Zoo flip flop

by SyntaxError1974 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  SyntaxError1974

  Nov 15,1949 Watchtower page 349

  PROPER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEN AND BEAST

  Men have wrongfully gone into the wilds and trapped the wild beasts and removed them from their natural homes, and placed them in prisons, such as zoos, and thus inflicted upon them cruel punishment. The excuse of men for doing this is that it satisfies the curiosity and fancy of men. God never imprisoned wild beasts in zoos, but mercifully protected them through the Flood, and after the Flood by including them in his ever- lasting covenant. He provided the forests as the home of the wild beasts, and men have no excuse or justification to remove the beasts from their homes or to invade their homes to wantonly slay them.

  Changed to this:

  September 2012 Awake

  A CLOSER LOOK AT TODAY'S ZOOS

  Some animal-rights activists question whether species should be taken from the wild and confined in unnatural environments. Activists argue that zoos restrict the animals’ movements and disrupt their instinctive behavior.

  Since most children have a natural fascination with animals, a weekend or vacation visit to a zoo by the whole family offers parents the opportunity to teach their children about God’s creation. They can together gaze at the face of nature.

  From the beginning of history, mankind has had a keen interest in the animal world. It is an interest worth cultivating in our children, since the natural world gives us insight into the personality of its Creator. A visit to the zoo can also enhance our respect for and awareness of the wonderful creatures that inhabit our fragile planet.

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  So zoos went from bad to good?
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  Indian Larry

  Good catch.
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  Apognophos

  I'm very surprised to see the old anti-zoo stance. I always thought JWs of all time periods couldn't give less of a $#!* about animals. Though their reasoning is hilarious; God protected the animals?! By killing all but 2 to 7 of each kind?!
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  LogCon

  What kind of sound does a 'red-faced Watchtower' make when it walks.

  Flip-flop...flip-flop...flip-flop...flip-flop.......
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  LoisLane looking for Superman

  Thank you for finding this flip flop. lol

  I actually slept through when the WT Society said we could now have transplants. Someone was talking about their fleshly JW sister having a liver transplant and I was like then someone mentioned that it was good for her that Mother WT changed her mind.

  -----> I wonder what JW's thought at the time this magazine came out, 1949, about the Zoo Prison. If they stopped taking their children to view these captured wild animals and witnessed the cruel treatment inflicted on these poor beasts. (As stated by WT).

  The San Diego Zoo in the 1920's pioneered the cage less, enclosures for their animals. No doubt Joe Rutherford, President of the WTB&T Society enjoyed many happy hours there while waiting for the return of the Prophets that he had willed his house, Beth Sarim, too. I wonder if he walked around with his bodyguards, just in case a wild animal got loose? lol

  What a silly man made up religion.

  LoisLane
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  AlphaMan

  LOL.....this cult at one time hated zoos? That's golden. LOL
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  RichardHaley

  "God never imprisoned wild beasts in zoos , but mercifully protected them through the Flood... "

  NO Animals died?... exactly what side of the equation were they looking at?
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  Apognophos

  Perhaps those animals were taken up, like Elijah, before the Flood started...
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  OnTheWayOut

  God protected the animals?! By killing all but 2 to 7 of each kind?!

  I have to say that I am not sure myself if zoos are good or bad because of the different reasons. I have concluded that captive whales at Sea World is terrible.

  But if God is the exemplar, Christians should be okay with men doing whatever the hell they want with a small sample of a species.
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  Apognophos

  Yes, it's true. The JW view for years has been that we have dominion over the animals, so we can do whatever we want with them. I wonder if you guys remember the article several years ago on whether animal testing is acceptable. That went a little way towards waking me up.

  Incidentally, zoos are in fact real-life arks in some cases where the animals are endangered and they're trying to nurse them back from the brink of extinction. So in those cases, the cause is a well-meaning one, if ill-considered (you can't force animals to stop going extinct in the wild).

  I'm on the fence (ha) about zoos too. I think they used to serve the importance purpose of encouraging appreciation of nature (as the article above says!). But with Animal Planet and YouTube there are tons of ways to see animals in their native habitat without capturing some of them and caging them in. Still, zoos are more interesting because they're right there in front of you. They're especially useful for people in cities who are otherwise so out of touch with the natural world.