Hoekema

According to reference 1, just about a year ago I felt moved to do something about my ignorance of what JW's did. Or, indeed, of anything much about them at all. Movement which was clearly just passing through because, as I mentioned at reference 2, when I passed a pleasant & youngish lady outside Waterloo station offering tracts the other day, I felt the need for an update and took one.

A smartly covered booklet, a good deal smaller than our A5 format and about a quarter of an inch thick. 224 pages inside, smart enough, with plenty of colour pictures, mostly of wholesome people doing wholesome things, but clearly produced to a tight budget. Cheap paper and narrow margins.

I read that believing in God is not enough as even demons do that. I must do better.

They appear to share with Muslims a disapproval of the possession, never mind, use of images. Furthermore, no crosses - and presumably no prayer beads either.

Baptism by full immersion. Perhaps the elders of the Portsmouth congregation have an arrangement with the cathedral authorities for occasional use of the cathedral bath. See reference 3.

Re-birth, should you be lucky enough to qualify on Judgement Day, involves your dormant soul being taken out of escrow and being issued with a brand new body. I did not get to find out whether you had any choice about this. Did it have to be a replica of your body at some point in your time on earth, or were you allowed to start over? Were you, for example, allowed to be a Vulcan, or perhaps something else, yet to be discovered? What about intelligent life forms which did not happen to have gone in for human or even humanoid form? (See the 'Star Trek' official site at reference 4 for some samples. Ask the search button for aliens).

They disapprove of Christmas, not least because they believe that Jesus was born in October. I did not get to find out why this was thought to be so.

On the other hand, elephants are OK, because on page 190 there is a near full page colour picture of a happy family playing on and around one.

You should love and respect your fellow men and women and a wife does well to remember that in God's view, a quiet and mild spirit is of great value. All fair enough. You should respect human life, so no abortion or assisted dying. Triage probably OK, as that can be construed as being passive. You should respect blood of any sort, which appears to mean that you should not consume it by mouth or otherwise. Black puddings and transfusions are out. Presumably JW's who are champion cyclists or rowers have to get a special dispensation from the elders for the tricks that they need to get up to to win. Not sure about white puddings.

I did not get to find out what dispensations were granted to the extended family of Adam and Eve in respect of the rules about marrying within the prohibited degrees. I should say that I am grateful to Mr. F. O'Brien for drawing my attention to this particular problem.

And so to the paper recycling bin. I don't suppose that the Oxfam bin at Kiln Lane would want it.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-man-from-grand-rapids.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/rosalind.html.

Reference 3: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/we-were-little-early-for-our-ferry-so.html.

Reference 4: http://www.startrek.com/.