Posts by chrisjoel

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

Let us reason together SHALL WE?.....Does anything esle need to be said? When reading this account what do YOU come away with? What is the moral of this account? YHWH does almost the same thing here that he does in Kings 2 23. What is the value of this account?

2 Kings 17:24-27 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Samaria Resettled
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires."
27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: "Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires."

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

Hey Belbab, appreciate your comment..

..Id like to share with you my thought process of reading this when I was a JW. Its intresting because all the injustices, all the wars, the killing, death and destruction is committed by former children. So little buggers become big buggers. Little gnats become big gnats. Little bastards grow up to be opposers of Jehovah. At the same time however, the Bible says..."children are a gift from Jehovah"....so as a JW my mind would reason, back then they had what they had to deal with persecution, tests of obedience, and in this case a warning example of disobedient. disloyal, apostate children with the spirit of Satan that mocked GOds representative and were dealt with. So also today I would reason these are the last days and amazingly tie that into "children are a gift from Jehovah" because our children WOULD NEVER behave in such a way. NO our children are loving, kind, and are brought up properly so they will not get ripped apart at armageddon. No bear will touch my child. No harm will come to my child because I worship the Only true God.

But I ask how exactly ARE children a GIFT? First we have to believe that God is creator and STRICTLY SPEAKING this cannot be proved one way or another. It is believed on faith. So STICTLY SPEAKING childbearing is a natural biological function that happens countless times a day on our planet. It happens all day long. In the oceans, in the forests and in our hospitals...It is not STRICTLY SPEAKING a miracle. It is a natural biological function of women. Of course they give us great joy. But now having been handed the "great joy" from your wonderful wife to raise together it is a responsiblity to rear. It makes sense in the story of these taunters of Gods prophet . that. IF children were Really a Gift from the Creator the Creator would have brought them to their parents, Instead, these so called "gifts" were killed. No opportunity given to these young "gifts" to learn. If the parents were the same why doesnt the account tellus that Jehovah punished the parents of the "GIFTS" for not teaching them correctly...If God wants us to believe in HIM doesnt he have to set the example first?

What we end up with in the Bible are warning examples that breed fear.

65

what movies do you recomend

by heathen in

jw
friends

i'm always interested in seeing a good movie , anything out there that really rocked your world , please share.....

chrisjoel

Chrisjoel- you are the only person I've ever read that liked , lost highway

Hey Heathen..thanks man. Actually I got hooked on David Lynch ever since I saw Twin Peaks while I was a JW. I can still remember we had some newly convertered JWs over and I was yaking to them about how awesome Twin Peaks was ..so heres turning on the show and I see the "bad" guy in the show throw a girl through a mirror , blood everywhere, ...I looked at them they looked at me, then I turned the tv off never to dicuss my tv show preferences again. So hell YA i love David Lynch.....here some other stuff that will knock YOUR socks off!
Funny Games-1999( YOU are involved as a viewer in this movie about violence)
Funny Games-2008 same Director redoes original with Naomi Watts
Chopper- Australian movie about prison guy
Pusher1, Pusher2, Pusher3, -hands down the best "drug" movie ever period.
H6 Diary of A serial Killer.
Dont torture a Duckling-
Ebola Syndrome-1996
Amorres Perros- Just awesome!
Jeepers Creepers 2- Nice and scary
David Lynchs Blue Velvet
Halloween H20, Predator-"hey your bleeding, I aint got time to bleed.."
Aguirre, the Wrath of God -1972 Werner Herzog..simply stunning atmosphere..
THE MAN FROM EARTH- MUST SEE MOVIE PERIOD.No violence, no blood, ...and yet this movie is the best dRAMMA ...or....sci fi i prolly ever seen..recommend for all ex JWS
Dirty Work (1998) fUNNY AS HELL...

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

Galileo

Now I know what the householder meant when he opened the door and asked me ..."So whats the latest score...who's winning?"

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

Under the Law if a parent couldn't control their children and the parents brought them before the priests and said: "I can't control my child" then the congregation stoned them to death. (Don't laugh!!! This is not funny!) So much for a career as a Jewish juvenile delinquent. So maybe God saw these were clearly bad apples who would only get worse so he put them out of their misery only on.

So a very believable story is the place where this occurred was a narrow area of the road that was flanked by high ridges on both sides. Now if the Bible said just ONE bear came and killed them all, then you'd say, "Okay, why didn't they run out the other end!!" But with two, you see, they could corner them from either end.

Dont you see JC, that its just so convienent that all YOUR details are left out of the account. So much is left out of so many Biblical accounts from Genesis to Revelation. Another reason the account Reads like a "story" is precisely because of the implication of it. This attitude .... toward Gods prophet ....brings this result(death and destruction) instead of reasong we have killing. Instead of "learning curves" we have killing. Also, instead of YHWH making His word more understandable we have ambiguity. It becomes far too easy to dismiss such stories as fable than too take them seriously. In the end we have to question how HE managed to give such meticulous laws to the Israelites that they were stoned to death for disobedience, but then. was unable to provide us with a Bible NOT open to interpretation and ambiguity, so much so that we end up questioning it. What I am left with is for JC to come along and fill in the blanks for me. Thands JC but you didnt write the Bible did you?

21

Unsure what to give my son for his graduation present? any ideas?

by chrisjoel in

jw
friends

i dont see my son very often.

he is 18 and graduating at the end of may.

entrenched as a jw but still he wants me to attend his graduation even though im "apostate"...(he loves me...) but what do i get him ...just money?

chrisjoel

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions...you re all pretty helpful ..appreciate it!!!

20

Which is the best song ever?

by Fisherman in

jw
friends

which song do you think is the best song of all songs?

chrisjoel

Its impossible to pick just one .....but....for me it has to be the most beautiful, melodic reduce you to tears song...theres lots out there...like

Andy Williams version of Love Story.

Chiquittita by Abba...seeing the blonde sing this live makes me want to go back in time and attempt to marry her....

Bittersweet symphony

Clocks by Coldplay ....ect ect....

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

suit yourself

Are u kidding. I want to believe. I want to know who God is. I want to be his friend. I want to walk with him. I want . i want i want.....But i cant i cant i cant. Im forced by the Bible itself and a silent God into agnosticism. If you know God introduce me in all sincerity.

21

Unsure what to give my son for his graduation present? any ideas?

by chrisjoel in

jw
friends

i dont see my son very often.

he is 18 and graduating at the end of may.

entrenched as a jw but still he wants me to attend his graduation even though im "apostate"...(he loves me...) but what do i get him ...just money?

chrisjoel

Yeah thanks guys! I was Just Kidding about the rifle of course!!!

80

God mauls little children with bears. (2 Kings 2:23,24)

by easyreader1970 in

23. and he proceeded to go up from there to beth el.

as he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: "go up, you baldhead!

go up, you baldhead!

chrisjoel

What I meant, kind sir, is there so I don't know all ththat I wasn't e circumstances

Thats certainly a fine way to respond to this conundrum. Its the same way I would have responded when i was still a JW to a question I couldnt understand. I dont fault you for your reasoning at all. But you have to admit it does READ like fable, myth or story. If we say that we dont know all the circumstances after reading these verses and walk away with an unclear impression AS believers,then it follows that"OUR GOD" has not ensured his Word was made more clearly understood, A great many passages in the Bible are in the category of "I wasnt there I dont know all the circumstances"....lets take for example THE RESSURECTION. I wasnt there and I dont know all the circumstances. Was he really killed, did they really hang him and then take him down , did an angel appear , did he really appear here and there after he died ect ect....I wasnt there I dont know all the circumstances. Based on Christian history and its ever changing styles Im going to go with this is strictly story. UNless of course its proven otherwise.