The Bible or the Watchtower--by request!

Atlantis

The Bible or the Watchtower--by request! Request from researcher: I know I read it somewhere but can't remember exactly where. Mom and I got into an argument about what JW's feel is more important, the Bible or the Watchtower. She said Jehovah's Witnesses study the Bible more than any other religion on earth. I told her that when JW's are sitting in the Kingdom Hall at their Watchtower study, they are reading the Watchtower 99-per-cent of the time, and only look at the Bible for a moment or two. I know they said the Watchtower is the best study JW's have, or something like that. Would you know where that quote is at? Thanks, Jim! ************************************************************ My comments: Perhaps your mother needs to look more closely at what her own Watchtower says on the matter. For instance: 1. But in Jehovah's organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to do that very thing, to help you who do not have so much time for this, these preparing the good material in the Watchtower and other publications of the Society. Do you see the word "Bible" in the above quote? Doesn't this quote suggest a "blind-belief " in what someone else has prepared, and how would the person know whether the information is accurate or not? How would the reader know if the information is accurate if they don't research the material themselves? ******************************************** 2. Often the very best and most beneficial studying you do is that done when you read a new Watchtower or Awake! or a new book with the joy of getting new truths and a fresh view. Do you see the word "Bible" in this quote? Most beneficial studying you do is when your reading a Watchtower or Awake!? And, new truths??? Do they mean, new truths that are not found in the Bible? Wouldn't that be an admission of preaching a different gospel? Doesn't this quote answer your question? ********************************************* 3. Pick up each Watchtower or Awake! as it comes and read it, just for the joy and pleasure it gives. Again, does this quote encourage the reader to pick up the Bible or the Watchtower and Awake!? And, does this imply the Bible does not give equal joy to the reader? ******************************************** 4. Jehovah wants you to enjoy your study. He does not want it to be drudgery to you. Does this imply that Jehovah feels that studying His Word the Bible is a drudgery, and that studying the Watchtower and Awake are a joy? ******************************************** 5. But everyone has obligations and responsibilities. Adopt the positive attitude. Sit down and decide which are your main responsibilities. Then put first things first. This will put your conscience at ease. So, I was told to depend upon other brothers to do my research for me and the information they have provided has made me obligated,responsible, altered my attitude, become first thing in my life, and has affected my conscience! ******************************************* 6. Take each assignment as a stepping-stone in moving ahead with Jehovah's organization. Still, no mention of the Bible, but now the person is falling in line with the rank-n-file to move ahead with an organization. ****************************************** 7. "God...will himself finish your training, he will make you firm, he will make you strong." If Jehovah's Witnesses are "trained" by Jehovah himself, wouldn't Jehovah want those he trains to at-least be "inspired" by him? Wouldn't Jehovah want those he trains to be studying his Word the Bible instead of a Watchtower or Awake!? If not, then Jehovah can train anyone of any church, couldn't he? If Jehovah trains ministers himself, then what in the world does he need an organization for? And, again, no mention of the word Bible. ******************************************** 8. Start your mind to working. The worry about things not done is much more burdensome than the doing of them. So begin to put down your thoughts on paper, however scattered they may seem to you. Now you have something to work with; you begin to feel that the load is lighter. The subject shapes up in your mind. ******************************************* So finally, as a review, because of what other brothers have researched for me to accept, I have allowed myself to: 1. Blindly believe without question their interpretations whether the information is accurate or not. 2. To believe that my most beneficial study is the information I find in the Watchtower and Awake!, and that I can find "new truths" there that will give me a fresh view. 3. That reading the Watchtower and Awake! will bring joy and pleasure. 4. I will enjoy my study of the Watchtower, Awake!, or other new books published by the Watchtower organization. This study will not be a drudgery to me. 5. Because of what I have been given to read, I now have obligations, responsibilities, a change in attitude, what I've read has become first thing in my life, my conscience has been affected, I have a worry to get things done, and these shape up in my mind which alters my decisions. 6. I am just as responsible to complete my obligations as brothers in concentration camps are to stay faithful. This pictures a "Do-it-Now" importance to get things done, as the Watchtower commands in par.14. All this, and the person has not even picked up a Bible as of yet! In fact, the word "Bible" does not even appear on this study description page! Yet, the word "Watchtower" appears 3 times. The word "organization" appears 4 times and if you include the questions at the bottom, organization appears 5 times. I hope this was the page you were looking for. Watchtower-1967-June-1st-p.338 http://www.imagger.com/view/413044_Wat-10001.jpg.html Cheers! Atlantis!-

carla

Thank you Atlantis!!!

Atlantis

Carla:

Very welcome!

Cheers! Atlantis!-

Peaches1978

That was a very good post and i enjoyed reading it.

peaches

insearchoftruth

Thanks Atlantis.......very interesting, and eye opening as well!!!!

drwtsn32

Good stuff, thanks for posting it!

Atlantis

Peaches1978:

Insearchoftruth:

Drwtsn32:

Thank you! Your very welcome!

Cheers! Atlantis!-

yknot

civicsi00

Damn, that nailed it!

Atlantis

Yknot:

( Love those little messages you include!)

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Civicsi00:

( Atlantis has not forgotten the 1985 KIT you requested, (I think it was you), it is just that the last several book requests have been for massive volumes. Such as: 1984 NWT in PDF, the Pioneer Specials combined RFS & BT-FD NWT, the Large print NWT in PDF, the 1942 KJV in PDF, the Insight Volumes, in PDF, and some of the requests have been for entire WT and Awake bound volumes in PDF. Then there are other researchers from other countries writing to (A) for documents and scans. But, he hasn't forgotten about you! ).

Some of these requests go back to last year. Due to weather conditions, tree limbs down, power outages, and heavy rain we have had, there have been many home repairs he has had to deal with also which are very time consuming.

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Thank you for your kindness.

N.

The Bible or the Watchtower--by request!

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