Sometimes when I point out the Society’s poor track record, particularly their many changes and errors, I am faced with the argument that all of these changes were in the past. Now, because of the refining of their beliefs, they are all correct. Besides, if it weren’t for them, “we wouldn’t know the truth”.
What exactly does that mean – “we wouldn’t know the truth”? Precisely what do we know, courtesy of the Watchtower Society, that we wouldn’t know otherwise?
It is very easy to look back over the past century and pick out all of the things about which they were wrong. But it is much more difficult to identify the current doctrines which are in error.
For those who think that the current doctrines are all true, just because they haven’t yet been discarded, here is my comprehensive list of current doctrines which are logically flawed. I have included only those items that can be disproven logically or that are in direct conflict with the Bible. I have intentionally excluded anything that falls into the realm of religious interpretation (such as trinity, afterlife, etc). Things like this are logically and intrinsically unknowable, so one opinion is as good as another.
If you would like to add to my list, please do so.
"We wouldn't know the truth" about...
Birthdays – Their stand on birthdays does not make sense. The fact that something bad happened at someone’s birthday party does not constitute a ban on their celebration. There is no biblical reason to avoid birthdays. The argument that they give honor to an individual can be equally applied to anniversary parties, which are allowed. This is inconsistent.
Christianisation of pagan observances – The society has said that it is wrong for Christianity of adopt (even with modifications) an observance that has a pagan origin. Thus, Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s, New Year’s, Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. We do not tip our hats, make toasts, or throw rice at a wedding. What are the flaws in this reasoning?
1. The primary ritual of Christianity is communion (our variation is the memorial). This ritual of becoming one with your God by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, dates back thousands of years, originating with nature-based worship, where tribes had animal totems. It is probably the clearest example of pagan religion that we have, with the consumption of the God being thinly disguised as bread and wine. Jesus himself adopted and Christianized this observance. Baptism also originated as a non-Christian religious ritual. So, can we still say that something is wrong, simply because it originated in paganism?
2. Pagan origins can be found in virtually everything, from the calendar to marriage customs. It is not feasible to eliminate all traces of paganism. Therefore, we simply live with them. If paganism is wrong, isn’t it always wrong? If the principle is correct, shouldn’t it be consistently applied?
3. The Bible specifically states that we should not judge another person based on their celebration of a festival (xxxxx). The Bible specifically states every person is free to make up his own mind as to the sacredness of various days. (Rom 14:4-8)
Here is an interesting and rather balanced view:
“So the Christian needs to be primarily concerned about what? Not what a certain symbol or design possibly meant thousands of years ago or how it might be thought of on the otherside of the world, but what it means now to most people where he lives. … With so many different designs having been used in false worship, if a person went to the trouble and took the time he might find an undesirable connection with almost every design he sees around him. But why do that? Would it not be needlessly upsetting? And is that the best use of one’s time and attention?” - Awake 12/22/76 p14
1914 – The starting point of the calculation (607) is wrong. Also, if the length of a prophetic year is 360 years (an arbitrary and suspect assumption), then why is the product (360 x 7 = 2520), applied back to calendar years? Shouldn’t we count 2,520 prophetic years (907,200 days) from 607, which lands us around 1877? And, what makes the Society think that this particular Bible passage is referring to the time of the end? Most Bible scholars point to its fulfilment prior to the first century.
Most of the society’s chronological blunders have arisen from childish applications of numerology. Thankfully, most of them have been abandoned, but 1914 remains, at least for the moment.
144,000 is a literal number – All of the numbers in Revelation are symbolic – 3, 7, 10, 12, etc. The 24 elders are symbolic of the anointed. The two prophets are symbolic. When a number like 144,000 comes along with its obviously symbolic connotations (12x12x10x10x10), why is it suddenly literal?
Full number of anointed being sealed in 1935 – I can’t even refute this, because there is no backing for it. It sprung fully formed out of nowhere. I think that when the organization got too big to fit into the 144,000, they had to invent a cut off, so they did.
Authenticity of the anointed remnant – If the full number of anointed was filled in 1935, then the vast majority of those who are now numbered among them are partaking unworthily. Therefore, the most important group in the world is just a bunch of fakes. Obviously, the doctrine needs an overhaul.
Signs of the time of the end – It can be argued that the twentieth century has seen unique situations regarding war and crime. However, we are living in the most pestilence free time period of human history, as attested by the increase in life expectancy. Also, seismic activity has not been any greater in this century than in times past. In fact, when you consider all forms of death (disease, war, famine) that the bible foretells, you will find that in aggregate, we see less today than in times past. We have seen population explosion in the last hundred years, which is a function of a reduction in the causes of death.
Grace – Most religions have adopted the concept of grace. It basically states that there is nothing that you can do to gain salvation. It is a free gift from God. Yet, the society insists on works as being necessary.
Shunning – The Bible identifies several sins for which an unrepentant person should be shunned. However, the 1989 Watchtower specifically states that a person can be disfellowshipped for disagreeing with doctrines that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. It specifically lists the 1914 doctrine. As well, it has recently been used as a tool to silence persons who are speaking out in defence of abuse victims. This is wrong. It is not according to the Bible.
Jesus presence/coming – If Jesus is present, then he must have already come. If his coming is still future, then he is not present. He cannot be present, while his coming is future. That’s what the words mean.
The “truth” – If you say one thing, then say the opposite, then at lease one of those statements must be wrong. You cannot speak the “truth’, change your mind, and still have the “truth”. That is impossible.
Jesus is not our mediator – The society teaches that Jesus is the mediator between God and the anointed only. He is not our mediator. Apparently, we don’t need one. This is an eletist and unscriptural doctrine.
The Bible wasn’t written for us – The society teaches that the Bible was written for the anointed, not for us. This is also an unscriptural and elitist doctrine. It is offensive.
Length of a creative day – For decades, the society taught that creative days were 6,000 years in length. That is how they arrived at the 1975 debacle. It is now being quietly abandoned, but has not been officially changed.
Blood policies – The current blood policy is inconsistent. If blood is to be avoided, then how can we accept things made out of blood? Storing and usage of your own blood should be allowed. It shows ultimate respect for God’s gift of life and blood. Forbidding this practice is stupid, inconsistent, and potentially fatal.
Restricted social life – Throughout my life, I was forbidden to participate in sports, dances, and just about everything that normal kids did. I was not the exception. This policy is actually written in the original school brochure. I believe it was instituted for the sole purpose of isolating Witness kids so that they would have no place to go but the organization. This is wrong, selfish, and underhanded.
Conclusion
If you take the total teaching of the Society, and deduct the following things:
- teachings that have been changed, and so must have been wrong in the past
- teachings that have logical flaws
- teachings that contradict the Bible
You will be left with a small list of religious doctrines that are intangible in nature. This includes things like the nature of God, the condition of the dead, and so forth. This small remainder leaves very little that is unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Once you strip away the past and present errors, there is not much left.
So, what have they really done for us?