by Olin Moyles Ghost 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I found an Awake! mag in a doctor's office the other day on why you can trust the Bible. One of the stats it presented was that 'The Bible is available in whole or in part to over 90% of the world's population in their language.'
So even God can't reach 600,000,000 people with even a "part" of his Holy Writ. What chance do a handful of imperfect humans have if the Almighty himself can't do any better job of distribution than that?
(And yeah, I tossed it in the trash on my way out!)
Dave
Sory please don't take my first part of the response the wrong way BUT:
It's a silly question actually. Here is why:
First in the 1989 WT (Sept 1 page 19 para 7) the WTBS claims that ONLY Witnesses in Jehovah's Organization will be spared.
Now with that background let's ask: "Why has Jehovah no brought an end to this system of things already?"
Then the JWs will quote 2 Peter 3 with the same question and state that God doesn't want any to be destroyed but all to attain everlasting life (including ths in China and India you ask about). Therefore JWs claim that these have to be preached to.
BUT does this make any sense at all? Let's play a little numbers game:
1. There are 6 millions JWs still living (therefore 6 million who would make it through if the end came today).
2. There are 6 BILLION other worldly people still living.
The world population growth rate is close to 1.2% (includes those being born as well as those dying). But for simplicity sake let's use a 1% growth rate and exclude deaths (all in favor of WT side of the argument as you will see). That means there will be 60 million newborn babies this year!!! That is 10 times the total number of JWS.
So if the end came a year from now and the JWs increased their regular 2-3% then they would add 120,000 new members. AND Jehovah would kill 60 million new born babies under 1 year of age!!!!
So what loving God is going to kill 60 million babies to save 120,000 adults?
The longer he lets it go the bigger of a killer he gets every day.
Still want to believe the "bullshit from brooklyn" (TM)?
Cheers,
Gravedancer
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/127096/2248851/post.ashx#2248851
I wonder how many people in India and China have been called on (2 billion); how about the Muslim countries which outlaw proseltyzing?
Oh, that's right everyone doesn't have to have an individual witness...
*** w00 1/15 p. 13 par. 17 "Keep on the Watch" ***
Fifth, we see a global preaching work being accomplished, which Jesus said would take place just before the end of this system. Jesus stated: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) Today, that prophecy is in the course of fulfillment on an unprecedented scale. True, untouched territories still exist, and it may be that in Jehovah’s due time, a large door leading to greater activity will open. (1 Corinthians 16:9) Nevertheless, the Bible does not state that Jehovah will wait until every individual on earth has received a personal witness. Rather, the good news must be preached to Jehovah’s satisfaction. Then the end will come.—Compare Matthew 10:23.
*** w65 9/15 pp. 575-576 Questions From Readers ***
Since millions of persons in China and other places have never heard the Kingdom message, will these people be preserved through the destruction of Babylon the Great and the war of Armageddon, or perhaps be resurrected later?—H.S., U.S.A.
It is important to understand what the Bible says about the destruction to come at the end of this system of things. In his illustration of the sheep and the goats Jesus indicated that a separating work would be done "when the Son of man arrives in his glory," and that persons would be classed as either "sheep" or "goats." (Matt. 25:31-46) In part, the basis for the separation would be the reaction of people to the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom. That preaching work is now being done by Jehovah’s witnesses. Jesus explained that those on earth who favorably responded to that message and treated kindly its bearers would be classed as "sheep" and would enter into "everlasting life." The rest of mankind who did not respond favorably to the preaching work and offered no aid to those who carried the Kingdom message would be classed as "goats" and would go, not into a temporary death, but into "everlasting cutting-off" at the time when judgment is executed.
But some persons, appreciating that millions of people are to be resurrected and given an opportunity to serve God, wonder if the millions of individuals living today who apparently have never heard the Kingdom message preached will be everlastingly destroyed without ever having had a witness about God’s purposes. It is true that at present it appears that there are vast numbers of mankind who have not heard the Kingdom preaching. Also, from what the Bible says and from conditions in the world, we know that we are in the "last days." But we do not know just how much more will be accomplished in preaching the Kingdom message before the end comes. (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Matt. 24:3-13) If at the end of the second world war someone had said that the Kingdom preaching would be carried out, by more than a million publishers, in over 190 lands, including communistic countries, many might have found that hard to believe. Yet, Jehovah has blessed his people, and that is exactly what is being accomplished. So, if it is Jehovah’s will to have this message personally carried to the millions on earth who seemingly have not yet heard it, that will be accomplished. If he chooses, he could see to it that this message is spread in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Jesus did foretell that "this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14) We can rest assured that God will see that the preaching work is done to his satisfaction. After that "the end" comes.
Then those who correspond with "goats," whether in China or elsewhere, will be pronounced "cursed" and will not be permitted to survive that "end" into God’s new order of things. Since these go into symbolic "fire" (like the Devil and his angels), their punishment will be everlasting. They will never be resurrected.—Matt. 25:41-46.
"Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."—Ps. 37:10, 11.
I think there would be more bible distribution in China than in some other areas of the earth.
Like maybe this place: excerpt from:http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200502/fist-contact_1.html
I had trouble buying the idea that, in the 21st century, there were still nomadic hunter-gatherers out there using stone tools and rubbing sticks together to start a fire. But there are, Woolford assured me. From his home in Ubud, Bali, he explained the strategy behind his First Contact trips.
"There are a handful of places in West Papua that are untouched—still Stone Age tribes, still cannibals," he said. "It's just that a lot of people are too scared to go look for them."
I think the scriptures say "All of the inhabited earth"
About 5 years ago I read an article in National Geographic that missionaries (NOT JW) were working to translate the last unknown language into scripture. It was some small island like the one described in the above passage.
Welcome, nice to have you here. A great question, and i look forward to hearing more about your story as well.
Your question is one of those areas where it is easy to see that JWs will dismiss any form of logic to believe what they want to believe. It will never be possible for Mat 24:14 to be fulfilled if it applies only to JWs. If it was considered that Christians collectively are preaching the good news, then the scripture may make some sense. But the Watchtower can't allow such an understanding, as they claim that they alone correctly preach the good news of the kingdom. Their sole intention is to grow membership, not appeal to common sense.
Interesting Topic. I hear my son Thomas, a JW in the Cleveland area has learned Chinese and is is now speaking the language fluently. He's supposedly teaching a book study in the Chinese Congregation.
I do think Thomas is the exception though; In college, he hung out with the Asian Students in his residence hall and enjoyed their company more than the White students.
Oh....And Welcome to the Forum Olin Moyles Ghost. Great to have you here!
I think South Park said it best ...
Asians have no souls!
... so I guess the answer to the Witness question is YES.
About 5 years ago I read an article in National Geographic that missionaries (NOT JW) were working to translate the last unknown language into scripture. It was some small island like the one described in the above passage.
About 2-3 years ago we had a husband and wife visit our church. They were Bible translators for I think the International Bible Society.
They were based in Papua/New Guinea. They said that were were about 800 languages/dialects in the country. Each tribe could speak a different language. You could go to one tribe in a valley, then go to next valley and the tribe there would speak a different language.
Also many tribes did not even have a written language. Also that they did not even have words for some concepts or things, because they have never had to deal with or have such things.
It was also believed that there are still many other tribes who have not even had contact with "outsiders".
...why does "in all the world" need to mean every living individual? The gospel had reached every continent over a hundred and fifty years ago. The Jews had begun returning to their homeland with the signing of the Edict of Toleration in 1844 and the end of the "Gentile Times" (when the control of Jerusalem by non-Jews) has come. The three promises of Christ for the timing of His return could be said to already have been fulfilled... carmel
