Melinda Mills

Hope the coffee was not hot. ======= Just looked up Plankton: plank·ton /ˈplaNGktən/ Learn to pronounce noun the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water, consisting chiefly of diatoms, protozoans, small crustaceans, and the eggs and larval stages of larger animals. Many animals are adapted to feed on plankton, especially by filtering the water. "prawns change their diet from plant plankton to animal plankton". ===== Yes, and there is sea weed and plant plankton. Even with plankton, these are small organisms, very small crustaceans, etc. So whales don't have to eat other whales, dolphins, sharks, etc. Your comment, please.

That argument not up to your standard, James. Ever heard of sea weed/grasses?

And when you tell them that this would be the diet of animals in the new system, they say that one can look at the carnivorous teeth and see that the animals were made to eat meat. But those teeth can rip apart tree branches and other hard materials too, and grip anything they need to pull. I like to put Genesis 1:29, 30 and Isaiah 11: 6,7,and 9 to show that the animals will no longer eat one another or people, but people always find fault with it. *** Bible Citations *** (Isaiah 11: 6-7) 6 The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb, And with the young goat the leopard will lie down, And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will feed together, And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the bull.

*** it-1 p. 596 Death *** Cause of Death in Humans. The first reference to death in the Scriptures occurs at Genesis 2:16, 17 in God’s command to the first man concerning the eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, violation of which command would result in death. (See NW ftn.) However, death among animals as a natural process was evidently already in effect, since they are passed over completely in the Biblical presentation of the introduction of death into the human family. (Compare 2Pe 2:12.) The gravity of God’s warning about the death penalty for disobedience would therefore be understandable to his human son, Adam. Adam’s disobedience to his Creator brought death to him. (Ge 3:19; Jas 1:14, 15) Thereafter, Adam’s sin and its consequence, death, spread to all men.—Ro 5:12; 6:23. (2 Peter 2:12) But these men, like unreasoning animals that act on instinct and are born to be caught and destroyed, speak abusively about things of which they are ignorant. They will suffer destruction brought on by their own destructive course,

Sounds like a good idea. However, get a good breakfast - it is very important. The body needs the food when we are facing the pressures of the day not late in the evening. It dumps most of the stuff then and we put on weight. Before 4.00 p.m. seems OK, but get some healthy snacks in between.

Things we have to learn about the animals: Adam was in the garden several years before Eve was created. He saw animals dying and knew about death. Therefore he understood what would happen if he disobeyed. Why did Jehovah not give or promise everlasting life to animals although they did not sin? Why did not Jesus die for animals? ------ (Exodus 21:28-32) 28 “If a bull gores a man or a woman and that one dies, the bull must be stoned to death and its meat is not to be eaten; but the owner of the bull is free from punishment. 29 But if a bull was in the habit of goring and its owner had been warned but he would not keep it under guard and it killed a man or a woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner is also to be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on him, he must give as the redemption price for his life all that may be imposed on him. 31 Whether it gored a son or a daughter, it is to be done to the bull’s owner according to this judicial decision. 32 If the bull gored a slave man or a slave girl, he will give the price of 30 shekels to that one’s master, and the bull will be stoned to death. (Accounting with animals? but judgement had to be executed by man. Bull will not stone itself to death.)

I just did that. Thanks for the reminder.

(Anna just reminded me that I promised to post what I heard.) This is what I understood the speaker to say: Don't elevate animals to status of man. Man was made in God's image and has the ability to love, appreciate wisdom, reasoning, music and poetry and worship. Animals can't do that. The speaker also cited the Leona Hemsley and what she left in her will for her dog (and to have him buried beside her). He said to show love to our great God, Jehovah. Jehovah will provide for us as he provides for the birds who are assured of confident eating ( Matt 6:26).

Thanks for the reminder. I will post what I heard, but it did not say you must not love animals. Barbados is again under the USA Branch since September 2018 and we had a link up with the Miami International Convention for several talks including the baptism and most of the closing talks.. A local speaker gave the talk on : Creation Reveals God's Love: Animals - which was part of a symposium. This is what I understood the speaker to say: Don't elevate animals to status of man. Man was made in God's image and has the ability to love, appreciate wisdom, reasoning, music and poetry and worship. Animals can't do that. The speaker also cited the Leona Hemsley and what she left in her will for her dog (and to have him buried beside her). He said to show love to our great God, Jehovah. Jehovah will provide for us as he provides for the birds who are assured of confident eating ( Matt 6:26).

Again, Why would we want to discuss that now? (Are we in tune with the spirit of this world? Racism, etc.) (Acts 17:30) True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance; but now he is declaring to all people everywhere that they should repent. (2 Peter 2:21, 22) 21 It would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it to turn away from the holy commandment they had received. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire.” (Philippians 1:8-11) . . .. 9 And this is what I continue praying, that your love may abound still more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; 10 that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not stumbling others up to the day of Christ; 11 and that you may be filled with righteous fruit, which is through Jesus Christ, to God’s glory and praise. After such an uplifting Convention?

Why would you want to raise that now? And I think you mean Canaan not Cain. But the Watchtower taught no such thing. *** g82 2/8 p. 13 The Races—What Is Their Origin? *** Noah and his three sons all had a measure of this dark pigment. From Shem came the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Jews and the Arabs who vary from fair to light-brown skin. The descendants of Japheth, who include the Indo-European races, vary from light skin to dark brown. As for Ham (meaning swarthy or sun-burnt), some, but not all, of his descendants had dark skin. The Egyptians, with light-brown skin, descended from Ham’s son Mizraim. Ham’s son Canaan, who was cursed by God because of bad conduct, was the forefather of the light-skinned Canaanites.

(Genesis 2:4-6) . . .This is a history of the heavens and the earth in the time of their being created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven. 5 Now there was as yet no bush of the field found in the earth and no vegetation of the field was as yet sprouting, because Jehovah God had not made it rain upon the earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6 But a mist would go up from the earth and it watered the entire surface of the ground. Note: Before Jehovah made Adam there was no man to cultivate the ground. The information seems scant but the Bible says enough. Cain later built a city named after his son, Enoch, so it doesn't seem he was still worried of being killed. Read here: (Genesis 4:16-24)  Then Cain went away from before Jehovah and took up residence in the land of Exile, to the east of Eʹden. 17 Afterward Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Eʹnoch. Then he engaged in building a city and named the city after his son Eʹnoch. 18 Later Iʹrad was born to Eʹnoch. And Iʹrad became father to Me·huʹja·el, and Me·huʹja·el became father to Me·thuʹsha·el, and Me·thuʹsha·el became father to Laʹmech. 19 Laʹmech took two wives for himself. The name of the first was Aʹdah, and the name of the second was Zilʹlah. 20 Aʹdah gave birth to Jaʹbal. He was the founder of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Juʹbal. He was the founder of all those who play the harp and the pipe. 22 Also, Zilʹlah gave birth to Tuʹbal-cain, who forged every sort of tool of copper and iron. And the sister of Tuʹbal-cain was Naʹa·mah. 23 Then Laʹmech composed these words for his wives Aʹdah and Zilʹlah: “Hear my voice, you wives of Laʹmech; Give ear to my saying: A man I have killed for wounding me, Yes, a young man for striking me. 24 If 7 times Cain is to be avenged, Then Laʹmech 77 times.” Note that it did not say Cain found his wife in the land of Fugitiveness (Nod) east of the Garden of Eden, but he had relations with her there. Note that the Bible does not mention the names of the daughters of Adam. It said only that he had sons and daughters in Genesis chapter 5. It is likely that Adam had several daughters before he had Seth who was mentioned next. (See Reasoning Book and other publications under Where did Cain get his wife?) My take: It also spoke about him building a city named after his son, Enoch, so it seems he was no longer worried about being hunted down. Lamech in his poetry spoke of Cain being avenged, so it seems Cain's situation was known and that he was to be avenged seven times, if killed. A certain level of sophistication is noted here: Marrying, making instruments and playing music, lifestyle innovations, tool making with copper and iron, poetry writing and maybe songwriting too. It speaks of the talented people that descended from Cain and their also taking wives and not saying where they came from. Seems female children were born regularly enough, among that pool of people, so there was no problem getting wives. Lamech took two, as they were plentiful enough. Occasionally the Bible said how old Adam was when he got another son, but generally intervals are not mentioned. So we trust the daughters were old enough to be married. Lamech seemed to be a writer/poet and he had talented children who made musical instruments, tools, and invented other things and lifestyles. His wives and one of his daughter's name is mentioned (Naamah). I don't think we should worry about it. We would like to know more but the Bible says enough.

Interesting points, James, but it is all conjecture. Based on Genesis 3:20 the person Cain married had to come from Eve (the mother of all living). Therefore it would be one of his sisters or nieces. People were near to perfection then, and the Mosaic Law against incest was given much later (2500 years) when the genes would be starting to degenerate. So saying that there were other humans living elsewhere in the wild who God ignored is a little too far out. (They certainly did not evolve - God is the source of all life. He made his creatures all according to their kind, including humans. He made man in his own image as a special creation. Paul showed that all people do by nature things of the law written on their consciences.) God is interested in all his creations, even the birds and ants. But he loves humans and they were made in his image. Jesus loved humans from the beginning and he said (in the gospels) his Heavenly Father would rather care for us than the birds. Even in the Law of Moses he prescribed how foreigners who were not Israelites were to be treated so they would not be humiliated. Actually his selecting Abraham's offspring for blessings was only a test case for how all mankind would be treated in the future. All humans are accountable to God, even those who were not under the Mosaic law. Remember these scriptures: (Genesis 1:26) Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every creeping animal that is moving on the earth.” (Notice he did not say any particular kind of man or race.) (Proverbs 8:31) I rejoiced over his habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of men. (Jesus loved humans from the beginning.) (Genesis 22:18) And by means of your offspring all nations of the earth will obtain a blessing for themselves because you have listened to my voice.’” (All nations are in for a blessing eventually.) Jehovah was using his friend, Abraham's, descendants as a test case for what he was going to do when mankind is restored to perfection. It was not because they were superior in any way. (Deut 4: 32-38) “Ask, now, about the former days before your time, from the day when God created man on the earth; search from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens. Has anything so great ever happened or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Have any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire the way you have heard it and kept on living? 34 Or has God ever attempted to take for himself a nation out of the midst of another nation along with judgments, with signs, with miracles, with war, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with terrifying deeds, as Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35 You yourselves have been shown these things so you will know that Jehovah is the true God; there is no other besides him. 36 He made you hear his voice from the heavens to correct you, and on the earth he made you see his great fire, and his words you heard from out of the fire. 37 “Because he loved your forefathers and has chosen their offspring after them, you were brought out of Egypt in his presence by his great power. 38 From before you he drove away nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and give you their land as an inheritance, as it is today. Jesus said Jehovah cares for all his creatures, but he would rather care for mankind. (Matthew 6:26-30) 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I tell you that not even Solʹo·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? Non-Israelite humans could come and pray at Jehovah's house. (1 Kings 8:41-43) “Also concerning the foreigner who is not part of your people Israel and who comes from a distant land because of your name 42 (for they will hear about your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), and he comes and prays toward this house, 43 may you then listen from the heavens, your dwelling place, and do all that the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as your people Israel do, and may know that your name has been called on this house that I have built. God always cared for people, even those who did not serve him. (Acts 14:16, 17) In past generations he permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, 17 although he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.” It is still his will for all kinds of people to be saved. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, 4 whose will is that all sorts of people should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time. I know you don't like long talk or writing, but there is a reason why God inspired 40 men to write 66 books in the Bible; you can't say everything in one sentence. (Ephesians 3:18) in order that with all the holy ones you may be thoroughly able to comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth,..

"(Genesis 3:20) 20 After this Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to become the mother of everyone living. " That includes whomever Adam's sons got married to.

Two created by God, all others procreated. But whom did Jesus die for?