"In the Beginning" Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1

Is the Earth really only 10,000 years old? (Search For Bible Truths)

The "Impossible" Universe (Search For Bible Truths)

Is there scientific evidence that supports the Bible? (Search For Bible Truths)

What are The Meanings Of The Words Translated "created" In Genesis 1:1 And "make" in Genesis 1:16? (Y/A; Esp. Bar Enosh's response)


For the entire Scripture Index, see:
Search For Bible Truths - Scripture Index

Valentine's Day - Its Origins And Associations

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY

"Ancient Romans placed great stress upon holidays that fell about the middle of the shortest month of the year. Dedicated to the goddess Juno, who was the wife of Jupiter, these festivals stressed love, courtship, and marriage.

"That was appropriate since Juno, queen of heaven, was regarded as the special protector of women in `critical times of life.'....

"When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire by edict of Emperor Constantine, religious leaders immediately started trying to do away with pagan festivals. Many of them had been observed for so many centuries that they resisted all frontal attacks, so there were many efforts to bring about change in a more subtle fashion. One of the most effective was a substitution of a Christian [?] observance for a pagan one, with special ceremonies held on or near the date of the long-established holiday.

"Since the martyrdom of St. Valentine was celebrated on February 14, it made sense to stress homage to the man who was said to have been stoned to death on that day in A. D. 269. For that reason the name of a man about whom no written records exist came to be attached to the day formerly dedicated to Juno." - How It Started, pp. 46-47.

"Valentine's Day comes on the feast of two different Christian martyrs named Valentine. But the customs connected with the day ... probably came from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place every February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature." - The World Book Encyclopedia, p. 204, Vol. 20, 1973 ed.

Some would say that it's wrong to pay such homage to dead men, whether Catholic "Saints" or not, but certainly it's incredibly wrong to mix in pagan ceremonies honoring pagan gods in the process.

Martin Luther wrote,

"The pity is that we are so blind that we do not leave the devil alone to play his tricks in his own way; rather, we support him and multiply them. I wish people would leave the saints in peace, and not mislead humble folk. What spirit was it that gave the pope authority to canonize saints? Who tells him whether they are holy or not? .... God is just in judging us with His wrath and in allowing the devil to lead us hither and thither, to institute pilgrimages, ... to set about canonizing saints and other foolish things." - p. 458, Martin Luther, Selections From His Writings, Dr. John Dillenberger, Anchor Books, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1961.

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? .... `Therefore come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. `Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you ...' says the Lord Almighty." - 2 Cor. 6:16, 17, NIVSB. [NIVSB f.n.: "agreement...between the temple of God and idols. There can be no reversion to or compromise with the idolatry they have forsaken for the gospel (cf. 1 Th. 1:9)."]

For more concerning St. Valentine's Day, see:

What is the origin of Valentine’s Day? (rs p. 176-p. 182; Watchtower Online Library)

Saints (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Celebrate St. Valentine's Day? (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Demons - Links to Information

(Also see Angels, Nephilim, Satan the Devil, Spiritism and Sons of God.)


Click on any of the following links to view:

DEMONS - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

DEMON (Insight-1 pp. 612-613; Watchtower Online Library)

Demons (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Spirit Creatures—How They Affect Us (What Does the Bible Really Teach?; JW.ORG)

Do demons exist and what should a person do if they suspect that they are being harassed by them? (Search For Bible Truths)

Why is Satan and his angels invisible to our eyes? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

If certain denominations today claim that they can expel demons, is this unequivocal proof that they have Jesus' approval? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Do all of our desires and temptations come from Satan and his demons? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Were the "sons of God" mentioned in Genesis 6:2 angels, and if so, how could they produce offspring (Nephilim) in the time of Noah? (Search For Bible Truths)

When were the disobedient angels cast into Tartarus and what is their condition there? (2 Pet. 2:4,5) (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Death Penalty (Capital Punishment)

How do Jehovah's witnesses view capital punishment?

"Jehovah's Christian witnesses adhere to what the Holy Scriptures present as God's view of capital punishment. They recognize that Jehovah God, as the Creator of man, has the absolute right to set forth laws that must be obeyed if one is to continue enjoying life. Accordingly, when God determines that certain people merit the death penalty because of their persistent practice of sin, he can rightly take their life. Two notable examples of such capital punishment executed by God are the destruction of disobedient mankind in the Flood and the later destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.—2 Pet. 2:5, 6.

"As Lawgiver, Judge and Supreme Sovereign, Jehovah God can also delegate to others the authority to execute lawbreakers. After the flood of Noah's day, for example, he authorized humans to administer capital punishment for deliberate murder. We read: "Anyone shedding man's blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God's image he made man." (Gen. 9:6) The human authority, by executing the murderer, would be acting as "God's minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing what is bad."—Rom. 13:4.

"Of course, some may question whether human authorities can rightly execute individuals for acts that God's Word does not designate as capital offenses. That is a responsibility the governments must bear before God. But there is no Scriptural basis for saying that governments are condemned for prescribing the death penalty for murderers. God's view is that the person deliberately taking someone else's life forfeits his own life. Today, however, many governments are abandoning God's view of capital punishment, this doubtless contributing to increased crime and violence." - Questions From Readers; 8/1/72 Watchtower

For more information concerning capital punishment from the Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses, see:

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Dead Sea Scrolls - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

DEAD SEA SCROLLS - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

What Is the Truth About the Dead Sea Scrolls? (w01 2/15 pp. 3-5; Watchtower Online Library)

The Dead Sea Scrolls—Why Should They Interest You? (w01 2/15 pp. 6-7; Watchtower Online Library)

Dead Sea Scrolls (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library (Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library)

The Dead Sea Scrolls (Pastor Russell)

Isaiah Dead Sea Scrolls (Great Isaiah Scroll Directory - Isaiah Dead Sea Scrolls -photos and translation.)

Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Twentieth Century Relating to the Biblical World (biblicalstudies.info)

Do Jehovah's Witnesses Deny Biblical Monotheism?
This can best be illustrated by the use of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the most important manuscript finds of the century. ... (JW United)

How Was God's Name (YHWH) Pronounced? Some of the words in the Dead Sea scrolls were pronounced and spelled in the scrolls with an aspirant, ah, which is lacking in the Masoretic text. For example, Masoretic words like hoo and hee are spelled hoo-ah in the scrolls. ... (Search For Bible Truths)

Dancing - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

DANCING - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

DANCING (Insight-1 pp. 574-575; Watchtower Online Library)

How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Dancing? (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

What does the Bible say about dancing? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What should a Christian's view be toward dancing? (Search For Bible Truths)

Day - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

DAYS - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Day (Insight-1 pp. 592-594; Watchtower Online Library)

How Does the Bible Show That the Creative Days Were Longer Than 24 Hours Each? (Search For Bible Truths)

How long is a "day" in the first chapter of Genesis? What Does the Hebrew word for "Day" mean? What each Day began and ended with (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Were the creative "days" in Genesis literal 24 hour periods? (Search For Bible Truths)

Is Gen. 1:5 talking about a literal morning and a literal evening of a literal day? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)