Anonymous4:
First look at their foundation. The entire organization is based on dates and today 1914 is the one that stands out the most. Look at their history and read their first president's book called Thy Kingdom Come which is also known as Study in the Scriptures vol 3. You can find it and many others here.
Now what do jws tell you about 1914? That the Bible Students pointed to 1914 decades before it happened! So what does 1914 mean to jws today?
1. Jesus' invisible return
2. Start of Last Days
3. Jesus becoming King in heaven
4. End of Gentile Times
This is all based on critical date of Destruction of Jerusalem in 607BC when they begin the count of 7 times to arrive in 1914. And because of 1914 they teach that the faithful and discreet slave was chosen in 1919 after the inspection of God's house which occurred in 1918. So you read Thy Kingdom Come or early history and you find this.
1. Jesus returned in 1874 which teaching officially was changed in 1942? (salvation book) some 50 years they taught this while most jws will imply that at the beginning they thought 1874 was the return but don't realize that this was taught for some 50 years.
2. Last days started in 1799, IF I remember correctly it was based on the idea that the pope was taken captive by the French in 1797. Second advent movement idea. This was changed somewheres in late 1920s or early 1930s.
3. Jesus became king in heaven in 1878 3.5 years after 1874 which was supposed to coincide with 3.5 years of his ministry. Rutherford changed thins in early 1920 to 1914.
4. Gentile times to end in 1914 based on 606BC, pyramid of Giza passage calculations and 40 years from 1874. You can do secular research on destruction of Jerusalem and you'll find there is no proof for 607BC but tons of evidence for 586/7BC which wts tries to deny by claiming not enough evidence had been discovered or that historians are lying or that Babylonians didn't include kings in their records which they didn't like. WTS gives no proof of anything only just attack what is known. Straw man arguments.
All this you can read in the above mentioned book. So just from this you can conclude that Jesus never returned, and their leaders were never chosen as God's special people, and that wts isn't God's chosen organization. WTS wasn't the first to teach no hell fire, they also weren't the first to teach there is no trinity.
Their teachings change as the religion needs them to change for their benefit. Latest major change is the meaning of generation! Because Jesus said in Matthew that the generation won't pass away until all the things occur wts and since the beginning taught started in 1914 the 2014 is really close so the need was necessary to push the end further so today's meaning of generation is that those who seen 1914 and were in contact with younger anointed where they "passed the torch" as it were so the anointed who never seen 1914 are of the same generation as those who seen 1914. Does that make sense????? They redefine meaning of words and phrases when they need to.
It's true that when you study with them they are nice, and when you go to the kh they are nice - this is called love bombing where they want to show you how happy they are. But once you stop your study you will be like the rest of the world destined to die and bad association BUT you will not be as bad in their eyes as those who got baptized and later left their religion. Apostates are shunned to the highest degree as if we are a plaque. Funny thing is, is they also shun believers who needed to get punished for some wrongdoing.
Now you said you are 19 and young. WTS loves young people because they are inexperienced and are more ignorant of wts ways. They also like people who are elderly and those who are going through major trauma in their lives because these are the people who are weak and more likely are going to accept the idea that they will never die and live forever on earth with young bodies and will see resurrected loved ones. WTS sells an idea which appeals to a lot of people. If you get baptized, you know, higher education is not good because it keeps you away from the meetings and keeps you busy from service. You know the friends outside of wts are not your friends but associates that you shouldn't really hang out since they are bad association for you and they will die at Armageddon so what do you think you will need to do to keep your faith strong and be able to make it through Armageddon? Yes, cut off bad habits which your worldly friends are, your family which you may associate is not going to be helpful to your spirituality so your new family will be inside the congregations just as Jesus said you will gain brothers, sisters and mothers and fathers.......blah blah blah blah.....
Do your research and ask your conductor questions but do a full research so you understand the question you ask because they will tell you:
1. That's old light and light is progressive (remember that truth doesn't flip flop)
2. Apostates are lying or telling you half truths. (ask for their full explanation on their understanding of the truth)
3. Flat out denial.
Most witnesses don't know their history outside of what they've been told by wts in their life time as a witness. Thus jw who was in wts for 10 years will not know what occurred in 1975 other than what other jws told him who may have not been there themselves but heard it from others. WTS troof is twisted so make sure you examine the real truth and understand it when you ask them questions. Do proper research from WTS publications and examine the court documents that are available. You owe it to yourself to know the entire truth and after you do all the research and want to become jw, at least you will be informed and good luck in your new life.
