Good to study JW past .... New "Writing Archives" under direction of the Writing Committee

by wannabefree 85 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • MrMonroe
    MrMonroe

    Another few suggestions for aspects of their heritage they could highlight:

    Watchtower, September 15, 1895: "Beware of "organization." It is wholly unnecessary. The Bible rules will be the only rules you will need. Do not seek to bind others' consciences, and do not permit others to bind yours."

    Watchtower, March 1, 1919: ""According to this Scripture the very most that the church could do would be that, after having vainly endeavored to get the brother to repent and reform, it should withdraw special brotherly fellowship from him until such time as he would express willingness thereafter to do right. Then he should be received again into full fellowship. In the meantime the brother may merely be treated in the kindly, courteous way in which it would be proper for us to treat any publican or Gentile, withholding the special rights or privileges or greetings or voting opportunities that belong to the church as a class separate from the world."

    Watchtower, February 1, 1919: "The great adversary is wily, and at all times is quick to appeal to passion. He persuades some that they must take a radical stand against some secular work or activity, and to proceed at once to disfellowship others who cannot conscientiously take this same stand. Somehow they seem to think that their radical stand entitles them in a very special sense to divine favour and blessing. his attitude leads them to violate principle in various ways: (1) By judging and condemning others who do not see as they do; (2) By refusing to fellowship those who still believe in the ransom, the restitution, the high calling."

    Watchtower, October 1, 1930: "(Christendom's) members are in bondage to creeds, customs, rites and ceremonies; they dare not disown these or criticize or expose them. To do so would bring down on their heads taunts, reproaches, disfellowship and persecution. Many thousands of the Lords people are held in these denominations as prisoners, afraid to express their disapproval of the creeds, methods and customs of the organization."

    Awake, January 8, 1947: "The authority for excommunication, they claim, is based on the teachings of Christ and his apostles ... but the hierarchy's excommunication, as a punishment and medicinal remedy, finds no support in .... scriptures. In fact it is altogether foreign to Bible teachings. ... The weapon of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of ecclesiastical power and secular tyranny that finds no parallel in history."

    (Credit to jwfacts.com for these quotes)

  • edmond dantes
    edmond dantes

    You only have theo crapic history we know where you are coming from Governing Body as to where you are going it's probably directly to the bank to deposit more cash.

    Twist and shout twist and shout.

  • edmond dantes
    edmond dantes

    Before they discuss heritage the Governing Body should look up the definition of the word heritage it means something that is passed down from PRECEDING generations. Maybe they don't realise they haven't any preceding generations in their history according to their twisted explanations from 1914. so how can they have any heritage.

  • stillstuckcruz
    stillstuckcruz

    I personally can't wait for this "feature". Having already done extensive research into JW's history, it may prove to be a useful tool in showing others the phony version of history as they presented.

  • stillstuckcruz
    stillstuckcruz

    I personally can't wait for this "feature". Having already done extensive research into JW's history, it may prove to be a useful tool in showing others the phony version of history as they presented.

  • breakfast of champions
    breakfast of champions

    STILLSTUCKINCRUZ - you've got a good point. Even how they always show just Russel's headstone in Pittsburg, carefully editing out the HUGE pyramid monument a few feet away.

  • stillstuckcruz
    stillstuckcruz

    Precisely. And having documentation via CoC, or other publications and books, even their own, will prove especially useful. Though I have no doubt that even with a CLEAR misrepresentation of the past, most people who see that will look over it and view it as non-important...human fallicy.

  • Bella15
    Bella15

    A way to re-write their history ...

    Also, since ex-JWs tell people to look into the Watchtower history, they are counteracting this by them providing "selective" historical stuff, in these way any JW doesn't have to look for the information as the FDS is "lovingly" providing it ...

  • Teary Oberon
    Teary Oberon

    "Teary I am sure that modern computers can cope with the complete watchtower library after all other providers of information manage."

    Giving out a possibly Gigabyte sized program on a CD? Even if we ignore the likely cost increases from doing that, not every person really wants something that big on their computer (and it certainly wouldn't fit on all Kingdom Hall computers, since the one from Teary's old Hall was old and donated and just barely had enough space for the current version). Besides, do you know how much work it is to digitize even a single publication for the WT Library? It is not just getting the text -- there is also Scripture linking, index linking, cross-referrencing ect. It is a LOT of work.

    "It is also possible to set up a library facility on line that people can search."

    Again, who is going to do all of that work? Somebody would still have to scan and upload and maintain all of that stuff at a cost. You can't just say a magic word and have these nice things suddenly poof into existence you know.

    "I find their selective presentation of history as worrying. This is not a celebration of heritage but damage control."

    The are quite candid with their history in Teary's opinion. There is nothing worrying to Teary about it, because there aren't many historical claims that he has seen on the internet that weren't already addressed by the Society somewhere. And as for "damage control," that is not a supportable statement. We have no reason to think that the Society means anything other than what they said they mean.

    "It is a way of smoke and mirrors appearing to be open whilst at the same time burying the evidence."

    So digging up old articles and present tidbits from their past is "burying" evidence now? You'll have to explaint that one to me, especially considering that YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN this new article series yet.

    "If they were interested in the truth they would not rewrite old articles in bound volumes"

    So you are saying that NOT collecting old articles into bound volumes for easy access is somehow MORE open than simply letting the old articles float around individually? Yeah, that makes sense... [/sarcasm]

    "they would not misquote respected scholars and they would be honest about all aspects of their history."

    They are the honest ones. The apostates simply get angry when the Society's real history doesn't match with their distorted views of history, and then they go on rants about "oh they are so dishonest and are covering things up!" Kind of silly really.

    p.s., you DO realize that many Halls have PHYSICAL libraries right? Teary's old Hall had all of the Watchtower bound volumes going back to 1879, in addition to many other 50+ year old books. If the Witnesses were deliberately trying to 'cover up' their history, then why allow the Kingdom Halls to have these big physical libraries?

  • Bella15
    Bella15

    p.s., you DO realize that many Halls have PHYSICAL libraries right? Teary's old Hall had all of the Watchtower bound volumes going back to 1879, in addition to many other 50+ year old books. If the Witnesses were deliberately trying to 'cover up' their history, then why allow the Kingdom Halls to have these big physical libraries?

    Because they know that no one reads them, in all the congregations I attended they were there mostly for decoration purposes, everybody knew they were old, outdated stuff and funny how no one really is into them ...

    Because they NEVER imagined that the time would come when people would awake and really start looking into these libraries with eyes wide open and list/document all their errors and false prophecies.

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