by AuntBee 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
NC wrote:
I never felt like I couldn't research in outside sources. . . . As long as it wasn't "apostate" they didn't seem to have any objections.
Something seems wrong there. The first time I heard that JW's expect their fellow JW's to refrain from reading anything written by a former member, a red flag went up in my mind. If your social group expects you to refrain from reading something written by a person who disagrees with your current beliefs, something is wrong with your social group.
Ironically, most witnesses are eager to prove an informed person wrong. My parent’s argument was; the material I found was written by men…(go figure).So although I have done research, and produced proof, they chose to stay ignorant…
And then there are the witnesses that truly believe that all information contained in society based publications is completely expository in nature, educational and purely unbiased.
You wouldn't believe how many witnesses view the Insight Books (vols 1 & 2) as truly being an informational encyclopedia. I had a friend when I was growing up that used the Insight books as a source in a history report. He had no clue that our encyclopedia re-writes Babylonian history in order to coincide with our theologies.
Here's another good one: look up 'Chronology' in the Insight book and look up all of their references from which they derive their 'proofs' of 607 instead of 587.
Oh golly, all of the authors and references they cite say 587 was the date Jerusalem was destroyed, not 607. Hmmm...
All you need is a good library system/university library. All the books are there. It is AMAZING the quote mining the society does to support their version of 'history'
To their list of forbidden literature could be added Schnell's 30 Years a Watchtower Slave.
They would definitely fly into a panic if they knew you had been reading that!
Bill.
any research materials
That's a flat out lie!
"always question what we are taught
That means look up and read the scriptures cited, and perhaps the cross referenced scriptures in the NWT. Research generally means looking up something in the Insight book.
I ask A JW neighbor to verify the rumor, they were A
member of the UN, of course I new the answer.
Where did my neighbor go to get the answer, A elder
who said it was A lie. End of research.
You wouldn't believe how many witnesses view the Insight Books (vols 1 & 2) as truly being an informational encyclopedia.
Very true. My parents gave me an obscure bible name, then a middle name to go with the "meaning" of the first name. The bible name's meaning they got from the Aid book. Come to find out, from a reputable "worldly" source, my name doesn't mean what they thought. And so my first and middle names don't really mesh like they thought.
Epic fail.
I may be wrong, but the RF are discourage from unauthorized
Bible study groups. Surely if they are discourage from researching
the very book that is the foundation of thier faith, it shows you how
much the information is control. No outside info. But spirits,ghost,
and other non sense, they believe.
"Rather we should seek for dependent Bible study, rather than for independent Bible study." (Watchtower, Sept 15, 1911, pg. 4885) "Heavy research is not necessary, the watchtower has done it all for you. The most beneficial study you can make is to read the Watchtower and Awake magazines or any new book by the organisation" (Watchtower, June 1, 1967 p338). "Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind." (Watchtower Oct. 1, 1967, p. 587). "[A] mature Christian must be in unity and full harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned. He does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbour private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ,and "the faithful and discreet slave." (Watchtower, August 1st, 2001, p. 14)
