This occurred to me when I finally decided to read the bible through and started with the book of Genesis. When I read the account of Abel and Cain, I first thought "how could Abel kill an animal" supposedly humans weren't allowed to kill animals until after the flood. Abel must have only been raising them for the wool not for the meat. How did Abel know that he could kill an animal, shed blood, and that god would accept that. Cain raised vegetables, sacrificed to god and that wasn't accepted. I looked it up in the WT publications, the Insight book and read this convoluted explanation. "God expressed favor toward Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. How the approval and the rejection were manifested the record does not show, but it was undoubtedly evident to both men. (the record does not show, why then does the WTS infer or add to the scripture) Some point out (The WTS is doing that) that Abel’s offering is specified to have been of the “firstlings of his flock, even their fatty pieces,” whereas Cain’s offering is not said to be of the choicest fruits (What implying that Cain offered inferior things?) Did Abel think that shedding the blood of a living creature was a more valuable sacrifice, perhaps meditating on the divine promise at Genesis 3:15 concerning the seed, whose blood would have to be shed? Many centuries after Abel’s time, the sacrifice of an unblemished lamb was used to picture the sacrifice of God’s own perfect Son.(John 1:29) However, much of that surely lay well beyond Abel’s understanding. The reason for God’s approval of only Abel’s offering is made clear by later writings. (If not clear based on the account, why assume that Abel and Cain knew why one sacrifice was favored and the other not) The apostle Paul lists Abel as the first man of faith, a Hebrews 11:4, and shows that this resulted in his sacrifice being of “greater worth” than Cain’s offering. By contrast, 1 John 3:11,12 shows Cain’s heart attitude to have been bad (so God knew what Cain would do before he did it, that there was no hope Cain would not follow through on his thought?); and his later rejection of God’s counsel and warning, as well as his premeditated murder of his brother Abel, demonstrated this." Well, this started me asking questions about other accounts like this and looking up what the WTS had to say about it? By the time I got to the end of the book of Genesis, I had looked and researched 20 topics, and I realized that the WTS had their own slant on things, (where the record did not show).
Posts by blondie
-
19What was really going on with Abel? Does anyone find the story of Cain and Abel screwed up.
by liam inever wonder about the story of cain and abel?
why did jehovah like abel's sacrifice more than cain's?
maybe there's a subtle reason why jehovah likes animal sacrifices.
-
-
-
19
Is the Governing Body hunting down PIMOs? LEAKED survey for select congregations in Canada
by liam init seems like the organization is hunting down pimos.
maybe the mark o donnell lawsuit is just the beginning.. this leaked survey in canada is asking some very weird questions from select publishers.
all i can say is that this will help wake up some pimi straddling the fence.
-
-
blondie
LongHairGirl, "Meanwhile, since there are No social programs - they ended up hitting up other people in the hall for money!!!! " And the very sad thing about this, the WTS says the money goes directly to them and they decide how to use it, not necessarily the reason why jws donated it. Even say not to send money directly to the Branch Office in the country the problem that needs help is in. And add to that, the WTS has told the elders to help jws to fill out forms to get aid from the government.
-
8
"Donald Trump: The Eighth King of Prophecy"
by EisMe in9.“this calls for a mind with wisdom.
the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
10.they are also seven kings.
-
-
blondie
Nathan Natas, I have that idea occur to me at times.
-
22
Even after many years out, why can't you stop thinking about them.
by liam inthere is a lot of exjws who have been out 10-20-30-50 years, but for some reason, when they see a group of jehovah's witnesses, sitting by their carts, drinking coffee, scrolling through phones, laughing, something inside happens.
most can't explain it.
some say it makes their blood boil.
-
-
blondie
JohnR1975, what is PIMA?
-
23
Babylon The Great
by EisMe inbabylon the great: a prophetic warning.
babylon the great is not just a city—it is the system that governs the world economy.
this was god's first judgment against economic babylon, but it would not be his last.. the three parts of babylon's economy.
-
-
blondie
I do think that parents should get more involved in what their children are learning, and supplement that at home. Learning/teaching should start at home then school outside the home. The curriculum in schools are mostly controlled by people who haven't taught in a classroom for a long time, and punish teachers that go outside that approved curriculum. The problem also is, that the parents don't have good info to share. I grew up in a house where the only reading material was a good encyclopedia set and a comprehensive dictionary with colored pictures as well. That could reverse the trend, but I think the internet and social media now is a big influence.
-
8
Letter of Disassociation to Former Religions / Baptism Questions ?
by HereIam60 inthis was prompted by some comments in another thread, but since it was somewhat "off" the original topic, i'm posting/asking seperately.... i was born in 1960, and baptized as a infant in a catholic church.
obviously i have no personal memory of this, and only know, because i was told, and we had a family photo of my parents holding me before the baptismal font while the priest prepared to do the sprinkling.
i was taken probably no more than 3 times to the catholic church in my early childhood and had no clue as to what was going on.. from the ages of 10 to 12 i attended a methodist sunday school, rarely the actual church service, but sang with the class in an annual christmas presentation in the church.. in the 1980s, studying with jehovah's witnesses, and considering baptism, i was told i had to write a letter to any religious group i had previously been involved with, stating i no longer wished any contact, wanted to be removed from their membership lists and witnessing as to why...(separation from satan's world, false religion, babylon etc.).
-
-
blondie
jhine, I know that bible study groups still exist in some churches, but first people have to go to church. The amount of regular church going people has decreased a great deal. I was asked once by a bible student if I would come to her church and teach a group! I said that I didn't think their minister would like that. Then she said maybe I could teach a group in her house! Well, I said I don't think the minister at the KH would like that. So we just kept having our study but she would invite a friend over.
-
26
Is there a new rule regarding disfellowshipped people?
by HOTB indoes anyone have any information about a relaxing of the rules regarding family reaching out to disfellowshipped members?.
i've heard of an elder being openly in touch with a long time disfellowshipped family member.
apparently the term 'compassionate view' had been bandied about.. i can't find anything relating to this.. i'd be interested what the new rule is in when came into play.. hotb .
-
-
blondie
Thanks, Earnest, for sharing that.
-
26
Things Rutherford got wrong that Fred Franz had to clear up
by slimboyfat ini was interested by the suggestion in a recent discussion that rutherford was in some way preferable to fred franz, because i’ve not come across this view before.
it made me rethink my assumptions and try to work out why i hold the opposite view and prefer fred franz to rutherford.
i haven’t done any additional research, so i’m only drawing on what i can remember off the top of my head, but i thought i’d list a few things where i reckon fred franz’s approach was preferable to rutherford.
-
-
blondie
Rattigan350, you might enjoy this link to the timeline off development of WTS view on the use of blood, how it changed step by step. https://www.ajwrb.org/the-historical-perspective/blood-policy-timeline Click on the arrow on the right.
-
8
Letter of Disassociation to Former Religions / Baptism Questions ?
by HereIam60 inthis was prompted by some comments in another thread, but since it was somewhat "off" the original topic, i'm posting/asking seperately.... i was born in 1960, and baptized as a infant in a catholic church.
obviously i have no personal memory of this, and only know, because i was told, and we had a family photo of my parents holding me before the baptismal font while the priest prepared to do the sprinkling.
i was taken probably no more than 3 times to the catholic church in my early childhood and had no clue as to what was going on.. from the ages of 10 to 12 i attended a methodist sunday school, rarely the actual church service, but sang with the class in an annual christmas presentation in the church.. in the 1980s, studying with jehovah's witnesses, and considering baptism, i was told i had to write a letter to any religious group i had previously been involved with, stating i no longer wished any contact, wanted to be removed from their membership lists and witnessing as to why...(separation from satan's world, false religion, babylon etc.).
-
-
blondie
HereIam, I am much older and harken back to those days. My mother was a jw in the 50's and my grandparents went back to the 20's. Back in those days people were more involved in church, attending frequently, actually had group bible studies through the church. So formal separation was highly recommended. There didn't use to be questions at baptism event, people just showed up with a swimsuit or what was considered chaste at the time, and were baptized. Yes, I have a generational memory. The questions at the baptism at conventions or assemblies were a legal change so people could not say they didn't know; I'm sure some didn't realize how permanent it was considered.
-
111
Trump Tariffs started today, Some Countries Caved in early morning.
by liam inusa politicians in charge of the economy for the past 50 years were too stupid to understand how the economy works.
this just proves my theory, that an education on the top tier universities just sucks and means nothing in the real world, unless its in the stem education.
for 50 years usa had zero tariffs on other countries.
-
-
blondie
- Donald Trump received 77,303,568 votes.
- Kamala Harris received 75,019,230 votes
- But the decision as to who won is determined by the electoral college Trump won the election with 312 electoral votes to Harris's 226.
- The total number of votes cast in the 2024 election was 155,201,157, representing a voter turnout of 58.2% of the Voting Age Population (VAP)
- How does the electoral college work?Here's a simplified explanation:1. Electors, not direct votes: Instead of directly voting for a presidential candidate, voters in each state cast their ballots for a slate of "electors" who are pledged to that candidate.2. State-based allocation: Each state gets a specific number of electors, based on its total number of Representatives in the House and its two Senators in the Senate. This means states with larger populations generally have more electors.3. Winner-take-all (mostly): In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in that state receives all of that state's electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska use a proportional system, allocating some electoral votes based on the winner of each congressional district and two for the statewide winner.4. The magic number: A candidate needs to secure at least 270 electoral votes (out of a total of 538) to win the presidency.