"Bible Teach" book's discouragement of investigating other religions

by M.J. 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    After leading the reader through most of the major JW doctrines, the Watchtower Society's introductory book, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, really starts laying out the reasoning that you HAVE to be a JW to be approved by God in chapter 15. It is interesting how the first instruction given here is not to go investigating what other religions teach. But, as the WTS writers often do, they resort to circular reasoning and false analogy to support this:

    ***

    bh chap. 15 pp. 144-145 pars. 2-4 Worship That God Approves ***

    2

    How can you know the right way to worship Jehovah? You do not have to study and compare the teachings of all the many religions. You need only learn what the Bible really teaches about true worship. To illustrate: In many lands, there is a problem with counterfeit money. If you were given the job of picking out such false money, how would you go about it? By memorizing every kind of counterfeit? No. Your time would be better spent if you studied real money. After you knew what real money looked like, you could recognize a counterfeit. Similarly, when we learn how to identify the true religion, we can recognize those religions that are false.

    The counterfeit money analogy is flawed because it assumes that one knows what real money looks like in the first place.

    A better analogy would be if you had a set of imaging data of Mars' surface, but based on that data ten scientists each have have a different interpretation of what geological features are indicated by this data. Would it be adviseable to become convinced that the reasoning of scientist #1 was rock-solid, declare it is "what the data really teaches", and shun all other scientists for not agreeing without even looking at their research?

    The rest of the section deals with the consequence of going with the "counterfeit" version rather than the "real" one:

    3 It is important that we worship Jehovah in the way that he approves. Many people believe that all religions are pleasing to God, but the Bible does not teach that. It is not even enough just to claim to be a Christian. Jesus said: "Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will." To have God’s approval, therefore, we must learn what God requires of us and do it. Jesus called those who do not do God’s will "workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23) Like counterfeit money, false religion has no real value. Even worse, such religion is actually harmful.

    4

    Jehovah gives everyone on earth the opportunity to gain everlasting life. To have eternal life in Paradise, however, we must worship God properly and live now in a way that is acceptable to him. Sadly, many refuse to do so. That is why Jesus said: "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." (Matthew 7:13, 14) True religion leads to everlasting life. False religion leads to destruction. Jehovah does not want any human to be destroyed, and that is why he is giving people everywhere an opportunity to learn about him. (2 Peter 3:9) Really, then, the way we worship God means either life or death for us.
  • Auchmull
    Auchmull
    The counterfeit money analogy is flawed because it assumes that one knows what real money looks like in the first place.

    no, it argues that you study real money:

    Your time would be better spent if you studied real money. After you knew what real money looked like, you could recognize a counterfeit.

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    Right. But again, this assumes you know what real money is to start with. If you were trying to identify what real money looks like, but you already knew what real money looked like, then you woudn't need to study what real money looked like in the first place...understand?

  • Auchmull
    Auchmull

    not in the least.

    you mean, it assumes that you can correctly identify real money, then study it? I'll buy that.

  • metatron
    metatron

    Stupid non reasoning.

    You don't "memorize" counterfeits, that's absurd. You develop analytical ability to detect counterfeits, the very sort

    of critical reasoning that the Watchtower wants people to avoid.

    metatron

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    The point is that the analogy is applied to the identification process itself...and thus it does not work since it assumes that the identifaction is determined up front.

    Anyway see my second analogy, which I think is more fitting.

  • drew sagan
    drew sagan

    What JWs try to do is say that the 'real money' is the Bible itself, and that by studying what the bible 'really' teaches we can put apart what is true from what is false.
    What they try to do at this point in the study is put the organization in the backround and hold the Bible up on high. They teach you it is the Bible that is teaching us, not some human organization. The reasoning is based on the idea that the person allready accepts the Bible and so the Bible is seen as the 'real money' that must be used to test religions.
    Of course this also is flawed reasoning. If the Bible has the truth, then why are you looking at this 'Bible Teach' book in the first place? It is true JW reasoning simply to get people attracted to their religion by showing them "contridictions" between other religions and the Bible. That's their game and this is how they play it.
    But in the end what you say is correct. How is somebody searching for truth able to know for sure what 'true religion' really is? I have seen in this new book they like to reduce everything to such simple illustrations and many just don't even work that well.
    It's an open flaw that makes obvious their goal is to make you feel that they alone have true religion. I actually was at a door one time with a 'door step Bible study' who said he thought this illustration didn't make any sense. The person conducting the study said 'Yeah, I didn't really think it was that great either, but....' and then went on to try it from another angle. I just stood their thinking 'what the hell am I doing here?'

  • Finally-Free
    Finally-Free
    2 How can you know the right way to worship Jehovah? You do not have to study and compare the teachings of all the many religions. You need only learn what the Bible really teaches about true worship.

    If this was applied fairly the reader would immediately discard the JW publication and read the bible by itself. JWs don't study the bible. They study their own books, and refer to the bible only when they can find a verse to support their statements. Too often the verses are taken out of context. That kind of selective proof texting can be used to support almost any kind of twisted teaching.

    W

  • Auchmull
    Auchmull
    If this was applied fairly the reader would immediately discard the JW publication and read the bible by itself.

    but the bible is hard*

    *this should be said with a whiny, nasaly tone

  • lost_light06
    lost_light06

    Not only is the bible “hard” it’s interpreted differently by everyone. There is no way to know for sure which teaching is correct, not unless God himself came down and told you personally. That is why there are thousands of religions throughout the world. You may be personally convinced what you believe is truth but so is everyone else. It’s arrogant for anyone or any religion to think theirs is the real truth.

    Nacho : I'm not listening to you! You only believe in Science. That's probably why we never win!
    Esqueleto: We never win because you are fat!

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