JWs... You are not unique! take a look at this. My research

by Aussie Oz 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Aussie Oz

  In my research i have decided to go waaaay back. So, one of the first things i did was look at the beginnings with regard to Charles Taze Russell.

  while this may be old news to many, this is indeed new to me. And i want to tell this to the JWs that are no doubt on here too.

  You are an ADVENTIST SECT.

  Without posting the expanded (very long) version of my research, i will post the basics that lead me to this conclusion.

  How unique are Jehovah’s witnesses? Do other faiths share significant beliefs and practices? When did the IBSA get its start and what were its influences?

  Most Jehovah’s witnesses believe that the beginning of their religion (in modern times as they refer to it) was when a free thinking young man named Charles Taze Russell began to look for answers after being disillusioned by mainstream religions.

  The Proclaimers book (jv 1993 published by the WBTS) gives a basic account of this event. Russell credits various men with renewing his lost faith. Mentioned are Jonas Wendell, George W Stetson and George Storrs. Later Nelson H Barbour also became very much an influence on Charles.

  What do these men all have in common? All of them were ‘Second Adventists’. The line of second Adventists can be traced back to William Miller.

  Aside from all Adventist sects being quagmired in date setting controveries, the following is a basic list of the similarities. A total of 34 that i came up with. No doubt there are more, and as expected, some differences too.

  Day for a year principle in prophecy/ Shut door policy on remnant (Jw recently changed it)/ baptism vow/ baptism by immersion/ scriptures infallible/ substitutory atonement of christ/ Resurrection of the dead/ evangelical in nature/ second coming of christ/ end times/ no separate soul/ conditional immortality/ no hell torment/ universal issue/ remnant of end times/ writings considered a source of truth/ anti-abortion/ hetrosexual marriage only/ conservative in dress grooming & entertainment/ anti gambling/ appointed overseers no salary/ publishing house/ 2 main magazines/ beleive they are the remnant church/ catholic & protestant & others babylon the great/ no 'once saved always saved'/ to go to another religion is apostacy/ disfellowshiping practiced/ claim god blessed rapid growth/ holy spirit led/ creator is God/ lords supper.

  I found that both brag just as loudly as each other about their zeal and growth as proof that THEY are the ONE TRUE religion. If that is the standard, plus the above list, then the Seventh Day Adventists have it hands down. Perhaps you need to think... what if, after Rusell died, God did not favour Rutherford? what if he transfered favour to some other branch of Adventism? What if he was never with Russells branch? THINK!

  Now, i expect, some may want to argue. Some may add to the list. No matter to me, i don't claim my list is perfect. This is my conclusion, that is all that matters to me. If you dissagree i suggest do your own research... all you need is wiki pedia and your own WTCD library.

  The Jehovahs witnesses, Watchtower bible and tract society, etc etc, is nothing more than another Adventist sect.

  Oz
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  alanv

  Good post Oz. As you say many have a rough idea what happened back then but I must say I never new JWs had so much in common with the adventists. Good advice to get people to check it out not an 'apostate' site but with the WT CD rom and wiki pedia.
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  Tuesday

  There are four religions that essentially believe the same stuff as Jehovah's Witnesses with very slight variations.

  Associated Bible Students, Dawn Bible Students, Christadelphians, and Second Day Adventists. The only other one that can be loosely called the same would be Seventh Day Adventists.
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  doublelife

  Tuesday, you forgot to mention United Church of God on the list. IMO they seem to be more similar in doctrine to jws than 7th day adventist. 7th day adventist believe in the trinity.

  http://www.ucg.org/
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  cyberjesus

  thanks
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  geevee

  Hi Oz,

  Good info. If russell were to come back to life today and preach what he did back then even though his dogmas were obviously approved by the christ in 1919 [rutherford hadn't had time to change a great many of them yet] he would be DFed for apostatcy!
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  cantleave

  Aussie - thanks.
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  besty

  you might find this helpful:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorationism_(Christian_primitivism)
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  Doug Mason

  Aussie Oz,

  Although Rutherford is named in CTR's will only as a possible substitute on the Editorial Committee, Rutherford took control of the organisation through physical force and dubious legal manipulation.

  Whereas the original organisation was democratic, Rutherford was adamant, while in prison awaiting the outcome of the voting, that he would never be held subject to the whims of the voting membership. We well know how Rutherford turned over the democratic process into his "theocracy".

  It might be of interest to pursue the fates of the people who actually were named in CTR's will. When CTR died, the organisation broke up into innumerable splinter groups. An OCR of CTR's will is available at: http://www.jwstudies.com/WILL_AND_TESTAMENT_OF_CHARLES_TAZE_RUSSELL.pdf

  As far as the SDAs are concerned, they were held to be on the outer of the 19th century Advent groups because they were under the control of a self-proclaimed prophet, and officially they did not keep on setting dates.

  Doug
• 

  reslight2

  There are four religions that essentially believe the same stuff as Jehovah's Witnesses with very slight variations.

  Associated Bible Students, Dawn Bible Students, Christadelphians, and Second Day Adventists. The only other one that can be loosely called the same would be Seventh Day Adventists.

  The variations between the Bible Students groups and the Jehovah's Witnesses could hardly be called "slight." The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that millions of unbelieving men, women and children will be eternally destroyed in the "great tribulation" or the battle of Armageddon. The Bible Students do not teach that idea at all, but rather believe that all unbelievers who are dying in Adam will be blessed with the resurrection of the unjust in the last day due to the ransom for all. The JWs rejected the 'ransom for all' and replaced it with a doctrine that basically says: "join us or be eternally destroyed." Charles Taze Russell considered the doctrine of the ransom for all as being the central doctrine in understanding how Jesus' death provides salvation for all.

  "Second Day Adventists" seems to be a psuedo name often given to the "Second Adventists." I have not been able to verify that there ever was a group that called themsevles "Second Day Adventists." I cannot think of any scriptural reason for any group to call themselves "Second Day Adventists," except that in a general sense, one could speak of the entire period of man's history from the creation of Adam as a "day", and the "day" of when the world is to blessed by the seed of Abraham as a "second day." While I don't know of any group who adopted such a name, I have seen many refer to the "Second Adventists" by adding the word "Day" in the middle, possibly because of the denominational name "Seventh Day Adventists" is used as basis, and the word "Day" has been added to correlate the Second Adventists as having a similar name.