the WTBS.I mean just look at some of this this b-shit again:

The Bible shows just how bad things can get when young people herd together without discipline. Jehovah?s faithful prophet Elisha encountered a band of juvenile delinquents as he traveled from Jericho to Bethel.

God used them (the bears) to execute divine justice against those who grossly despised his representative and thus despised Jehovah himself.

But now it was too late! They reaped the harvest of their neglect.

I'm sick....

Robdar

Well, yanno, times were tough back then (having to populate the world and at the same time rid it of heathens) and called for tougher measures. I mean, c'mon. Sometimes you just had to pick up the moist jaw bone of an ass and beat the hell out of your enemies.

Dawn

I think that a lot of these stories are just basically stories of a less civilized culture - using "God" as their excuse for their wars and behavior. I see this in other cultures when studying Anthropology. Just because they claim it was God who told them to do it - doesn't mean it WAS God.

After all - how many modern day preachers claim God is telling them to ask for $$$ for their religous empires???

I think that God is much more than what is offered in the old testament - I think the old testament is a very limited view of who God is based on a limited understanding of a savage culture.

My 2 cents.

I never knew

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