The question that comes to mind is: what constitutes an error in the Bible? Certainly, any contradictions, scienctific, or historical mistakes are considered errors. But, when it comes down to translation and transcription, it is very difficult to get a handle on it, since there is no original text. As Witnesses, we were always sold images of mideival monks painstakingly copying and counting every letter from the original manuscript. Although care was taken in the copying, the point is that the Bible has long been a work in progress, and changed over successive rewritings.
I read in a Catholic encyclopedia once that they do not consider the Bible to have been the creator of the church. They consider the church to be the creator of the Bible. That seems to be a sensible and realistic view.
RunningMan
JoinedPosts by RunningMan
-
-
-
RunningMan
-
53
2 Samuel chapter 24 - Don't mess with God!
by nicolaou ingod tells david, "don't count my people".
david counts the people.. god tells david, "'cos you were naughty you gotta pick your punishment, will it be 'a' 7 years of famine, 'b' 3 months of national humiliation or 'c' 3 days of pestilence?
choose davey boy!".
-
-
RunningMan
Further to Nark's comment about the use of the word "one". I noticed this in the NWT, but as I was looking through the large extended reference edition (I can't remember the name), there was a footnote on "one". The footnote said "Jehovah". So, it looks to me like the NWT was trying to pull a translational fast one to try and get around the inconsistency in the two accounts and the apparently nasty and childish act of Jehovah. The regular translation just goes with "one" and hopes no one looks any further.
-
53
2 Samuel chapter 24 - Don't mess with God!
by nicolaou ingod tells david, "don't count my people".
david counts the people.. god tells david, "'cos you were naughty you gotta pick your punishment, will it be 'a' 7 years of famine, 'b' 3 months of national humiliation or 'c' 3 days of pestilence?
choose davey boy!".
-
-
RunningMan
Why do people offer gifts to deities who commit atrocities???
Down here on earth, we call this extortion. If you don't pay the man, he's gonna make it real tough on you.
-
13
Wait a minute!!!!!!
by joelbear inif the hebrews were forbidden to eat pigs why would there have been pigs around for jesus to cast demons into?
huh, yeah, why?
-
-
RunningMan
Boy, these are a couple of good points. But, Elsewhere, you missed the obvious solution. The swine didn't fall into the Mediteranian Sea (50 miles). They probably fell into the dead sea (a mere 35 miles).
-
53
2 Samuel chapter 24 - Don't mess with God!
by nicolaou ingod tells david, "don't count my people".
david counts the people.. god tells david, "'cos you were naughty you gotta pick your punishment, will it be 'a' 7 years of famine, 'b' 3 months of national humiliation or 'c' 3 days of pestilence?
choose davey boy!".
-
-
RunningMan
There are a couple of other things worth mentioning here. There is a parallel account (1 Chronicles 21 as well as 2 Samuel). In one of those accounts, it says that Satan tempted David to take the census. In the other, it says that God tempted David to do it.
Also, what's wrong with taking a census anyway? There were lots of them, and nobody else got toasted:
· 2 Chron 2:17,18 - Solomon conducts a census.
· 2 Chron 25:5 - King Amaziah mustered and counted all men 20 years of age and older.
· 2 Chron 26:11-13 - King Uzziah counted soldiers.
· Ezra 2:64, 65 - The returnees from
· Nehemiah 7 - Jews are numbered as they return to their villages.
· The Israelites were divided and governed in groups of 10, 100, and 1000. This would not be possible without a census. (1 Chron 13:1)
· The count of the Israelites by tribe was given at numerous times throughout their history (see the first 10 chapters of Chronicles and Numbers)
· God commanded Moses to take a census (Numbers 4:1,2).
· God gave Moses instructions on how to take a census (Ex 30:12).
-
39
The Watchtower's Great Game of "Jenga" and Exposure
by metatron injenga is a simple game in which wooden blocks are neatly piled up - and then removed, one by one, until one person ( the person who loses.
the game) makes the pile collapse.. it is tempting to see the organization in the same way - making small but significant "removals" over time.
they pull out food service.
-
-
RunningMan
Lower contributions. Tax assessments. Lawsuits from every direction. Bad publicity. Prophetic failure and lack of any compelling chronology. Increasingly vocal critics.
I'm glad I don't run the place.
-
16
Will the GB start to crack soon?
by moshe inwe have seen what happens to staunch jw's who hang out here.
in a year or less they are questioning their beliefs and trying to figure a way out without losing everything.
could this not happen with some of our gb members and members of the wt corporation?
-
-
RunningMan
Well, although this is not impossible, I consider it unlikely. The vast majority of governing body members are very very old. So, they have a huge intellectual investment in their organization. Even if they realize it is wrong, I doubt that many would have the balls to stand up.
However, there is another way they might crack. I wonder what pressures they are under? - lawsuits from every corner, terrible publicity, loss of young members, financial problems, layoffs, doubts, a huge tax assessment in France, stagnant growth, aging demographics, and that pesky internet nipping at them from every corner.
I could see them cracking from stress.
-
14
Iran paper plans Holocaust cartoons
by Elsewhere inlmao... this guy is so stupid.
people in iran have been publishing anti-semitic cartoons for decades... why would people get pissed now?
watching this guy is like watching some joker moron who somehow managed to get into a position of power far beyond his intellectual capacity.. http://english.aljazeera.net/nr/exeres/fce073dd-7f1b-4714-95f0-dd1f354f1d9a.htm.
-
-
RunningMan
So, let me see if I have this straight.An offensive cartoon in a Western paper justifies rioting and burning western embassies. So, does this mean that an offensive cartoon in an Arab paper justifies rioting and burning arab embassies?
Have you ever heard the saying that when someone calls you an idiot, it's better to say nothing and let them wonder, rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt? That's exactly what we have here. The Danish cartoon was lampooning violence in the name of religion. So, the Arab response is to commit more violence in the name of religion.
-
14
Go On Growing in Knowledge.... remember this article.... ?
by AK - Jeff inthis article in the 8-15-1993 watchtower is classic.
i recall there was a diagram of a human brain with a depiction of the layers of mental 'permafrost'.
i have highlighted a few points.
-
-
RunningMan
Oh man, I remember the permafrost illustration quite well. Everyone in our hall thought it was quite brilliant.
-
29
JW ghost, demon, superstition stories
by RunningMan ini would like to write an article outlining some of the goofy stories that jws believe.
for example, when i was young, this story went around: .
a couple decided that they would miss the meeting to go to see a hypnotist.
-
-
RunningMan
Highlander: No, I'm not from Minnesota, but I do change planes there quite often. The story has to reference someplace distant, otherwise people will know it's not true.