Another WT quote taken out of context from Author

by LevelThePlayingField 11 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • LevelThePlayingField
    LevelThePlayingField

    In this weeks mid week meeting the Society is trying to explain why humans are a higher level of being than animals and then they say this:

    12 “So, to me how precious your thoughts are! O God, how much does the grand sum of them amount to! Were I to try to count them, they are more than even the grains of sand.”(Psalm 139:17, 18a) Animals too are wonderfully made, and some possess certain senses and abilities that exceed those of humans. But God gave humans mental faculties that far surpass those of any animal. “As similar as we humans are in many ways to other species, we are unique among the earth’s life forms in our ability to use language and thought,” notes one science textbook.

    Note that they don't say what the text book is. I've noticed that as of the last few years they don't usually say what the source of their material is. Why be so vague? So I did a Google search of those exact words and came up with a Google book, Science for All Humans by F. James Rutherford. And here's the full quote:

    As similar as we humans are in many ways to other species, we are unique among the earth's life forms in our ability to use language and thought. Having evolved a large and complex brain, our species has a facility to think, imagine, create, and learn from experience that far exceeds that of any other species. We have used this ability to create technologies and literary and artistic works on a vast scale, and to develop a scientific understanding of ourselves and the world.

    No wonder they didn't say where it was from, so no one would as easily got a Google search maybe? I don't know. But yet again, another quote taken out of context. The author obviously does not share the same views as the paragraph here would say.

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    Great pick-up LTPF!!

    Well done.

    Yes, even school children are taught that a quote that doesn't credit the source is not credible! It may as well be made up!

    If that source you have found is the one the society used, then yes, once again they have "quote mined" a partial comment to make it say something other that it was intended!

    No different to the classic Ramah Singh case....

  • St George of England
    St George of England
    In this weeks mid week meeting the Society is trying to explain why humans are a higher level of being than animals and then they say this:

    Can you say which WT publication this is from? Cannot see anything in the CLAM. Thanks

    George


  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    Hey St George of England!

    Can you say which WT publication this is from? Cannot see anything in the CLAM. Thanks

    Watchtower 15 June 2007, page 23, paragraph 12

    We Are “Wonderfully Made”

    link to scan


  • St George of England
    St George of England

    darkspilver -- Many thanks for that, put it down to my age will you!

    George

  • sir82
    sir82

    Do these numnuts never learn?

    There have been several occasions where the author of an out-of-context quote was contacted by alert "apostates", and subsequently wrote to the WTS, and got them to change the text in the electronic format of the magazines (obviously too late to change the printed version).

    No retraction, of course, no apology, but at least the issue was acknowledged and it led to a somewhat embarrassing change.

    Anyone have contact information for F. James Rutherford?

  • ttdtt
    ttdtt

    Great pick-up LTPF - thanks.

    I would love to know what the "brother" thinks as he does this. This is not an accident.

    Some years back I started to see this pattern when I was preparing major Convention talks.

    I actually looked up ALL the references - not to find fault - but to really know the subject better than anyone there - and not to just be a parrot.

    I started to become really disturbed by the MANY quotes take out of context.
    Even then - when I was in - I found I had to omit things that just were untrue.

    I doubt all but a small % of elders actually look up any reference material sadly.

  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    TBH, it seems to be just an acceptance of a statement of fact that two people have - just because those two people think it was achieved in different ways, doesn't change the truthfulness of the 'fact', nor the ability for either of those people to 'use it' as a statement of 'fact' :

    “As similar as we humans are in many ways to other species, we are unique among the earth’s life forms in our ability to use language and thought,”

    Obviously the scientist who is being quoted beliefs that it is due to evolution and the WT due to creation - but that doesn't change the above quoted 'fact'.

    Actually, surely the question to ask is.... is the above quoted 'fact', actually a correct 'fact' ?

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Once again, for the newbies, lurkers, and trolls...

    ...if you have to cheat to defend your beliefs, your beliefs don't deserve to be defended.

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    It is technically not a false quotation. It is out of context, especially considering that they are relying on the expertise of source whom they give no credibility to because of the expressed belief on evolution. It is further offensive in they make unattributed quotes. Anyone who passed 6th grade knows better, and anyone in high school knows it will lower grades significantly. But why? There are morals, ethics, laws and respectable and responsible journalism at stake. Of course, that would not really impact JWs.

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