Why I Left The Jehovah's Witnesses Religion: An Inside Story

In this video Chaka Yumba, a recently defected ex-Jehovah's Witness elder, regular pioneer, SKE graduate and former HLC member tells the full story of why he joined the religion and why and how he eventually exited the religion.
#jehovahswitnesses #exjw #exjehovahswitness
This channel is a resource for anyone interested in scrutinising the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and gaining an insight into how decisions are reached by Jehovah's Witness elders.
Chaka is a qualified and professional psycho logical therapist and the content on this channel addresses mental health issues arising from the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Chaka also addresses issues faced by Black and Black African Jehovah's Witnesses.
To contact Chaka regarding issues raised on this channel email: [e-mail]
Visit Chaka's website: cbtconsultancy.com

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Hi all. I have noted all the comments asking me to "speak up" etc. I apologise that the volume is a bit low on the video. This was due to an issue on the microphone settings which has been rectified in subsequent videos. Please note that as this is not a livestream I am unable to "speak up" or adjust the volume retrospectively and I do not intend to rerecord this video. I suggest that if you're interested in what I have to say you adjust the volume levels on your device to allow you to hear clearly. I have tested this on multiple devices and it works well for me so should work for you too. Now that I have addressed this issue on a pinned comment I will delete any further comments related to the volume on the audio or asking me to "speak up." Many thanks for your understanding 😊

[@billybari8081]

Hi there, Welcome to your freedom. I also grew up as one of JWs and was baptized at 15. I left at 45 (30 years fully in). I left in 2017, returned to university and earned my PhD. I have observed that many who leave high control groups like JW, Mormons, scientology, etc...are unfortunately pre-programmed to become atheists. Somehow, the logic that kept them enslaved in these false cults, is so disdainful that they want to throw everything out asap......Objectivity is often missing from their research. I know that these ex-jws do a lot of research *on the existence of God, Jesus and the Bible in the process of leaving* and I respect their conclusions whether objectively true or false: they are traumatized. However, all the research done by these Ex-JWs in the process of leaving lifts bible naratives, accounts and statements out of their *THEN context and projects them to modern times without any understanding of what was THEN acceptable and happening in those ancient societies.* Remember, the transatlic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, and plain racism....did not happen in BCE..They are very recent, aren't they? ..These are very recent despicable acts....and even today, look at what we are still capable of (israel, Palestine, Hamas....)! So to say thar rapes, child sacrifices, and other things we frown on today means that the stories are untrue or somehow irrelevant is really missing the full picture. For example, you say you examined what is said about Jesus and found them to be exaggerated stories. I noted that the only authority you quoted on the matter is Dr. Bart Denton Ehrma! I think you do well to revisit the matter and particularly try to meditate on: 1. Jesus' own statements (how valuable are they? ). 2. There is always a motive for dramatizing stories and ancient characters. What was the motive in the case of Jesus? 3. You can also look up other people who were staunched atheists and see why they changed their minds! Look up *"cold case Christianity"* channel for example and see what convince a detective and atheist on cold cases (cases of murder where the murderer was never found for decades) to be convinced that Jesus did indeed exist and did what the bible says he did! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGjYm2Wnq7aclc0si=gVLWrPOh58Fu5gML

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@billybari8081 Thank you for your comments. You are welcome to debate this with me on the channel. I didn't arrive at my convictions in one day. I did a lot of research and looked at what various scholars say both believing and unbelieving ones. I don't deny the atrocities from the Bible happening - that is precisely why I no longer accept the book as an authority. With regards to Jesus, I don't doubt his existence. I just doubt some of the claims made about him in the Bible. Well done for reclaiming your life and going on to get a PHD and thank you for sharing your story 😀

[@billybari8081]

Sure. I am now working but, please try to address my questions...just to elaborate: 1. What do you think was the *motive* of exaggerating what Jesus did in the bible and for what purpose and by whom? 2. Just for argument's sake, let take Jesus sermon on the mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7): how socially relevant, compellingly innovative, and valuable for harmonious relationships do you find these teachings? Remember these came from a carpenter! An uneducated man! Where did he get it? If he copied from others, why exactly was Jesus the character to whom these teachings were attributed? 3. Have you also listened to people who formerly held similar positions to yours but to who changed upon examining the evidence for themselves? Examples: 1. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGjYm2Wnq7aclc0si=gVLWrPOh58Fu5gML 2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJbFfJdoaKaUntEsi=eRR7l1ZGj_jbz60x 3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXLbgXuNe52Um8Usi=Pbc9ropz_xJzD4lR

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@billybari8081 Come on the channel and we can debate this properly. 1. There could be many motives why the stories about Jesus may have been exaggerated. If Jesus' disciples started believing that he was divine and that he had been resurrected it would have been in their best interests to make up stories that made him look divine. Much the same way as it is in the interests of the Governing Body to "create" evidence that they are God's sole channel of communication. 2. Jesus was clearly a sage but there are also a lot of things he said and did that if you look at objectively would be questionable today. 3. I don't particularly have an interest in listening to people who changed their views from atheism to Christianity or any other religion as I'm not trying to convince anyone of my views and I'm quite satisfied with my current views. I will have a look at the links you sent though.

[@billybari8081]

I respect your take my brother. I am also not trying to change your views. If *objective reality* doesn't matter to you, then obviously there is no need even to discuss these things. But if truth, objective reality matter to you, are you noticing what has happened to your rationality my brother? 1. You use the terms like: *there could be many...",* ; *"if Jesus disciples started believing......;* etc....these are actually speculations (elevated to truth to become evidence against what you consider to be other speculations - they cant be credible, can they?) my brother...in case you dont realise, they have no place in the realm of reality and truth my brother. It is not a good idea to base one beliefs on *ifs...., or could have or there could be.......* 2. Did you notice that you dont address the question asked? I picked specific example for a reason my brother.....If Jesus also said things that you find questionable, *what makes you believe that our generation's norms and standards are the best there will ever be?* Why couldn't you and I be wrong for our take on things today while Jesus' statements have always been and could be proven right in the future? 3. You say, you are not interested in people who changed their minds and now came to Christ but you were quoting someone who used to be a Christian and changed his mind! Does that sound reasonable to you? Shouldn't you be willing to hear both sides of the story? You say, you are satisfied with your position. Is that what you accept to be the standard? Millions of JWs are very confortable with their positions...but does that make it right or objectively true? I don't know...I am just asking questions... I heard you commenting on 1914...if you send me your email, I will send you a paper, I wrote on the subject ONLY based on the new world translation ...and even then, their own bible proved to me that Ancient Jerusalem under king Zedekiah, was destroyed in 587BCE and not 607BCE....I did this because my interest was *"objective truth and reality"* not Watchtower speculations or historical evidence, I couldn't really personally understand. I knew that I fairly understood the NWT and had read it cover to cover....I could therefore carefully alighn scriptures and see exactly what is real truth on the matter. But please don't feel obligated to answer. Take your time my brother. I am only advising caution....if object reality still matters to you...otherwise, please ignore my comments.

[@ThatWomanJezebel]

I LOVE this guy! So glad he is a content creator! This is the kind of stuff that helps us heal!

[@donnyetta]

Thanks brother. I appreciate you had to whisper because of respect to your family. I must admit, it was the covering up of CSA that was the final straw for me. I handed in a letter of resignation 17 Jan. So happy to hear they announced it six days later 🥳

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Apologies for the sound. I didn't realise it was so low when I was making it. I tried to do better in the next video. Congratulations on your freedom and welcome to the rest of your best life 😀

[@donnyetta]

@@AnthonyMorrisReturns You too, enjoy worshipping Jah Your Way! I must say, at first I just wanted to completely forget the last 40 years - It's not up to me to save everyone from the gb. But I find it very therapeutic to learn about your wake up experience, and others'. Be strong. I expect the shunning of those once "in" will be cancelled due to "new light" and governments withholding charity status and money. It's ALL about the money, you know 🤦🏻‍♀

[@Insight-DrivenDisruptor]

Same here, finally made my resignation official beginning January 1 2024 to set free from the high controlled GB demigods and their loyal foot soldiers, the elders doing their bits for them.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@Insight-DrivenDisruptor Congratulations on your freedom and welcome to the rest of your life :)

[@Soulplaya007]

​@@AnthonyMorrisReturnsso HOW did the Branch cover the CSA case? Did they tell judicial committee not to call police?

[@ramrod576]

Dude. Glad to see you making videos. I subscribed. Looking forward to your ever expanding stories. We normal exjws love to hear stories about JW life that people may not be aware of. Stories that show its just a bunch of people as normal as the rest of us.

[@MarcRock76]

Your ability to ask questions, reason and think for yourself is a blessing. Protect it. Thank you brother…..love form the U.S. & Trinidad 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@laymanphil8513]

Thank you very much for your video. Today there are more and more JWs leaving this apocalyptic cult thanks to all the EXJW dissidence who are doing extraordinary information work. Thank you to you and all the activists around the world who become ever more numerous every year. One more subscriber.

[@RobbieJayOne]

It was shocking to me as an ex JW that when elders are removed watchtower use the official term “deleted” it is so de-humanzing.

[@lindiwe7800]

Sending all the love from SA, thank you for the amazing video

[@NubianStone]

I really enjoyed hearing your story. Thanks for sharing.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Thank you for listening to my story and for your kind words Nubian Stone. I've just finished doing my rebuttal to the Feb 2024 JW broadcasting. I'm hoping it will be out at 8pm tonight

[@Lausbua.]

Keep up your important and fresh work! Looking forward to hearing from you regularly and see how youre doing ☺️ Loving greetings from Bavaria 🥨🍻🏔️

[@Paintingourforevers]

Fellow Zambian* here, based in SA. It’s a brave move that you’ve made. I appreciate that you’re speaking out. I have a similar story, I left the JWs about a year ago. Except, I don’t think my exit was announced. The members still reach out.

[@NubianStone]

I am thrilled that Africans are also waking up and leaving this cult!

[@Paintingourforevers]

@@NubianStone It’s an awful place to be and seeing how many unique stories there are out here is wild. I wish there was a way to bring that organisation down. So many lives being manipulated and wasted in their belief system.

[@NubianStone]

@Paintingourforevers I really wish it would implode. Having friends and family trapped and brainwashed in that cult is heartbreaking.

[@morningglory9288]

​@NubianStone my highly indoctrinated JW daughter accused me of being brainwashed when she discovered I'd been attending another church. I no longer attend it now, as I've come to appreciate all religions is a cult to some degree, we don't need religion to tell us we need to extend love to everyone we meet.

[@MichelleLoveMercy]

Your voice is excellent ASMR lol. Thank you for what you are doing!

[@SunnyDays1914]

We had many immigrate into our congregation from Ghana. All had a family heritage of academia and degrees. The parents would immediately get high paying full-time jobs, nice homes with accompanying large mortgage and also hiring a nanny. They seldom missed a meeting, were very active in the congregation and ministry. No one said a word when they talked about their kids getting their degrees etc. They were very focussed on financial security and prosperity. I thought to myself, they were the smart ones (doing what was best for themselves and their families in spite of what others might say). We had 2 such families from Ghana and 1 from Zimbabwe. What you say is true about how differently JWs from some countries view university education. Thank you for your story. I’m looking forward to hearing more.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Thank you for watching my video and for your interesting comment. I'm fascinated that they weren't harassed by the elders especially as their children were pursuing higher education. I assume the parents didn't have any "privileges"? I agree that it's commendable they put their own and their children's financial security first.

[@SunnyDays1914]

@@AnthonyMorrisReturns This is in Canada. For the one family, the son who went to uni had no privileges, but his father was an elder. Of course the daughters didn’t really matter (no privileges available!). There are definitely inconsistencies regionally and even from congregation to congregation.

[@dianehanson5691]

Thank you for sharing your story, Chaka.

[@vaevictis4668]

I also dont think now, that the bible is gods word. You are great, thank you for your story. Greetings from Austria, Europe.

[@Ballykeith]

Possibly the most senior defector since Ray Franz.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Nah there have been more senior defectors

[@princessc660]

When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties Book by Norman Geisler and Thomas A. Howe When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook on Christian Evidences Book by Norman Geisler and Ronald Matthew Brooks Mere Christianity Book by C. S. Lewis Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis by bishop Barron

[@rxa-z1124]

I lived in Zambia for 3 years! Had a lovely time there!

[@stedwatts1541]

RELIGION, AND POLITICS, ARE THE SAME THING! JUST TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR 🙉 AND THEY WOULD BRING YOU LOT'S OF MONEY 💵💵💵💵💵

[@Sportliveonline]

have you noticed that if you do detailed research your opinion will change and that the religion is built on a few selected verses but overlooks the more ambiguous unverified verses like jesus goes and preaches to the spirits in prison~~

[@mattmurdock2868]

To the spirits in prison and to the dead in Sheol/Hades.

[@NubianStone]

It’s actually been fascinating to study the Bible outside the confines of jw doctrine.

[@mattmurdock2868]

@@NubianStone Yes, its a completely different book. Bible=Word of God. NWT=ever changing word of Watchtower.

[@donnyetta]

@@mattmurdock2868 "Jesus did not say the slave was perfect, he said they were "faithful and discreet"." - Oh boy did I fall for that one 🤣

[@mattmurdock2868]

@@donnyetta Yes, and Jesus was clearly telling a parable, not giving prophecy.

[@exjwukmusicalescape9241]

I used to download those old talks as well had some of them pretty much memorised. When the society announced we shouldnt go online for talks they just became contraband. Funny how the announcements often often have an opposite effect...

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

I also continued downloading them after they were banned ))) One of the brothers I used to enjoy listening to was David Ianneli. He sounded very loving and down to earth - unlike some others I won't name. It was interesting to finally see his face on the last Gilead Graduation)))

[@exjwukmusicalescape9241]

@@AnthonyMorrisReturns Yes he had a very calming voice I remember a good one of his about the Komodo Dragon. I think especially the DO talks contained a lot of truth if you ignore the cultish element probably why they got axed. One DO said is the God I worship the God of the Bible or just my Baal? They dont really want this kind of critical thinking going on they want 'rightly disposed' followers.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@exjwukmusicalescape9241 totally agree. I think at the time DOs were allowed to formulate their own talks. There were a few good ones by JR Brown. There were also some by Sam Herd from his time as a DO. I remember one was entitled "Voices of Authority". It was quite good.

[@exjwukmusicalescape9241]

@@AnthonyMorrisReturns I didnt realise they formulated them that makes sense actually maybe some of the DOs were starting a 5th column. There was one we had at Haysbridge on developing a conscience resisting the temptation to let men tell you what to do.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@exjwukmusicalescape9241 Yep, that definitely sounds like one he formulated. Even COs were allowed to formulate at least one talk during the circuit visit. When we still used to have the bookstudy the 45 minute talk on Thursdays was one they came up with. Are you in the UK?

[@MarcRock76]

Personally I don't believe there is any ONE TRUE RELIGION. That's why we have the BIBLE. It's the one true unifyer. It's a guide for us, to us by the Alimighty. Religion just gets in the way of that personal connection with GOD. (Sometimes)

[@billybari8081]

Good for you. That is the actual truth. Jesus taught it, but we never realised what he was talking about! Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43. Individuals can be true of false Christians but no religions can be true or false! All of them are a collection of lies and some truth.

[@potiphajerenyenje6870]

The Bible, for its part, is a horrible book of fables and fiction if read in its entirety. It talks about miracles but for me the biggest miracle is the fact that a book that starts with a talking snake and ends with a 7 headed monster is taken seriously by many

[@EXJW-ACTIVIST]

Big decision to dissociate from the organization!

[@beccabrown1860]

Hey Chaka, what is the best way to contact you?

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Hi Becca, you can email the channel email address: [e-mail] or visit my website: cbtconsultancy.com. I will put these details in the description 😀

[@Sportliveonline]

so what it is some parts of the Bible are nether discussed~~and how do you know what they wrote down in the first place is true in the first place

[@mreyesonthelies4386]

Oh, I was so happy to hear you went to Russia.

[@chizobauchay2024]

Hi Anthony, i also left early this year, if you wanna talk,you can indicate.

[@Sportliveonline]

i think ive done it ~~~there has to be a level of existence before anything can take place

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Could you elaborate please? 😀

[@Sportliveonline]

where you from what country ?

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

I'm in the UK and as I said in the video I was born in Zambia

[@princessc660]

Genocide in the Bible Catholic answers- The response still depends on whether the passages are meant literally. Yesterday we considered the view that they are literal. Here we consider the view that they are non-literal. According to this view, God did not literally expect the Israelites to exterminate certain peoples. Moses is conventionally referred to as the Pentateuch’s author be- cause he is the principal leader it discusses. The Pentateuch does not say Moses is its author, and it contains material he could not have authored, such as the account of his death (Deut. 34). Although the Pentateuch may contain material that dates to the time of Moses, it was not put in its final form until later. Consequently, the passages concerning the extermination of the Canaanites may not have been written until later. If they are post-Mosaic then they were not intended to be carried out literally, for Israel was already living in the land. In that case, they would have been meant to communicate a spiritual lesson. Though not a body of the Church’s Magisterium, the Pontifical Biblical Commission expresses a common view when it writes: As the best interpreters of the patristic tradition [i.e., the Church Fathers] had already suggested, the narration of the conquest epic should be seen as a sort of parable presenting characters of symbolic value; the law of extermination, for its part, requires a non-literal interpretation, as in the case of the command of the Lord to cut off one’s hand or pluck out one’s eye, if they are a cause of scandal (Matt 5:29; 18:9) (The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture 127). The portrait given of the Canaanites in the Pentateuch is one of great depravity that even involved child sacrifice (Deut. 12:31, 18:10- 12). By contrast, the Israelites are called to holiness, for they are “a people holy to the Lord” (Deut. 7:6, 14:2; cf. Lev. 11:44, 20:26). The extermination commands may thus be a way of signifying the radical incompatibility of paganism and serving God: Paganism is to be entirely avoided, though this does not mean literal extermination any more than Christ meant we should literally cut off our hand to avoid sin.

[@princessc660]

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig Blomberg The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel by Craig Blomberg On the Reliability of the Old Testament by K.A. Kitchen The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible by Curtis Mitch and Scott Hahn A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by John Bergsma and Brant Pitre

[@joshuaryan1946]

Come now. What research did you do? You mentioned the name of someone--I couldn't make out who--that provided you with information. Who was that? Did you really master the historical study of the Bible? Or were you just trying to discount it? The Bible is a large collection of books, some of them mythological, some of them historically true. Did you in a brief time learn The Truth about the Bible's historicity? Or did you just grab up a some "sources" and take their word for it? Are you replacing WT truth with the new atheist truth? You're too nice a guy to act like this.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

I read Bible scholarship widely... I read the scholarly opinions of both Christian and non-Christian scholars. I still read the Bible, but I treat is as any other type of literature and no longer read it with the assumption that it's the infallible word of God. I also still read Jehovah's Witnesses' publications but I can easily poke holes into their arguments as I now have a wider knowledge base than presumably most of the Watchtower writers. I believe the scholar I mention in this video is Bart Ehrman. If you're really determined and focused you can learn a lot in a short time. For example, you can read a few books every week, and if you're consistent, by the end of one year you would have a wide knowledge base - wider than most of the Jehovah's Witnesses leaders.

[@joshuaryan1946]

Ehrman is regarded by almost all scholars as way, way out on a limb. If you don't know that, you don't know the field of biblical study. So often ex-cult members go from one dumb extreme to another.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

@@joshuaryan1946 It appears you haven't even read my comment carefully and just jumped at the first word that you can use to make your case. I don't just base my views on Bart Ehrman, who by the way is a very highly respected New Testament scholar. I read widely and also use my own brain which "God" has given me to come to my own conclusions about things. You don't know anything about me so I find it really interesting that you criticise me for jumping from one extreme to the other. I'm entitled to have my own views about things even if these views differ from yours.

[@princessc660]

Catholic answers- You ask a provocative question indeed. The answer is contingent upon a correct understanding of the “murder.” Murder is taking the life of another without the moral authority to do so. Not all killing is morally wrong, e.g., the killing of an assailant in self-defense of oneself and one’s family (CCC 2321). In addition, even though the Church strongly discourages capital punishment, the Church distinguishes between abortion, which is always gravely wrong (CCC 2322-23), and capital punishment, which is not an intrinsic evil (CCC 2266-67). The killing of Isaac would not have been murder, first of all because he inherited original sin and also had committed personal sins (Rom. 5:12). Indeed, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Also, God is the Lord of life and death (Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6), and therefore it’s under God’s sovereign authority to determine when and how someone’s life begins and ends. In this light, Abraham would not be guilty of murder himself if he had killed Isaac, as he would’ve been acting on the authority of a legitimate moral authority, namely, God. God tested Abraham to see whether Abraham would truly trust him. It was a severe test because God had told Abraham that the world would be blessed by his descendants through Isaac (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:15-21). Abraham passed his test of trust, because “he considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive [Isaac] back, and this was a symbol” (Heb. 11:19). That symbol, of course, was Jesus Christ, as the Father sent his only begotten Son to die for our redemption and salvation.

[@user-kb1ky1li2r]

APOSTATE

[@princessc660]

Catholic Answers- Yes, Jesus fulfills Old Testament Messianic prophecies. For example, Isaiah 7:14 provides that a young maiden or virgin will gives birth to a son, whose name will be Emmanuel (“God is with us”), thereby anticipating the Incarnation of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38). Similarly, there is Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This passage also anticipates the Incarnation, with the fulfillment being seen in the aforementioned Infancy narratives of Matthew 2 and Luke 1, as well as in John 1:1-3 and John 3:16-17. The Messiah is also prophesied to be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; see 2 Sam. 2:6), and that is where Jesus is born (Matt. 2:6). In addition, the Messiah is prophesied to be an ensign to all of the nations (Isa. 11:1-10) who will restore the kingdom of Israel (Am. 9:11-12). And Jesus receives the throne of his father David and his kingdom endures forever (Luke 1:32-33). And Jesus makes it his mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). For more information, see our articles on Isaiah 7:14, Jesus as a second Moses, how Scripture affirms that Jesus is God, and that Jesus is not a false prophet.

[@princessc660]

Catholic answers-It has an element of falsehood because God is depicted as both just and merciful in both Testaments. Anyone who reads the Old Testament encounters many descriptions of God as loving and kind: “The Lord [is] a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exod. 34:6; cf. Num. 14:18, Deut. 4:31, 2 Chron. 30:9, Neh. 9:17, Ps. 86:5). And anyone who reads the New Testament encounters many mentions of God’s wrath: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31; cf. Matt. 25:41, Rom. 1:18, 2 Thess. 1:8-9, Rev. 20:11-15). Both the Old and New Testaments thus depict God as stern and as kind, and the passages in question illustrate two of his attributes-justice and mercy-which he possesses and displays eternally. Therefore, there aren’t two different Gods in the Bible, but one God who displays both attributes. This is not to say that there are not differences in emphasis. There are, and they have to do with the different stages of God’s plan, by which he progressively reveals himself to man (CCC 69). The earlier portions of Scripture were written in a very violent period, and they reflect the character of the time. In the Old Testament, polytheism was a real threat to the Israelites, and there was constant oppression and exploitation of the poor and the weak. God thus used the image of himself as a powerful, heavenly king to warn the Isra- elites against polytheism and oppression-the sins that are regularly singled out for the strongest condemnation in the Old Testament. When Jesus came, a new phase in God’s plan dawned-a phase in which God made himself vulnerable and offered himself on the cross, underscoring in the most dramatic way his love for mankind (John 3:16). The impact of this event naturally colored the way God is revealed in the New Testament and balances the emphases found in the Old.

[@princessc660]

The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ by Brant Pitre The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach by Andrew Loke (A) The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition by Paul Rhodes Eddy and Gregory Boyd (A)

[@lorenzoloza2430]

Because you are a son of Corah

[@Linda-ux8un]

And your sadly repeating WT nonsense..

[@princessc660]

Catholic answers- Yes, God was “serious” when he commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. And there was no sin on God’s part, or Abraham’s, for two essential reasons: First, God is the author of all life. As Job said so well in Job 1:21: “the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Because God is the giver of the gift of life, he can take that life anytime and for any reason he chooses. He does not have to ask anyone’s permission. Thus, God is not guilty of moral evil even if he were to take the life of Isaac. Second, God is free to choose to take away any life he so wills either directly or by commissioning men as his instruments. And if or when he wills to use a man as an instrument, the instrument (the man) is not only guiltless when he obeys God, but he acts meritoriously if he carries out the commandment of the Lord for the glory of the Lord and if he is in a state of grace. In the case of government acting as the instrument of God, for example, St. Paul declared, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God… For [a ruler]… is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:1-4). Thus, Abraham would not have been guilty of moral evil even if he took Isaac’s life in obedience to the command of God. But what about the evil of child (or human) sacrifice-the taking of innocent human life? The condemnation of the killing of the innocent was quite clear in the Old Testament: Exodus 23:7 says, “… do not slay the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.” But because the Old Covenant represents a period of roughly 1,500 years where God was gradually revealing both himself and his will for mankind, that message was, at times, obscured. As Hebrews 1:1 says, “In many and various (Greek - polumeros, or, “partial”) ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son” (Gr. - en huio, or “in the Son”). God has finally spoken the definitive word of God in and through the Word of God himself, Jesus Christ; so as clear as the law was in the Old Testament, the law is even clearer in the New Covenant. Thus, the killing of an innocent is excluded absolutely in the New Covenant Church. Because the Church is no longer in a period of on-going revelation where the word of God was merely “partial” and still being revealed, and because we are no longer in a covenant where God was still communicating his will in life and death situations like we saw with Abraham/Isaac, our path is much clearer today, morally speaking. In other words, if a Christian today were to think he hears “God” telling him to offer his child in sacrifice, the response of that Christian should be, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” That is not God. Though God certainly can take the life of anyone he chooses, as I said above, he no longer communicates that authority to his servants when it comes to the innocent. This is not a case of God changing. Think of the analogy of a father with his children. A good father does not treat his sixteen-year-old the same way he treats his five-year-old. Spanking a sixteen-year-old is unthinkable. But a five-year-old (moderately) is certainly allowable. Analogously, God dealt with an ancient, tribal, and very violent people much differently than he did does today after 1,500 years of teaching them-and then, of course, giving them the fullness of grace and truth through the eternal Son of God. God is powerful and knows if it would have been traumatic for Isaac he is capable of taking trauma away or causing Issac to forget about it. If you don’t believe in God you would obviously believe God can’t take away trauma. Issac lived a successful life after wards.

[@AnthonyMorrisReturns]

Please be careful in advocating actions like spanking as this may be illegal in certain jurisdictions in which viewers of this channel. Such comments WILL be removed in future.

[@francopaleologos7461]

Sup from Miami, Papo get a real Bible , I begged for the true knowledge in prayer after an elder said the Revelation book was not valid. A NKJV Bible showed up in my parking space in the morning. The Light turned on, the encounter happened, JESUS showed up. Papo please ask, guaranteed Jesus will come. The New crypto system is coming, MARK of the Beast is setting up. Rev13:11-18

[@user-kb1ky1li2r]

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[@user-kb1ky1li2r]

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