Hey Farkel,
I just re-read those chapters in Genesis and it amazes me that as a youth I never noticed that there is absolutely no mention of Noah interacting at all with the people of the time. All that other crap that the WTS made up like his preaching work, the ridicule he and his family endured and the fact that "no one listened to poor old Noah" is pure bunk. I can't believe all the extraneous detail that was worked into the story by the WT.
I mean the way the text is written, Noah and his family might've been hermits from Society and out of view. Maybe they made that ark in secret. Who knows? Maybe nobody even noticed what they were doing. We don't even get mention of whether Noah did it begrudgingly. Geez I seem to remember being taught that Noah had to do it "just so" and couldn't skimp on the specifications from God. I can't even find any of that nonsense.
Basically the account is that God decided he wanted to destroy everything, told Noah to build an ark and once completed brought a flood. End of story. I can't believe I bought into all the other crap that was extrapolated by the writing committee. It's just so wrong.
Hell the Troy McClure version of Noah's ark on the Simpsons was probably more accurate -
God: "Noah! They shalt builts thyself an ark, measuring 300 cubits in length!"
Troy/Noah: "300 cubits... give or take."
God: "Exactly 300! And thou shalt taketh two of every creature"
Troy/Noah: "Check. Two creatures."
God: "Two of EVERY creature!"
Troy/Noah: "Even stink beetles?"
God: "Especially stink beetles"
