A blog by Tom Sheepandgoats (aka Tom Harley)
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Maybe it is Like with the Pyramids
If you’re a god, you have to have confidence to disallow images of yourself. Won’t people forget about you? If Jehovah started off a tribal god, the way theologians claim, he is nevertheless a tribal god that would not allow himself to be represented by images or idols. That circumstance alone suggests that he is not and never was. None of the other gods of…
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The “House” Villain That Was Philistia:
When your enemy pops off, don’t jump for joy. His replacement may be worse. That’s the message for Philistia after Ahaz dies: In the year that King Ahaz died, this pronouncement was made: “Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of you, Just because the staff of the one striking you has been broken. For from the root of the serpent will come a poisonous snake, And its…
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“You Can Prepare for Them”
One might liken the written material of Witness meetings to a cake mix. It isn’t complete until you mix the ingredients. There are times when I look at the upcoming Watchtower article and say, ‘Well, this is going to be a yawner.’ But, mixed in with the 60 or so congregation comments, it becomes an entirely different experience. I think when people approach the meetings…
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Earnest People Seek Different Paths: What’s With That?
Q: How come it seems like there’s people who honestly and wholeheartedly seek God/truth, yet end up in different religions/denominations? I’m trying to understand why/how people can earnest seek Truth yet come to different conclusions and paths. A: Different people seek God according to different criteria. Sometimes, at the door with someone inclined to be contentious, I might say, “Look, why don’t we just agree…
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”Pleased to Meet You, Hope You Guess My Name: What Name? (Isaiah 14)
It wasn’t a bad move to label Isaiah 14 in terms of Mick Jagger’s ‘Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name’ song. You have to admit, certain passages of that chapter fit the Devil pretty well: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens. Above the stars of God I will lift up my throne, And I will sit down…
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Moab the Blowhard: Isaiah 16
With the congregation schedule calling for Isaiah 14-16 to be considered, I was a little bummed to be assigned the 16th chapter for the oral Bible reading. 14 looks more interesting. That’s the one where the Grave is greeting newcomers, as though Mick Jagger, ‘Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name. Didn’t you used to be a hotshot back in the day?’ I…
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Social Media and the Ministry: Part 2
The trouble with the internet is that it becomes like Acts 19:8-9. There, the ones who “refused to believe” began to speak so “injuriously” of “the Way” that Paul had to remove all the new disciples to a private forum. Still, the internet does seem like the elephant in the room, never mentioned at the Hall. Last I read, 30% of people in my country…
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The Scrappy Days of Long Ago
The really scrappy days of Jehovah’s Witnesses versus mainstream denominations was forged in the time of the World Wars. Then, the clergy ardently followed the flag on both sides during both wars, afterwards presuming to slip once again into that comfortable chair of spokesman for the Prince of Peace. Witnesses called them on it. After all, if you are not going to stand up for…
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The Night They Drove ‘ol Babylon Down
Now they never reopened that worthless town, They just placed a marble stand on the ground. These few words you’ll find written down: “At the bottom of this ruin lies a big, bad clown—Big Bel.” (sung to the tune of Big John—by Jimmy Dean, 1961)They never reopened that ancient town of Babylon—it’s close enough to the words of Isaiah 13:20:“She will never be inhabited, Nor…
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“He Will Not Judge by What Appears to His Eyes”
He will not judge by what appears to his eyes” (Isaiah 11:3) made me wonder if that female statue of blindfolded justice you see in front of courtrooms is based on that Bible passage. It isn’t. It was based on a Greek goddess. Nice try, but no bullseye. The reason it is a nice try is that another Isaiah passage (2:4) is undeniably the inspiration…