by Ephanyminitas 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Maybe someone here should sneak into Bethel and get them to print a new Calender for 2003, entitled "Dub Doctrine Errors, Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: The Calender!!!"
With a nice page-ful of lies, omissions, damn lies, and WTBTS-manufactured statistics for every month! Excellent!
I'm sure glad we don't vote anymore like we did before we got the truth. Now we get to complain about everything ALL the politicians do!
[SYN], UADA - Unseen Apostate Directorate, Africa
" We are God's mouthpiece / visible organisation "
They're simply not in the business of giving - let alone giving to their 'enemies'. It's basic.
I don't even need to go into their ridiculous interpretations.
Bang
What kind of quetions is that E? You know better than that.
May I ask why do you not do your own research to be fully convinced?
The Society has rarely outright lied in an obvious manner. Instead, they more often tell half truths or strongly encourage members to act in a way that down the road causes them difficulty and then they beg off from accepting responsibility for their policies and "suggestions".
I hope you are requesting this information for your own personal research and not to convince a fellow Witness. You will NOT be able to convince them by showing them any sort of evidence and you will NOT be able to justify any position that is contrary to what they have been tought.
Path
Pathofthorns,
I hope you are requesting this information for your own personal research and not to convince a fellow Witness. You will NOT be able to convince them by showing them any sort of evidence and you will NOT be able to justify any position that is contrary to what they have been tought.What's your take on helping loved ones get out of the borg then?
>The Society has rarely outright lied in an obvious manner. <
The Society has outright lied a lot. You must not have read my above post on 'tacking'. That's one outright lie.
Randy's and other sites cover helping loved ones out of the watchtower. You're looking at 2 to 4 years commtment.
Ain't got that time? DON'T DROP THAT DIME.
"As regards the alleged unlawful activities of Jehovah's Witnesses with children the applicant association submits that children cannot become members of the
association but only participate, together with their parents, in the
religious activities of the community. "
"In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant (Watchtower Society) association submits that while this is part of the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, its acceptance depends on the personal choice of the individual concerned. There are no religious sanctions for a Jehovah's Witness who chooses to accept blood transfusion. Therefore, the fact that the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against blood transfusion cannot amount to a threat to public health, every individual being free in his or her choice."
(The European Commission of Human Rights sitting in private on 3 July 1997. The applicant association (Watchtower Society) was represented by MM. Alain Garay, Philippe Goni and Michel de Guillenchmidt, avocats la Cour, Paris, France, and by Mr. Lioubomir Kioutchokov, founding member of the applicant
association. Application No. 28626/95)
From Jehovah's Witness Office of Public Information:
For Immediate Release
October 8, 1998
Victory for human rights in Eastern Europe:
Christian religion sets legal precedent in Bulgaria
This important legal victory came after intervention from the European Commission of Human Rights of the Council of Europe. In July 1997, the Commission suggested that the government of Bulgaria enter into a friendly settlement with Jehovah's Witnesses. On March 8, 1998, the Commission accepted the terms of the settlement, which included the government's promise to grant legal recognition to Jehovah's Witnesses. As part of the settlement, Bulgaria also agreed to create a bill that will allow alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors. The terms of the agreement involved no change in the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. ( http://www.jw-media.org/releases/981008a.htm)
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WHY did the Watchtower Society change its literature distribution program in 1990, eliminating set prices for literature items? JWs believe the Governing Body instituted a "simplified" arrangement. Few know the change really took place because Jimmy Swaggart lost his case in court. In a February 21, 1990 letter to congregations, the Society explained the new policy this way:
By adopting a method of literature distribution based completely on donation, Jehovah's people are able to greatly simplify our Bible education work and separate ourselves from those who commercialize religion.
However, this is what really happened:
Early 1980 State of California informs Jimmy Swaggart Ministries that tax is due for religious books and tapes sold in the state since 1974. Swaggart eventually pays the tax--$183,000.00--but sues for a refund. The case begins moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
February, 1989 U.S. Supreme Court rules it is illegal for Texas (and 14 other states) to exempt religious books from sales tax. Some states had been taxing religious books all along.
Summer, 1989 WT Society gives away "free" books released at U.S. conventions. Witnesses are instructed to place donations in contribution boxes to cover the cost.
June 22, 1989 Watchtower Society, files amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief with U.S. Supreme Court in Jimmy Swaggart case. Others filing similar briefs include National Council of Churches and Society for Krishna Consciousness.
January 17, 1990 U.S. Supreme Court rules against Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, declaring that the sales tax must be paid.
February 9, 1990 WT Society writes letter to congregations announcing that literature will no longer be sold at Kingdom Hall and no price will be set in door-to-door distribution.
February 25, 1990 February 9th letter from Society is read at Sunday meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses across the United States.
March 1, 1990 New policy of distributing literature without naming a price goes into effect.
The March 15, 1990, WATCHTOWER magazine and March 22nd AWAKE!--printed earlier--still say "25 cents (U.S.) a copy" and "$5.00 (U.S.) per year." The April 1, 1990, Watchtower no longer carries a price.
March 11, 1990 Announcement is made at Kingdom Halls in the U.S. that food will be available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis, at JW conventions.
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I read some of your literature regarding the early Bible Students. Here are the quotes that I found:
*** ka 209-10 11 "Here Is the Bridegroom!" ***
55 In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free." In its chapter 11, entitled "The Count of Time," it did away with the insertion of 100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted the spelled-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures. This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's existence into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or Parousia. The millennium that was to be marked by the detaining of Satan the Devil enchained in the abyss and by the reign of the 144,000 joint heirs with Christ in heavenly glory was therefore yet in the future. What, then, about the parousia (presence) of Christ? Page 324 of the above book positively says: "The King's presence or parousia began in 1914." Also, in the Watchtower issue of July 15, 1949 (page 215, paragraph 22), the statement is made: " . . . Messiah, the Son of man, came into Kingdom power A.D. 1914 and . . . this constitutes his second coming and the beginning of his second parousia; or presence."
So we can see that the early Jehovah witnesses believed that Jesus Parousia began in 1874. The truth book states this above and it is in all the old books. It was not until 1925 that the doctrine was changed. Before 1925 Jehovah's witnesses believed that 1914 was the END of the Gentile times and Christ parousia (which had started in 1874) and the START of Armageddon. This is what Russell and Rutherford believed. The Witnesses back then were not knocking on people's doors and telling them that Christ presence was GOING TO START IN 1914 but that it had started in 1874 and would last 50 years and would culminate in Armageddon. Then in 1925, we changed it. I have pasted the bit out of the proclaimers” book that deals with this:
*** jv 138-9 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth ***
A real milestone was reached, therefore, in 1925, when The Watch Tower of March 1 featured the article "Birth of the Nation." It presented an eye-opening study of Revelation chapter 12. The article set forth evidence that the Messianic Kingdom had been born-established-in 1914, that Christ had then begun to rule on his heavenly throne, and that thereafter Satan had been hurled from heaven down to the vicinity of the earth. This was the good news that was to be proclaimed, the news that God's Kingdom was already in operation. How this enlightened understanding stimulated these Kingdom proclaimers to preach to the ends of the earth!
Then recently I came across this Watchtower.
*** w87 3/1 15 'Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing' ***
Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed. Furthermore, those who assist in writing articles for The Watchtower are Christian elders who appreciate the seriousness of their assignment. (Compare 2 Chronicles 19:7.) They spend many hours in researching the Bible and other reference material to make sure that what is written is the truth and that it faithfully follows the Scriptures. (Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10; 2 Timothy 1:13) It is not unusual for one magazine article-that you may read in 15 minutes-to take from two weeks to over a month to prepare.
So then why do you print stuff like this?
*** g73 1/22 8 Who Can Accurately Predict Man's Future? ***
Of all men used by God to prophesy, Jesus is outstanding. Based on what he said, along with the words of Daniel and John, Jehovah's witnesses pointed to the year 1914, decades in advance, as marking the start of "the conclusion of the system of things."
*** w54 6/15 370 The Revelation of Jesus Christ ***
"4 Why, then, do the nations not realize and accept the approach of this climax of judgment? It is because they have not heeded the world-wide advertising of Christ's return and his second presence. Since long before World War I Jehovah's witnesses pointed to 1914 as the time for this great event to occur."
This is the account of Jack H Nathan:
*** w90 9/1 11 Trusting in Jehovah Brings Happiness ***
"After the war ended in 1918, there was no work available in England, so I rejoined the army and went off to India as part of the peacetime garrison. In May 1920 the malaria flared up again, and I was sent up into the hills to recuperate. There I read all the books I could get my hands on, including the Bible. Reading the Scriptures intensified my interest in the Lord's return.
Months later, down in Kanpur, I started a Bible study group, hoping to learn more about the Lord's return. It was there that I met Fredrick James, a former British soldier who was now a zealous Bible Student. He explained to me that Jesus had been present since 1914, invisible to man. This was the most thrilling news I had ever heard."
This account is not supported by your chronology. This account places the experience around the 1920's, around 5 years before the official doctrine had changed.
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Changing their own words:
w89 1/1 12 "The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them" ***
[as originally published in Watchtower magazine]
"The apostle Paul was spearheading the Christian missionary activity. He was also laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century."
w89 1/1 12 "The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them" ***
[as it appears on Watchtower bound volumes & CD-ROMs]
"The apostle Paul was spearheading the Christian missionary activity. He was also laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our day."
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tr (Truth book) pg.9 1 Grand Blessings from God Near at Hand! ***
[as published prior to 1975]
Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." And he warned: "I know enough of what is going on to assure you that, in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in."
tr (Truth book) pg.9 1 Grand Blessings from God Near at Hand! ***
[as published after to 1975]
Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." Based on what he knew was then going on in the world, it was his conclusion that soon "this world is going to be too dangerous to live in."
(Gasp! Am I back?)
LDH said: "May I ask why do you not do your own research to be fully convinced?" And in answer, I say: I asked this as a corollary to my personal research. I am about 95% deprogrammed, so to excise that remaining 5% I'm seeking to learn as much as I can about the deceitful practices of the Society.
TheStar said: "What kind of quetions is that E? You know better than that." My reply is: 'Ey, you right, you right! What was I thinking?
Thanks to all that replied. Your answers were very helpful.
Funk and Wagnalls dictionary:
lie 1.An untrue statement made with the intent of deceiving; a falsehood. 2 That which creates or is intended to produce a false impression. lied, lying: 1. To make and untrue statment or statements, esp with intent to deceive. 2. To give an erroneous or misleading impression
WT 2/1881 p188- "New light never contradicts old light, but adds to it"
WT 2/15/1933 p 51: "There are no scriptures in Gods word that are contradictory. All are in exact harmony"
now see WT 4/2/1920, p103- "That it (the finished mystery) contains some mistakes is freely admitted. Even the Bible contains some"
Which is it? How can scripture be in "exact harmony" and yet "contain some" mistakes? One of those statments must be a lie.
Heres a doozy:" The Bible is organization minded and it cannot be fully understood without our having the theocratic organization in mind." I believe this is a lie, esp the second part of the statement.
talking about the Trinity, WI 4/1/1970: " The doctrine, in brief, is that there are three gods in one" This is not what Trinitarians believe! Believers in the triune God believe that there are three PERSONS in ONE GOD. Its the JW's who believe in three seperate gods: Jehovah, Jesus , and Satan.
WT 8/1/1972 p 458 "The organization is controlled altogether by God and by the forces he operates"
But this one, this one i think takes the cake: WY 6/1/1960 p352: "Lying to God's enemies is not really lying but war strategy"
This statement alone proves that the WT condones lying when it suits their purpose.
peace to all-L
