New book "Imitate their faith" aka fantasy bible stories

by Sapphy 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Sapphy

  Thanks Atlantis for posting a link to download the new book - I had a quick browse...

  The book starts off with the now traditional 'Letter from the Governing Body', it goes through the usual stuff re how wonderful the magazines are, how countless people write in to praise the articles etc etc, but it signs off: "With much love and every good wish..."

  Good wishes eh? I'm sure as a child I was told not to wish. Anyway. The first made up story faith strengthening account is about Abel. The chapter does state "Abel never uttered a single word that is recorded in the Bible..." but that doesn't stop them from making stuff up.

  They ascribe motives:

  "would the breach between man and God ever be healed? Abel wanted nothing more than that"

  They judge for God:

  "While Abel was the fourth human to exist , it seems he was the first one whom God saw as redeemable*"

  *The foot note says "Cain does not appear to be in line for ressurection and redemption".

  The whole story is full of words and phrases like "likely","no doubt" "we can only guess", and the old favourite "evidently".

  They impute odd motives to Adam and Eve, make up stuff and then say Adam and Eve were mistaken. They say Abel learned about loyalty to God by looking at the cherubs guarding the entrance to Eden for 'decade after decade' never leaving their post.

  They've got Abel meditating and praying, choosing the "choice pieces" of the sheep he's just sacrificed for Jehovah (I thought people didn't eat meat until after the flood, why on earth would he think sky daddy wanted a dead animal?)

  The whole thing reads like a fairy tale.

  Moving on to Noah: "Noah's mother, brothers and sisters may have perished in the Flood".

  "Noah's wife and the wives of shem, Ham and Japtheph may have been espcially concerned about making a livable home in the ark."

  #everydaysexism

  On to Abram

  "Some scholars question whether the camel was domesticated in Abram's time. However, the grounds for such objections are weak."

  Oh OK, glad that's settled, we'll take your word for it.

  The whole book would be better positioned as Bible flavoured stories.
• 

  wallsofjericho

  They've got Abel meditating and praying, choosing the "choice pieces" of the sheep he's just sacrificed for Jehovah (I thought people didn't eat meat until after the flood, why on earth would he think sky daddy wanted a dead animal?)

  great point

  i hate the bible stories book and the great teacher book, now i can hate this steaming pile of shite too

  thanks for the review
• 

  Laika

  Is the letter from the governing body a new thing they do in all books now? This modern GB does seem to like the prominence.
• 

  Rattigan350

  I am so sick of Bible stories and characters. I thought we were not supposed to exalt and worship people. These are normal people doing their thing, nothing special about them.

  I mean the story of Hannah. What's the big deal? She prayed intensely. She did something one day of her life and it is recorded and honored forever. Many others did many more things for God and we never hear a peep about that.

  And this drama about Esther. She did nothing.
• 

  St George of England

  I mean the story of Hannah. What's the big deal? She prayed intensely.

  Then she got laid, which is how Samuel came about.

  George
• 

  sd-7

  The whole book would be better positioned as Bible flavoured stories.

  CONTAINS 3% BIBLE. INGREDIENTS: SPECULATION, INVENTION, PICTURES, PARAGRAPHS, QUESTIONS, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: BIBLE, SOLID ARGUMENTATION, ACTUAL EVIDENCE.

  --sd-7
• 

  blondie

  The best fantasy bible stories are the ones the WTS makes up and adds to their dramas, people who the bible never talked about, things they did the bible never talks about........................

  Hannah was married to man who had another wife. She had children, Hannah did not (though she desperately wanted one since women were judged by their fertility. Infertile women were viewed as having god's curse). The other wife constantly "teased" Hannah about not being a real woman and wife. Her husband said he loved Hannah best but it was not good enough for Hannah. Eventually she had Samuel (and other children) but she had vowed to give the child in service to god so at 5 years old she and her husband dumped him at the temple where he grew up with a few visits from his parents.
• 

  prologos

  The book should have a sub title IMITATE THEIR FAITH, it will prove our credulity.

  If you believe that the earth was covered with water above all tall mountains ony 2500 Years Before Crist

  and another 2013 since then

  The greco/roman empire would be half -way between us and the flood?

  I hope nobody imitates our credulity. er faith.

  acres of planks held together with 3/4 inch dowels.?

  bring a lot of towels.
• 

  Julia Orwell

  There's literally only small paragraphs in the bible on people featured, and some are mentioned in passing so there's no real basis for a book unless they add assumptions and interpretations of their own.

  I cant wait for one to come out where eve says, 'Holy crap! A talking snake!'
• 

  mP

  @Rattigan350

  The Bible is very similar in its story telling to Hollywood. Everybody is rich, powerful, there are very few truely ordinary humble people in its stories. Practically everybody thats mentioned in some detil is a king or high priest. All the people who get punished are common everyday people. Basically the rich can be total aresholes and gods like them, eg David but if your poor and keep a small bit of gold like Achan(?) your damned to hell.

  Then we have the mega rich beyond bulldust claims like Solomon. The bible is very materialistic, its always keeping track of money and gold from raids or forced or taxation from the plebs.