What Is the Truth About God, and His Purpose for the Earth?
kxmode
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Chapter One: What Is the Truth About God?
• Does God really care about you?
• What is God like? Does he have a name?
• Is it possible to get close to God?
HAVE you ever noticed the way children ask questions? Many start asking as soon as they learn to speak. With wide, eager eyes, they look up at you and ask such things as: Why is the sky blue? What are the stars made of? Who taught the birds to sing? You may try hard to answer, but it is not always easy. Even your best answer may lead to yet another question: Why?
2 Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers.
3 Think about the question on the cover of this book, the questions raised in the preface, or those at the beginning of this chapter. These are some of the most important questions you can ask. Yet, many people have given up trying to find the answers. Why? Does the Bible have the answers? Some feel that its answers are too hard to understand. Others worry that asking questions could lead to shame or embarrassment. And some decide that such questions are best left to religious leaders and teachers. What about you?
4 Very likely you are interested in getting answers to life’s big questions. No doubt you sometimes wonder: ‘What is the purpose of life? Is this life all there is? What is God really like?’ It is good to ask such questions, and it is important that you do not give up until you find satisfying, reliable answers. The famous teacher Jesus Christ said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.”—Matthew 7:7.
5 If you “keep on seeking” for answers to the important questions, you will find that the search can be very rewarding. (Proverbs 2:1-5) Despite what other people may have told you, there are answers, and you can find them—in the Bible. The answers are not too hard to understand. Better yet, they bring hope and joy. And they can help you to live a satisfying life right now. To begin, let us consider a question that has troubled many people.
IS GOD UNCARING AND HARDHEARTED?
6 Many people think that the answer to that question is yes. ‘If God cared,’ they reason, ‘would not the world be a very different place?’ We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick, we suffer, we lose loved ones in death. Thus, many say, ‘If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening?’
7 Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen. Is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach? James 1:13 answers: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So God is never the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12) Granted, he does allow bad things to happen. But there is a big difference between allowing something to happen and causing it.
8 For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father the cause of his son’s problems? No. (Luke 15:11-13) Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not the cause of the problems that have resulted. Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind.
9 God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his reasons to us. Out of love, however, God does this. You will learn more about these reasons in Chapter 11. But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face. On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution!—Isaiah 33:2.
10 Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt. Even the most honest human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage that bad people do. But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that wickedness has had on mankind. When God acts, he will do so in a way that will end evil forever!—Psalm 37:9-11.
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT INJUSTICES WE FACE?
11 In the meantime, how does God feel about what is going on in the world and in your life? Well, the Bible teaches that God is “a lover of justice.” (Psalm 37:28) So he cares deeply about what is right and what is wrong. He hates all kinds of injustice. The Bible says that God “felt hurt at his heart” when badness filled the world in times past. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) He still hates to see the suffering that is taking place worldwide. And God hates to see people suffer. “He cares for you,” the Bible says.—1 Peter 5:7.
12 How can we be sure that God hates to see suffering? Here is further proof. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) We thus have good qualities because God has good qualities. For example, does it bother you to see innocent people suffer? If you care about such injustices, be assured that God feels even more strongly about them.
13 One of the best things about humans is our ability to love. That also reflects God. The Bible teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) We love because God loves. Would love move you to end the suffering and the injustice you see in the world? If you had the power to do that, would you do it? Of course you would! You can be just as sure that God will end suffering and injustice. The promises mentioned in the preface of this book are not mere dreams or idle hopes. God’s promises are sure to come true! In order to put faith in such promises, though, you need to know more about the God who has made them.
GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW WHO HE IS
14 If you want someone to get to know you, what might you do? Would you not tell the person your name? Does God have a name? Many religions answer that his name is “God” or “Lord,” but those are not personal names. They are titles, just as “king” and “president” are titles. The Bible teaches that God has many titles. “God” and “Lord” are among them. However, the Bible also teaches that God has a personal name: Jehovah. Psalm 83:18 says: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” The truth is that God’s name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. (If you don't see Jehovah read the headline "My Bible translation does not contain that name" below) So Jehovah wants you to know his name and to use it. In a sense, he is using the Bible to introduce himself to you. Clearly, the name Jehovah belongs in the Bible. Knowing its meaning and using it freely in our worship are powerful aids in drawing closer to our heavenly Father, Jehovah.
15 God gave himself a name that is full of meaning. His name, Jehovah, means that God can fulfill any promise he makes and can carry out any purpose he has in mind. God’s name is unique, one of a kind. It belongs only to him. In a number of ways, Jehovah is unique. How is that so?
16 We saw that Psalm 83:18 said of Jehovah: “You alone are the Most High.” Similarly, Jehovah alone is referred to as “the Almighty.” Revelation 15:3 says: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity.” The title “the Almighty” teaches us that Jehovah is the most powerful being there is. His power is unmatched; it is supreme. And the title “King of eternity” reminds us that Jehovah is unique in another sense. He alone has always existed. Psalm 90:2 says: “Even from time indefinite to time indefinite [or, forever] you are God.” That thought inspires awe, does it not?
17 Jehovah is also unique in that he alone is the Creator. Revelation 4:11 reads: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” Everything that you can think of—from the invisible spirit creatures in heaven to the stars that fill the night sky to the fruit that grows on the trees to the fish that swim in the oceans and rivers—all of it exists because Jehovah is the Creator!
*MY BIBLE TRANSLATION DOES NOT CONTAIN THE NAME OF JEHOVAH
IN YOUR copy of the Bible, how is Psalm 83:18 translated? The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures renders this verse: “That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” A number of other Bible translations give similar renderings. However, many translations leave out the name Jehovah, replacing it with such titles as “Lord” or “Eternal.” What belongs in this verse? A title or the name Jehovah?
This verse speaks about a name. In the original Hebrew in which much of the Bible was written, a unique personal name appears here. It is spelled יהוה (YHWH) in Hebrew letters. In English, the common rendering of that name is “Jehovah.” Does that name occur in only one Bible verse? No. It appears in the original text of the Hebrew Scriptures nearly 7,000 times!
How important is God’s name? Consider the model prayer that Jesus Christ gave. It begins this way: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) Later, Jesus prayed to God: “Father, glorify your name.” In response, God spoke from heaven, saying: “I both glorified it and will glorify it again.” (John 12:28) Clearly, God’s name is of the utmost importance. Why, then, have some translators left this name out of their translations of the Bible and replaced it with titles?
There seem to be two main reasons. First, many claim that the name should not be used because the original way to pronounce it is unknown today. Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels. Therefore, no one today can say for sure exactly how people of Bible times pronounced YHWH. However, should this prevent us from using God’s name? In Bible times, the name Jesus may have been pronounced Yeshua or possibly Yehoshua—no one can say for certain. Yet, people the world over today use different forms of the name Jesus, pronouncing it in the way that is common in their language. They do not hesitate to use the name just because they do not know its first-century pronunciation. Similarly, if you were to travel to a foreign land, you might well find that your own name sounds quite different in another tongue. Hence, uncertainty about the ancient pronunciation of God’s name is no reason for not using it.
A second reason often given for omitting God’s name from the Bible involves a long-standing tradition of the Jews. Many of them hold that God’s name should never be pronounced. This belief is evidently based on a misapplication of a Bible law that states: “You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave the one unpunished who takes up his name in a worthless way.”—Exodus 20:7.
This law forbids the misuse of God’s name. But does it forbid the respectful use of his name? Not at all. The writers of the Hebrew Bible (the “Old Testament”) were all faithful men who lived by the Law that God gave to the ancient Israelites. Yet, they made frequent use of God’s name. For instance, they included it in many psalms that were sung out loud by crowds of worshipers. Jehovah God even instructed his worshipers to call upon his name, and faithful ones obeyed. (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21) Hence, Christians today do not hesitate to use God’s name respectfully, as Jesus surely did.—John 17:26.
In replacing God’s name with titles, Bible translators make a serious mistake. They make God seem remote and impersonal, whereas the Bible urges humans to cultivate “intimacy with Jehovah.” (Psalm 25:14) Think of an intimate friend of yours. How close would you really be if you never learned your friend’s name? Similarly, when people are kept in ignorance about God’s name, Jehovah, how can they become truly close to God? Furthermore, when people do not use God’s name, they also lack knowledge of its wonderful meaning. What does the divine name mean?
God himself explained the meaning of his name to his faithful servant Moses. When Moses asked about God’s name, Jehovah replied: “I shall prove to be what I shall prove to be.” (Exodus 3:14) Rotherham’s translation renders those words: “I Will Become whatsoever I please.” So Jehovah can become whatever is needed in order to fulfill his purposes.
Suppose that you could become whatever you wanted to become. What would you do for your friends? If one of them became seriously ill, you could become a skilled doctor and perform a cure. If another suffered a financial loss, you could become a wealthy benefactor and come to his rescue. The truth is, though, that you are limited in what you can become. All of us are. As you study the Bible, you will be amazed to see how Jehovah becomes whatever is needed in order to fulfill his promises. And it pleases him to use his power in behalf of those who love him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) These beautiful facets of Jehovah’s personality are lost to those who do not know his name.
CAN YOU BE CLOSE TO JEHOVAH?
18 Reading about Jehovah’s awe-inspiring qualities makes some people feel a little uneasy. They fear that God is too high for them, that they could never get close to him or even matter to such a lofty God. But is this idea correct? The Bible teaches just the opposite. It says of Jehovah: “In fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) The Bible even urges us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”—James 4:8.
19 How can you draw close to God? To begin with, continue doing what you are doing now—learning about God. Jesus said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes, the Bible teaches that learning about Jehovah and Jesus leads to “everlasting life”! As already noted, “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) Jehovah also has many other beautiful and appealing qualities. For example, the Bible says that Jehovah is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6) He is “good and ready to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5) God is patient. (2 Peter 3:9) He is loyal. (Revelation 15:4) As you read more in the Bible, you will see how Jehovah has shown that he has these and many other appealing qualities.
20 True, you cannot see God because he is an invisible spirit. (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) By learning about him through the pages of the Bible, however, you can come to know him as a person. As the psalmist said, you can “behold the pleasantness of Jehovah.” (Psalm 27:4; Romans 1:20) The more you learn about Jehovah, the more real he will become to you and the more reason you will have to love him and feel close to him.
21 You will come to understand why the Bible teaches us to think of Jehovah as our Father. (Matthew 6:9) Not only does our life come from him but he wants the best life possible for us—just as any loving father would want for his children. (Psalm 36:9) The Bible also teaches that humans can become Jehovah’s friends. (James 2:23) Imagine—you can become a friend of the Creator of the universe!
22 As you learn more from the Bible, you may find that some well-meaning people will urge you to stop such studies. They may worry that you will change your beliefs. But do not let anyone stop you from forming the best friendship you can ever have.
23 Of course, there will be things that you do not understand at first. It can be a little humbling to ask for help, but do not hold back because of embarrassment. Jesus said that it is good to be humble, like a little child. (Matthew 18:2-4) And children, as we know, ask a lot of questions. God wants you to find the answers. The Bible praises some who were eager to learn about God. They checked carefully in the Scriptures to make sure that what they were learning was the truth.—Acts 17:11.
24 The best way to learn about Jehovah is to examine the Bible. It is different from any other book. In what way? The next chapter will consider that subject.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
· God cares about you personally.—1 Peter 5:7.
· God’s personal name is Jehovah.—Psalm 83:18.
· Jehovah invites you to draw close to him.—James 4:8.
· Jehovah is loving, kind, and merciful.—Exodus 34:6; 1 John 4:8, 16.
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Chapter 3: What Is God’s Purpose for the Earth?
• What is God’s purpose for mankind?
• How has God been challenged?
• What will life on earth be like in the future?
GOD’S purpose for the earth is really wonderful. Jehovah wants the earth to be filled with happy, healthy people. The Bible says that “God planted a garden in Eden” and that he “made to grow . . . every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food.” After God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, He put them in that lovely home and told them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 9, 15) So it was God’s purpose that humans have children, extend the boundaries of that garden home earth wide, and take care of the animals.
2 Do you think that Jehovah God’s purpose for people to live in an earthly paradise will ever be realized? “I have even spoken it,” God declares, “I shall also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11; 55:11) Yes, what God purposes he will surely do! He says that he “did not create [the earth] simply for nothing” but “formed it even to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) What kind of people did God want to live on the earth? And for how long did he want them to live here? The Bible answers: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29; Revelation 21:3, 4.
3 Obviously, this has not happened yet. People now get sick and die; they even fight and kill one another. Something went wrong. Surely, however, God did not purpose that the earth should be as we see it today! What happened? Why has God’s purpose not been fulfilled? No history book written by man can tell us because the trouble started in heaven.
THE ORIGIN OF AN ENEMY
4 The first book of the Bible tells of an opposer of God who showed up in the garden of Eden. He is described as “the serpent,” but he was not a mere animal. The last book of the Bible identifies him as “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” He is also called “the original serpent.” (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9) This powerful angel, or invisible spirit creature, used a serpent to speak to Eve, even as a skilled person can make it seem that his voice is coming from a nearby doll or dummy. That spirit person had no doubt been present when God prepared the earth for humans.—Job 38:4, 7.
5 Since all of Jehovah’s creations are perfect, however, who made this “Devil,” this “Satan”? Put simply, one of the powerful spirit sons of God turned himself into the Devil. How was this possible? Well, today a person who was once decent and honest may become a thief. How does that happen? The person may allow a wrong desire to develop in his heart. If he keeps thinking about it, that wrong desire may become very strong. Then if the opportunity presents itself, he may act upon the bad desire that he has been thinking about.—James 1:13-15.
6 This happened in the case of Satan the Devil. He apparently heard God tell Adam and Eve to have children and to fill the earth with their offspring. (Genesis 1:27, 28) ‘Why, all these humans could worship me rather than God!’ Satan evidently thought. So a wrong desire built up in his heart. Eventually, he took action to deceive Eve by telling her lies about God. (Genesis 3:1-5) He thus became a “Devil,” which means “Slanderer.” At the same time, he became “Satan,” which means “Opposer.”
7 By using lies and trickery, Satan the Devil caused Adam and Eve to disobey God. (Genesis 2:17; 3:6) As a result, they eventually died, as God had said they would if they disobeyed. (Genesis 3:17-19) Since Adam became imperfect when he sinned, all his offspring inherited sin from him. (Romans 5:12) The situation might be illustrated with a pan used for baking bread. If the pan has a dent in it, what happens to each loaf of bread made in the pan? Each loaf has a dent, or an imperfection, in it. Similarly, each human has inherited a “dent” of imperfection from Adam. That is why all humans grow old and die.—Romans 3:23.
8 When Satan led Adam and Eve into sinning against God, he was really leading a rebellion. He was challenging Jehovah’s way of ruling. In effect, Satan was saying: ‘God is a bad ruler. He tells lies and holds back good things from his subjects. Humans do not need to have God ruling over them. They can decide for themselves what is good and what is bad. And they will be better off under my rulership.’ How would God handle such an insulting challenge? Some think that God should simply have put the rebels to death. But would that have answered Satan’s challenge? Would it have proved that God’s way of ruling is right?
9 Jehovah’s perfect sense of justice would not allow him to put the rebels to death right away. He decided that time was needed to answer Satan’s challenge in a satisfying way and to prove that the Devil is a liar. So God determined that he would permit humans to rule themselves for some time under Satan’s influence. Why Jehovah did that and why he has allowed so much time to pass before settling these issues will be discussed in Chapter 11 of this book. Now, though, it is good to think about this: Were Adam and Eve right to believe Satan, who had never done anything good for them? Was it right for them to believe that Jehovah, who had given them everything they had, is a cruel liar? What would you have done?
10 It is good to think about these questions because each of us faces similar issues today. Yes, you have the opportunity to support Jehovah’s side in answer to Satan’s challenge. You can accept Jehovah as your Ruler and help to show that Satan is a liar. (Psalm 73:28; Proverbs 27:11) Sadly, only a few among the billions of people in this world make such a choice. This raises an important question, Does the Bible really teach that Satan rules this world?
WHO RULES THIS WORLD?
11 Jesus never doubted that Satan is the ruler of this world. In some miraculous way, Satan once showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” Satan then promised Jesus: “All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” (Matthew 4:8, 9; Luke 4:5, 6) Think about this. Would that offer have been a temptation to Jesus if Satan was not the ruler of these kingdoms? Jesus did not deny that all these worldly governments were Satan’s. Surely, Jesus would have done that if Satan was not the power behind them.
12 Of course, Jehovah is the Almighty God, the Creator of the marvelous universe. (Revelation 4:11) Yet, nowhere does the Bible say that either Jehovah God or Jesus Christ is ruler of this world. In fact, Jesus specifically referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world.” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) The Bible even refers to Satan the Devil as “the god of this system of things.” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4) Regarding this opposer, or Satan, the Christian apostle John wrote: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.”—1 John 5:19.
HOW SATAN’S WORLD WILL BE REMOVED
13 With each passing year, the world is becoming more and more dangerous. It is overrun with warring armies, dishonest politicians, hypocritical religious leaders, and hardened criminals. The world as a whole is beyond reform. The Bible reveals that the time is near when God will eliminate the wicked world during his war of Armageddon. This will make way for a righteous new world.—Revelation 16:14-16.
14 Jehovah God selected Jesus Christ to be Ruler of His heavenly Kingdom, or government. Long ago, the Bible foretold: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called . . . Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6, 7, King James Version) Regarding this government, Jesus taught his followers to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10) As we will see later in this book, God’s Kingdom will soon remove all the governments of this world, and it itself will replace all of them. (Daniel 2:44) Then God’s Kingdom will usher in an earthly paradise.
A NEW WORLD IS AT HAND!
15 The Bible assures us: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to [God’s] promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17) Sometimes when the Bible speaks of “the earth,” it means the people who live on the earth. (Genesis 11:1) So the righteous “new earth” is a society of people who receive God’s approval.
16 Jesus promised that in the coming new world, those approved by God would receive the gift of “everlasting life.” (Mark 10:30) Please open your Bible to John 3:16 and 17:3, and read what Jesus said we must do to receive everlasting life. Now consider from the Bible the blessings that will be enjoyed by those who qualify for that wonderful gift from God in the coming earthly Paradise.
17 Wickedness, warfare, crime, and violence will be gone. “The wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth.” (Psalm 37:10, 11) Peace will exist because ‘God will make wars cease to the ends of the earth.’ (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 2:4) Then “the righteous one will sprout, and the abundance of peace until the moon is no more”—and that means forever!—Psalm 72:7.
18 Jehovah’s worshipers will live in security. As long as the Israelites in Bible times obeyed God, they lived in security. (Leviticus 25:18, 19) How wonderful it will be to enjoy similar security in Paradise!—Isaiah 32:18; Micah 4:4.
19 Food shortages will not exist. “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth,” sang the psalmist. “On the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Psalm 72:16) Jehovah God will bless his righteous ones, and “the earth itself will certainly give its produce.”—Psalm 67:6.
20 The whole earth will become a paradise. Lovely new homes and gardens will occupy land that had once been ruined by sinful humans. (Isaiah 65:21-24; Revelation 11:18) As time passes, parts of the earth already subdued will expand until the whole globe is as beautiful and productive as the garden of Eden. And God will never fail to ‘open his hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.’—Psalm 145:16.
21 There will be peace between humans and animals. Wild and domestic animals will feed together. Even a little child will have nothing to fear from animals that are now dangerous.—Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25.
22 Sickness will vanish. As Ruler of God’s heavenly Kingdom, Jesus will do healing on a far grander scale than when he was on earth. (Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:40-42; John 5:5-9) Then “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6.
23 Dead loved ones will be restored to life with the prospect of never dying. All those sleeping in death who are in God’s memory will be brought back to life. In fact, “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts 24:15; John 5:28, 29.
24 What a marvelous future awaits those who choose to learn about our Grand Creator, Jehovah God, and to serve him! It was to the coming Paradise on earth that Jesus pointed when he promised the evildoer who died alongside him: “You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) It is vital that we learn more about Jesus Christ, through whom all these blessings will be made possible.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
• God’s purpose to make the earth a paradise will be fulfilled.—Isaiah 45:18; 55:11.
• Satan now rules this world.—John 12:31; 1 John 5:19.
• In the coming new world, God will bestow many blessings on mankind.—Psalm 37:10, 11, 29.
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Taken from the book What Does The Bible Really Teach, published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, pages 27 - 36. www.watchtower.org
If you find this information informative or interesting you can ask any Jehovah's Witnesses to study with you the rest of this book. They would be more than happy too! There's never a charge for literature or for their time to study the Bible with you. If you wish to make a modest donation to the world wide work they would also be happy to accept it on your behalf, and it will deposited in the donation box when they visit the Kingdom Hall. :)
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A Proud Witness of Jehovah God (JW.org)
Revelation 21:4 "And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes,
and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.
The former things have passed away."
Last edited by kxmode on 28 Sep 2010, 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Do you seriously expect this wall of text/copypasta to change anyone's mind about the existence of God? Seriously, learn to respect others' beliefs instead of arrogantly believing that your beliefs are right and everyone else's beliefs are wrong. Until you can prove, without using the Bible or any other holy text, that your beliefs are "the truth," you have no place in claiming they are.
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"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus
kxmode
Supporting Member
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,613
Location: In your neighborhood, knocking on your door. :)
No, but I did what Jesus instructed all his disciples to do, namely announcing Jehovah's name and what his purpose for the earth is. You can choose to listen or not, but I did what was asked of me.
The truth is what it is.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6 says: That is why, since we have this ministry according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up; but we have renounced the underhanded things of which to be ashamed, not walking with cunning, neither adulterating the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as YOUR slaves for Jesus’ sake. For God is he who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate [them] with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.
I really feel sorry for you.
_________________
A Proud Witness of Jehovah God (JW.org)
Revelation 21:4 "And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes,
and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.
The former things have passed away."
No, but I did what Jesus instructed all his disciples to do, namely announcing Jehovah's name and what his purpose for the earth is. You can choose to listen or not, but I did what was asked of me.
The truth is what it is.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6 says: That is why, since we have this ministry according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up; but we have renounced the underhanded things of which to be ashamed, not walking with cunning, neither adulterating the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as YOUR slaves for Jesus’ sake. For God is he who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate [them] with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.
I really feel sorry for you.
Why feel sorry for me? Just because I'm not a Jehovah's Witness (or a Christian at all for that matter) doesn't mean that my beliefs are wrong. My atheistic beliefs stand just as much of a chance of being true as your Jehovah's Witness beliefs do.
Until you can prove that the Bible is more true than every other holy book is, you have no place in believing that and expecting others to believe it as well. (And keep in mind that all other holy books claim to be the truth, so simply quoting John 3:16 or some other Bible verse with the word "truth" in it isn't proof that the Bible is "the truth," just like quoting a verse from the Qu'ran or the Vedas with the word "truth" in it isn't proof that those holy books are "the truth.") So either prove that your religion and your holy book are more true than the hundreds of other religions and holy books out there or else stop believing that.
_________________
"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus
Maybe the god thing exists. Maybe not. We have no way of knowing.
ruveyn
And the second mistake is that a being capable of creating the total universe would be such a lousy communicator as to see to it a volume purported to lay out all his desires and plans should be so confusing as to cause argument and confusion over many centuries. God should be cleverer than that.
Maybe the god thing exists. Maybe not. We have no way of knowing.
ruveyn
And the second mistake is that a being capable of creating the total universe would be such a lousy communicator as to see to it a volume purported to lay out all his desires and plans should be so confusing as to cause argument and confusion over many centuries. God should be cleverer than that.
Only if the god thing exists.
ruveyn
Maybe the god thing exists. Maybe not. We have no way of knowing.
ruveyn
And the second mistake is that a being capable of creating the total universe would be such a lousy communicator as to see to it a volume purported to lay out all his desires and plans should be so confusing as to cause argument and confusion over many centuries. God should be cleverer than that.
Perhaps God is not as stupid as u think because the confusion about his intention is the foundation for philosophy,science,social studies ,etc...
Our quest for knowledge and justice started as debates of God intentions
I think,i know nothing about God or whether he(?) exists or not and i don't think anyone else have the slightest clue on this matters but it turned out to be a useful and interesting concept anyway
i believe God exists ,what ever this God is i don't know and i assumes we still lacks the language and concept to describe or perceived what is this God thingy anyway
BTW
That's why his real name יהוה is never used as monotheism (at least the newish version of it) is based on the concept of ultimate reality as being ultimately abstract in nature (a concept not as far from modern science as some people want to believe)
the name is never to be read aloud or spoken because it considered to be the 'private' name of God and we still very far from achieving a friendly status with this guy
in Hebrew יהוה sound like combination of היה, הוה ויהיה which translates to past,present and future when u try to pronounce them simultaneously (again,something which reminds of the modern concept of time).
It is stupid to doubt the existence of God but not as much as to pretend we know anything about such existence,If anything,science is the better,more reliable source on such subject because it's the only method so far to produce undeniable miracles on a daily basis.
Our quest for knowledge and justice started as debates of God intentions
I think,i know nothing about God or whether he(?) exists or not and i don't think anyone else have the slightest clue on this matters but it turned out to be a useful and interesting concept anyway
i believe God exists ,what ever this God is i don't know and i assumes we still lacks the language and concept to describe or perceived what is this God thingy anyway
BTW
That's why his real name יהוה is never used as monotheism (at least the newish version of it) is based on the concept of ultimate reality as being ultimately abstract in nature (a concept not as far from modern science as some people want to believe)
the name is never to be read aloud or spoken because it considered to be the 'private' name of God and we still very far from achieving a friendly status with this guy
in Hebrew יהוה sound like combination of היה, הוה ויהיה which translates to past,present and future when u try to pronounce them simultaneously (again,something which reminds of the modern concept of time).
It is stupid to doubt the existence of God but not as much as to pretend we know anything about such existence,If anything,science is the better,more reliable source on such subject because it's the only method so far to produce undeniable miracles on a daily basis.
Why is it stupid to doubt the existence of God? It's not like you can prove that he exists. (And simply saying that he exists does not count as proof, since you could easily be wrong or intentionally lying.)
_________________
"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus
Maybe the god thing exists. Maybe not. We have no way of knowing.
ruveyn
And the second mistake is that a being capable of creating the total universe would be such a lousy communicator as to see to it a volume purported to lay out all his desires and plans should be so confusing as to cause argument and confusion over many centuries. God should be cleverer than that.
Perhaps God is not as stupid as u think because the confusion about his intention is the foundation for philosophy,science,social studies ,etc...
Our quest for knowledge and justice started as debates of God intentions
I think,i know nothing about God or whether he(?) exists or not and i don't think anyone else have the slightest clue on this matters but it turned out to be a useful and interesting concept anyway
i believe God exists ,what ever this God is i don't know and i assumes we still lacks the language and concept to describe or perceived what is this God thingy anyway
BTW
That's why his real name יהוה is never used as monotheism (at least the newish version of it) is based on the concept of ultimate reality as being ultimately abstract in nature (a concept not as far from modern science as some people want to believe)
the name is never to be read aloud or spoken because it considered to be the 'private' name of God and we still very far from achieving a friendly status with this guy
in Hebrew יהוה sound like combination of היה, הוה ויהיה which translates to past,present and future when u try to pronounce them simultaneously (again,something which reminds of the modern concept of time).
It is stupid to doubt the existence of God but not as much as to pretend we know anything about such existence,If anything,science is the better,more reliable source on such subject because it's the only method so far to produce undeniable miracles on a daily basis.
All that blood. All that butchery. Over total nonsense.
All that blood. All that butchery. Over total nonsense.
People would butcher one another anyway
the hundred of millions butchered in Europe at the last century have nothing to do with religion
WW1,WW2 were not fought on religious ground
Stalin,Hitler didn't care for religion
Nor were the Japanese,Vietnamese, Cambodians, Koreans or chine's which killed huge amount of people with out even pretending to involves God in any way.
People kills because they are unbelievably stupid and corrupt.
My theory is that people like to kill as a means to handle their own fear of death
It's sort of ,and also reflected ,in the Capitalist sense of money and greed,i take your time so i may have more of it,
my life is dear,yours is cheap
It's an Ego thing
God is just an excuse and as demonstrated countless times people would readily and easily find any excuse to kill each other
People would even kill u for scratching their cars
Wonderful creatures indeed.
Last edited by nara44 on 28 Sep 2010, 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wonderful creatures indeed.
And we are supposed to be made in God's Image? What does that say about God?
ruveyn
I really do not know
I guess everything is created in God's image but as evident from our short history this image takes some time to develop
Why is it stupid to doubt the existence of God? It's not like you can prove that he exists. (And simply saying that he exists does not count as proof, since you could easily be wrong or intentionally lying.)
Because most of the things that exists can't be proven yet
We know so little on the stuff that around us but still accept that it exists even if we can't prove it
I feel and think God exists because i sense and sometimes can even proves some higher order or central meaning as it reflected through math,music,history,evolution etc...
I have no doubt that God is love and we are developing toward an ultimate goal which is being able to truly love
It would probably take another few millions years before we even get close but for me the direction is clear
and please do not ask me to prove it as would take me few thousands pages just to get started on the subject
life is very complicated
i can't even prove that i exists and i wouldn't waste my time trying
sartresue
Veteran
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Age: 71
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,313
Location: The Castle of Shock and Awe-tism
Why is it stupid to doubt the existence of God? It's not like you can prove that he exists. (And simply saying that he exists does not count as proof, since you could easily be wrong or intentionally lying.)
Because most of the things that exists can't be proven yet
We know so little on the stuff that around us but still accept that it exists even if we can't prove it
I feel and think God exists because i sense and sometimes can even proves some higher order or central meaning as it reflected through math,music,history,evolution etc...
I have no doubt that God is love and we are developing toward an ultimate goal which is being able to truly love
It would probably take another few millions years before we even get close but for me the direction is clear
and please do not ask me to prove it as would take me few thousands pages just to get started on the subject
life is very complicated
i can't even prove that i exists and i wouldn't waste my time trying
Thoughts about God topic
I still consider myself an atheist but I can recognize that for some people the thought of God is comforting and I would never be so strident as to denigrate anyone who would believe. I do not ask others to conform to my ways of thinking, and though find many religions way out of the ball park having a spiritual side (as Nara44 does) is not stupid.
_________________
Radiant Aspergian
Awe-Tistic Whirlwind
Phuture Phounder of the Philosophy Phactory
NOT a believer of Mystic Woo-Woo
