by Room 215 25 Replies latest social entertainment
Mr. Falcon,
I'm a Twilight fan and wasn't insulted at all by what you wrote.
I've never read DRACULA but will soon.
The writing Stephenie Meyers does is different and geared to a different audience (has to be, doesn't it?) than Bram Stoker's.
I took a ton of writing classes in college while reading WT and A! rags.
It began occuring to me half way through college that the WT and A! just aren't written by people educated and in the know.
Has the writing always been this bad but I just now noticed it? Or is it deteriorating as we get "closer to the end?"
It's always been bad, now it's worse. Reason? Supply and demand. The readership of WT magazine is now limited to dubs only, not for mass distribution. The writing has always preached to the choir, only now the choir performances are closed to the public.
White Dove, I'm glad you weren't offended by my previous statement. Sometimes I tend to stumble through the point that I'm trying to make with the eloquence of a drunk sifting around in a dumpster. I dig what you're saying; Meyers is obviously shooting for a different audience. Then again, so are many mainstream artists. It's all relative to ones culture, I suppose.
Great point about the writers of the Watchtower and Awake!. It is unfortunate because so many JWs refuse to read anything else besides these poorly-written journals. It seems as though this restrictive, insular means of digesting "literature" only leads to less and less independant thought. As an avid reader and fan of real literature, I wonder if I would have such anger and dissatisfaction against the WTBS if they just took the time to write more intelligently/thoughtfully.
1. A well-reasoned argument is only necessary when your reader is well and can reason.
2. Skepticism is banned when the Watchtower speaks. The channel is set to "God".
I would say, I disagree .... I say this because what is most evident is that the Gov body has tightened it's strict control on it's members. In the past, brother Russell could go into nearby churches to give talks. He actually opposed organized religion, for he could see the tendancy of men to dominate over other mens faith.
C. T. Russell was against organizing his own religion, or at least he said so (see The Watchtower, 1895 p.216; also 1894 p.384 & 1893 p.266). He also noted,
"The endeavor to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the development of the great papal system, and thereby the gospel, the one faith that Paul and the other apostles set forth, was lost - buried under the mass of uninspired decrees of popes and councils. The unity of the early church, based upon the simple gospel and bound only by love, gave place to the bondage of the church of Rome...Each new reform movement (like Protestantism) has made the failure of attempting to make a creed just large enough for its prime movers." --WT, Sep. 1893, p. 1572 ( see also Watchtower 1893)
I find various articles in Watchtower publications to be humerous. For instance, in the 1987 Watchtower, there is a study article entitled,"Setting Matters Straight Between God and You" and on page 13 , a picture of a mule and a donkey with a photo caption beneath it which says," Isaiah said that 'an ass knows it's owners manger.' What lesson is there in this?
Later on page 15 they quote the full scripture Isaiah 1:3 "A bull well knows it's buyer, and the ass the manger of its owner; Israel itself has not known, my own people have not behaved understandingly." the Watchtower article goes on to say, "None of us would like to be depicted as less knowing or appreciative than a bull or an ass. That description would apply, though, if we felt that we did not need to work at learning about our Life Giver and his requirements and earnestly trying to live accordingly."
It is interesting: "out of their own mouth!" This religion has taught for decades 'the heavenly door is closed", and continues misleading it 's members to believe they cannot get life unless they are 'in this religious organization' and must keep in step with it.' One of the main reasons I left is because of their 'closed door doctrine.' Christ himself said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, " And Christ said, "Follow me!" He did not say, follow your favorite religion of men. Ironically, they soon afterwards decided the door may still be open after all. But this does not make them less guilty for the decades of turning men from reaching out for the opportunity to reign with Christ.
No religious organization has the authority to 'close this door against men'! Compare: Revelation 3:8
"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." see also Rev. 3:20
This religion has the gall to accuse other religions for their errors, yet they don't examine their own teachings to see if they are in error. I feel this is one of their greatest errors of all time! and also; their teaching on the Blood covenant! They have been successful in drawing men to follow after themselves instead of Christ. In my opinion, this makes them a 'false Christ'.
WT-On page12 on paragraph 10 it says,"Isaiah frankly proclaimed:"Woe to the sinful nation, the people heavy with error, an everdoing seed, ruinous sons! They have left Jehovah, they have treated the Holy One of Israel with disrespect, they have turned backwards....The whole head is in a sick condition, and the whole heart is feeble. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no sound spot in it".
WT-Par. 12-" Now compare that with the situation today. Within a month's time, the press in the United States reported: A leading presidential candidate withdrew in a scandal over reports of his "womanizing"; a prominent clergyman was replaced after confessing to adultery and being accused of homosexuality, wife swapping, and misusing funds to pay hush money. You probably could give other examples of such leaders. What do you think God's view of them is?
WT-Par. 14- If a nation, a religious group, or a person is not acting in accord with God's revealed standards, any religious displays are pointelss.
WT-page 14, verse 16 says,"There is a tendency, however, to note such counsel but to think that is applies to others.
"What they say in these paragraphs is exactly what they, themselves, are doing!
I found this to be of interest:
1883 "Christian is the only name we need to be called." {WT Mar-Apr 1883 458}
[12:17:18 PM] 1881
[Close of "high calling" to be among the 144,000 .. Fall of Babylon] {HIS2 632}
[In 1922 "1881" replaced by "1918", later to "1935", see WT Jun 15 1992 23, HIS2 166]
