Baal

In 1881, refusal to worship Baal was applied to faithful Christians who rejected the papal Beast and Protestant Image; this comparison was repeated in 1882, 1883, and 1899. In 1915, the prophets of Baal were more specifically identified with clergy serving false church institutions. The same interpretation continued in 1919 and 1927, when organized religion was compared with Baalism. In 1930, Baal worship was described more broadly as the Devil's religion, and in 1932 it was explained as submission to Satan's organization. This identification was repeated through 1939. Under Knorr, the 1942 publications maintained that Satan was the lord represented by Baal and that Baalism corresponded to false religion. This interpretation continued in 1944, 1945, and 1950. In 1955, modern Baalism was explicitly associated with materialism within Christendom, an application developed further in 1958 and 1961. In 1969, the destruction of Baal's worshipers illustrated the need to separate from Babylon the Great. Under Franz, the destruction of Baal's altar was applied contextually to Christian preaching in 1977, and the separation from Babylon the Great was reiterated in 1981. In 1984, Baal was explicitly reaffirmed as representing Satan, while modern Baalism included materialism, sexual immorality, spiritism, and false religious teachings. During the Governing Body period, publications in 1996, 1997, and 1999 used Baal worship as a comparison for apostate Christianity and contemporary immorality. In 1999, the ancient cult was described as extinct, while its characteristics were compared with modern society. No explicit rejection of the Baal–Satan identification was found.