James Thomas Rook Jr.

wHEW!
I was drinking a mug of coffee when I read that Melinda.... the spray missed the keyboard and got all over my legs.   I am in my underwear so no real problem.
Visualize in your mind a balanced Ocean ecology eating vegetable matter ..... the first things to die off will be Baleen Whales, who filter Krill by the ton, daily, with their specialized mouth that will ONLY do that, and the Krill will reproduce a quadrillion fold, turning the Earth's oceans in a malignant soup of dead and decaying starved Krill.
...and the dead Baleen Whales.
etc.
etc.
 

.... and baby eaglets are not going to be too happy  ..... for their VERY short lives .....  when the Mama Bald Eagle brings home straw and grass, instead of rabbits, mice, and fish.

People are going to get weary to the bone of growing and harvesting straw, forever and ever, to throw into the ocean to feed all the sea life there .... and the sharks will not be happy about it, either.
Hint No. 1.)   STAY IN THE BOAT
Hint No. 2.)  GET A BIGGER BOAT !

If memory serves (?) that scripture also says "In my Holy Mountain" or something like that.  
In the world at large, animals have to eat each other, or in the New World, we will be deluged by a half-mile high Tsunami of ravenous rodents, etc., ad infinitum.
Animals can be trained to live together in peace and harmony ... I see something like that between my five dogs and 16 chickens ....but if I fed my dogs straw ... all bets are off.

In the "next town over"  Congregation one Elder had two daughters, who got multiple Tattoos, (shoulder and base of spine), and Dad threw them out ( I do not know the age, but one of my sons dated the older  Sister, while he was in High School.....),  The younger sister was "lost" to the world, the older one came back and married an Elder about 40 years older than she was.. (raised eyebrows and astonishment all the way around...).
When speaking about people ... there is truly INFINITE variety.

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

If memory serves (?) that scripture also says "In my Holy Mountain" or something like that.  
In the world at large, animals have to eat each other, or in the New World, we will be deluged by a half-mile high Tsunami of ravenous rodents, etc., ad infinitum.
Animals can be trained to live together in peace and harmony ... I see something like that between my five dogs and 16 chickens ....but if I fed my dogs straw ... all bets are off.

In the "next town over"  Congregation one Elder had two daughters, who got multiple Tattoos, (shoulder and base of spine), and Dad threw them out ( I do not know the age, but one of my sons dated the older  Sister, while he was in High School.....),  The younger sister was "lost" to the world, the older one came back and married an Elder about 40 years older than she was.. (raised eyebrows and astonishment all the way around...).
When speaking about people ... there is truly INFINITE variety.

And so the Lord says,
    “These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
    is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.  Isa 29:13
("Greek version reads Their worship is a farce, / for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.Compare Mark 7:7")
 

This does not happen.
I would not say that it never ever happens. It may. It is a big world with many people and you never know what individuals might do. But no way would it ever be sanctioned by the organization. Nor is 6 an age that I have ever heard of for someone being baptized. Again, it may have happened, but I know of no examples. One of my kids wanted to get baptized at 10, and was advised to wait. (and was bummed about it) However, another was baptized a 9–something which was most unusual, but not unheard of. I think the tendency is to recommend more years of age today—mid teens is what I typically see.
More likely the case presented is the 15 year old running away due to an atmosphere he/she thought too “restrictive” and then retroactively spinning it as being “kicked out” of the home. Kids locking horns with parents and running away from home is a theme almost as old as time. In this case her parents following the lead of the organization is presented as the trigger—and may actually be the trigger—but it is always something. It is not new.
Malcontents complain at great length over the video shown at a convention of a teenaged girl “kicked out” of her house for immorality. Were they to be more honest, they would acknowledge that 
1) she ran away from home,
2) her parents did not want her to go,
3) (admittedly speculative) she thereafter represented the situation as being “kicked out” due to the repressive rule of the Governing Body. (Actually, the girl of the video probably did not, because she did return, but many girls of reality do just that.)
It was so with a star witness at the Russian trial that resulted in a countrywide ban. She complained of the oppressive tactics of the organization. When asked to give an example, she offered up her being ejected for her “not officially sanctioned” relationship with a man. Here she is “shacking up,” an action once universally condemned by most of society, and virtually ALL of religious society, and she spins it as a philosophical disagreement with the Witness organization!
Adhering to Bible moral standards on matters of sexuality was once commonplace, and what the video portrays would have once been spun as “tough love.” 
I have been going through a Great Courses series on CD lately. The narrator (Prof Patrick Allitt) observes that in 1960 a child out of wedlock was an absolute shocker to general society. Fifteen years later it was commonplace. Those condemning the video are essentially those condemning a traditional generation for not more quickly falling into line with the “new morality”—spinning it as a conflict with the Witness organization, when in actually it is a conflict with the morality of the Bible.

No, I didn't see the movie. Is it a must see?

No. It is a must-avoid.
Actually, it is sort of cute. It is not a must-see, but it is a movie you would probably enjoy.
We have some good friends in that circuit, who tell us
A) that there is a congregation in Punxsutawney, and 
B) you never saw such a tacky place in your life, with every interest imaginable cashing in on the legend.

Turns out to be much more interesting than the premise. Also, I think it will help make sense of my post.

You make evil seem so easy and effortless, Billy ... I guess that's what happens when you have natural talent !

Of course, there was that "God-damned" snake in the grass back in Eden. It was cursed to crawl on the ground and lick the dust with its [forked] tongue.
Then there were those pigs that allowed themselves to be possessed by demons, and were driven to commit suicide.
Certain animals might have listened to communication from God to be able to receive a name from Adam. The same could be said for the animals that listened to communication from God to get on Noah's ark. Or for ravens to find Elijah to bring him food. Or, perhaps even a big fish who nearly snacked on Jonah. And there's that special relationship between Jehovah and Leviathan and Behemoth.
God gives animals "meat in due season" (food at the proper time):
(Psalm 104:27) . . .All of them wait for you To give them their food in its season. And a donkey evidently saved a man's life by ascertaining an invisible angel.
On a serious note, I think most people agree that many persons have an unbalanced view of pets. But it's also easy to get unbalanced in the direction of disdaining pets and animals. Remember that Jehovah himself rejoices at his works which obviously includes his many interactions with animals according to the context of Psalm 104. 
(Psalm 104:28-31) . . .What you give them, they gather. When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are disturbed. If you take away their spirit, they die and return to the dust. 30 If you send out your spirit, they are created, And you renew the surface of the ground. 31 The glory of Jehovah will last forever. Jehovah will rejoice in his works.

Yeah .... I had to give up bacon many years ago, because I just could not afford it ... or would not afford it because the price was so high ... and MANY foods escalated in price to the point I stopped buying them.   But Golden Corral Buffet has a TREMENDOUS selection, and my wife and I are "Seniors", and if we get there before 4PM, we can get the dinner menu for the price of a "Senior Lunch/Early Bird Special".
That means that for $9.00 apiece, we can feast like kings ... steak, spare ribs, giant shrimp prepared four different ways, pizza, fried chicken, chili, beef stew, clam chowder ( my favorite...), and before 4pm we get free soft drinks, as well. Every kind of desert you could want, and any kind of salads you could fix. Eight different kinds of fruit,  and all the real, quality ice cream you can eat!
I calculated that by eating one large meal a day, we can eat like kings for $10 a day apiece, which is less than the cost of groceries to eat half as well,  AAAAAAND ... no preparation, OR dishes to wash! 
Even including the fuel cost to get there and back,, it's cheaper.
..and light years better!
 

Very simple, and it agrees with everything else we know from any source ....
1.) The Earth formed about 3.5 billion years ago.
2.) The account in Genesis is based on the viewpoint of a person standing ON THE SURFACE of the Earth, watching things going on.  (This might be a good time to stop, and re-read the creation account from that particular perspective.)
3. If  creation of the Earth took six days, and we are in the 7th day now ... it's a simple matter to determine how long a creative day including the day of rest,  is.
Divide 3.5 billion years, by 7.
That means each creative day was 500 million years long, and we are now 6,000 or so years into the 7th, 500 million year "day of rest".
This idea agrees with all the science we know, and the Biblical account, as would have been observed by a person standing on the surface of the Earth, which at that time was completely molten, and covered in superheated steam, which is invisible until it condenses.
 
 

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.
IT'S A DUCK!
A duck by any other name is still a duck!
 
....except of course, when there is a fear that if it is admitted to being a duck, the donations will stop.
 

1.)  Since the beginning of life on Earth there have been two kinds of animals .... those that eat plants, and those that eat each other.  This is the natural order of things, and as sentimental as I am about animals, I cannot ignore this scary fact.
That is obviously how life on Earth was designed, cartoon theology notwithstanding.
If the Lion, and the Lamb lay down together, it will be because the lamb is inside the lion.
To answer your question ... it was never God's intent to give animals everlasting life, and that includes pre- creation humans that evolved. Only the New Creation ... "Homo Theocraticus", was ever intended to have the opportunity for everlasting life.  Neanderthals and such just lived whatever they could manage and died. End of story.
2.) That is a good idea, not to provide an answer, because the very, very BEST answer would only be a best guess ... including no. 1, above.

You know why Watchtower Lawyers can swim in any ocean on Earth, and not be bothered by venomous overgrown jellyfish ?
Professional Courtesy !
 

Well... Noah did not want to think about giraffes, either ... that's why when they showed up he had to cut two big square holes in the roof of the Ark.
Now... for the next few minutes, do NOT to think about Noah's Ark, with two big square holes cut in the roof, with giraffe necks and heads sticking out.
 

Yeah .... I had to give up bacon many years ago, because I just could not afford it ... or would not afford it because the price was so high ... and MANY foods escalated in price to the point I stopped buying them.   But Golden Corral Buffet has a TREMENDOUS selection, and my wife and I are "Seniors", and if we get there before 4PM, we can get the dinner menu for the price of a "Senior Lunch/Early Bird Special".
That means that for $9.00 apiece, we can feast like kings ... steak, spare ribs, giant shrimp prepared four different ways, pizza, fried chicken, chili, beef stew, clam chowder ( my favorite...), and before 4pm we get free soft drinks, as well. Every kind of desert you could want, and any kind of salads you could fix. Eight different kinds of fruit,  and all the real, quality ice cream you can eat!
I calculated that by eating one large meal a day, we can eat like kings for $10 a day apiece, which is less than the cost of groceries to eat half as well,  AAAAAAND ... no preparation, OR dishes to wash! 
Even including the fuel cost to get there and back,, it's cheaper.
..and light years better!
 

Well... Noah did not want to think about giraffes, either ... that's why when they showed up he had to cut two big square holes in the roof of the Ark.
Now... for the next few minutes, do NOT to think about Noah's Ark, with two big square holes cut in the roof, with giraffe necks and heads sticking out.
 

You know Billy, when I visualize you, I think of you either as a gutless weasel, or a venomous overgrown jellyfish, floating in the ocean.
I know in reality you are neither of those things, but somehow, every time you speak, that's the image I get.
I am more inclined towards the venomous jellyfish, as they have been alive and prosperous all over the Earth's oceans, for at least 300 million years .... with no brain whatsoever.
...... but today, your comments project an image of the gutless weasel.

Well... Noah did not want to think about giraffes, either ... that's why when they showed up he had to cut two big square holes in the roof of the Ark.
Now... for the next few minutes, do NOT to think about Noah's Ark, with two big square holes cut in the roof, with giraffe necks and heads sticking out.