Watchtower Paradoxes

by jwfacts 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jwfacts

  A couple of weeks ago there was a post about Watchtower Circular reasoning, or paradoxes. It fits very well with an article I wrote so I have included a couple of examples. Thanks to whoever posted the idea and sorry that I can't remember who it was.

  
  
  
  For those with firefox the image is at http://jwfacts.com/index_files/image5821.jpg
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  Spectrum

  But couldn't we create circular reasoning for anything in that case? It's nicely constructed but does it stand up to scrutiny? Are your questions are set up to lead to circular reasoning hence giving it a predetermined meaning? Are your questions valid? I'm only asking so that I can be assured of the validity in your flow chart so that I'll have confidence to use it.
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  jwfacts

  Belief by definition is based on things unproven, so requires some degree of circular reasoning. A classic one is "the bible inspired because it says it is inspired"
  
  My point is that it is wrong be dogmatic that ONLY JWs are correct simply because they say they are. There is no harm in believing in God, the bible etc, but there is harm in any religious group victimising members and ex members on the basis that "we are right because we said so".
  
  Once aware of this circular reasoning it is frustrating to read Watchtower magazines. Someone sent me an email today with a Watchtower article proving that they are Gods organization. The article "identifying the Mother Organization" says:
  "Then in the eighth verse (AS) it says: “Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” This foretells the birth of more children, but this time on earth. This occurred in 1919. The land that is born is the restored condition on earth of Jehovah’s anointed remnant in a New World society, a condition free for Jehovah’s worship and for organized service theocratically. The new nation is the remnant of spiritual Israel delivered from Babylon and now under the established newborn Kingdom."
  
  Here is a typical article that goes into great lengths to describe how the WTS is THE organisation,without the slightest piece of evidence to support why that is true.
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  Fe2O3Girl

  Paradox doesn't mean circular reasoning. A paradox is

  1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.
  2. One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: “The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears” (Mary Shelley).
  3. An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.
  4. A statement contrary to received opinion.

  http://www.answers.com/paradox&r=67

  I think your examples of WT circular reasoning are sound examples, but that it is really one example, not two.
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  A Paduan

  1. But how do I know jwism is true and that other people are controlled by satan
  2. Because when you become a jw your family won't want you to
  3. I became a jw and my family didn't like it
  4. ok, jwism must be true and my family are satan
  5. wow, we must be the wisest people on earth
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  jwfacts

  Fe, circular reasoning is more accurate. They could be drawn as one large circle, but there are two components so I separated them out to more clearly identify the two points.

  • We are the only ones with truth even though what we say is often shown to be false.
  • We were chosen in 1919 for having clean teachings even though our teachings were not clean.

  Paduan - it is frustrating reasoning with a JW because there are always two comments for every point.

  • If a JW is blessed it is from Jehovah, it a Worldly person is blessed it is from Satan.
  • If a JW suffers it is from Satan, if a worldly person suffers they are reaping what they sow.
  • If things are bad it is a sign of the last days, if they are good it is the cry of peace
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  Ténébreux

  A Watchtower paradox would be more like "Satan cannot read your mind, and yet mind-reading is the work of Satan"
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  greendawn

  Paradoxes as defined by Fe203 are:
  
  Non JWs must scrutinise their religions but JWs are strictly forbidden to do so
  
  At death all humans have their slate cleaned just the same whether big criminals or mild sinners ie the same punishment for all, no gradations possible, therefore they might as well sin as much as they can.
  
  All the dead faithful dubs will be resurrected after armageddon, yet in Revelation it says after the end of the 1000 year reign (unless they are saints whom the dubs also call anointed which most JWs are not).
  
  Rutherford was calling other Christian religious leaders the collective man of lawlessness yet that is precisely what he was as even a cursory look at his life history will show.