Simple yes/no answers (page 2)

Black Sheep

It depends on who is asking. What they think, what they say to an HH, what they say to an apostate, and what they would say to a fellow Dub, may differ.

goddidit

Wow! Really Black Sheep? Isn't that blatent lying?

Black Sheep

The Way calls it 'fair game', I forget what the Moonies call it. Most cults have some form of justifiable dishonesty doctrine that they are encouraged to resort to to protect their 'faith'

goddidit

Justifiable dishonesty doctrine eh?

Is this in any of the literature or just discussed at the meetings.

It hasn't been called 'theocratic warfare' in their literature since I was a kid in the 60s but the concept is still described the same way. It is almost identical to the Moonies' Heavenly Deception. Politely described as witholding truth from those that don't deserve to hear it. See WT June 15, 2009.

Dubs generally suffer from cognitive dissonance too. This will also have them giving different answers to different people. They are under duress to believe one thing at the hall, but privately they know it is contradicted and some of them will give a more truthful answer when cornered by someone they know they can't fool, or who will think they sound like cult members if they own up to believing crazy sounding doctrines. E.g. To an HH, they will give the impression that they are free to believe whatever they want, when they know damned well that is only allowed for subjects outside the cult leader's jurisdiction.

Black Sheep

Insight Volume 2, 1988, Page 245

While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” (Mt 7:6) That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Mt 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Joh 7:3-10) Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light.—Ge 12:10-19; chap 20; 26:1-10; Jos 2:1-6; Jas 2:25; 2Ki 6:11-23.

InterestedOne

The Way calls it 'fair game'

I looked up the expression "fair game," and didn't see it associated with "the Way." However, I did see the expression associated with scientologists. Anyone who critices them is considered "fair game," and can be harassed, lied to, tricked, etc. How does "the Way" use this expression? I had never heard of the "the Way," but I thought it was interesting to see how they also claim to be simply "studying the Bible" like JW's when they come to the doorstep.

OnTheWayOut

• Every edition of the NWT bible ever printed is identical, word for word, letter for letter.

The JW perspective- "I am not sure." Many JW would say "No, the light has even gotten brighter on that" or "Things got slightly clearer later."

• The NWT bible is absolutely 100% accurate in the historic events and artefacts (buildings, rivers etc.) it describes. If it seems to contain errors or contradictions, that is just because the reader is misunderstanding.

The JW answer- "Absolutely." My answer- "The Bible is so loaded with contradictions and errors."

• Some, possibly very few, details of the NWT bible aren’t 100% accurate but that is due to small errors in copying and language translation over the years since the original manuscripts.

The JW answer- "Even though I answered 'Absolutely' above, I suppose it's possible that such errors crept in. My answer is that to JW's, it depends on which magazine they are reading to answer your question. They say both. Of course, there are even more scribal errors from the originals or deliberate changes by various groups.

• The bible isn’t intended to be a detailed analysis of history, but its overall message is generally true and it is meant to be taken as a guide to living and an instruction from God.

JW answer- "Oh, no. It is all that and a bag of chips." My answer is that it was written by men with various agendas, not a guide from God at all.

• The bible was originally written (pen to paper, chisel to stone or whatever) by men, all of which were directly inspired by God.

JW's say "Absolutely." I say it was from men. If it was from God, I wouldn't want to worship such a God.

The JW would lay claim to various forms of "inspiration" such as
o Direct dictation of words
o Influencing people’s lives in such a way that they wrote the correct words
o Commanding people to write what they saw
o Revealing truth directly to people’s minds
o Some of the first four statements (please specify which)
o All of the first four statements

• Every human, chimp, lion, mouse, kangaroo, ferret and goat alive today has a direct ancestor on Noah’s ark.

JW answer- "Absolutely." I say science can demonstrate pretty acurately how far back the common ancestors of a species come together and it's impossible to have had the flood described in the Bible.

The JW answer to all of the following (as mine is not necessary):
• Every insect alive today has a direct ancestor on Noah’s ark. - YES
• Every plant life alive today has a direct ancestor on Noah’s ark. - YES, NO, UNSURE IF PLANTS MANAGED TO SURVIVE SO LET ME LOOK IT UP IN WT.

• Every bird alive today has a direct ancestor on Noah’s ark. - YES
• Freshwater fish, which cannot live in saltwater, did not survive the flood. -THEY ARE HERE, SO THEY MUST HAVE SURVIVED.
• Freshwater fish did not exist before the flood. -GENESIS SAYS GOD CREATED EACH ACCORDING TO IT'S KIND BEFORE THE FLOOD.
• Freshwater fish are the descendents of saltwater fish that adapted to freshwater after the flood. -NO, THAT SOUNDS LIKE EVOLUTION.
• Dinosaurs went extinct before the great flood. -YES, NO, UNSURE SO LET ME LOOK IT UP IN WT, (but I probably never will bother).
• Dinosaurs were wiped out by the flood. -YES, NO, UNSURE SO LET ME LOOK IT UP IN WT, (but I probably never will bother).
• Dinosaurs were on Noah’s ark. -COULDN'T BE POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE HERE NOW. I THINK WT AGREES THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN EXTINCT BEFORE THE FLOOD BECAUSE JEHOVAH WAS DONE WITH THEM.
• Bats are birds. -RUBBISH
• Before ‘the fall’ there was no death whatsoever. -NO, ANIMALS DIED.
• Before ‘the fall’ there was no death except for some ‘lower’ life forms, perhaps including bacteria. -NO, ANIMALS DIED
• Before ‘the fall’ shellfish didn’t die. -NO, ANIMALS DIED.
• Before ‘the fall’, tapeworms were vegetarians. -BEFORE THE FLOOD, ALL ANIMALS WERE VEGETARIANS AND WILL BE AGAIN AFTER ARMAGEDDON.

Simple yes/no answers

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