Surely, Abel is the bad guy. Story was obviously made to pay way for the greater story of the ransom sacrifice.
Posts by venus
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10Cain and Abel
by Freedom rocks ini love this from the atheists book of bible stories.
cain and abel the sacrifices
for some reason, these two boys got it into their heads that god liked gifts.
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5
Jesus rejected Mosaic concept of God
by Ireneus inmoses formulated his own image of god (in violation of the very essence of exodus 20:4) thus believed god is like humans who feel love is ‘you must do what i want’ [rather than giving others the space in which ‘they can do what they want and still i love them’] and conveyed into the readers this weak image of god who takes revenge/laments for not being loved.
thus ot image of god is someone who is actively involved in the responses of people on earth.. however, jesus conveyed the truth about god when he said god makes provisions for life’s enjoyment equally for all types of people alike (mathew 5:44-47) as he wishes good for all people [benevolence for its own sake] and renews the same in case they are depleted/destroyed (mathew 19:28) with no intervention whatsoever in between.
thus jesus presented an image of god who is not actively involved in the responses of people on earth because there is a guiding mechanism already in place—externally and internally.. external: people can easily choose their course of action looking at the results available in plenty because anyone can see the chain of action in anyone’s case: destiny is the result of habit, and habit is the result of tendency, and tendency is the result of repeated action, and action is the result of thinking and thinking is the result of belief system, and belief system is the result of family, religion, country … into which one is born.
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venus
That means Jesus would also reject God's name as supposedly revealed to Moses with all its implications which explains why Jesus spoke of God as simply "Our Father" not as Jehovah which has to do with bringing Israelites from Egypt, a temporary act of saving--something that cannot determine the very meaning of God's name. Thus Exodus 6:3 makes sense: "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[a] but by my name Jehovah I did not make myself fully known to them." If it were necessary that God should reveal His name, it should have started with more important characters than Moses, from the beginning of history.
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11
Anti-witnessing mistake by me !
by Phizzy ina couple of times while i was anti-witnessing i have made a fundamental mistake, which was to try to show the believer that it was neither intellectually nor scientifically necessary for there to be a creator.
the discussion got to this point because i said i was an atheist.. this latest time was talking to a street preacher who was not a j.w, but he did the same thing they do, i.e not really listen to the points i made, tried to rubbish science etc.. i have decided when, (if), this happens again i shall say something along the lines of " whoa there !
you have done a huge leap from talking about your bible god to the matter of a creator, if i concede there was a creator, how can you prove it was your god ?".
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venus
Phyzzy,
Neither Scriptures nor Science has anything to do with the existence of Creator--both are attempts in the direction of explanation, and will ever be able to come to an ultimate conclusion: "Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve."-- Max Planck (Father of Modern Physics)
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38
What changes would stabilize JW membership?
by StarryNight9 ini've seen many topics about how things are changing or might be changing in jw doctrine/culture.
some have extrapolated how those changes would result in declining jw membership.
i'm curious to know what changes others think would stabilize those numbers.
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venus
I agree with MeanMrMustard
They can easily do it saying ‘Jewish historical books put BC 586 as the year of destruction of Jerusalem temple. Hence adding “seven times—360 x 7—would bring us into the year AD 1935 which would be the end of the “gentile times.” Hence generation of 1936 would see the end of the world and survive into the paradise earth.’
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9
Tishri
by Doug Mason inat this moment, we are in the jewish month of tishri.
it is the first month of the civil calendar and is the 7th month.. research quickly shows its deep religious significance, including solemn feasts such as the day of atonement, gedaliah, etc.:.
https://www.bible-history.com/the-sacred-year-of-israel/the-sacred-year-of-israel_tishri.htm.
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venus
For people like Prophet Isaiah, sacrifice has no meaning at all because 'killing an animal is as abhorrent as killing a human being.' (Isaiah 66:3)
Even Quran says: "Killing one man is like Killing the whole of Humanity."
Hence no sacrifice would be endorsed by God. Originally it was renouncing of ego the brute within us which was later deteriorated into literal animal sacrifice and human sacrifice.
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J.W.`s and Paradise and the Reality of it.
by smiddy3 inwhen god created adam and eve and put them in the garden of eden it was then up to them to cultivate and take care of it ,god had no further hand in it .the responsibility rested with adam/eve and their offspring.. the same would be true in the paradise to come ,god gets rid of all of us wicked people ,but then it is up to j.w.~s who are left on this earth to restore such a paradise.?
without god`s intervention.. think of it , this system is gone with all its infrastructure.. 8 million + j.w.`s scattered throughout the earth with.
no communication systems operating .
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venus
smiddy3,
When China Family Panel Studies on 20,000 people across China between 2010 and 2014 compared the test results with the levels of nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide pollution, they found a strong correlation that made them conclude that the longer the exposure to polluted air, the bigger the damage to the person’s cognitive abilities, specifically intelligence. Similar studies have pointed the same results in various countries. That means even if there is no end of the world happening as predicted by JWs, even the present situation would take us back to the same situation what you call as“a third or even a fourth world environment.”
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14
Interpretation often takes you away from truth
by Ireneus inyesterday, my classmate was giving an example from her homeland on how people can give various interpretations which have nothing to do with truth.
though studying in the us, she was closely monitoring what was happening in kerala (a small southern state of india), her birth place.
last month saw unprecedent heavy rains wreaking widespread havoc in this small state with huge population (which is much more than australia’s population).
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venus
Yet certain interpretations are beneficial. For example, Jesus was tempted by Satan. Account is purely symbolic and imaginative as there is no Satan. But behind all the details, there are some practical lessons for us. Jesus’ response show that he knew the real nature of this world—things come and go after remaining for sometime. Hence there is no charm in possessions and accumulations once needs are taken care of, and there is nothing to grieve in losses.
This has helped me to remain composed in all situations.
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16
Jehovah had a wife the ancient Israelites also worshiped Asherah
by Finkelstein inrecent archeological discoveries have found that the ancient israelites were not exactly monotheistic to yahweh, apparently the israelites also worshiped a god which was seen as yahweh's wife asherah.
small carved sculptures have been found in places of worship and homesteads to support these findings.asherah's connection to yahweh, according to francesca stavrakopoulou, is spelled out in the bible and an 8th-century b.c.
inscription on pottery found in the sinai desert at a site called kuntillet ajrud.
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venus
Some say Statue of Liberty is Astaroth
http://vaticannewworldorder.blogspot.com/2012/11/statue-of-liberty.html
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Holy Spirit
by Sergey Antonov injehovah's witnesses say that the holy spirit is inanimate.
but how then can you sin against the holy spirit, if he is not alive ?!
🤔 then it is more correct to say that it is not against the holy spirit, but against god..
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venus
The account is set against the background of healing a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. (Mathew 12:22) And his enemies accused him of healing with the help of Satan. To answer this charge, Jesus said: “sin against holy spirit will not be forgiven.”
Demon-possession and Satan are all a myth, invention of human beings. Hence Jesus has not cast out any demons, and not accused by his enemies, and He never made the statement “sin against holy spirit will not be forgiven.”
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18
Revelation 14:4
by Sergey Antonov init turns out that on the basis of the book of revelation 14:4 the anointed ones have to be virgins?
how does the governing body explain this?.
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venus
stan livedeath
That is a valid point.
Verses 14:4 and 5 are to be taken literally: "These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless."
Jesus was virgin, no lie was found in his mouths and was also blameless.
Hence, 144000 are men, virgins, with no lie being found in their mouth and blameless.