tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20279357512395025372011-04-22T05:20:20.145+10:00"I keep awake and I hope."Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-3317704119517752942007-10-22T10:20:00.000+10:002007-11-01T07:19:02.213+10:00

Tajikistan has banned Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country, including stripping the organisation of its legal status and giving it a notice that they should stop all of their activities. A Culture Ministry official cited as reasons for the ban including that they refuse military service and proclaim their faith in public. It appears Tajikistan has cemented their status as a backwards

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-16704170489439044172007-10-09T09:11:00.000+10:002007-10-09T16:21:40.698+10:00

Over at the blog 'The Assembling of the Church', Alan Knox has written some excellent posts on Christian elders and if they should be paid for their ministry according to the Bible. I recommend them as a good read, and they fully vindicate the policies of Jehovah's Witnesses on eldership. Here they are in chronological (as in when they were posted) order:1) What about work2) What about work for

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-26403763975396228962007-10-09T09:03:00.000+10:002007-10-09T12:37:18.786+10:00

The NY Times has an article about the Mandeans of Iraq that I blogged about a while back. Apparently they are wishing to come to America so they can set up communities here to prevent them from dying out. The article also points out that their religion prevents them from carrying weapons, even for self-defence, so they have been "easy targets" over the years, which has helped their existence!

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-18546694289226822212007-10-09T09:02:00.003+10:002007-10-09T12:30:39.557+10:00

In the past the appendix (the body part, not the book part) has been used by anti-intelligent designers as a body part that has no purpose, and therefore proof that humans are not intelligently designed. Interestingly, reports now show that the appendix indeed does have a purpose. Apparently it acts as a safe house for good bacteria used to boost the immune system.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-10657784587934474432007-10-09T09:02:00.001+10:002007-10-09T12:22:56.051+10:00

The Council of Europe has recently adopted a resolution against the teaching of intelligent design or creationism. In reading about this I came across a blog post by a New Ager who believes in intelligent design and non-materialism. I found it interesting to read the feelings on this issue from a non-religionist/revelationist. The blog post is here.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-7293626471649174422007-10-09T08:41:00.000+10:002007-10-09T08:54:45.714+10:00

Contrary to popular opinion, Jon Meacham at the New York Times has remineded America that a nation of "Christians" is not a Christian nation. He points out:According to Scripture, however, believers are to be wary of all mortal powers. Their home is the kingdom of God, which transcends all earthly things, not any particular nation-state. The Psalmist advises believers to “put not your trust in

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-19486734041212703132007-10-03T10:29:00.000+10:002007-10-03T10:58:03.537+10:00

Christianity Today magazine has an interesting article about Craig Harline's new book called "Sunday: A History of the First Day from Babylonia to the Superbowl". The article contains an excerpt from the book, which shows how so-called Christians adopted the pagan 'Sun Day' into their worship. Here is a sample:And when Christianity moved into northern Europe, "Sunday" was so common among

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-33287557580451471412007-10-01T22:12:00.000+10:002007-10-03T11:00:12.003+10:00

A few years ago in a video interview, Richard Dawkins was asked about the origins of genetic information, and after a long silence he finally made an apparently irrelevant answer. The Creationists making the video made a big deal about him being stumped by the question. Later on the magazine 'The Skeptic', after consulting with Dawkins, published a piece about how Dawkins was conned into

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-81104082840171460712007-09-27T08:45:00.000+10:002007-09-27T08:55:49.360+10:00

Armenia now has 82 Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned for refusing military service and the military controlled alternative service. 73 of these persons are serving prison terms of 18 to 36 months each, and another nine are waiting for their trial.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-24517300347338629792007-09-26T10:19:00.000+10:002007-09-26T10:37:01.150+10:00

Warren Jeffs, self-proclaimed prophet of the 'Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' (FLDS) has been found guilty of two counts of encouraging a young girl to have sex against her will.You can read more on this story at the BBC.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-79006911100154293472007-09-11T10:21:00.000+10:002007-09-27T08:59:20.543+10:00

Over at Alan Knox's blog 'The Assembling of the Church' (where he blogs on ecclesiology) there is a post explaining his indifference to church "programs". This is of interest to me because Jehovah's Witnesses are commonly asked why they do not have organised programs to feed the poor, or to run hospitals, etc. It is true that we do not. What we are recognised for though is being the first to

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-72401331408635733702007-09-11T10:17:00.000+10:002007-09-11T13:39:23.254+10:00

Gary Dykes has put up a website that contains the New Testament in both Sahidic and Boharic versions of the Coptic language, as well as fonts and other resources. Here is the link for all of you who are interested.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-79501280410475363202007-09-11T10:13:00.000+10:002007-09-11T11:17:02.644+10:00

A quote from English Nobel Laureate George Thomson:"Probably every physicist would believe in a creation if the Bible had not unfortunately said something about it many years ago and made it seem old-fashioned."Read more about some scientists and their bias against the Bible at Post-Darwinist.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-63446072279460474702007-09-11T10:05:00.000+10:002007-09-11T13:21:42.613+10:00

1) In the Middle Ages, Christian universities laid down the foundations of modern science and took the subject of rational logic to heights not reached until the nineteenth century.2) The Jesuits published over 6,000 scientific papers and texts between 1600 and 1773 including a third of those on electricity. They were by far the largest scientific organisation in the world.3) Copernicus’s book,

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-76571250948986390912007-09-11T09:49:00.000+10:002007-09-11T11:16:32.904+10:00

Following the payment of US$660 million in July of this year by the Roman Catholic Church in the diocese of Los Angeles, to victims of sexual abuse from their clergy, the diocese of San Diego has just agreed to pay US$198 to victims of clerical sexual abuse. The deal will settle 144 different claims.Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6984405.stm

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-86165744317333757882007-08-27T09:34:00.000+10:002007-08-27T09:44:47.060+10:00

Jehovah's Witnesses in Uzbekistan are increasingly fearful that their activities will soon be banned in the country altogether. At the moment their is only one registered congregation that is legal, and it seems that this congregation could too be stripped of its legality. They fear a return to the Soviet days when they were also banned in the country. To read more on this story, visit Forum 18.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-49057921960221718242007-08-21T10:31:00.000+10:002007-08-21T11:00:07.942+10:00

Prison Planet reports on a United States federal program that is training Pastors and other clergymen to help them quell dissent if martial law happens to be declared in the nation. Apparently the first directive given to these clergy was to use Romans Chapter 13 to stress to their flocks the need to be obedient to the government. Of course any true Christian knows that these verses do not call

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-37980117891512412452007-08-20T09:15:00.001+10:002007-08-21T11:00:51.054+10:00

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a review of Michael Behe's latest book 'The Edge of Evolution'. It appears to be the first positive review in mainsteam (read: non-Christian) media after other prominent news media have been recruiting staunch evolutionists to do reviews of the book. The review gives the best summary of Behe's arguments I have read so far, and also ends with a little attack against

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-61575652799416180782007-08-16T17:00:00.000+10:002007-08-16T17:13:51.718+10:00

Roman Catholic Bishop Muskens has appeared on a television show in the Netherlands promoting the idea that Catholics in that country use the name 'Allah' in place of 'God' in order to promote greater understanding and friendliness between the Catholic and Muslim faiths. Yet another example of the worlds religionists using every possible term for God except for Jehovah, in order to achieve human

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-89171798307637967132007-08-16T16:00:00.000+10:002007-08-16T16:50:47.537+10:00

Roman Catholic, Orthodox, mainstream Protestant and now evangelical groups have joined together to create a common code of conduct for religious conversions that would allow Christians to spread their religion while avoiding conflicts with other faiths. The World Council of Churches, World Evangelical Alliance and the Vatican are in the process of talks that create a code that would ease the

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-76057014476835286952007-08-16T10:07:00.000+10:002007-08-16T11:31:55.310+10:00

The recent suicide bombings againgst the Yazidi secti in Iraq have brought to the fore the insecurity of many minority religious groups in the country. These minority religions make up less than 3% of the total population, and this figure is dwindling as many of them leave the country, hoping to avoid being targeted or simply get caught up in intra-Islam fighting.One of the more interesting

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-4219202371247994412007-08-16T09:58:00.000+10:002007-08-16T11:14:42.967+10:00

A Jehovah's Witness in Turkmenistan, Suleiman Udaev, has been given an 18-month jail sentence for refusing military service. He is being detained in a 15m (17 yard) square cell with 19 other prisoners and is allowed only one visit per month, and is not allowed to receive anything from this visitor. For more information on this case and related cases in Turkmenistan, please visit Forum 18.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-74497324870164451752007-08-16T09:55:00.000+10:002007-08-16T10:45:34.637+10:00

We have all heard of persons being caught editing their own Wikipedia (an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit) articles or the articles of organisations they are closely associated with, but Wikipedia Scanner has picked up on some interesting finds. The Wikipedia Scanner is a program that scans entries for errors, but also can match up IP addresses with the organisations that edits derive

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-68856796994060189542007-08-14T11:45:00.000+10:002007-08-14T11:55:28.974+10:00

A film entitled "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" will premiere in the United States on February 12, 2008. It is themed around the "intelligent design vs. evolution" debate that is taking place in the US, and stars Ben Stein who was kicked out of his school for his views and features numererous pro-ID and anti-ID scientists and other commentators on the issue.Denyse O'Leary has more information

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-84823014348577651612007-08-08T14:36:00.000+10:002007-08-08T20:42:16.839+10:00

Following on from my posts about the differences between spiritual Israel and literal Israel and the confusion many denominations have (see both HERE and HERE), Ethics Daily has a short article about Christian Zionism where he derides the idea, especially John Hagee's recent expeditions into literal fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies:In the meantime, anyone with half-an-ounce of Bible

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-62320831610911587882007-08-08T13:11:00.000+10:002007-08-08T20:43:03.202+10:00

The Jewish Daily Forward has an article on Karaite Jews, which includes an interview with Joe Pessah, an "acting rav" (rabbi/techer, but with no official training).For those who do not know much about the Karaites (which is likely as they only number 30,000 and most of them live in Israel) I have described them in the past as "Old Testament-only Jehovah's Witnesses" as they differ from other Jews

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-19694670029901266922007-08-08T13:06:00.000+10:002007-08-08T20:43:53.644+10:00

Tom over at Sheep & Goats has a post on a book entitled "The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience- Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World?" by Ronald Sider, a professor of theology and contributor to Christianity Today magazine. Tom mentions that Jehovah's Witnesses do not suffer from many of the same problems as Evangelicals have picked up over the last century, as they have

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-42745587754412847002007-08-08T12:33:00.000+10:002007-08-08T20:58:30.010+10:00

Just to remind you that the rest of the world does not suffer from the same lack of imagination as does the West, Thai policeman who commit minor offences will be forced to wear a "Hello Kitty" (a popular young girl's toy) badge on their arm. This is supposed to cause such shame to their masculinity that it would prevent them from not setting examples to the rest of the community. Read all about

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-65047005268971325632007-08-08T12:29:00.000+10:002007-08-08T20:51:24.471+10:00

The United Nations weather agency has proclaimed early 2007 as a period of record-breaking for extreme weather. Global land surface temperatures in January and April were the warmest since records were taken in 1880. The world has also seen severe monsoon floods (Asia), heavier-than-usual rains (globally), extreme heatwaves (Europe) and unexpected snowfall in South Africa and South America (!).

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-73567033634894618822007-08-08T12:26:00.000+10:002007-08-08T21:05:40.083+10:00

BBC News has an article on a scientific discovery of microbes, that are estimated to range in age from 100,000 to 8 million years of age, from melted samples of Antarctic ice. What I found interesting about the find is in the following quote:The team suggests that because DNA in the old ice samples had degraded so much in response to exposure to cosmic radiation, life on Earth is unlikely to have

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-59181823265850178712007-08-07T11:10:00.000+10:002007-08-07T11:14:37.767+10:00

In the United States, major supermarkets are beginning to stock toys based on Old Testament figures and scenarios, including a 10-metre high inflatable Noah's Ark!For more on this story, visit CathNews.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-71716655648644319392007-08-07T09:00:00.001+10:002007-08-07T09:31:24.097+10:00

Although we are usually concerned with issues arising out of a patient's refusal of medical treatment (abortion, transfusions, euthanasia, etc.), some Doctors have been getting into hot water after refusing treatment due to their religious convictions.USA Today reports:When does the freedom to practice religion become discrimination?The California Supreme Court is being asked to answer that

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-42943743499350783662007-08-07T08:48:00.000+10:002007-08-07T09:30:49.759+10:00

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article on an Islamic group called the 'Foundation for Scientific Research', which promotes its own brand of creationism in Turkey and Europe, and is now aiming to reach America and other countries. It has publications in many languages including a popular, glossy book called the 'Atlas of Creation', which it has recently sent to scientists,

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-31573811829632817692007-08-06T09:21:00.000+10:002007-08-06T09:27:25.578+10:00

Thankfully, my blog is 'Rated G'.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-23232104380104591532007-08-05T13:21:00.000+10:002007-08-05T13:30:19.223+10:00

Click on link below to learn more about this appointment:http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/22/a_teacher_with_faith_and_reason/Will Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris be up in arms?

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-1484762020441429242007-08-03T14:19:00.000+10:002007-08-03T14:54:12.414+10:00

As of late there has been some cultural phenomena that have been stirring up conversation among conservative American religionists and their more liberal counterparts. One of these is The Simpsons Movie that recently premiered on the big screen. PBS' "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" show recently held an interview with Mark Pinsky, author of the book "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" which

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-54543795073519758372007-08-03T08:19:00.000+10:002007-08-03T08:32:12.260+10:00

A couple in the Connecticut area received a late night call from two of Jehovah's Witnesses returning the husbands wallet that he had lost on a train. The Connecticut Post reports the couples response:"They told us they found it on the train, handed us a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet and were gone," Nicole Constantino said. The wallet contents — credit cards and nearly $300 in cash — were untouched.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-82645782091534004042007-07-30T09:00:00.000+10:002007-07-30T09:28:59.917+10:00

With the ascension of Gordon Brown to the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, many people were assuming that Britain's close relationship with the United States would be ending, with a left-winger and socialist leaning leader taking the reigns. Could it really be that the dual Anglo-American world power was not the two-horned wild beast after all?It doesn't look like it, with Gordon

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-50701250430801706762007-07-30T07:40:00.000+10:002007-07-30T09:29:41.646+10:00

After years of Protestant churchianity teaching that Jews are still God's chosen people, Zionism, or even that God has "dual covenants" by which people can be saved (the Jewish and the Christian), it appears that now even that stronghold of replacement theology, the Roman Catholic Church, believes that Jews can be saved by their Old Testament covenant with God."Campaigns that target Jews for

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-48046421298883695502007-07-25T08:28:00.000+10:002007-07-25T08:42:38.470+10:00

The Jerusalem Post has a very interesting Op-Ed on Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate's attempt to build a third temple in Jerusalem for the Jews.Julian, who was Emperor from 361 to 363 CE, had been raised a Christian, but rejected the faith and begun worshipping Greek and Roman pagan gods, arguing that Christianity would weaken the Roman Empire. He wanted to help the Jews build a temple to weaken

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-30303149014413261562007-07-24T10:46:00.000+10:002007-07-24T11:32:00.251+10:00

For all you Coptic lovers, the Coptic scholar Bentley Layton has released a new book entitled "Coptic in 20 Lessons: Introduction to Sahidic Coptic with Exercises and Vocabularies". It is good to see a new introductory text released and it should be successful considering recent Coptic discoveries promoting interest in the language.Memra's Blog has a post on the book and how Layton shows that

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-43018779656908534142007-07-24T10:27:00.000+10:002007-07-24T11:31:27.854+10:00

Professor Michael Ovadia from the Tel Aviv University's Zoology department has produced a modern version of a priestly anointing oil, taking his recipe from the Bible. He found that it was amazingly effective in preventing Avian flu, herpes and HIV. He has even sold his discovery to a multinational company! Michael said that he carried out his research on the suspicion that the oil played a role

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-58566670814394261272007-07-12T09:29:00.000+10:002007-07-12T09:46:40.822+10:00

Assyriologist Dr. Michael Jursa has confirmed that a cuneiform tablet housed at the British Museum confirms the existence of a Babylonian official known as "Nebo-Sarsekim", who is mentioned in Jeremiah Chapter 39 as the Chief Eunuch of Nebuchadnezzar II - this title is also confirmed in the tablet. The tiny tablet is apparently a receipt for a payment from Nebo-Sarsekim to a Babylonian temple.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-30000558781824375032007-07-11T10:14:00.000+10:002007-07-11T10:28:46.457+10:00

Tom Sheepandgoats has written an excellent post defending disfellowshipping (more popularly known as shunning) in the Christian congregation.So it is with Jehovah's Witnesses today. They could not be more unlike in personalities, backgrounds and talents (besides the factors already mentioned) yet they enjoy unshakable unity. God's spirit makes it possible.We're zealous to safeguard this unity.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-33255617521805677182007-07-11T10:03:00.000+10:002007-07-11T10:29:04.213+10:00

The Vatican has issued a document claiming that only churches in full communion with the Pope of Rome can expect full salvation (whatever that means) and other Christian faiths "lack elements considered essential to the Catholic Church". He says that Protestants are in error and Orthodox Churches have true teachings but are dissenters from recognising the Pope's authority.As can be expected, the

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-42445065646940547892007-07-08T18:12:00.000+10:002007-07-11T10:23:05.474+10:00

An organisation based in Portugal has revealed the "Seven New Wonders of the World" based on votes from all over the world. The winning seven are:1. Great Wall of China2. Statue of Christ Redeemer (Brazil)3. Colosseum (Rome)4. Petra (Jordan)5. Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza (Mexico)6. Taj Mahal (India)7. Machu Picchu (Peru)Read more on this here.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-55169227455723462832007-07-05T12:55:00.000+10:002007-07-05T15:03:23.675+10:00

With intense persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia by their respective governments, officials and religious clerics, the former USSR and surrounding areas have given us some horrifying stories. One of these countries that has been particular bad of late is Uzbekistan. Some Jehovah's Witnesses have recently been freed from a forced labour camp known as Camp No. 29

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-80204737907805472252007-07-05T09:14:00.000+10:002007-07-05T10:23:33.145+10:00

Over at Salon, there is an interesting preview of upcoming book "The Cosmic Jackpot" by physicist/cosmologist Paul Davies who argues that there is a "grand comsic plan" and that the universe is "filled with meaning and purpose". The book focuses on what is called the "anthropic principle", being that the laws of physics are fine-tuned to support life.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-47389531429524197682007-07-05T08:53:00.000+10:002007-07-05T15:03:49.660+10:00

The recent terrorist attack in Yemen that killed nine people took place at the Queen of Sheba Temple in the northeast of the country. The temple was built around 3000 years ago. I am not sure of the extent of the damage to the temple yet, but it sure is horrifying news to anyone with an appreciation of Judeo-Christian history. To tie this in with the Scriptures, I've thought I would highlight the

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-12990612388609911262007-07-03T09:01:00.000+10:002007-07-11T10:22:38.998+10:00

The Pope has written a letter to China's governing authorities asking them to respect religious freedom in their country and to investigate re-starting diplomatic ties that were severed in the 1950s.The Roman Catholic Church doesn't officiacially operate in China, but people who share the faith come under the organisation called the 'Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association' which numbers around

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-55447747648955793262007-07-02T08:43:00.000+10:002007-07-11T10:22:19.363+10:00

Here are some of the latest international developments that are of interest:The latest African Union (AU) summit is discussing the possibility of a "United States of Africa" as a way of improving their status in the world. Source - BBC(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6258072.stm)Al Qaeda has been alleged to have attempted three attacks in Britain. The first two targeted London and failed, but

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-28402916265426064012007-06-25T10:24:00.000+10:002007-07-05T09:25:47.322+10:00

Just an announcement to let everyone know that Michael Behe, famed author of "Darwin's Black Box" has recently released his new book "The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism". In this book he attempts to "define what evolution is capable of doing and what is beyond its scope." Basically his answer is that common descent and natural selection are well-supported possibilities,

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-473433293050249722007-06-25T09:06:00.000+10:002007-06-25T09:25:32.648+10:00

I have released a companion website to this blog at http://vigiloetspero.googlepages.com which has lots of useful information that I have been collating over the past few months.Also I would like to notify everyone of my Study Bible project which I have a blog for at http://study-bible.blogspot.com. It is basically an attempt to create a study bible using the public domain American Standard

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-19581136937903047732007-06-21T07:46:00.000+10:002007-06-21T08:16:14.969+10:00

ASIO (Australia's version of the CIA) Director-General warns that terrorism is "likely to be a destabilising force for the next generation" and "there is no guarantee we will be successful in preventing further mass casualty attacks or stopping its growth." The globe continues to degrade into a mess of war and terror, and even those who would save us admit they have no power to guarantee it.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-31557938155730572732007-06-20T10:34:00.000+10:002007-06-20T11:36:16.319+10:00

I realise this is old news, but I have only recently come across this information so I thought I would make a post for anyone else who might of missed it. Gabriel Barkay, an Israeli archaeologist, discovered what is thought to be the oldest preserved copy of Biblical text, a number of years ago. On the left of this post you can see the discovery and on the right you can see the restored text and

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-87222448660385245432007-06-19T13:30:00.000+10:002007-06-19T13:42:56.388+10:00

Although this is old news for some, CNN has an article on Isaac Newton and his religious views, including his estimate for the date of the end of the world (2060 CE).It does not however talk about his unitarianism, mortalism, and other views that are remarkably close to modern days Jehovah's Witnesses. He even believed that the true church was going to be re-established not in his day, but at a

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-67833298973063242712007-06-18T10:05:00.000+10:002007-06-18T10:15:31.995+10:00

From the Forum 18 News Service:Samarkand City Court sentenced Jehovah's Witness Irfon Hamidov on 14 May to two years in a labour camp on charges of "illegally" teaching his faith in a trial Jehovah's Witnesses say was marred by "procedural violations". This is the latest in a long line of persecution against JWs in Uzbekistan. Only one of the Jehovah's Witness congregations are allowed to operate

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-17867409154836437302007-06-14T15:01:00.000+10:002007-06-14T15:06:00.046+10:00

Stephen Cauchi comments on blood transfusions in his article "Are transfusions the holy grail? Don't take it as read" in The Age newspaper (Australia):"Professor Spiess cited a Swedish study involving Jehovah's Witnesses, whose religion forbids them to accept transfusions. It showed that 499 Witnesses whohad open-heart surgery had better survival rates than other open-heart patients."

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-11381532303251798262007-06-13T08:41:00.000+10:002007-06-13T08:46:41.798+10:00

For a few months now I have been working on creating a study Bible that will be outputted to PDF format so others can use it. I am using all public domain sources for the Bible so it won't cost me anything to make, and so that I can also offer it for free. I have started a blog for the project over at http://study-bible.blogspot.com. Feel free to offer input.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-78877851200907605802007-05-21T14:15:00.000+10:002007-05-21T14:29:34.382+10:00

"The Socinians wanted to get rid of all philosophical language in Christian theology. They wanted to just go back to the bare texts of Scripture. The result was a theology that was (surprise, surprise) Unitarian. Guess what? If you get rid of all the Greek philosophical vocabulary in Christian theology, you cannot express God’s threeness-in-oneness in anything approximating a coherent way. You

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-60299269808489836662007-04-30T23:59:00.000+10:002007-05-01T10:47:37.689+10:00

Charles Darwin was much more balanced and less-biased than the evolution fundamentalists of today..."... The number of intermediate varieties, which have formerly existed on the earth, (must) be truly enormous. Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain; and this, perhaps,

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-90591115238405776902007-04-12T10:41:00.000+10:002007-04-12T10:59:58.668+10:00

I stumbled across a survery located at http://www.fredoniaportal.com/TheSurvey/tabid/73/Default.aspx that is looking to get an idea from "self-professed Christians" on their views of various trinity related thought.After I took the survey, I was directed to the results page, which was very interesting. There is over fifty questions, so here are the highlights. First of all, the questions that had

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-82119744037262024262007-04-12T08:09:00.000+10:002007-04-12T08:15:30.847+10:00

Due to holidaying over the recent "Easter" holiday period, I have missed some of my regular posts (Thursday BBW, Friday Fun & Monday Quote), but I am now back on board and hope to be getting back to some regularity.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-63514172936656167832007-04-03T23:59:00.000+10:002007-04-04T17:57:04.881+10:00

For this weeks (belated) Tuesday Top Seven, I have chosen a short, sweet and opinionated list:My Top Seven Translations of the Holy Scriptures1. New World Translation - literal, precise, translators had great knowledge of original languages2. New American Bible - very literal, but try and get the 2nd version that gets rid of most of the "inclusive" language used in the 1st, 3rd & 4th versions3.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-25890483081452480552007-04-03T08:41:00.000+10:002007-04-03T08:52:57.442+10:00

Time magazine has an artile entitled The Case for Teaching The Bible that examines developments in the United States calling for secular Bible classes to be taught in schools. An interesting quote caught my eye:"According to Religious Literacy, polls show that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible holds the answers to "all or most of life's basic questions,"but pollster George Gallup

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-1784465959347255052007-04-03T08:31:00.000+10:002007-04-03T08:55:21.045+10:00

This news article comments on a resolution that has just been pushed through the United Nations Human Rights Council that promotes a global prohibition on the defamation of religion. It was supported mainly by Islamic nations as a response to the "Danish Mohammed cartoons" controversy. It mentions only Islam and no other religions, and has already begun to draw alot of criticism from other human

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-13129565900216995852007-04-02T16:00:00.000+10:002007-04-03T08:53:49.417+10:00

Origen (3rd-century "Church Father") wrote regarding John 1:1:We next notice John's use of the article in these sentences... He uses the article when the name of God refers to the uncreated cause of all things, and omits it when the Logos is named God...as the God who is over all is God with the article, not without it.God on the one hand is Very God (Auththeos, God of Himself); and so the Savior

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-37362163009453222042007-03-30T13:57:00.000+10:002007-03-30T14:04:45.064+10:00

Some fun for the weekend.For this weeks Friday Fun & Games I present..."If Dilbert(tm) were one of Jehovah's Witnesses"Thanks to Jim Seward for permission to use one of his comics. Check out more of his modified Dilbert comics by going to his website.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-16113840408783531752007-03-29T16:19:00.000+10:002007-03-29T18:07:05.845+10:00

A weekly round-up of what religious blogs are talking about.Jewish The Velveteen Rabbi announces that the Jewish Theological Seminary is going to begin ordaining gay and lesbian rabbis.CatholicOpen Book reports on the Pope's analysis of Europe on the 50th anniversary of the formation of what would become the European Union. Pope Benedict XVI comments that Europe is falling into a "remarkable form

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-74262104021770670512007-03-28T16:48:00.000+10:002007-03-28T17:30:25.117+10:00

One of the things that Jehovah's Witnesses face much criticism over is their practice of "disfellowshipping". Much of the criticism comes from born-again and evangelical "Christians". Yet there is a movement arising in the Southern Baptist Convention that is seeking to re-claim the practice of church discipline that was historically a prominent part of the Baptist movement.The Baptist Press

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-61329562549865365852007-03-27T22:21:00.000+10:002007-03-27T22:28:35.905+10:00

I have just created a new website over on www.freewebs.com (which by the way is a great free site host/builder for those with little time on their hands - it has a similar interface as Blogger, but with more functionality, i.e. you can do more than just blog on it.)It is also entitled 'Vigilo et spero' and will be sort of a sister-site to this one, dealing with JW apologetics and such. I intend

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-32318715508156495152007-03-27T21:41:00.000+10:002007-03-27T22:07:26.800+10:00

Seven Reasons not to believe in Young-earth creationism1. The original Hebrew translated "day" means more than a solar day The Hebrew word translated day is "yohm" and this word not only is restricted to a solar day, it can also refer to a period of time, a year, the daylight hours, or twenty-four hours.2. All six days are referred to as one dayGen 2:4 says "in the day that Jehovah God made earth

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-22043681990421642642007-03-23T23:30:00.000+10:002007-03-23T11:19:17.584+10:00

Today I am initiating a new "segment" called 'Friday Fun & Games'. As it's Friday and most people are winding up their working week, I though it would be good to make a fun post. Also, I normally do little updating over the weekend, so it will hopefully direct people to something fun in the meantime.For this weeks Friday Fun & Games, I thought I would highlight Despair Inc's Parody Motivator

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-22258113758376319502007-03-22T22:32:00.000+10:002007-03-22T22:33:10.307+10:00

Thusday Babylon Blog Watch is a weekly wrap-up of blog posts from various segments of Babylon the Great. This week we are having a "versus" theme, which highlights some of the fighting going on between various denominations.Mormon vs EvangelicalOver at Mormon & Evangelical Conversations, an "ecumenical" blog reconcilling Mormons and Evangelicals, they discuss a DVD that an evangelical mission

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-22730159238653797362007-03-20T15:03:00.000+10:002007-04-12T08:17:10.295+10:00

Top Seven Reasons why the Coptic John 1:1c should be translated "a god"This Tuesday Top Seven courtesy of Memra who has a wealth of information on the ancient Coptic translation of the New Testament on his blog. Trinitarian apologists have long been dumbfounded by this Coptic text which as an ancient witness, translates John 1:1c as "a god", in line with the modern New World Translation. Still

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-7532839976137717502007-03-19T17:33:00.000+10:002007-03-19T17:47:33.706+10:00

An interesting story from Lorain, Ohio (United States) of a Jehovah's Witness man who was going door-to-door and discovered an elderly woman injured and immobilised in her home. Reportedly due to his quick thinking the woman's life was saved. Just one of the side benefits that come from going door-to-door.Read more on the story here.

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-18985719298182577942007-03-15T14:36:00.000+10:002007-03-19T21:35:40.958+10:00

The Attorney-General of Israel has ruled that the Haifa Convention Center in Haifa, Israel, must not continue to discriminate against Jehovah's Witnesses, who wished to rent out space at the centre, but were turned down due to pressure from religious authorities and the town's mayor. Click here to read the story as reported in the Jerusalem Post. Here is an excerpt:Atai Tsimhoni, the attorney

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-14433162492886852692007-03-15T11:16:00.000+10:002007-03-19T21:53:51.019+10:00

A weekly wrap-up of blog posts from various segments of Babylon the Great.Evangelicals Jack Lewis laments the "takeover" of the NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) in the US by "liberals" who want to focus on political agendas such as poverty and human rights, rather than abortion and anti-gay marriage that "real Evangelicals" focus on.Catholics Father Joe discusses the Pope's recent call

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-84626708052127952212007-03-14T13:49:00.000+10:002007-03-20T15:14:45.216+10:00

In "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary by James Cameron, one of the ossuaries ("bone boxes") found alongside the so-called tomb of Jesus carries the inscription "Mariamene e Mara" and they translate this as "Mary, known as Master." Now compare this too what some scholars have already said. Richard Bauckham, Professor of New Testament at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland says:"Mara in this

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027935751239502537.post-26376574818529083772007-03-14T11:41:00.000+10:002007-03-14T15:01:54.866+10:00

In regards to brief summation, here are the top five reasons why I have decided to start a blog at Blogger:1. Blogger is freeIf it wasn't free, I probably wouldn't bother!2. Blogger is simpleThe fact that it is easy and quick to add a post makes it that much more attractive.3. Blogging is enjoyableCommunicating (to however a small an audience) is enjoyable, and being able to design new posts

Expositorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315269382643396770noreply@blogger.com0