Why are the publications anonymously written?

by boa 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  iiz2cool

  You mean the publications are anonymously written?????

  I always thought all their stuff came straight from Jehover!!!
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  Realist

  aren't they written by god???
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  Quotes

  Well, here is their official excuse *cough* explanation:
  
  *** Watchtower 1959 October 1 pp.607-8 Questions from Readers ***
  Questions from Readers
  
  ? Who are the writers of the publications of the Watch Tower Society, and what are their educational qualifications?-M.D., U.S.A.
  
  The literature published by the Watch Tower Society is published in the name of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Regardless of who may write certain articles, they are checked carefully by members of the governing body before they are published; so they are properly viewed as coming from the Society. Our publishing work is not done to glorify any men or to give them a name of prominence before this world, depending upon the name of men in order to induce a study of God's Word with the aid of the Watch Tower Society's publications. We avoid all kinds of creature worship and anything that would stimulate to creature worship. In harmony with this endeavor the Society does not identify the writers of the various books, booklets, magazines, or articles that it publishes. They prefer to remain anonymous, not because of their educational background but in order that the students of the literature may concentrate on the truths and the facts presented instead of upon the identity of the writer and being influenced by who he is. They prefer that the Society and not the individual contributor to its publications should be the thing to recommend the Watch Tower publications to all readers and that the attention of readers should be directed to the organization that is being used by Jehovah God as his instrument rather than to any individual.-Matt. 24:45-47.
  
  So we let the literature speak for itself.
  
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  Of course, my cynicism leads me to interpret that last sentence as meaning "our lawyers said that if the literature speaks for itself, then we are protected against any and all tortious liability (and the resulting litigation), both direct liability and vicariousl liability."
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  Room 215

  The anonymity policy also serves to obscure any behind-the-scene changes, so that successive groups of writers can unobstrusively slip into and out from behind the ``Oz" curtain, reinforcing the impression of continuity, when in point of fact nealry all of their major, most able, formulators of doctrine and policy have either died or been discredited, to be replaced by unimagianative hacks, almost certainly not of the so-called ``anointed," who do little more than cut, paste and otherwise repackage the writings of their more capable predecessors.
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  Crazy151drinker

  Because they are written by Bubbles and the WT doesnt want to pay Micheal Jackson royalties *duh*
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  blacksheep

  Because it tends to bolster the appearance that all writings/interpretations are ACTUALLY the words of God, not written by men.

  I have to say, God's grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary sucks.