by VM44 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The Watchtower for decades has said consistently that both man and animals have the same spirit, or life force.
But what about plants? I have not seen the Watchtower ever mention that plants, which are living things, possess spirit, or a life force.
I wonder why that is so.
--VM44
Plants don't breathe or have blood.
so....?
Plants don't breathe or have blood.
Sure they do... they take in C02 and release O2. They also have a circulatory system that carries nutrients and water where needed... that is what the stringy things are in celery.
they already have the lions eating grass in the new system. if they allow a life force for plants, the survivors would be living on rocks and air.
(paradise my ass)
it's called Mental Discontinuity.
they obviously don't think that we share a distant common ancestor with all biological organisms, including plants. and so they have a neat little mental discontinuity where they never have to think about it.
they may talk about photosynthesis in the Asleep mag all the time, but they never have to go as far as saying that we live off of the waste of another living organism: plants.
plus: "we're special creation! the pinnacle! everything else is biology. plants are here for our taking."
For humans and animal, they [the Watchtower] say the life is "in the blood".
So for plants, the life is "in the sap"?
--VM44
My point was that the Society bases their statements on the meaning of the Hebrew ruach "spirit, wind", the OT concept of life as the "breath of God", such that one is alive because one breathes, and the life as being "in the blood" (cf. Genesis 9:4), which is a basis of their rationale against blood transfusions. The Society probably never mentions a "life force in plants" because the OT itself has no concept of a life-force in plants. It is doubtful the ancient Hebrews would have known anything about the exchange of O2 and CO2 in plant life or would have thought of it as "breathing", as no "wind" is produced by a plant. The Society's lack of mention of a life-force in plants is probably an effect of the pre-scientific view of life found in the OT.
So for plants, the life is "in the sap"?
no. it's obvioulsy in their pooh, since it's what us special apes breathe.
When I read this thread I was reminded of hearing about "screaming plants" years ago so I looked it up. Here is a link: http://www.celinho.com/vestibulares/vestibulares.php?page=unirio&ano=1994
Here is a quote from about 2/3rd of the way down the page:
Screaming Plants
"When attacked by insects, plants emit a chemical "scream"that summons predators to kill the invading pests, scientists have learned.
U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers in Gainesville, Fla., identified the elaborate defense system in corn plants whose leaves are chewed by caterpillars. Attracted by chemical cues from the injured plants, wasps lay their eggs in the larvae, which die in the ensuing days as the wasp offspring nourish themselves off their hosts.
The chemical "scream"is quite specific: It is released only after caterpillar saliva mixes with the damaged portion of a leaf. A plant that is cut by any other means does not give off the same chemical sign, nor does an uninjured plant. This explains how a wasp can find a caterpillar in a huge field of corn.
Soybeans, cotton plants, and probably many other plants use a similar defense against pests, says USDA scientist James H. Tumlinson. By enhancing this natural response in plants, researchers might reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides, which can cause ecological damage. For example, scientists might breed plants for the trait or transplant specific genes to amplify the chemical's release."
Edited for spelling.
