Posts by Vidqun

319

The wonders of God's creation - Example 1, the tsetse fly

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

there are 23 species of tsetse flies.

diseases transmitted by tsetse flies kill 250,000300,000 people per year.. why create such a thing?.

Vidqun

Cofty, have you heard of natural immunity? E.g. Europeans are naturally more resistant to HIV, whereas Africans are more prone to contract the disease. Some of those populations in endemic sleeping sickness areas, have become resistant against the parasite. So the potential is there. Through inoculation, one can "train" the immune system to recognize harmful antigens.

Another reason why humans are superior to animals. Because of our intelligence, we have become aware of these diseases and we can do something about it. Talking of parasites, there is a good reason why the Jews avoided pork. They definitely had an advantage over the nations. In a documentary the other day, they discussed Roman toilets. How people sat next to each other, and used communal spunges to wipe their backsides. Not a pleasent thought. Again the Jews were far ahead, washing hands, etc.

319

The wonders of God's creation - Example 1, the tsetse fly

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

there are 23 species of tsetse flies.

diseases transmitted by tsetse flies kill 250,000300,000 people per year.. why create such a thing?.

Vidqun

Cantleave, I used that as an illustration. Now that you mention it. The only place I see evolution in action is DC Comics, cartoons and Science Fiction movies. Must say, I do enjoy them, but at the same time I remember that they are all based on fiction.

319

The wonders of God's creation - Example 1, the tsetse fly

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

there are 23 species of tsetse flies.

diseases transmitted by tsetse flies kill 250,000300,000 people per year.. why create such a thing?.

Vidqun

What's going to control the animal populations? Nature is in balance. You take out, e.g. lions, the antelope population will decimate the savannah. Perhaps this is where the tsetse comes in. Your guess is as good as mine.

319

The wonders of God's creation - Example 1, the tsetse fly

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

there are 23 species of tsetse flies.

diseases transmitted by tsetse flies kill 250,000300,000 people per year.. why create such a thing?.

Vidqun

Hi all. Sorry, I'm somewhat late for this thread, but allow me to enter the fray on thew side of Sabs. And I am still working through the comments. My initial thoughts:

As usual, you are trying God in absentia, just like Job's false comforters all those years ago. Hopefully, one day God will stand up and defend himself. But now the defense of imperfect men will have to do.

Let me ask you all a question: Would the tsetse fly (or the mosquito for that matter) have any effect on, say, Superman? Well, according to the Bible that's how Adam and Eve started out? The green stuff (krypton?) = sin, was added, and now mankind is not so super anymore.

To defend their arms industry a French general commented that French cars kill off more people than French bullets. Another person said if a motor car was discovered now, it would be banned, because it was too dangerous. So is the purpose of the motor car designer to kill or to transport people? Whose fault is the carnage on the roads?

82

Are you attending the Memorial this year?

by XPeterX in

jw
friends

dunno about you but i'm going..

Vidqun

Nope. I will not even be there in spirit.

28

May Awake--New 8-Part Series on Bible Prophecy--My Analysis of Part 1

by Cadellin in

Vidqun

No, MP, some common sense comes in here. Some names might help. Check Wiki for some brilliant Jews. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to over 600 individuals. 20% of them are Jews, although Jews comprise of only 0.2 % of the world's population. Heard of Niels Bohr, or Albert Einstein? Find out how many Jewish millionaires are in your part of the world? You'll be surprised. Certainly brilliant in their own right, but I am sure their Jewish heritage played a part in their success stories. If only the Romans imitated Jewish hygiene laws, their empire might have endured a little longer. The Jews were hated everywhere they go. Why? Jealousy, perhaps? All of the above based on fact. The WT doesn't come into it at all.

28

May Awake--New 8-Part Series on Bible Prophecy--My Analysis of Part 1

by Cadellin in

Vidqun

Excellent advce Ziddina. One should read it for yourself. What does all these idiots writing Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias know? So, it would depend in which class you found yourself. If you were a slave, the Mosaic Law was the better option. The only reason why I did not print out the Code, was because it's not on topic. Let's stick to the thread.

Israel might not have been great, but they are still around. They have left a great legacy to the world. And that's what's important. They survived against all odds, whereas if you want to find out about the great dynasties of Assyria and Babylon, do visit the British Museum. What's left of them is in there?

28

May Awake--New 8-Part Series on Bible Prophecy--My Analysis of Part 1

by Cadellin in

Vidqun

As Ziddina says, it seems as though women were treated better amongst the Babylonians than the Jews. But Jesus did affirm that divorce was allowed for in the Law for practical reasons, but that God disapproved.

The laws regulating Babylonian society are more complex because of three distinct classes. Much work has been done on a comparison of the Code of Hammurabi with the Mosaic legislation. There are many similarities since they are dealing with areas where there is universal agreement. In spite of resemblances there is no evidence of borrowing. The tone of the Hebrew law is most often more humane than that of the Babylonian.

E.g., theft, burglary, robbery, and other such crimes are dealt with severely. Theft from private citizens requires multiple restitution, but theft from the government (temple or palace) is punishable by death. The receiver of stolen goods is also put to death. Theft of an ox, sheep, ass, pig, or goat from the state requires a thirtyfold restitution, and similar theft from a private citizen a tenfold restitution. If the thief is too poor to make restitution, he is put to death. [1]

[1] Bromiley, G. W. (1988; 2002). Vol. 2: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (606–608). Wm. B. Eerdmans.

28

May Awake--New 8-Part Series on Bible Prophecy--My Analysis of Part 1

by Cadellin in

Vidqun

The Jews were regulated by their laws and it worked to their benefit. All the nations had laws, but the Law of the Jews were superior. For one, they had to wash their hands after handling a corpse or after going to the toilet. Western civilization only found out about hygiene 200 or 300 hundred years ago. The more bloody and soiled the doctor's overcoat was, the more senior he was. Compare the laws of Hammurabi to Jewish law and you'll quickly see the difference.

28

May Awake--New 8-Part Series on Bible Prophecy--My Analysis of Part 1

by Cadellin in

Vidqun

MP, I agree, the writers and editors of the OT had nationalistic tendencies, not forgetting "nation building" and looking out for their own interests. So one needs to tread carefully when you study OT text. Comparing them, e.g., to the Assyrians, they did quite well. If one looks at the Assyrian wall carvings, the Assyrians liked to hunt, and to fight and torture, and to party, and not much else.

So I must come up for the Jews, they found themselves surrounded by all these enemy nations, and did what they had to do to survive. The difference between them and their neighbours, they were more regulated, and some of their laws had practical value, even now. But, like you said, they were nearly wiped out by Hitler and his Nazis, but now they follow similar methods against the Palestinians.