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Sunday 20 September 2015

Mark10-16 New American Bible

10)He set out from there and went into the district of Judea [and] across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them.
2
* The Pharisees approached and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him.a
3
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
4
They replied, “Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.”b
5
But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment.
6
But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.c
7
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife],d
8
and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.
9
Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
10
In the house the disciples again questioned him about this.
11
e He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;
12
and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Blessing of the Children.
13
f And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.g
14
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15
Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child* will not enter it.”h
16
Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.
The Rich Man.
17
i As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?* No one is good but God alone.
19
You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’”j
20
He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
21
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
22
At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23
* Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”k
24
The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25
It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”
27
Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
28
Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.”
29
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
30
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
31
But many that are first will be last, and [the] last will be first.”l
The Third Prediction of the Passion.
32
m They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him.
33
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles
34
who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”
Ambition of James and John.
35
n Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
36
He replied, “What do you wish [me] to do for you?”
37
They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
38
* o Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
39
They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
40
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
42
* Jesus summoned them and said to them,p “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
43
But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
44
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
45
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Blind Bartimaeus.*
46
They came to Jericho.q And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging.
47
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
48
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
49
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.”
50
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
51
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
52
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
11)1
When they drew near to Jerusalem,a to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples
2
and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.
3
If anyone should say to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ reply, ‘The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.’”
4
So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it.
5
Some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6
They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it.
7
So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it.
8
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
9
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:b

“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!”



11
He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve.c
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree.*
12
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.d
13
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs.
14
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it.
Cleansing of the Temple.*
15
They came to Jerusalem,e and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.
16
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
17
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”f
18
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
19
When evening came, they went out of the city.g
The Withered Fig Tree.
20
h Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
21
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
22
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
23
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.i
24
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.j
25
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”k
26
*
The Authority of Jesus Questioned.*
27
They returned once more to Jerusalem.l As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him
28
and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
29
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
31
They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘[Then] why did you not believe him?’
32
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet.
33
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
12) 1
He began to speak to them in parables.a “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.b
2
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
3
But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4
Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
5
He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
6
He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
7
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8
So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9
What [then] will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others.
10
Have you not read this scripture passage:c

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes’?”
12
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.
Paying Taxes to the Emperor.
13
* They sent some Phariseesd and Herodians to him to ensnare hime in his speech.*
14
They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?”
15
Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.”
16
They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”
17
So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.f
The Question about the Resurrection.*
18
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and put this question to him,
19
saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’g
20
Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
21
So the second married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise.
22
And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died.
23
At the resurrection [when they arise] whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her.”
24
Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God?
25
When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.
26
As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob’?h
27
He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.”
The Greatest Commandment.*
28
One of the scribes,i when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
29
Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!
30
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’j
31
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”k
32
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’
33
And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”l
34
And when Jesus saw that [he] answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.m
The Question about David’s Son.*
35
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,n “How do the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David?
36
David himself, inspired by the holy Spirit, said:
‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.”’o
37
David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” [The] great crowd heard this with delight.
Denunciation of the Scribes.*
38
In the course of his teaching he said,p “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
39
seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.
40
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
The Poor Widow’s Contribution.*
41
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.q Many rich people put in large sums.
42
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
43
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.
44
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
13)1
As he was making his way out of the temple area one of his disciples said to him, “Look, teacher, what stones and what buildings!”a
2
Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone left upon another that will not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the End.
3
* As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple area, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,b
4
“Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be when all these things are about to come to an end?”
5
Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one deceives you.c
6
Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many.
7
When you hear of wars and reports of wars do not be alarmed; such things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.
8
Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes from place to place and there will be famines. These are the beginnings of the labor pains.
The Coming Persecution.
9
d “Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them.
10
But the gospel must first be preached to all nations.*
11
When they lead you away and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say.e But say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the holy Spirit.
12
Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
13
You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
The Great Tribulation.
14
f “When you see the desolating abomination standing* where he should not (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains,g
15
[and] a person on a housetop must not go down or enter to get anything out of his house,h
16
and a person in a field must not return to get his cloak.
17
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days.
18
Pray that this does not happen in winter.
19
For those times will have tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of God’s creation until now, nor ever will be.i
20
If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he did shorten the days.
21
If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.
22
False messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders in order to mislead, if that were possible, the elect.
23
Be watchful! I have told it all to you beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man.
24
j “But in those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,k
25
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26
* l And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory,
27
and then he will send out the angels and gather [his] elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree.
28
m “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
29
In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.
30
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Need for Watchfulness.
32
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33
n Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
34
It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.o
35
Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
36
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
37
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
14)1
* The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread* were to take place in two days’ time.a So the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to arrest him by treachery and put him to death.
2
They said, “Not during the festival, for fear that there may be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany.*
3
When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper,b a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.
4
There were some who were indignant. “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil?
5
It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.” They were infuriated with her.
6
Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.
7
The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me.
8
She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.
9
Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
The Betrayal by Judas.
10
c Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them.
11
When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
Preparations for the Passover.
12
d On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,* his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
13
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water.* Follow him.
14
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’
15
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”
16
The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
The Betrayer.
17
e When it was evening, he came with the Twelve.
18
* And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
19
They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one, “Surely it is not I?”
20
He said to them, “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish.
21
For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,* but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
The Lord’s Supper.
22
* While they were eating,f he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”
23
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24
He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed* for many.
25
Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26
Then, after singing a hymn,* they went out to the Mount of Olives.g
Peter’s Denial Foretold.*
27
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be dispersed.’h
28
But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.”
29
Peter said to him, “Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be.”
30
Then Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.”
31
But he vehemently replied, “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all spoke similarly.
The Agony in the Garden.
32
* Then they came to a place named Gethsemane,i and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”j
33
He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed.
34
Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”
35
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him;
36
he said, “Abba, Father,* all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.”
37
When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
38
* Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.k The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
39
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing.
40
Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.
41
He returned a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
42
Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus.
43
l Then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
44
His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, “The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely.”
45
He came and immediately went over to him and said, “Rabbi.” And he kissed him.
46
At this they laid hands on him and arrested him.
47
One of the bystanders drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.
48
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to seize me?
49
Day after day I was with you teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me; but that the scriptures may be fulfilled.”
50
And they all left him and fled.
51
Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him,
52
but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.
Jesus before the Sanhedrin.
53
* m They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.
54
Peter followed him at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with the guards, warming himself at the fire.
55
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none.
56
Many gave false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.
57
* Some took the stand and testified falsely against him, alleging,
58
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.’”n
59
Even so their testimony did not agree.
60
The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus, saying, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?”
61
* But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?”
62
Then Jesus answered, “I am; and
‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power
and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”o
63
At that the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further need have we of witnesses?
64
You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as deserving to die.
65
Some began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards greeted him with blows.p
Peter’s Denial of Jesus.
66
q While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along.
67
Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”
68
* But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” So he went out into the outer court. [Then the cock crowed.]
69
The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.”
70
Once again he denied it. A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.”
71
He began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.”
72
And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept.r
15)1
a As soon as morning came,b the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council.* They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
2
Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”* He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
3
The chief priests accused him of many things.
4
Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.”
5
Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

The Sentence of Death.*
6
Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested.c
7
A man called Barabbas* was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion.
8
The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed.
9
Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”
10
For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.
11
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
12
Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?”
13
* They shouted again, “Crucify him.”
14
Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.”
15
* So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
Mockery by the Soldiers.
16
* d The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort.
17
They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him.
18
They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19
and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage.
20
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.
The Way of the Cross.
21
They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian,* who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.e
The Crucifixion.
22
f They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull).
23
They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it.
24
* g Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.
25
It was nine o’clock in the morning* when they crucified him.
26
* The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”
27
With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left.h
28
*
29
* Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,i “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
30
save yourself by coming down from the cross.”
31
Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
32
Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.j
The Death of Jesus.
33
At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
34
And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”* which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”k
35
* Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.”
36
One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
37
Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
38
* The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.
39
* l When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40
* There were also women looking on from a distance.m Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.
41
These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus.
42
n When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath,
43
Joseph of Arimathea,* a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44
Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died.
45
And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46
Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.
16)1
When the sabbath was over,a Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.b
2
Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
3
They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
4
When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large.
5
On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed.c
6
He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.
7
But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”d
8
Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Appearance to Mary Magdalene. [
9
e When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
10
f She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
11
When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
The Appearance to Two Disciples.
12
g After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
13
They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.
The Commissioning of the Eleven.
14
h [But] later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.
15
i He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
18
They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”j
The Ascension of Jesus.
19
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.k
20
But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.]l

What the science says v what some scientists say.

Fossils Don't Lie: Why Darwinism Is False


The Watchtower Society's commentary on "sin"

What Is Sin?

The Bible’s answer

Sin is any action, feeling, or thought that goes against God’s standards. It includes breaking God’s laws by doing what is wrong, or unrighteous, in God’s sight. (1 John 3:4; 5:17) The Bible also describes sins of omission—that is, failing to do what is right.James 4:17.
In the Bible’s original languages, the words for sin mean “to miss a mark,” or a target. For example, a group of soldiers in ancient Israel were so adept at slinging stones that they “would not miss.” That expression, if translated literally, could read “would not sin.” (Judges 20:16) Thus, to sin is to miss the mark of God’s perfect standards.
As the Creator, God has the right to set standards for mankind. (Revelation 4:11) We are accountable to him for our actions.Romans 14:12.

Is it possible to avoid sinning completely?

No. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23; 1 Kings 8:46; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8) Why is that so?
The first humans, Adam and Eve, were sinless in the beginning. That is because they were created perfect, in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) However, they lost their perfection by disobeying God. (Genesis 3:5, 6, 17-19) When they had children, they passed on sin and imperfection as inherited defects. (Romans 5:12) As King David of Israel said, “I was bornguilty of error.”Psalm 51:5.

Are some sins worse than others?

Yes. For example, the Bible says that the men of ancient Sodom were “wicked, gross sinners” whose sin was “very heavy.” (Genesis 13:13; 18:20) Consider three factors that determine the gravity, or weight, of sin.
  1. Severity. The Bible warns us to avoid such serious sins as sexual immorality, idolatry, stealing, drunkenness, extortion, murder, and spiritism. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8) The Bible contrasts these with thoughtless, unintentional sins, for example, words or actions that hurt others. (Proverbs 12:18; Ephesians 4:31, 32) Nevertheless, the Bible encourages us not to minimize any sins, since they can lead to more serious violations of God’s laws.Matthew 5:27, 28.
  2. Motive. Some sins are committed in ignorance of what God requires. (Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 1:13) While not excusing such sins, the Bible distinguishes them from sins that involve willfully breaking God’s laws. (Numbers 15:30, 31) Willful sins come from a “wicked heart.”Jeremiah 16:12.
  3. Frequency. The Bible also makes a distinction between a single sin and a practice of sin over an extended period. (1 John 3:4-8) Those who “practice sin willfully,” even after learning how to do what is right, receive God’s adverse judgment.Hebrews 10:26, 27.
Those guilty of serious sin can feel overwhelmed by the weight of their mistakes. For instance, King David wrote: “My errors loom over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.” (Psalm 38:4) Yet the Bible offers this hope: “Let the wicked man leave his way and the evil man his thoughts; let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will forgive in a large way.”Isaiah 55:7.

Saturday 19 September 2015

Convergent nonsense.

Evolution Appears to Converge on Goals -- But in Darwinian Terms, Is That Possible?
Denyse O'Leary July 27, 2015 10:39 AM 

Very different life forms frequently converge on eerily identical patterns of development (convergent evolution). That is odd if evolution is purely undirected and unplanned. There isn't enough time, given the history of the universe.

Talk to the Fossils.jpgAnd, as I've noted before, the welter of data coming back from paleontology, genome mapping, and other studies are changing paleontology from a discipline dependent on grand theories to one more like human history, dependent on identified facts.

A century or so ago, British anatomist St. George Mivart noted that Darwin's theory of evolution "does not harmonize with closely similar structures of diverse origin" (convergent evolution). There is more evidence for Mivart's doubts now than ever.

According to current Darwinian evolutionary theory, each gain in information is the result of a great many tiny, modest gains in fitness over millions or billions of years, due to natural selection acting on random mutations. The resulting solutions should then follow inheritance laws, in the sense that the more similar life forms are according to biological classifications, the more similar their genome map should be.

That just did not work out. Different species can have surprisingly similar genes. For example, kangaroos are marsupial mammals, not placentals. Yet their genes are close to humans. Researchers: "We thought they'd be completely scrambled, but they're not."

Kangaroos? Shark and human proteins, meanwhile, are also "stunningly similar." Indeed, sharks are genetically closer to humans than they are to aquarium zebrafish. Researchers: "We were very surprised... "

Sharks? But does all this not raise a serious question? The popular science literature claims that a near identity between the human and chimpanzee genome is irrefutable evidence of common descent. Why then do we hear so little about any of these findings, which muddy the waters? Why are science writers not even curious?

There is also the question of how easily a life form can "evolve" a complex solution to a difficult problem. Birds are said to have evolved ultraviolet vision at least eight times.

Similarly, whether large bird and mammal brains arise from common descent or convergent evolution is actually uncertain. Two distantly related groups of reptiles are thought to have given rise to mammals and birds, both featuring a much higher brain to body weight ratio than in their ancestors. Paleontologist R. Glenn Northcutt writes that the matter is "contentious and unresolved," because brains rarely fossilize.

It's not just mammals and birds. Two different species of deadly sea snake, with "separate evolutions," were found to be identical. Dolphins and insects, we are told, share components of a hearing system.

The smartest invertebrates, the molluscs (including squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish), seem to have evolved brains four times. From one study we learn, "The new findings expand a growing body of evidence that in very different groups of animals -- and mammals, for instance -- central nervous systems evolved not once, but several times, in parallel."

Cambridge paleontologist Simon Conway Morris's Map of Life website provides many other examples of convergence, listing, for example, the convergent evolution of foul smelling plants ("Love me, I stink"), convergence in sex (love-darts), eyes (camera-style eyes in jellyfish), agriculture (in ants) or gliding (in lizards and mammals).

Convergent evolution is evidence that evolution can happen. But the Darwinian model does not seem to be the right one. The life forms appear to be converging on a common goal.

That said, the problem presented for Darwinism by convergent evolution has hardly penetrated the world of pop science writers, high school teachers, politicians, judges, theologians, and entertainers. Mere evidence could not compete with a position so compelling as Darwin's.

Alternatively, however, there is the position taken by many great physicists: The universe is about information and consciousness, not matter. A sense of the results having been directed would not, then, be surprising. 
For more on that, consult William Dembski's Being as Communion.

See the rest of the series to date at "Talk to the Fossils: Let's See What They Say Back."

The Divine Law and blood X

Call It a Bloodless Coup
Date: April 1, 2013


Hopkins uses some 60,000 units of blood products a year. “That alone,” says Steven Frank, “justifies prudence.”  
Hopkins uses some 60,000 units of blood products a year. “That alone,” says Steven Frank, “justifies prudence.”
Though some form of the “bloodless surgery” that lowers the need for transfusions has been around almost two decades, a new body of clinical research looks to cement its hold at Johns Hopkins and extend it to more patients. Also, new work suggests now may be the time to rethink assumptions about blood-banking. 
“We’re seeing that we can do a lot more with less blood during surgery and afterward,” says anesthesiologist Steven Frank, medical director of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s umbrella program for bloodless medicine and surgery. “Our aim is to reduce transfusions by 10 to 20 percent throughout our medical system. 
“The tactics we use don’t only benefit those who traditionally refuse transfusions for personal concerns about contamination or, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for religious beliefs. We’ve come to see bloodless surgery as best practice for more patients in general.”  
What drives the new goal, Frank says, are four landmark studies—the most recent including Johns Hopkins data. All the trials followed large numbers of patients during hospital stays, comparing survival based on whether or not their hemoglobin levels had been boosted by transfusions. The trials varied in details, though all involved very sick people experiencing blood loss. 
“The bottom line,” says Frank, “was that patients held to a lower hemoglobin reading before getting transfusions* did just as well or better than those transfused at a traditional higher triggering point. So we see no advantages in routinely giving extra blood. All you do is introduce cost and risk.
“Transfusions aren’t necessarily benign,” he adds. Transfused patients are two to three times more likely to get acquired infections. Also, receiving donor blood sparks antibodies that work against future transfusions.
Just-out work from Hopkins adds another consideration: the blood supply. Yes, worldwide shortages exist in banked blood. But banking itself warrants a second look. Blood banks’ equivalent of a “sell by” date—six weeks—is likely off, Frank says. He and colleagues show that blood starts becoming “stale” after three weeks. Red blood cell membranes stiffen, which can slow passage in capillaries. That likely explains transfused patients’ slightly higher risk of cardiac complications.
One remedy, however, lies in reducing blood bank demand. 
 So the hospital program goes beyond modern tactics that recycle blood lost during surgery, shrink operating fields through robotics or beef-up patients’ presurgical red cell count. Tactics are increasingly patient-tailored. And research continues on best practice. A large hospital database, for example, showed Frank’s team how a simple $9 IV-based device that one Hopkins critical care unit used halved blood loss during testing.
The benefits of blood conservation, Frank says, are clear: They lower risk. They lower cost. And they improve outcomes. 

Outcome of Patients Who Refuse Transfusion After Cardiac Surgery: A Natural Experiment With Severe Blood Conservation FREE
Gregory Pattakos, MD, MS; Colleen G. Koch, MD, MS, MBA; Mariano E. Brizzio, MD; Lillian H. Batizy, MS; Joseph F. Sabik III, MD; Eugene H. Blackstone, MD; Michael S. Lauer, MD

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | METHODS | RESULTS | COMMENT | ARTICLE INFORMATION |REFERENCES
Background Jehovah's Witness patients (Witnesses) who undergo cardiac surgery provide a unique natural experiment in severe blood conservation because anemia, transfusion, erythropoietin, and antifibrinolytics have attendant risks. Our objective was to compare morbidity and long-term survival of Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery with a similarly matched group of patients who received transfusions.
Methods A total of 322 Witnesses and 87 453 non-Witnesses underwent cardiac surgery at our center from January 1, 1983, to January 1, 2011. All Witnesses prospectively refused blood transfusions. Among non-Witnesses, 38 467 did not receive blood transfusions and 48 986 did. We used propensity methods to match patient groups and parametric multiphase hazard methods to assess long-term survival. Our main outcome measures were postoperative morbidity complications, in-hospital mortality, and long-term survival.
Results Witnesses had fewer acute complications and shorter length of stay than matched patients who received transfusions: myocardial infarction, 0.31% vs 2.8% (P = . 01); additional operation for bleeding, 3.7% vs 7.1% (P = . 03); prolonged ventilation, 6% vs 16% (P < . 001); intensive care unit length of stay (15th, 50th, and 85th percentiles), 24, 25, and 72 vs 24, 48, and 162 hours (P < . 001); and hospital length of stay (15th, 50th, and 85th percentiles), 5, 7, and 11 vs 6, 8, and 16 days (P < . 001). Witnesses had better 1-year survival (95%; 95% CI, 93%-96%; vs 89%; 95% CI, 87%-90%; P = . 007) but similar 20-year survival (34%; 95% CI, 31%-38%; vs 32% 95% CI, 28%-35%; P = . 90).
Conclusions Witnesses do not appear to be at increased risk for surgical complications or long-term mortality when comparisons are properly made by transfusion status. Thus, current extreme blood management strategies do not appear to place patients at heightened risk for reduced long-term survival.
Red blood cells (RBCs) not only are in short supply but are also associated with increased morbidity and reduced survival after cardiac surgery.1- 3 Jehovah's Witness patients (Witnesses) hold beliefs that disallow blood product transfusion and therefore offer a natural experiment in severe blood conservation. Their beliefs encourage the use of a number of blood conservation practices, including preoperative use of erythropoietin and iron and B-complex vitamins, hemoconcentration, and minimal crystalloid use; intraoperative use of antifibrinolytics and cell-saver and smaller cardiopulmonary bypass circuits; and postoperative liberal use of additional operation for bleeding along with tolerance of low hematocrit levels postoperatively. Although some of these practices may be beneficial to all cardiac surgical patients, others are associated with well-documented morbidity,4- 6 and their effect on long-term survival is uncertain.
Although prior investigators compared immediate postoperative outcomes between Witnesses and non-Witnesses,7- 16 comparisons of long-term survival are lacking. Comparison is hampered, however, by impossibility of randomization to religious preference or blood transfusion, typical of any natural experiment. We have therefore used propensity-based comparative effectiveness tools17- 19 to compare morbidity and long-term survival of Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery with a propensity-matched group of patients who received transfusions.

Outcomes in cardiac surgery in 500 consecutive Jehovah's Witness patients: 21 year experience.

Vaislic CD1, Dalibon N, Ponzio O, Ba M, Jugan E, Lagneau F, Abbas P, Olliver Y, Gaillard D, Baget F, Sportiche M, Chedid A, Chaoul G, Maribas P, Dupuy C, Robine B, Kasanin N, Michon H, Ruat JM, Habis M, Bouharaoua T.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Refusal of heterogenic blood products can be for religious reasons as in Jehovah's Witnesses or otherwise or as requested by an increasing number of patients. Furthermore blood reserves are under continuous demand with increasing costs. Therefore, transfusion avoidance strategies are desirable. We describe a historic comparison and current results of blood saving protocols in Jehovah's Witnesses patients.
METHODS:
Data on 250 Jehovah's Witness patients operated upon between 1991 and 2003 (group A) were reviewed and compared with a second population of 250 patients treated from 2003 to 2012 (group B).
RESULTS:
In group A, mean age was 51 years of age compared to 68 years in group B. An iterative procedure was performed in 13% of patients in group B. Thirty days mortality was 3% in group A and 1% in group B despite greater operative risk factors, with more redo, and lower ejection fraction in group B. Several factors contributed to the low morbidity-mortality in group B, namely: preoperative erythropoietin to attain a minimal hemoglobin value of 14 g/dl, warm blood cardioplegia, the implementation of the Cornell University protocol and fast track extubation.
CONCLUSIONS:
Cardiac surgery without transfusion in high-risk patients such as Jehovah Witnesses can be carried out with results equivalent to those of low risk patients. Recent advances in surgical techniques and blood conservation protocols are main contributing factors.

PMID: 23013647 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] PMCID: PMC3487917 Free PMC Article

Comparisons of cardiac surgery outcomes in Jehovah's versus Non-Jehovah's Witnesses.

Abstract

Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian faith whose members will not accept blood or blood products under any circumstances on the basis of religious grounds. To date, no comparative studies have evaluated the outcome of open heart surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses compared with patients who accept the transfusion of blood products. The present study was conducted to systematically compare the operative mortality and early clinical outcome after open cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses versus non-Jehovah's Witnesses. From January 1990 to July 2004, 49 Jehovah's Witness patients underwent cardiac surgery, and their data were compared with those of a contemporaneous control group of 196 non-Jehovah's Witnesses. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare operative mortality, postoperative intensive care unit care, and hospital length of stay between the 2 groups, controlling for preoperative risk factors. The Jehovah's Witnesses were matched in a 1:4 ratio to the non-Jehovah's Witnesses using propensity scores. No significant differences were identified in unadjusted stroke (p = 0.5), acute myocardial infarction (p = 0.6), new-onset atrial fibrillation (p = 0.106), prolonged ventilation (p = 0.82), acute renal failure (p = 0.70), and hemorrhage-related reexploration (p = 0.59) rates between the 2 groups. On multivariate analysis, Jehovah's Witnesses had operative mortality (odds ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.12 to 3.59, p = 0.63), intensive care unit stay (odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 0.46 to 3.97, p = 0.58), and postoperative length of stay (odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 0.92 to 2.20, p = 0.16) comparable to those of the non-Jehovah's Witnesses, after controlling for preoperative risk factors through matching. In conclusion, cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses is associated with clinical outcomes comparable to those of non-Jehovah's Witnesses by adhering to blood conservation protocols.
PMID:
 
17056333
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Safety of cardiac surgery without blood transfusion: a retrospective study in Jehovah's Witness patients.

Retraction in

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the utilisation of blood products and outcomes following cardiac surgery for 123 Jehovah's Witnesses and 4219 non-Jehovah's Witness patient controls. The study took place over a 7-year period at the Amphia Hospital in Breda, the Netherlands. A specific protocol was used in the management of Jehovah's Witness patients, while the control group received blood without restriction according to their needs. Patients' characteristics were comparable in both groups. Pre-operatively, the mean (SD) Euro Score was higher in the Jehovah's Witness group (3.2 (2.6) vs 2.7 (2.5), respectively; p < 0.02). Pre-operative haemoglobin concentration was higher in the Jehovah's Witness group (8.9 (0.7) vs 8.6 (0.9) g.dl(-1), respectively; p < 0.001). The total cardiopulmonary bypass time did not differ between groups. The requirement for allogenic blood transfusion was 0% in the Jehovah's Witness group compared to 65% in the control group. Postoperatively, there was a lower incidence of Q-wave myocardial infarction (2 (1.8%) vs 323 (7.7%), respectively; p < 0.02), and non Q-wave infarction (11 (9.8%) vs 559 (13.2%), respectively; p < 0.02) in the Jehovah's Witness group compared with controls. Mean (SD) length of stay in the intensive care unit (2.3 (3.2) vs 2.6 (4.2) days; p = 0.26), re-admission rate to the intensive care unit (5 (4.5%) vs 114 (2.7%); p = 0.163), and mortality (3 (2.7%) vs 65 (1.5%); p = 0.59), did not differ between the Jehovah's Witness and control groups, respectively.
PMID:
 
20402872
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Comparison of outcome in Jehovah's Witness patients in cardiac surgery: an Australian experience.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Despite the advances in modern medicine, cardiac surgery remains associated with significant amounts of blood transfusion and is responsible for nearly 20% of all transfusions in Australasia. Progressive advances in perfusion technology and perioperative supportive management have made it possible for members of the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) religious group to undergo open cardiac operations with remarkable safety. This study systematically compares the operative mortality and early clinical outcome after cardiac surgery in JWs.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:

Data was obtained from the cardiac surgery and intensive care unit databases from January 2002 to December 2005. A total of 5353 patients who underwent cardiac surgical procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (n=4041) and valvular heart surgery (n=2287) were assessed in this study. Of the 5353 patients 49 patients refused blood and blood products because of their religious beliefs. Models were constructed to determine the association between JWs and non-JWs and three outcomes: (1) operative mortality, (2) postoperative variables and (3) length of stay in intensive care unit. Propensity scores were computed from these models and used to match JWs with non-JWs.

RESULTS:

There were minimal differences in the baseline patient demographic characteristics between the two groups. Haemoglobin and haematocrit levels were higher in JWs both before (13.7g/dL vs 12.8g/dL; P=0.01, and 40.0% vs 39.2%; P=0.08) and after (10.8g/dL vs 9.9g/dL; P=.003, and 34.0% vs 30.9%; P=.001) surgery. Jehovah's Witnesses experienced significantly less bleeding, almost half compared to the control group, with 

CONCLUSION:

This study concurs with the international published data that outcomes for JW patients who undergo cardiac surgery are similar to those who receive transfusion. Every appropriate opportunity to reduce the use of allogeneic blood products.
Copyright © 2010 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. All rights reserved.
PMID:

Even Darwinists admit that there is legitimate cause for doubt re:the Cambrian explosion

BioEssays Article Admits "Materialistic Basis of the Cambrian Explosion" is "Elusive"
Casey Luskin June 24, 2009 12:51 PM 

A recent paper in BioEssays, "MicroRNAs and metazoan macroevolution: insights into canalization, complexity, and the Cambrian explosion," admits the lack of a "materialistic basis" -- that is, a plausible materialistic explanation -- of the Cambrian explosion. As the article states:

Thus, elucidating the materialistic basis of the Cambrian explosion has become more elusive, not less, the more we know about the event itself, and cannot be explained away by coupling extinction of intermediates with long stretches of geologic time, despite the contrary claims of some modern neo-Darwinists.
(Kevin J. Peterson, Michael R. Dietrich and Mark A. McPeek, "MicroRNAs and metazoan macroevolution: insights into canalization, complexity, and the Cambrian explosion," BioEssays, Vol. 31 (7):736 - 747 (2009).)

The authors give no indication that they themselves support intelligent design (ID), and it seems they are still hopeful for a "materialistic" explanation for the Cambrian explosion, but they nonetheless give a witty nod to some observations and arguments made by ID proponents:
Beginning some 555 million years ago the Earth's biota changed in profound and fundamental ways, going from an essentially static system billions of years in existence to the one we find today, a dynamic and awesomely complex system whose origin seems to defy explanation. Part of the intrigue with the Cambrian explosion is that numerous animal phyla with very distinct body plans arrive on the scene in a geological blink of the eye, with little or no warning of what is to come in rocks that predate this interval of time. The abruptness of the transition between the ''Precambrian'' and the Cambrian was apparent right at the outset of our science with the publication of Murchison's The Silurian System, a treatise that paradoxically set forth the research agenda for numerous paleontologists -- in addition to serving as perennial fodder for creationists. The reasoning is simple -- as explained on an intelligent-design t-shirt.
Fact: Forty phyla of complex animals suddenly appear in the fossil record, no forerunners, no transitional forms leading to them; ''a major mystery,'' a ''challenge.'' The Theory of Evolution -- exploded again (idofcourse.com).
Although we would dispute the numbers, and aside from the last line, there is not much here that we would disagree with. Indeed, many of Darwin's contemporaries shared these sentiments, and we assume -- if Victorian fashion dictated -- that they would have worn this same t-shirt with pride.
(Kevin J. Peterson, Michael R. Dietrich and Mark A. McPeek, "MicroRNAs and metazoan macroevolution: insights into canalization, complexity, and the Cambrian explosion," BioEssays, Vol. 31 (7):736 - 747 (2009), internal citation numbers removed, emboldened emphasis added.)


While their article then directly goes on to admit the "elusive" state of any "materialistic basis" of the Cambrian explosion, it doesn't really offer any explanation for the Cambrian explosion other than a vague mention of the open niche hypothesis and adaptive radiation. The rest of the article focuses on explaining the overall loss of phyla and body plans since the Cambrian, rather than the explosive emergence of new body plans in the Cambrian explosion. At some point, however, neo-Darwinism must account for the origin -- an abrupt one at that -- of new body plans, not merely the inability to evolve new ones in post-Cambrian times (what they call the "canalizing" of development). It would seem that after this article, the explanation for the origin of the phyla in the Cambrian explosion is no less "elusive" than before it.

Now Europe peers into the abyss.

Europe Bans Animal -- Not Human -- Cloning
Wesley J. Smith September 19, 2015 5:40 AM 

I am always amazed at how there is a great anger in Europe against technologies like plant GMOs, but far less outrage over the prospect of human genetic modification, in the early stages of implimentation. From The Indpendent story:

The genetic manipulation of human IVF embryos is set to start in Britain for the first time following a licence application by scientists who want to understand why some women suffer repeated miscarriages.

If the research licence is granted by the Government's fertility watchdog it will be only the second known occasion in the world where the chromosomes of human embryos have been genetically manipulated using a revolutionary gene-editing technique called Crispr/Cas9.

Meanwhile, Europe has banned farm animal cloning. From the Science Insider story:

The European Parliament today voted to ban the cloning of all farm animals as well as the sale of cloned livestock, their offspring, and products derived from them. The measure, which passed by a large margin, goes beyond a directive proposed by the European Commission in 2013, which would have implemented a provisional ban on the cloning of just five species: cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses.

The supporters of the ban cited animal welfare concerns, claiming that only a small percentage of cloned offspring survive to term, and many die shortly after birth.

The ban does not cover cloning for research purposes, nor does it prevent efforts to clone endangered species.

Continuing with the theme of this post, human cloning has not been similarly banned throughout Europe.

Indeed, while there is a protocol against allowing a cloned baby to be born, and some countries like Germany outlaw creating human cloned embryos, others like Great Britain-which even permits the use of animal eggs in cloning attempts-allows the human cloning research to proceed full speed ahead.


Sometimes I think that in the minds of some, animals matter more than humans.