"The Truth"

Ding

We all know that JWs consider the WT religion to be "the truth" and refer to it as such.

Granted, that phrase is used repeatedly in the literature and from the platform.

But it's obvious that much of what the organization used to require JWs to teach house-to-house as important truths--even within our own lifetimes--has been abandoned.

It's been replaced by "new light" and "refined understanding."

What's meant by "the 1914 generation" is a prime example.

In fact, I think it would be hard to find another religion that has changed so many of its teachings, especially in such a short period of time.

So why do JWs still believe their religion to be "the truth"?

Thoughts?

Foolednomore

"The Truth" is more of an oxymoron.

A completed exaggerated made up ideals by 8 old guys in New York. And slap the Bible in there and make up that too.

It is also part of their decades old branding. The “truth” is theirs and theirs only, even if it changes faster than Meme stocks. They have it because they are “special” and the only ones marked for survival. That message sells AND controls the buyers who purchase it.

ozziepost

And of course if the R&F say it often enough, in time the habit becomes their reality.

Jeffro

Following is a piece I wrote about their use of "the truth" in 2010...

In this thread I'm going to analyse, word-by-word, a basic expression typical of JWs - "I know it is the truth" - to indicate how such a simple expression is in fact a manipulative method of self-indoctrination, and to demonstrate how every word in JW cliches usually carries some jargonistic meaning for them.

I know it is the truth...
When someone affirms something with "I", they internalise it (or 'make the truth their own'). Over time, any affront to the internalised concept becomes an attack on their own ego. Any negative comment about JW beliefs or activities becomes something they take very personally, reinforcing the 'us vs. them' attitude already fostered by the religion.

I know it is the truth...
JWs don't 'know' their beliefs are truth, because there is no actual proof to support the premises of their 'faith'. Like members of any religion, they *believe* they have the truth. Using the word 'know' is a convenient thought-terminating cliche to avoid actually rationally analysing what they believe.

I know it is the truth...
Many JWs only really know the fundamentals of what 'it' actually is that they believe, and quite a few even have trouble explaining those. Many 'qualified ministers' among JWs don't have a clear understanding of how they establish 1914 as the end of the 'Gentile Times', much less about 'Ezekiel's temple vision' or 'Jehovah's celestial chariot'. But they will happily say that 'whatever they believe' is 'truth'.

I know it is the truth...
JWs believe that whatever they are *currently* taught is definitely true. Things that 'were' true aren't necessarily true anymore, though they were previously taught as absolutely and unqualifiedly true before. And things that were once 'true', and then *weren't* 'true' anymore could become 'true' again at the turn of a Watchtower page, at which point the new 'truth' was always 'true', even employing historical revisionism to back up claims of what was 'always' true. E.g. predicting 1914 as the end of the 'Gentile Times' rather than the beginning of Armageddon.

I know it is the truth...
JWs believe there is an absolute religious truth. Unlike plain statements of fact such as 2 + 2 = 4, which is true unless the plain definitions of 'two', 'plus', 'equals', and 'four' are fundamentally altered, statements of belief based on scriptures that can be interpreted in various ways, often from accounts that are vague, spurious, or patently absurd, are clearly not absolute truth.

I know it is the truth...
The JW term 'truth' as used in expressions such as 'I know it is the truth' means more than the basic sense of the word. It is employed as a proper noun, Truth™, to represent whatever happens to be 'truth' at the time, whether the individual actually knows all the particular 'truths' or not. It is used to represent not only their body of doctrines, but also their community itself.

Phizzy

Yes ! the oft repeated word serves to convince them that it is a reality, that they have the "truth", and that EVERYONE else does not !

This gives them a smug feeling of superiority.

The Scripture used to excuse the constant Doctrinal changes, Proverbs 4v18 in the most blatant example of irony, is not talking about "truth" at all directly, and certainly not religious truth : " The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.".

It is a Proverb about how if you are righteous, your way through life becomes clearer the longer you live.

Charles Taze Russell pointed out over 100 years ago as he founded the org. that when it came to "New Light" in understanding the Scriptures, it could only be called that if it ADDED to an old understanding, if the new "understanding" replaced an older one, what was replaced was never Truth .(Feb. 1881 W.T from memory).

Jehovah's Witnesses should take note of that !

All the while they were teaching the old discarded ideas, they were teaching untruth, what does their God think of such teachers ? Exactly, but while they were teaching lies they called those teachings, and their religion "The Truth", and if you as a member loudly pointed out from Scripture the correct view, you would at the time be thrown out !!!! God's Spirit Directed Organisation ? Nah.

enoughisenough

riddle : when is the truth a lie?

smiddy3

I`ll bite , when it`s not true ? LOL

What was that quote from a catholic I heard many years ago ?

It went something like this : "Give me a 6 year old and I will give you a catholic for life"

It`s all about indoctrination. repeat, repeat, repeat, over and over again.

And to this day it irks me when someone refers to the JW religion as " the truth" whether it`s ex JW`s or otherwise.

Biahi

How do they know their religion is “the truth”? Because the GB says it is, and we can trust them, because Jehovah and Jesus trusts them, too. 😂