by atrapado 11 Replies latest watchtower bible
Hello everyone.
I read a quote from an old WT publication a while back I believe it was about asian culture. Basically it said something like they are savage? animalistic? uncivilized? Don't remember the exact word. And that would explain why asian culture was slow to accept christianity.
Good Evening Atrapado, I don't have your quote, I am inquiring how you are. I still am stunned by your story of how your Elders over used you, holding out that golden carrot, to be a newly appointed MS. It makes me hurt, when good people like you are used, abused and then thrown away.
How has life been for you lately?
just Lois
There are a few quotes about various races (predominantly blacks) in my article about the history of racism in Watchtower literature. I hope it has what you're looking for, or something similar...
http://insidethewatchtower.com/history/a-brief-history-of-racism-in-watchtower-publications/
Cedars
I can't find your quote about Asians. I did find one that gave an anecdote about a group of Indian 'coolies' who had once been "cutthroats and murderers" but were converted by a missionary - not what you're looking for.
However, (off topic and perhaps Cedars will enjoy reading it since he's interested in the WTS and how it relates to children) while looking for the 'Asians' quote, I did come across an eye-popping anti-children rant. It's so 'out there' even for then, you'd think it was a spoof! Golden Age, 1926, March 10, p. 307-8.
Atrapado, This is probably the publication you are looking for.
"Health and Life" Booklet 1932 p. 46:
"India and China are full of an ignorant and degraded race; but in due time all of these shall be given the truth and cleaned up and given an opportunity to receive life, because God has promised that through Christ all the families of the earth shall have an opportunity for the blessings of life".
Hello. Ilnonnosa
The Watchtower Reprints, July 15, 1902, p. 3043
Suppose a missionary and his wife removed to China; not only would the influence of the climate and soil be manifested upon themselves, but the same would be still more manifested in their children. Whoever will give careful attention to this matter will notice that each succeeding child born in that foreign country will have increasingly resemblance to the Chinese — the hair, the skin, the shape of the eyes, and in general all features will bear closer resemblance with each succeeding child. We can readily suppose that if so much change occurs in a few years, ten or twenty centuries under similar conditions would turn any white people into regular Chinese, even supposing there were no intermarrying.
The Golden Age 1926 Mar 10 p.374}
[Orientals are] coolies .. cutthroats and murderers.
It doesn't say "[Orientals are] coolies."
It was an anecdote about a band of Indian 'coolies' who had been "cutthroats and murderers" and had been converted to Christianity by a missionary, therefore, the author's point was, there is hope even for these wicked men. There was no sweeping generalization about the Oriental races being 'coolies,' 'cutthroats' or 'murderers.' Link provided to the 1926 Golden Ages above. The WT quotes snippet is misleading.
Such comments would be inexcusable today. However, if I were still a dub, the old viewpoints would not cause me any great concern. In matters such as that , and scientific knowledge , I reckoned that the Society could only reflect the knowledge of the day. It was many decades later that a more enlightened attitude prevailed.
It was obvious to me when I was "in" that not everything they printed was the product of H.S . e.g. the nonsense about rock music and television etc. Wheras I did believe the scriptural explanations and doctrines as being "spirit directed" The trick was in deciding which was which!
I would have put this down to the attitudes of the times and not worried about it.
Lois I am doing great thank you. It is nice not to give account of yourself to any man so liberated.
cedars I came accross your blog and post about WT history of racism but I don't see the article am looking for. To tell you the truth in a pioneer meeting a CO told us how in the past the congregations had practise segregation. I was a bit shocked that we preached how much love we had in the congregation and we treated everyone fairly yet in our past we mistreated blacks. Even if it was the law of the land I would have thought we followed the Bible not some rascim law.
ilnonnosa that is close but not sure if thats is the article I read. Is there a place I could read the entire article? Maybe it said Orientals but I remember the article saying how the culture was an issue something about being to loud and chaotic and the point was to explain why they had so few Christians.
blondie those are some new quotes I never read before.
BluesBrother that was my attitude later in life, after experiencing flip-flops first hand like the generatation, but when I was young I was very naive and would have shallow whatever they said.
