SORRY....I'm new at this. A good question to ask a JW is: Do you follow what the Bible teaches or what the Watchtower organization says? Then ask them to give you just ONE example of a doctrine in the Bible, that they have ascertained through their individual Bible study, that is different from what is taught by the Watchtower. Of course, they CANNOT honestly answer without admitting that they do in fact follow the Watchtower and not the actual Bible. Plus they risk getting disfellowshipped if they admit to having individual interpretations based on their own study of the Bible. Then point out to them that they are in fact TOLD what to say and think by the GB in New York. Their 'Bible Study' simply involves parroting the party line and has NOTHING to do with independent study of the Bible itself. What replies have you gotten from JWs when this line of reasoning has been used???
QUESTIONS TO ASK JWs
by NAVYTOWN 11 Replies latest jw friends
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alanv
Most would say that it was Jehovah's Witnesses that got them interested in the bible, so any doctine found in the bible is taught by them.
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blondie
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/59615/1/Society#.Ur13RJqA1LM
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/121975/1/The-Society-Says#.Ur12vZqA1LM
Here is the quote from the 3/15/98 WT, page 19, para 4. After discussing the difference between the Watchtower Society and the "faithful slave," the article says:
"In order to avoid misunderstandings, Jehovah's Witnesses try to be careful about how they express themselves. Instead of saying 'the Society teaches,' many Witnesses prefer to use such expressions as, 'the Bible says,' or, 'I understand the Bible to teach.' In this way they emphasize the personal decision that each Witness has made in accepting Bible teachings and also avoid giving the false impression that Witnesses are somehow bound to the dictates of some religious sect."
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Apognophos
Wow, that's a hilarious quote, thanks blondie. Unfortunately, NAVYTOWN, I think the answer a Witness would give is, "Of course I don't have any beliefs that differ from the Society's teachings, because they are only teaching truth. What could I disagree with?" Or they might say something like, "We have to follow the organization that is speaking for God on earth today." In other words, "I don't trust my own understanding of the Bible, so I need to let someone else tell me what to believe."
You see, the problem goes deeper than the superficial fact that JWs allow the Society to tell them what to believe. It's not that they don't know this, it's that they allow it (despite the occasional secret doubt they might have about a particular teaching). If a psychiatrist were speaking with them, their goal would be to find out why a JW has ended up in this position. What is it about their childhood, or life experiences, or personality, that has led them to subjugate themselves to an organization of men? Lack of self-esteem is a major cause. For a Witness who suffers from that, telling them to form their own opinions from Bible study will sound crazy; "How could I ever do that, and trust my own opinions?"
The Society, of course, reinforces that by reminding JWs that the heart is "treacherous" and "desperate".
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Legacy
Hi,
I would ask, if one day they admitted they were not chosen by God & it really wasn't God's organization...WOULD YOU STAY ?
I would love to see the reaction ....I would love that to be a talk for a Sunday public talk....
Friends we are going to have a talk given by Bro. Righteous...the microphones get adjusted the brother messes with the podium turning the little place where he places his bible & looks out into the audience & says..."WOULD YOU STAY IF WE WERE TOLD THIS IS NOT GOD'S ORGANIZATION" ? We are not God's org., but we do try to stick as close to the bible as humanly possible...That would be the day where, you might not hear crickets ...I think most of them would just gasp, & some would just pass out..
Yep, that would be the question I would like to ask a JW..I'm a JW & I've asked myself that same question & you know what...if it ain't..so what...I'm ok. At least I can say the Truth lead me to the REAL TRUTH..
Legacy
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CADSkin
Brilliant Navytown. So simple yet you can follow it up with "So 7 million JW's believe the EXACT SAME THING with absolutely ZERO deviation. Drone"
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DesirousOfChange
You see, the problem goes deeper than the superficial fact that JWs allow the Society to tell them what to believe. It's not that they don't know this, it's that they allow it.
Yes, are convinced that they are "following the lead" of God's hand-picked, spirit-directed Gurus. Just as they did not understand that the soul dies, or the promise of everlasting life is on earth, or the pagan origins of Christmas on their own, but needed the direction of the Jah's Org, so too they admit that they cannot even begin to understand this mumbo-jumbo about the Generation changes or the identity of the F&DS. (The GB? Did that really a change? Isn't that what we always believed?) If the F&DS said to plant cabbage upside down, they would do it. Obedience is better than a sacrifice (even if the sacrifice is your own live or that of your loved one).
Don't argue doctrine.
Where else shall we go?
Doc
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problemaddict
Nobody on earth can claim to be God's anything, except children.Period.
This term God's organization....makes no sense. Even biblically speaking, Gods organization would be heavenly. Period.
So if the branch actually showed the humility to say that the WT is an editorial on scripture, that they believe conscience should be paramount on the Christian faith above unity of thought, and that disfellowshipping would no longer be used to control the uniformity......then i think thir numbers would go up, not down. Especially if they embraced transparency.
DF'ing could then be reserved for what it was intended for which is extrem cases only (like child molestors).
Its such a simple thing. But it will never happen.
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Apognophos
Apologies in advance if I sound like a smartass here....
I would ask, if one day they admitted they were not chosen by God & it really wasn't God's organization...WOULD YOU STAY ?
Sorry, but this wouldn't give most JWs trouble. They'd think for a second and say, "Sure, because it's the best way of living." You must have already heard some express this sentiment in comments or even on the platform -- that, even if it's not the truth, "it's the best way of living". It's practically a programmed response among JWs, like the one brought up in another thread, "Our kids get presents all year long".
So simple yet you can follow it up with "So 7 million JW's believe the EXACT SAME THING with absolutely ZERO deviation. Drone"
This is a point of pride for Witnesses. "We sure DO believe the same thing all around the world! This proves it's the true religion."
Even biblically speaking, Gods organization would be heavenly. Period.
The Society cherry-picks scripture, we all know this, but there's plenty of scriptures for them to pick from if they want to point to a precedent for an earthly organization. Moses had one. The temple in Jerusalem had one. There was the governing body in Christian-era Jerusalem; yes, we know that was temporary, but we also know there was some kind of arrangement for an "evening out" between rich and poor congregations which required oversight, so there was definitely some kind of organization from early on, even if it was more loose-knit.
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OUTLAW
Their 'Bible Study' simply involves parroting the party line and has NOTHING to do with independent study of the Bible itself.
What replies have you gotten from JWs when this line of reasoning has been used???
I`ve heard this more than once..
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.....Why would I want to think for myself..
....When The WatchTower Does It For Me?..
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...OUTLAW
...OUTLAW