Lies, all lies!!!

by LittleToe 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  LittleToe

  I mentioned, in a recent thread, that one booklet in particular helped me shed some misconceptions about the WTS. It was regarding whether or not they were just misguided, or intentionally deceptive.
  The booklet "Exposing 'Should You Believe the Trinity'" was what did it for me, solely on the basis of scholastic integrity (not the Trinity doctrine, which has been "done to death" on MANY other threads).
  

  The following site makes similar points, and references said booklet:
  http://www.pnc.com.au/~fichrist/lies.html

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  If you haven't read it, I recommend it to you:
  http://www.freeminds.org/sales/books.htm

  

  Exposing "Should You Believe In the Trinity?" - $16 by Angel Arellano . Angel finds all the hard-to-locate photo-reproductions of the source material used in the Watchtower's booklet, "Should You Believe In the Trinity?" Amazing misrepresentations seem to make the Watchtower's position look good until you read the source! 128 pages, 8X11 spiral bound format.

  AA-18
• 

  Odrade

  LT, one question, does it actually make an argument for the Trinity doctrine, or does it just expose the manipulation of the source material by the WTS? I should think the latter would be more useful for those that are questioning, as very few exiting JWs will ever believe in the Trinity doctrine. But seeing the deceptions would be very telling.

  O
• 

  shiloh

  I've read this book as well but it has been a while. If I remember correctly, the author states in the introduction that there is no attempt to "prove" the Trinity as a truth. Only to expose the dishonesty in the arguments and quotations that the Trinity brochure uses.
  
  Excellent book BTW and well worth the $16.
• 

  LittleToe

  Odrade:
  The following is the table of contents of this 140 page booklet. I'll let you be the judge as to the ratio of content (given that 100 of those pages are primarily photostats):

  1. Words - Theological terms used in this book - P.1
  2. "Objection!" - Answering the Governing Body's objection that the Doctrine of the Trinity not being fully established until the end of the fourth century is proof that it is a man-made doctrine - P.3
  3. Counter Objection: Four Major WTBTS Doctrines - When were they fully established - P.5
  4. The History of the Formal Doctrine of the Trinity - P.6
  5. The Big Picture: Addressing those alleged pagan "trinities" - P.12
  6. The Word "Trinity" is Not in the Bible; is it in pagan literature? - P.15
  7. Dealing With the Watchtower Chameleon - P.16
  8. Common Sense & Integrity; A Major Role in Quoting Authorities - P.19
  9. How to Quote Authorities; A Statement By the Governing Body - P.22
  10. The WTBTS Gets Misquoted; Their Response - P.24
  11. Primary Source Photo Documentation - P.26
  12. Renaming the Trinity Brochure - P.127
• 

  willyloman

  $16? The dubs will give you THEIRS for free. Of course, it's missing a few pages...
• 

  LittleToe

  Aye, their's is a measly 32 pages
• 

  Mulan

  I had a RV when I was pioneering with a young man who was a youth minister at a local church. He asked for the brochure on the Trinity. When we returned for his evaluations, he was irate, because he had looked up some of the references given in the brochure. He read the whole sentence to us, on one of the pages in the brochure that was only partially quoted. The partial quote made it look very very different than the full quote did. I was shaken by that. It was one of the things that I "put on the shelf" for another 3 years before it all collapsed.

  Now I wonder if he had that booklet.

  I was just astounded at their dishonesty in publishing such a half truth, or outright LIE.
• 

  ozziepost

  May I add my voice to this to recommend this publication as a worthy addition to any "real truth"-seekers library.

  The whole thrust of the publication is to show how dishonest the WTS were in publishing the "Trinity" brochure for it's full of deliberate lies.

  What we then are forced to confront is the nature of God, but that's a separate issue. The important thing in this publication is to refute what the WTS have published in their "Trinity" brochure.

  If you haven't read it, I'd recommend getting it.

  Cheers, Ozzie

  Blessed are the bewildered - for they won't notice!
• 

  Leolaia

  I should get that booklet. My situation was exactly like yours...the dishonesty in the Trinity broshure was the last straw for me. By that time I had already become quite knowledgable of christology and what the church fathers taught, so when I first laid my eyes on the booklet I saw right through the deception and realized how thoroughgoing the dishonesty was. I thought, "And they expect me to sell this door to door as the truth?" I refused to go to book studies when it was being considered, as I knew I could not remain silent while people mindlessly repeated one distortion after another. Towards the end, I compiled together a massive corpus of quotes from the Church Fathers in case the elders questioned me on my misgivings towards the Society, but it never came to that.

  And it wasn't just the booklet. At the same time, the Watchtower had a series of articles on the faithful and wonderful Christian martyrs and leaders like Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Papias, and Irenaeus, and I recall their use of primary sources was as shifty there as in the Trinity broshure.
• 

  LittleToe

  Leo:
  It sounds like you've already done most of the work - why doesn't that surprise me - LOL.
  However Arellano has managed to track down every one of the references (though some were obscure). It's a comprehensive study on WTS deception.