Vanderhoven7: " I pulled out an old 1995 AWAKE...and immediately he asked when was that written? I said 1995. He waved his arm and said throw it away. We don't believe that (what) anymore. . . . So I pulled out some of their literature which he tried to discourage me from reading by asking for a date and saying that's old teaching...before even hearing a word. You can throw that out...(more throw arm waving)"
Listener: "This is interesting Vanderhoven. The JWs aren't in the least bothered about earlier teachings but I didn't realise that they are only accepting as far back as what is currently online, which is to the year 2000."
Denying incriminating statements from older publications sounds to them like a good escape mechanism but as a recent president of the U.S. once said, "That old dog won't hunt".
They simply can't have it both ways. If they wish to quote their older publications to back up one of their arguments they do it without batting an eye.
In a recent Watchtower (2015) they referred all the way back to an issue of September 15, 1950 to restate definitions (type and antitype) they had taught at that time. That's some 65 years ago.
Other Watchtower literature has no problem referring to even older Zion's Watch Tower (ZWT, the predecessor to The Watchtower) magazines when it suits their purpose. A case in point, among many, is from a recent Watchtower magazine: "One of the reasons why Zion’s Watch Tower was first published in July 1879 was to defend the Bible teaching of the ransom. Its pages provided "food at the proper time," for in the late 1800’s, a growing number of professed Christians began to question how Jesus’ death could be a ransom for our sins." The Watchtower 2010, 8/15 p. 12 par. 2.
That ZWT reference reasonably implies that there is no statute of limitations for "food at the proper time". And it is only one of some 1,507 references to the older (early part of the 20th century) "Zion's Watch Tower" within its modern literature since 1950. It's revealing that WT has no qualms about using the early literature when it reinforces what it wants its readers to believe.
Len
