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WORD PAGE NW TRANSLATION PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION(S) Albrecht-Carrié 178 ahl'brekht kahr-ee', kur-yeh anemia 170 uh-nee'mee-uh catechism 168 ka'tuh-ki-zuhm Daisetz 167 die'sets diabetes 170 die-uh-bee'teez, -tuhs "dopo la morte" 168 doh'poh lah mohr'teh dynasties 178 die'nuh-stee', -nas-tee, di'nuh-stee erwachsenenkatechismus 168 uhr-vak'sen en kat-eh-kis'muhs evangelischer 168 eh-van'jeh-lie-shuhr hemophilia 170 hee-muh-fi'lee-uh Huttenlocher 182 hoo'ten loh-kher "immortalità o resurrezione" 168 ee-mohr-tahl'ee-ta oh re-soo-rets-yoh'ne karma 167 kahr'muh, kuhr'- malignant 172 muh-lig'nuhnt Masako 166 mah-sah'koh Mediterranean 170 me-duh-tuh-ray'nee-uhn, -nyuhn Menoud 168 mehn'oud Philippe 168 fi-leep' psychopath 166 sie'kuh-path René 178 re'ney Sharada 166 shuh-rah'duh Suzuki 167 soo-zoo'kee thalassemia 170 tha-luh-see'mee-uh vexations 172 vek-say'shuhn Zen 167 zen' ( Pronunciation KEY )
Statistics indicate that 100% of all people will suffer from death at some point in their lives. This being the case, death is normal and should be acceptable. Acceptable would lead to the realization that bereavement time off of work would no longer be necessary, hospitals closed out of futility, and medications no longer desired.
However, people do what they can to stave off death, hospitals suffer nurse and doctor shortages, and medication demands are greater than ever before. Why? Because not only are people aware of death and illness, they don't like it. They don't find it "acceptable". The same is true of crime, hunger, and many other sufferings found within human society today. Percentages of "acceptable levels" mean nothing to those who fall within those "levels". Nations not suffering from AIDS, hunger, or any other severe calamity do not seem to be offering to trade places with the nations that are.
Many governments or officials seeking election vow to reduce crime to "acceptable levels", which is usually defined at such a point where people can "feel safe" walking in their neighborhoods and work areas of gainful employment. However, once a person has suffered an assault of any sort, can they ever "feel safe" again?
Fear of crime can reduce the quality of life for individuals and the public is right to express concern. But, it is important to distinguish between realistic concern and that debilitating anxiety that makes people afraid to participate fully in everyday life. But there are no acceptable levels of crime...
-- Mr. Maclean, at a January 1995 meeting of the International Labour Organisation.
Some religions claim that God created humans with ability to cause or create evil to highlight how much love He has. That makes as much sense as a mother burning her child's hands in order to help the child appreciate the value of her love. No wonder so many reject God in light of such false thinking. Even the weak excuses offered by religionists regarding hurtful events cause some to conclude that "If an all-powerful deity allows His children to commit evil acts, He can only be even a worse monster himself." And after viewing the histories of religion, such as the Inquisition, suicide warriors, witch hunts, and many other tragedies inflicted in the "name of God", they thence so often conclude, "God did not prevent His children from committing such madness, because He does not exist". A logical person could almost find such a conclusion excusable, were it not for the facts that have been covered in this book, as well as what was brought out in the rest of this chapter. (Compare Romans 1:20 with Romans 2:1)
A creator who doesn't care would be just as objectionable to a concerned person as much as if no God exists. Callousness can be just as damaging to the psyke of a persons trust and reliance as brutal assault. Yet as we'll see a few paragraphs later, this is yet but another lie designed to slander the great God of the universe.
Karma is not based upon any empirical data, and claims to be the metaphysical (religious) equilibrium (cause and effect) of the universe. The ultimate justice. However, there are certain failings in this concept, which if held to be true would support injustice rather than justice. For example, if all living things were to have immortal "souls" that could return according to their deeds, then how fair is it that a merciless murderer be allowed to have immortal rights to return the same as a beast of burden who might be subjected to a brutal owner. In this case, Karma would neither punish nor reward, because the abused beast would be given the same opportunity to try and fail or survive once again, the same as the murder. This reduces the formula to a mercilessly simple formula:
(PASS or FAIL) then (try again)Granted, the concept is to "climb the ladder" of merit, moving ever closer and toward more superior life forms until such one attains eternal bliss. However, according to this metaphysical concept, is it fair that one who is perhaps not really bad, but not really good, would survive an eternal amount of promotions and demotions, whereas a murderer of thousands can eventually, through a sufficiently sequenced series of "good" lives, attain perfection? Where's the justice in this?
In the end, the Ahankara (the ego, self-consciousness) relies upon the belief of an immortal soul, or the mass of force or energy (astral body) in order for the "incarnated deeds" to form the new sentient "self" into the new life form. Such beliefs bring no relief from suffering, as the collective Karma of the human condition, according to this doctrine, results in a hopeless situation, as the distributive Karma would never be coordinated between the "good" and the "evil" sufficiently to allow the human race to progress forward. In fact, if this doctrine were true, humans would be reducing in population, rather than increasing, as evil seems to be on the increase, and therefore should be producing such negative Karma that we should be quite near extinct by now.
Just remember that the word for soul [nephesh] used in Ezekiel 18:4 was also the same word used in Genesis 1:20 & 2:7, when Adam was created as a living person, as well as the other life forms, whether water creatures or land, in the same chapter. And according to passages such as Jeremiah 41:4 & Amos 9:10, it is clear that the Hebrew term for die [muwth] did indeed indicate the complete cessation of life. Thus, even the soul [nephesh] can and does suffer from the complete cessation of life.
Certain risk of unforseen events can be avoided, which is why automobile seat belts, guard rails on the sides of mountain roads, and pressurized tank pop-off valves exist. However, not all unforseen events can be accurately predicted, and since right now the human condition is not such that it is under the best form of protection from unforseen events there could ever be, that is the tent of God, then we suffer from the natural laws of disintegration and reduction of the universe. Things tend to deteriorate toward their lowest order, which we all suffer from, some more than others, and in some cases more swiftly and unexpected than others.
I'm out of time again this week
Even though maggots are regaining attention in the medical community in order to aid in healing wounds, it is of a certain type that are carefully selected. However in Job's case, his wounds were so many that any random insect could land and seed any sort of maggot, one's which would probably not discriminate between rotting and living flesh. This would add negatively to his pain and infection.
Labdanum is purported to have been used for covering over bad breath. (Note Insight on the scriptures, Vol. 2 þ 186, "Labdanum" considering the source, I might have personally preferred the bad breathe) However, just as in ancient days, it is also true today that certain cases of non-oral bacterial etyologies overwhelm any attempts at covering over such extreme forms of halitosis. Writers of the Talmud had discussed bad breath, and Muhammed is reported to have thrown someone out of a Mosque for having bad breath. So this subject was important to persons of the east, just as it is in most places today, and why it was worth recording in Job's case.
For goodness to be hold any amount of value, it has to be consistent, not convenient. Otherwise no matter how good a person is for one moment, they cannot be trusted unless they maintain the trust without letup. Picture this: A man tries to comfort his daughter who runs a high fever. "Your medicine, I brought you medicine," he offers. He reaches out with a wet cloth to her forehead. She slaps him and screams at him, "go away!", gasping and falling back to the bed in unresigned weakness. He tries in vain to calm her, "I only want to help you get better." She gives way to sobs, "just go away, because if I get better all you'll do is molest me again!"
Any 'good' Satan has ever done in attempt to be an angel of light, was only a means toward revolting selfish ends, no different from the repulsive goals of a pedophile or rapist. The inconsistency of goodness displays itself in his organizations, his world, his offspring. Any aid that is offered often serves only to maintain survival, existance, and does little to bring real relief and happiness, if any at all. Even though Job did not fully comprehend the source of his troubles when being tested by Satan, he could see through the sham, and recognize that Jehovah is good, even when He allows certain calamities to befall us. Job could see with his minds eye that ultimately evil comes, not from God, but from the epitomy of error. He trusted completely the only one that can be completely trusted.
A certain Bishop Warburton once said: "A lie has no legs and cannot stand, but it has wings and can fly far and wide." (Compare Proverbs 1:17)
The book of Job is essential, in conjunction with Genesis 3:1-6 and other scriptures, in revealing the great issue of the righteousness of God in his exercise of sovereignty as well as the manner in which the integrity of God’s earthly servants is involved in the issue. This issue Job did not understand, but he, nevertheless, did not allow his three companions to make him doubt that he had been a man of integrity. (Job 27:5) He did not understand why his calamity came upon him, since he was no practicer of sin. He was off balance on the matter of self-justification, no doubt being pushed farther in that direction by the constant charges of his three companions. He was also mistaken in insisting on receiving an answer from God as to why he was suffering, when he should have realized that no one can rightly say to Jehovah: “Why did you make me this way?” (Ro 9:20) Nevertheless, Jehovah mercifully answered Job, both through his servant Elihu and by speaking to Job from the windstorm. The book therefore strongly drives home the wrongness of attempting to justify oneself before God.—Job 40:8.
--Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 2, þ 83-4, "Job, book of".
The enduring spirit built into human design is remarkably strong. However, what weakens it is not metalurgical, organic, chemical, nor any other physical process. Instead it's the seat of motivation that can make or break the spirit of oppossion against the many forms of oppression. Whether political campaigns, psychological warfare, enforcement of procedure, underhanded techniques, or any other human conduct that leads to the limitless human suffering that seems to seems to be invented; some give up, while others endure. What makes the difference? As the paragraph points out, knowing why has a lot to do with it. If a betrayal is the cause, then endurance may be weakened by the extra effort of dealing with the betrayal as well as the tragic event itself. However, if it is known that an enemy is the cause, then a hardened position, unfortunately sometimes leading towards a cynical outlook on life, will help to bring about the enduring spirit. But, history has taught that a positive outlook can be maintained despite the need to maintain an enduring spirit.
Note that of the many groups that have been oppressed throughout history, so many so often develop a group identity of having a cynical attitude. There are many examples, but two of the most well known today are the people, mostly Jewish, under the Nazi regime, who Hitler attempted to anihilate, and the minorities, mostly Blacks, of the United States, who were oppressed by many who viewed them from equal treatment and freedoms. While the oppression of both should never be repeated, since Jehovah God views such things as contrary to His will and therefore wicked (Mark 3:29; Acts 10:35; Acts 17:26; Revelation 5:9), and the history should most definitely be remembered so as not to repeat such infringement of against human rights, both groups publicly announce themselves as victims, and are therefor "owed". The cynicism is in that many of them feel the world is indebted to them, and should "pay up". Some few feel this should be through economic allowances, others seek support of a separate national identity. There are many ways this stance of "indebtedness" finds it's way into pressures and political action.
But contrast those two situations with another group of people who did suffer through the same exact situations. In fact, in the exact same lands. This other group presents the situation as history to be remembered, the only debt human society owing themselves is "to love one another" (Romans 13:8) and to obey God and His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Instead of being cynical, both on a group and individual level, they clamor instead for all to improve their lives where they can, becoming self-sufficient where possible. Instead of remaining continued victims of the past, they are victors, and press forward ever towards new conquests, both great and small (Luke 16:10; Matthew 28:19,20). Those people are Jehovah's Witnesses, and the individuals maintained a positive outlook throughout those trials because they kept in mind God's explanation of the situations in which humans find themselves, as well as the promises that no matter what gets broken in this time period, He will fix it in the next. The positive message outweighs any negative actions produced by the wicked elements in this world that are allowed to exist for now.
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If anyone ever comes to think that time in suffering doesn't matter, then talk to someone suffering a painful illness. Or a family who's loved one is missing, and no one can tell them what their condition is. Even if it's a distant relative, over time one wonders whether or not to send a condolence card, or some other kind of support. There is no defined time nor answer for what the right thing to do for them is in such a case. Cooking a five minute meal might be fast, but try escaping from a car that has plunged under water, and suddenly, it becomes an eternity. But for someone who has lived nearly an eternity, five minutes would not even be worth measuring. Even after a billion years, or 525,600,000,000,000 minutes, have passed, who would care that 525,599,999,999,995 minutes ago you have cut your finger? By then it would have long been healed and probably even not even a scar anymore. However, that same five minutes from long ago might still be significant if you had lost your twin brother in a drowning accident, or your mother to some military bomb raid, or a good friend to a random violent criminal act. Death would make time seem to take longer, and unlike the popular belief (perhaps out of wishful thinking), time does not heal all wounds. However, if 525,599,474,400,000 minutes ago your loved one was restored back to life and interaction with you continued as before from that point forward, then it begins to approximate the level of concern as that long ago cut on the finger.
The Creator knows and understands these things, it is important for us to as well. By understanding that this time period is but a 'drop in the bucket' with reference to the remaining count of our years, our ability to maintain an enduring spirit is maintained with strength.
Jehovah can rightly lay claim for allowing the offspring of Adam and Eve for two valid reasons:
It is typical for prisoners to be incarcerated just before the trial occurs. Earth, being the focus of this issue is the focal point of the legal case, and therefor the logical location of incarceration. As the scriptures state, woe to us, because the waves of pent up frustration of the beligerant criminal Satan and his demon hordes are increasing. This is the "storm before the calm."
In The Watchtower, 2000, Jan. 15 pgs. 12-13, para. 15 is was stated: "Third, we
are living in the time of the eight and final 'king' mentioned in the prophecy
recorded at Revelation 17:9-11. Here the apostle John mentions seven kings,
representing seven world powers - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece,
Rome, and the Anglo-American dual world power. He also sees 'an eighth king'
that 'springs from the seven.' This eighth king - the last one that John
envisioned - now represents the United Nations. John says this eighth king
'goes off into destruction,' after which no further earthly kings are
mentioned.*
*See Revelation-Its Grand Climax at Hand!, pages 251-4"
Then on 28 August, 2000 the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan made the statement that "It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the law of gravity" while promoting his "Global Compact". (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2000/20000828.sgsm7517.doc.html)
On June 27, 2001 the UN World Court, in a suit brought against the United States by Germany, secular legalists find of interest a historical precedent that 'for the first time provisional measures are held as legally binding'. However, I find it even more interesting that the seventh world power of Bible prophecy is being held accountable and therefor subject to the court and laws of the eighth king, and expected to observe it's decrees. (http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/igus/igusframe.htm)
Seven days later a part of this seventh king celebrated their "independance day" and they didn't even notice... (Matthew 24:39)
Does Jehovah inform his people ahead of time, or what? (Hint: there is no "or what"; John 16:13b)
If this doesn't speak "soon", then what would? The conquest that will benefit us is nearly complete. (1John 5:4; Revelation 12:11)
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June 28, 1914
The Serbian gangsters had failed in their assignment to assasinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Then later that day, the Archduke's staff, having changed plans and motorcade routes, the 19 year old "Black Hand" leader of these dispatched gangsters, Gavrilo Princip, in a flash of recognition of the Archduke in the streets of Sarajevo, in a single momentary opportunity to complete his assignment, he did not know that he would be the trigger source that would change the course of
world history, that would begin the fulfillment of an important Bible prophecy. His intention was to simply (by comparison of the actual results) assassinate the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, leader of
Austria-Hungary for his mobster leaders. He shot and killed the Archduke and his wife.
Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia, beginning the "dominoe collapse" of the many political alliances which were committmented to support one after the other, resulting in the first World War, 8 ½ million deaths by machine gun, artillery, poisen gas, disease, and an era where the technology of mass killing had arrived, only to be continuously refined time and again. The age of Kingdoms and Empires came to a close, revolutions the main course, decimation of generations mere events in the measure of time and statistic.
This 'War To End All Wars' was undeniably momentous, like a hinge that swings a wide gate.
Just imagine a situation wherein not only will unrighteousness stop wearing us out (1Chronicles 7:9), but we will live so long that we will wear out each and every house we will ever build. In certain places, there are houses that were built some thousands of years ago, some by the Romans, some by residents of the Americas, others in the orients. The original occupents are gone, their home is still there. Today, many people build houses, but more often it is for someone else, and not themselves. There are sufficient experiences where the builder of a multi-tiered and expensive home hastens his pace because he grows weary of his self imposed ration of egg-nog, in effort to stave off the draining of his personal finances, working toward a payment upon completion of the structure. The promises of Isaiah chapter 65 preclude either of these scenarios from ever happening again. Then, more than now, a man's home will truly be his castle, uninvaded, and without need of being a fortress. Count how many locks you must pass through every day. Then imagine if none of them were there because they weren't needed. Wouldn't that be nice?
Consider the countless number of galaxies in the universe, and the numbers of stars within each galaxy. The number of human cells of all time don't even come close to this number, yet Jehovah can name each and every star. (Psalm 147:4) Humans are impressed if a person can "count (playing) cards". The molecular and animated state of each persons cells is known by God, else we could not have a unique and separate consciousness and self awareness. This imprint of our identies has ties to a realm that surpasses simple partical physics and known science. It is the result of an energy, or power that is foreign to man and the known universe. Jehovah's holy spirit can and does create new identities and store them on a regular basis, miracle after miracle, both in life and in death we are trusting in this process. It is undefeatable, unpreventable (Isaiah 55:11). And most of all, although it is impossible for humans to reproduce this, it is possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)
As creations made "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27) we can get a small taste of this ability, in that we can identify and catalog unique personalities for identity. Unless we suffer from brain damage or other such problems, we don't confuse our mother for other women, our best friend for just any passing person, nor our coworker for our supervisor.
Donald MacCrimmon MacKay had written on Electronics, information theory, book chapters in academic publications, major works on science and Christianity, Neuroscience and psychology reports, with Nature magazine being the most frequent publication outlet. He also participated in a Neuroscience research program.
sorry folks, out of time once again...
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