by JWoods 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I am, of course, talking about the famous "watchtower" image. They even built one on top of one of their buildings...
Just wondering - does any other religion have some architectural symbol which they use as a sign of their belief?
Of course, there are crosses and the ancient Egyptians had the pyramids (as did some early American primatives) -
But is not this use of a watchtower building somewhat unique to the JWs? (and, if I might say - just a little like idolatry?)
Mormons sometimes use images of their temples (especially the Salt Lake Temple) to represent their church as a whole. Their other common identifying image is the Angel Moroni statue that is seen on most Mormon temples.
Just wondering - does any other religion have some architectural symbol which they use as a sign of their belief?
This is just a couple of logos I have seen used to promote Deism as a religion of sorts, plenty of versions of the pyramid one in circulation - Iam still a bit iffy about useing Pyramids and buildings as symbols for a belief personally- but Iam not superstitious person, 666 is just another to me
The Shinto Torii (gate)
Thanks, Blondie.
But does the Shinto also have a rule against idolatry at the same time?
Probably so, but then so does Islam and many people identify them with the crescent/star.
The WTS has a rule against idolatry. They can all be hypocrites together then.
Here we touch on something that has always mystified me about the witness view of the cross - how in the hell is the "Stauros" or "torture stake" somehow less pagan or less idolized than the traditional cross? They sure don't hold back making images of Christ being held up on the upright stake - and reasonable antiquities research would tell us that we simply do not know what sort of "cross" it was.
I somehow think that the JW theology has in a way made itself into a sort of contrarianism - whatever is established over the centuries as being "christian" is in their eyes revealed to be "pagan" - thus they are more holy than thou.
So, then - even more curious that after pushing the cross and crown out the back door and under the buss, they still revere the watchtower.
Probably it is still sanctified and holy because nobody had ever used it before they thought it up. (at least as far as they know-)
...how in the hell is the "Stauros" or "torture stake" somehow less pagan or less idolized than the traditional cross?
Well, let's be fair here... You don't see "stakes" hanging on the wall behind the speaker and dubs don't wear a little gold stick around their neck.
And you can't hold up a silver stick to scare off vampires either.
JWoods,
The whole torture stake thing was just another way to make them different from the mainstream, up until the 30's I think they still had the cross on their stuff.
Most antiquities show that it was a T shape cross that was the most used by the Romans, the Epistle of Barnabas mentiones that shape also.
Pagan background is irrelvant, actually the single stake is far more pagan in origin than the cross.
As for not having any symbols, that is achpice they make but Paul makes it clear that one shoudl BOAST in the cross, he certainly did.
Idolatry is not about the use of symbols, it about praying to a Idol.
Every religion uses symbols.
Maybe the god of the watchtower is the one they call the Great Architect.
So, of course, they would use an outline of a Masonry structure.
