Regulations Beyond Those Provided in the Scriptures

I found this on the official JW site:

What are some examples of how the governing body has made rules and regulations beyond those provided in the Scriptures?

Corvin

Men can't have beards.

That is a good one, gadget. Here is the Society's reasoning on the beard thing. Notice there are no Scriptures cited.

*** w75 8/15 pp. 500-501 Do Not Let Yourself Be Ensnared by Fads and Entertainment ***

9 Extreme hair styles can easily lead one into a trap of the Devil also, and cause others to stumble. For example, a young man in the United States was making fine progress in his study of the Bible, and he was moved to share with an experienced Witness in preaching to others about the good things he was learning from the Bible. From early youth he had let his beard grow, and since some in the business community wore beards, he felt that his wearing one in preaching to others would be acceptable generally. But in speaking to a lady he was unable to do more than introduce himself, when she said: "I?m sorry, young man, I do not want to become involved in student revolt." No amount of explanation after this sufficed to clear up the misimpression. After the conversation ended with the closing of the door, he asked the experienced Witness what had happened. He was invited to consider his appearance in relation to what he claimed to be, a servant of God. Not wanting to be responsible for even one person?s being stumbled so as to miss the way to everlasting life, this new Kingdom publisher shaved off his beard. Would you be willing to do the same or to make similar adjustments if your appearance gave the wrong impression in a certain community?

LOL, beards can lead one into a trap of the Devil also!

This is a dumb-arse viewpoint. This new JW who was "making fine progress" is an extreme example and not very realistic. If he was rejected by the householder it was probably because "from early youth he had let his beard grow". If he looked like ZZTOP, I can see a householder getting a bit judgemental, but a trimned well kept beard would not cause a householder freak . . . geezzz.

And where is the Scripture to back that up?????

No wait!  They did cite a Scripture!  2 Corinthians 6:3-4  ³ In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, that our ministry might not be found fault with; ⁴ but in every way we recommend ourselves as God?s ministers, by the endurance of much, by tribulations, by cases of need, by difficulties . . . "

OK so, a well groomed beard would be a cause for stumbling?  "Hey, buddy, I am not going to listen to you because everyone and their uncle knows that beards are from the Devil, so don't talk to me!"

I suppose that is why the WTBTS depicted Jesus as a clean shaven man for so many years. 

Corvin

Their whole disfellowshipping process AND their reistatement process AND their 170-something questions before a person can be baptised AND their whole "apply and either be rejected or approved" to go and preach for as many hours as a a person wishes to AND their updated version of the "good news" to be preached that the WTS admits goes BEYOND what Christ's first century followers preached AND their teaching that their "great crowd" of followers "bow down to", spiritually , to the group of fellow humans who make up the WTS INC's faithful and discreet slave AND also teaching that their "great crowd" render sacred service accaptable to God ONLY in assocation with that group of humans that make up the WTS INC's faithful and discreet slave. ....and the list goes on and on and on.

I'm glad you asked.

peace,

somebody/gwen

Woman wearing a napkin on their head to conduct a study or say prayer in front of an unworthy baptized brother.  Interestingly, they can teach on the platform as long as there is another woman across the table.  Where did they read that in the scriptures?  What a bunch of crap! 

Somebody:  Whew! That wore me out.  Great post!

Hey! The rule against beards and long hair for men is correct. I'm glad I am not under that law anymore.

The best one I can think of is when they told married couples what kinds of sex they could not have.

Find that in the Bible.

hahaha i'm rolling cuz of that, thats great

   Keeping track of hours preached on a publishers record card.   Low hours=weak publisher.   All a person is worth to the Watchtower is their hours.

You are only as good as your last literature placement.

WT IT IS THE NO 1 MAKING MAN MADE RULES

Rules and other things invented by the WTS:

No beards

5 weekly meetings

reporting field service

2 door cars are bad

no higher education

auxiliary and regular pioneers

Conventions

Name tags

regional building commitees

kingdom halls

no pepperoni on your pizza

no smoking

judicial commitees

can only use society-approved hotels at conventions

no reporting of child abusers to authorities

blood cards - and they must be filled out at the BS under the elders supervision

 

Restrictions following reinstatement

Hi Corvin here is an interesting quote i found on a jw site:Now we no why they arent accountable

LOL!  I liked that! 

I'm confused.  Aren't the annointed supposed to be the ones that are making the rules since they will rule with Christ for 1,000 years, and they get God's holy spirit?  Do the annointed ones, or the remnant, actually take a diligent role in mandating JW policy?  I guess the GB are annointed, so far as they say, but what about the ones in the "field"?  Do they call them up ad ask them what "new light" there is or anything?  I've been out so long that I can't even remember how this works!  What I always wondered is the JW's claim that there is no more miracles.. yet, they claim to be God's directed channel on Earth.  To *me* and this just may be ME, it seems that spiritual direction is something of a miracle, since it's extraordinary.  But wait.. oh yeah.. they are imperfect men, so whatever they say can't be counted on since they may be interpreting God's divine words to them through prayer <???> wrongly.  Wait.. we have to listen to them because they are God's inspired channel to Earth.. but how can they be inspired when their interpretations may be wrong?  Who's taking responsibility here?

Another thing: why would God tell them one thing, then another, and then back again?  That doesn't make any sense.  Don't they even see how nothing makes sense?  If they were STUPID men, yes.  But they aren't.   Methinks they are blinded by power.

 

CG

iiz2cool : no pepperoni on your pizza

LOL.... Why would I not be surprized if that were true?

 

And I'd like to add to your list....

 

no buying food from food vendors at the convention sites.

 

peace,

somebody

When I first joined the dubs a bunch of us went to pizza hut for one of their specials. As soon as the food came everyone started picking off the pepperoni because it might contain meat by-products that just might have blood! I gave in to the peer pressure and picked mine off too, but I still continued to eat pepperoni in private. It was one of my "secret sins".

Walter

Walter,

Jehovah will kill you now.  You filthy filthy bastard.....

Did you go to the elders?  Or did you whip yourself with chains when you got home, LOL! 

2 door cars?????????????

What? Why..........?

Englishman.

Shamus, I never repented and I continue to eat pepperoni on my pizza to this day. It was most likely the beginning of my spiritual downfall and subsequent descent into a life of debauchery.

Eman, a 2 door car is impractical when engaging in the field service, since people with cars are always expected to take others with them. Elders can split their pants open  when trying to get out of the back seat, and hot-looking pioneer sisters could possibly show a little thigh when getting out!!!

Walter