The true religion?

by John Doe 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  John Doe

  I was just glancing through the official website, and had an interesting thought. I know this is not original, but it struck me.

  Let's begin with this quote, right off the link on their main site:

  http://www.watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_07.htm

  1. Jesus started one true Christian religion. So today there must be just one body, or group, of true worshipers of Jehovah God. ( John 4:23, 24 ; Ephesians 4:4, 5 )

  Now, another link off their main site:

  http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_01.htm

  THE modern history of Jehovah's Witnesses began more than a hundred years ago. In the early 1870's, a rather inconspicuous Bible study group began in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., which is now a part of Pittsburgh. Charles Taze Russell was the prime mover of the group.

  Are there own articles, found in 2 minutes of random browsing, not suggesting that they are not the "true religion?" Jesus started "one" religion. Russell started another religion almost 2,000 years later. How can they even attempt to reconcile this? The first quote indicates that the "true" religion must be exactly the one that Jesus started, and no other one can be true. The second quote indicates a different religion, with an origin only slighlty more than 100 years old. Without even touching doctrine, is it not obvious that their own words disqualify them as being a true religion?
• 

  FreudianSlip

  Notice they said the "modern history" as in there is an ancient history of JWs as well.. If I remember right though, they denounce Catholism's claims to apostolic succession when they in fact have records that date back many hundreds of years showing their 'lineage'.
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  changeling

  Yes, the "modern history" phrase is the key. To them, the true religion was started by Jesus and then was dormant until the time of the end.

  Actually, witnesses believe Abel was the first witness, or at least that's what my mother always said.

  changeling :)
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  John Doe

  I haven't attended regularly since my late teens, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of this. So, they teach that there was no true religion between the time of the apostles and the end of the 19th century?
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  SweetSweetApostasy

  What I'm finding is that JWs don't know or care about questions like this. I'm only learning "JW doctrine" AFTER leaving. I suspect detailed doctrine is only invented on response to tough questions from apostates on their way out.
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  tomquinn

  Did you know that the "SIKH" religion has a campaign going that states that "it" is the "True Religion" even quoting "The Truth" as being its basis?

  Tom
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  Gopher

  So, they teach that there was no true religion between the time of the apostles and the end of the 19th century?

  They teach that certain individuals kept the flame of "truth" going, as when they claim the annual Memorial (of Jesus' death) was celebrated annually by at least one faithful "anointed" Christian. (Where they have the proof for this claim, I don't know.)

  Then they borrow the idea from Daniel 12:9,10, which says "The words are made secret and sealed up until the time of the end. Many will cleanse and whiten themselves and be refined...And no wicked ones at all will understand." In other words, according to the WTS, there would be a restoration of "clean" worship in the last days.
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  Satanus

  Good catch. A comparison of a list the main teachings of christ w a list of the main teachings of charles russel would show few if any correspondences.
  
  S
• 

  Slappy

  Just another example, among many, of organized "religions" working to twist things to suit their needs.

  Politics pale in comparison.