I just had a long conversation with my mother. She went into her "you know it's the truth" routine. In a nutshell, I told her that I have found too many discrepancies in the WTS.
I told her abbout the 607bce date. I told her that if she could prove that date to me without using the WT lit. then I would be more open minded towards the JW's. She said that she would.
I told her that there were other things too. If you guys could help me out here and post some things that you know for fact can be disproved, please post them ASAP.
I'm supposed to come up with a list, and call her back with it. Thanks.
Not to be cruel, but what have you been doing all this time on the board? Just start going through the threads, cutting and pasting. You'll feel good about doing the work yourself.
Door to door ministry... Luke 10:7 (Do not be transferring from house to house)
All true Christians partake of memorial... John 6:48-59 Jesus compares the memorial with manna... should be taken daily; compare Revelation 7:14 (John is talking about the Great Crowd) "These are the ones that came out of the great tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb". Hmmm... surely to do that, they need to partake of the memorial mentioned in John 6:48-59?
JW's claim to be of the great crowd, yet do not come into contact with the blood of Christ... merely pass it along once a year.
Hi Slayer: The book called Gentile Times Reconsidered by Carl Olaf Jonnson is the best treatment of the topic far and above all other works on this planet! The material was even presented to the Governing Body when Ray Franz was still there. It was the material that upset the organization the most. You can order a copy from Commentary Press in Georgia. Go to: http://www.commentarypress.com/
Email me privately if you would. I'm interested in knowing if I know your Mom. If so, might be able to help more personally with advice.
I've told my parents my feelings and reasoned with them as to why I feel the way I do about chronology, the way the society is run, etc. Don't get your hopes up that things will change much, especially in the short run.
OK, I can think of 101 things which I've found all over the net, but I'll trying to think of something original.
Consider these question which bothered me a lot: Is having faith something that can be learnt from bible studies with Jehovah's Witnesses? Is loving God and having a relationship with him something you can be taught? When the Witnesses try to prove the authenticity of the bible with historical and scientific information, are they saying faith should be backed up by facts when by definition faith isn't? Big Question: Are Jehovah's Witnesses open-minded? They say they ARE, but how can they be when they are forcefully prevented from speaking to or reading information from people with alternative views? Finally. with such a high turnover rate of members, is God playing dice with who happens to be in the org. or out when the end comes, in view of the fact that a Witness can at no point gaurantee they have been "saved"?
These are just a few of the questions that I had, I know they're simple but I was trying to think of original things.
I was too far out... and not waving but drowning - Stevie Smith
Well guys thanks for your help. My mother has agreed to prove that Jerusalem fell in 607 BCE without the use of the WTS lit.
As soon as I spoke of failed prophecies though, she said that I was obviously reading apostate material, and that it was all made up lies. Anything that I presented to her was "doctored up" by the apostates because they are guided by Satan.
Thanks for your help with this guys.
UK Rector, I was looking for a quick referance list as I was pressed for time. Thank you for pointing out that I should know these things already, you were a big help. [8>]
Slayer - I will send you and e-mail ASAP with the following scanned documents from books etc... (may take a while to download):
1 - prophesying that the World would end and churches would be destroyed. 2 - ditto above. 3 - saying they never said a date and that it was false prophesying (liars) 4 - 1969 document saying you young people will never grow old (says it point blank) 5 - secret Beth Sarim house deed (built to house prophets when they returned and later was sold secretly) 6 - saying world would end in 1914 and churches would be completly destroyed 7 - 1968 watchtower showing chart with 1975 8 - using eye of Ra (Ra was an Egyptian God) on cover of publication 9 - Russell used the pyramid of Giza to arrive at the date of 1914
Points to bring up:
1975 - The 1968 Awake October Issue pinpointed 1975. Point to scriptures about false prophets. Show her the last chapter of Revelation where Jesus says he is the Alpha and the Omega and that he sent his angel to the earth.
And hey - don't worry, we are all here for you. I am going through the same thing. Be strong, OK? I know it's really tough, but you gotta do what u gotta do.
