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How Christians Are “No Part of the World”The Watchtower—1977 | October 15
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to the people. They realize that this is a most important work, that of pointing the people to God’s provision for permanent relief. Consequently, they do not build religious institutions such as hospitals and schools. They pay taxes to support public institutions of this kind, and are glad to pay for services rendered by such hospitals and schools. By not building private hospitals and schools and by not joining in with other churches or organizations that do so, are Jehovah’s Witnesses failing to be civic- or community-minded?
No. Jehovah’s Witnesses have the best interests of the community at heart. The facts reveal that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not cheat the community or the government by falsifying tax reports, by defrauding others or by breaking the law. Rather, by obeying the law they raise the moral level of the community. It is commonly observed that those accepting the Bible teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses change their lives to become more clean and upright, more law-abiding citizens. At the present time there is ‘a famine in all the earth, not for bread, and a thirst, not for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah.’ (Amos 8:11, 12) While Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize the value of operating hospitals and schools, they appreciate that these are a responsibility of the State, and so they do not turn aside from their more important commission of getting the lifesaving knowledge of God to the people. This message from God gives people lasting help, encouragement and hope. They recognize this God-commanded activity as providing the highest form of education and therapy.
Since “the scene of this world is changing” and is, in fact, going to pass away, the only things remaining being those things having to do with God’s kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses are building on the only thing that is permanent. (1 Cor. 7:31; 1 John 2:17; Heb. 12:27, 28) The apostle says: “The things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.” (2 Cor. 4:18) Besides making over their personalities, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses have a hope that enables them to keep their balance in an upset world. They know that God purposes to bring in a “new earth” in which righteousness is to dwell and they look forward to a complete healing of all their fleshly weaknesses.—2 Pet. 3:13.
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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1977 | October 15
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Questions From Readers
● What did God mean when he told Jonah that there were in the city of Nineveh more than 120,000 persons “who do not at all know the difference between their right hand and their left”?
Jehovah God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh to announce its impending doom. The entire populace then repented, so God chose to spare the city. Jonah reacted poorly to that development, and God said to him: “Ought I not to feel sorry for Nineveh the great city, in which there exist more than one hundred and twenty thousand men who do not at all know the difference between their right hand and their left, besides many domestic animals?”—Jonah 4:11.
Some commentators have understood from this that there were 120,000 youths (perhaps under the age of five or seven) in the city, so they estimate its total population to have been 600,000. Such commentators refer to the time when God told Moses that the only ones to
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