Old Goat said:
They're afraid of clearly stating that they've dropped some views. Notice that in the recent books on the prophecies that they dropped pages and pages of previous explanations? But they never say, "all that was crap. We know it. You know it." If they're to remain a vital religion they need a sort of Statement of Theology Secundum.
They won't do that, of course. They aren't brave enough to put issues that openly. They are reactionary.
We're witnessing a theological shift among Watchtower writers. There seems to be at least two parties. It would serve them well if they wrote their own verse by verse or chapter by chapter commentary on the bible. ... I doubt they'd ever do it. Fear and a very narrow view will keep them from it ...
Based on what I see in their recent "Isaiah," "Acts," and "Jeremiah" commentaries, I have to agree. They seem to be moving away from the detail and analysis you would see in an academic commentary. (The older pubs were somewhat closer to this style.) The current style is easier to mold in the direction one wants. From their standpoint, their current style much better suits them.
Another problem for the WT is that (imo) they have weeded out of their writership the logical thinkers. So they are stuck with a cadre of company/yes men. The publications they put out now show a lack of dynamic thinking. And any lateral thinking is strictly proscribed.
"The fact remains, on this issue the Watchtower is misrepresented on boards like this."
And there is actually no way to get around 'misrepresenting them,' as you say. Their own ambiguity and their own contradicting beliefs ensure that anyone trying to argue with them will fall short - in their mind. They have come up with explanations attempting to cover the shortfallings of their own doctrines. So, if you point out that the great crowd doesn't have a mediator, they simply point to bylaw 1.2.3 which explains how that works.
Some here can point to Scriptures such as Jer 31:31-34, Mt 26:27, 28, and 1Cor 11:25, 26, that clearly link the new covenant, Jesus' death, and forgiveness of sins. So in their minds (mine included), having a great crowd that is not in the new covenant, and yet gets forgiveness of sins, is not a possible scenario.
Another problem I see is that numerous terms have been redefined by the WT so that it becomes almost impossible to mount any arguement without reverting to using the very terms that they coined. (i.e. meanings that they apply to such) You see that here (not just in this thread) with "The Faithful Slave Class," "Other sheep," "Little Flock," and so on.
It is much like trying to reason with someone suffering from paranoid delusions. You can never convince them that they are wrong. And any reasoning that doesn't agree with them puts you in the camp of the enemy. And yet, one could understand the difficulty someone with a mental illness has. But the WT doesn't suffer from that. As you said, it is a matter of holding power. And holding to a double standard. Any mistakes they make are simply the 'new light' process. Any mistakes anyone else makes is a teaching of lies. This unabashed double standard engenders anger in others. And rightly so.
And yet I see a possibility over and above all this. (Luke 11:29, 32)
Take Care
