Is ANYONE in charge a real ordained minister? College degrees? Seminary? A real Theological degree?

by WireRider 29 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  adjusted knowledge

  There are more educated members on this forum than the entire top leadership within the JW religion. I never knew but a handful of elders with degrees. Most of the Elders I knew earned their degree prior to joining. In the top echelons the most educated are going to be the lawyers. Notice how the Governing Body has to quote other experts and never themselves or credit any research article that they were involved in. I doubt any of them can expertly read or write in any of the ancient bible languages.

  I remember one school overseer with a degree in Journalism, an accomplished TV personality. what a difference a degree makes.

  I knew an Elder in Ft. Myers Florida that fit that profile. He was a local new anchor and gave talks at the circuit. He is now retired.

  How does one fail a degree in theology?! Seriously, I'd like to know

  It would depend where the degree was offered. I would imagine earning a degree in theology at Harvard wouldn't be easy. Trying to learn Hebrew, Ancient Greek, and other bible languages would be difficult for most. In addition to field experience requirement the program isn't easy. Then again a theology degree offered online by a non accredited school would probably be hard to fail.
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  Diogenesister

  
  

  Finkelstein10 minutes ago

  What becomes comparatively interesting is what WireRider pointed out that the WTS right to its very beginning inception did not have a academically trained bible theologian.

  Which is interesting given that at the time one would have thought that a wealthy man with an interest in the Bible would have attempted to study at a Seminary at the very least - even if he did not complete it once assured of his new found Biblical'truth'.

  Except, of course, it wasn't new found, it was almost completely plagiarized from Adventist theology, Miller's work, John Aquilla et al.

  Not to mention the fact there are doubts about Russell's initial wealth - until, that is, he got the 'keys to his own publishing company' (Finklestein, JW.D, 2015)

  Unsurprising, then, they would not want subsequent followers studying a subject the founders did not understand. Even the WT "oracle" W.Franze was only a second year undergraduate of ancient (not Biblical)Greek when he left to become a WT colporteur, or book & tract salesman.

  And you don't need a theology degree to sell books.
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  Diogenesister

  Btw, I think our member CalebfromFlorida had a theological qualification of some sort. He may even have been a qualified Rabbi.

  Much missed member.
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  under the radar

  prologos and adjusted knowledge:

  Years ago when I was traveling for work, I attended some meetings in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. The Watchtower Study conductor emceed it like a game show. Or maybe a really enthusiastic news anchor. Most entertaining. If that guy wasn't in show business, he should have been.
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  talesin

  I would imagine earning a degree in theology at Harvard wouldn't be easy.

  Very true, especially a BA, as they don't have an undergrad program. : )

  I don't know why anyone would think that a degree in Theology is composed entirely of bird courses. Or is that a slam at all arts programs? smh
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  WireRider

  I was just thinking that a crazy really messed up religion that has always hated education and real Christian Churches must be made up of the really devoted ones - the ones that hate education and Christians. So what does that leave? An org of stupid uneducated people that can't understand the Bible. Sounds like a group that will loose money hand-over-fist and bankrupt themselves.

  And people give them their money - ha?
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  WireRider

  Thank's for everyone's input. To catch up:

  nicolaou

  How does one fail a degree in theology?! Seriously, I'd like to know.

  See Arius and Russell

  
  

  alesin
  My grandfather had his degree in theology, and he was an elder. He is the only one I ever knew. (He became a JW for my grandmother, they married later in life, around 30 YO, so he was an Anglican minister when he met her.)

  That I respect

  Witness 007
  Yes but he was a pyramid expert...the measurements related to the end of the world in 1918!

  
  

  Pyramid expert? Charles Russell took donated money and traveled to Egypt. He based his entire belief on his measurements of the pyramid that the world was absolutely going to end in 1914. Opps. He then stated that his measurements had been off and the real year was 1915 that the world would positively end in 1915. God was just laughing at him and had to let 1915 stretch out to really embarrass him. No end of the world. God killed the false prophet in 1916 for being a pagan ass.

  
  

  
  
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  OrphanCrow

  Diogenesister:
  Finkelstein10 minutes ago
  Which is interesting given that at the time one would have thought that a wealthy man with an interest in the Bible would have attempted to study at a Seminary at the very least - even if he did not complete it once assured of his new found Biblical'truth'.
  Except, of course, it wasn't new found, it was almost completely plagiarized from Adventist theology, Miller's work, John Aquilla et al.
  Not to mention the fact there are doubts about Russell's initial wealth - until, that is, he got the 'keys to his own publishing company' (Finklestein, JW.D, 2015)
  Unsurprising, then, they would not want subsequent followers studying a subject the founders did not understand. Even the WT "oracle" W.Franze was only a second year undergraduate of ancient (not Biblical)Greek when he left to become a WT colporteur, or book & tract salesman.
  And you don't need a theology degree to sell books.

  What becomes comparatively interesting is what WireRider pointed out that the WTS right to its very beginning inception did not have a academically trained bible theologian.

  Russell was tied in with the International Correspondence School. The ICS' mantra was that you did not have to go to university - you could just study at home, with a focused course on whatever subject you wanted to gain knowledge of, without having to get a university degree.

  The Studies in the Scriptures was the course designed by Russell to "ordain" the Bible Students. It was sold to the public in the same way the ICS's courses were - as a home study course. Later, once Russell died and the WTS was in the hands of Rutherford, a textbook writer for the ICS was one the editors for the Golden Age magazine - it was a slam dunk. The colportuers sold ICS courses right along with the WT literature.
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  Finkelstein

  What I think is interesting is how C T Russel's formulated theologies that he stood firmly to for so long with the IBSA and further on creating the JWS that exists today !
  

  One should not forget that those doctrines were in support of the literature the WTS published and those pieces of literature supported the men and their expressed doctrines.

  Without those publications the JW organization would not be in existence today, the Watchtower Corporation's version of Christianity.
  

  Not surprisingly either is that those contrived doctrines have become a problematic burden to the men running the organization
  
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  WireRider

  In what world did Russell have any business to publish such crap as the made up "Studies in the Scriptures"?? He was so wrong. He plagiarized the works of Arius that was kicked out of Christianity in 320 AD. Russell was a fraud. Russell was never ordained by any Church. The entire Watchtower is a fraud. NO ONE in the Watchtower has ever been an ordained minister - they would spontaneous combust. They can't even set foot in a Church. The Watchtower sold their soles a long time ago to create the cult.