A blog by Tom Sheepandgoats (aka Tom Harley)
Search topic, word, or Bible verse (Bible books may be abbreviated)
-
Ruth 4:1–Maybe They Got It from my Mom
Ruth 4:1–Maybe They Got It from my Mom The lesson of Ruth is that if you step up to the plate and do what is right, you go down in history with your name intact. But if you don’t, the books record you as “so-and-so.” What kind of a dorky name is “so-and-so?” Who would want to get stuck with that? Maybe the clunkiness is…
-
Jesus Arose in the Synagogue
Jesus arose in the synagogue to read. He was handed the scroll of Isaiah. He did not say, “Aw, man, not THIS reading! Why do they have to hand all the turkeys to me?!” Instead, he spun gold out of it. However, when they handed me a scroll for an upcoming Bible reading, I did say what Jesus did not. I said, “Aw, man, not…
-
A Failure to Go Beyond the Law
In 2015, a Jehovah’s Witness spokesperson testified before the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Three times he pleaded for consistency in laws relevant to reporting child sexual abuse: Witness Spokesperson: “I think very clearly Mr. Toole pointed out that if the Australian Government, in all the States, was to make mandatory reporting, it would make it so much easier for…
-
That Slave of Yours that Took Off? Fogetabboudit.
When was the last time a Watchtower Study centered on the interchange of Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus? Has it ever happened? Not that I can recall. But it did with the study of October 25, 2026. So here is Philemon doing his best to nurse a grudge toward Onesimus, his runaway slave, and it’s just not going his way: “The lout,” he’s muttering. “Just took…
-
Regarding the Recent Update on Blood Transfusion: Part 7
A consequence of the Witnesses’ long-time no-blood stance, dating back to the 1940s, was the gradual emergence of a new field called “bloodless medicine.” Here and there, courageous doctors had taken up the challenge of treating them in accord with their religious beliefs. A New Scientist Magazine article of April 26, 2008, states that bloodless surgery “was originally developed to enable Jehovah’s Witnesses, who shun…
-
Regarding the Recent Update on Blood Transfusion: Part 6
(Yes, yes, I said the last one was final, but I’ve thought up two more to address things unanswered) Usually, when a policy is reformed for the better, the reformers are lauded as heroes. But in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the update on blood transfusion policies, this has not been enough to satisfy detractors. Those detractors want “accountability.” Well, I suppose you could…
-
Back to the Queen of the Heavens
“I had it up to here with you characters. If you don’t shape up, I’m sending in the Babylonians. They’re a nasty bunch. They’re chomping at the bit. I’ll just take down the Stop sign—that’s all it will take.“ Israelites: “Nice bluff. Forget it. We’re holding.” God: “Okay then, make way for them. Some people have to learn the hard way.” Israelites: (upon checking the…
-
Good is Bad, Bad is Good, Dark is Light, Light is Dark—Isaiah 5:20
Good is Bad, Bad is Good, Dark is Light, Light is Dark—Isaiah 5:20 On X, captivating videos catch my eye. Some monumental news is breaking! I look at the comments. Invariably, someone will ask Grok, the AI agent, ‘Is this true?’ Half of the time, it seems, the answer is no. It is a “deep fake.” Not only do people live in echo chambers, consuming…