Misquotes from the "Reasoning Book" re: Cross (scans included)

by AlphaOmega 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  AlphaOmega

  The "Reasoning Book" claims that the 1874 edition of The Imperial Bible Dictionary verifies the idea that Jesus was crucified on a stake.
  However, when you check the reference with The Imperial Bible Dictionary, you see that it acutally is not as clear cut as that.

  As usual, the infamous "..." of the Watchtower has been used to edit out any opposing ideas in the source that they cite.

  I know that this may have been mentioned before, but the scans of The Imperial Bible Dictionary that are floating around the internet are from later editions, hence the page numbers are not those cited in the Reasoning Book.

  

  http://i36.tinypic.com/2ilc9cx.jpg

  1st page:

  

  The entire 3 page scan of the Imperial Bible Dictionary's acrticle can be found here as a higher quality PDF without the highlighting shown above:

  http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=0529828d49f3dca5b017ff75c5157f70
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  insearchoftruth

  This is great, thanks!!! One of the pubs my wife has is the Reasoning with the Scriptures, so I may be able to use this if she asks me about the cross, I have two on the walls, actually one in her office and one in the spare bedroom.
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  AudeSapere

  Very nice documentation!

  I think this is a good and simple example of dishonest quotation to mark for future reference.

  The society's direct quote ended *twice* just before the word 'but'. And they were important 'but's' that completely changes the quote.

  Thanks for posting this.

  -Aude.
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  Justitia Themis

  Thank you for your work, and posting the PDF. However, I looked in the Reasoning book, and it appears the WTBTS is using this quote somewhat properly. The sentence preceding this quote says, "Later it also came to be used for an execution stake having a cross piece." Note: "...having a cross piece." Then, they use this quote.

  In the next paragraph, they start their argument against a cross starting with this sentence,"Was that the case in connection with the execution of God's Son?"

  The first paragraph is very confusing. I must admit in all my life as a JW, I NEVER saw the preceeding sentence. They argue for and against in cross in one paragraph, and it is confusing as to just what the Imperial Dictionary "acknowledges." As is documented, they use only the part that argues against the cross.
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  AlphaOmega

  Justitia Themis wrote...
  
  Thank you for your work, and posting the PDF. However, I looked in the Reasoning book, and it appears the WTBTS is using this quote properly. The sentence preceding this quote says, "Later it also came to be used for an execution stake having a cross piece." Note: "...having a cross piece." Then, they use this quote.

  In the next paragraph, they start their argument against a cross starting with this sentence,"Was that the case in connection with the execution of God's Son?"

  That is true, as can be seen from the scan of the Reasoning Book, but the spirit of the article in the Reasoning Book is dishonest, for example it doesn't mention the following quote from the Imperial Bible Dictionary which seems to place the crosspiece of the cross at the time of the Gospel age.

  There can be no doubt, however, that the latter sort was the more common, and that about the period of the gospel age crucifixion was usually accomplished by suspending the criminal on a cross piece of wood.
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  Justitia Themis

  but the spirit of the article in the Reasoning Book is dishonest

  Preaching to the choir here Alpha. That's why one of my favorite quotes is from one the new books that says, in effect, if you say something in a manner that may be technically correct but purposefully leads someone to an incorrect conclusion, you are lying. This is what they are doing, and by their own mouths, it is lying.
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  AlphaOmega

  Preaching to the choir here Alpha. That's why one of my favorite quotes is from one the new books that says, in effect, if you say something in a manner that purposefully leads someone to an incorrect conclusion, you are lying. This is what they are doing, and by their own mouths, it is lying.

  Indeed

  Do you know which book the quote that you mentioned comes from?

  Thanks
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  Justitia Themis

  I'm heading out right now, but I will try to find it this afternoon/evening. :)
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  V

  Marked for reference
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  What-A-Coincidence

  GEM!