April 1, 2006 WT: You Can Understand The Bible (deliberate lies)

by truthseeker 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  On the front cover of the April 15, 2006 WT is a picture of a bible with the title, "You Can Understand The Bible"

  Now bear in mind, that the WT magazine is considered the more scholarly of the mags that come out, where the Awake! is considered little more than a cut-down version of Reader's Digest for 12 year olds.

  I'm only including the interesting bits

  UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE

  A Pleasure Open to You

  The Bible contains precious truths from God. It tells us about the purpose of life, the cause of human suffering, and the future of mankind.

  Taking in knowledge of God is likened in the Bible to eating. Jesus said: "Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah's mouth."

  Just as eating nourishing food each day is necessary to keep us alive, so reading God's Word regularly is necessary for us to benefit from God's promise of everlasting life.

  True, some find that it is a challenge to understand the Bible. Then, there are prophecies written in symbolic langauge that can be understood only by referring to other Bible texts dealing with the subject.

  Even so, you really can come to understand the Bible. How can you be sure of that?

  A Pleasure Open to All

  The Bible is the Word of God. In it God expresses his will to us. Would God provide a book that is impossible to comprehend or that is understandable only by highly educated people? No, Jehovah would not be so unkind. Christ Jesus said: "Which father is there among you who, if his son asks for a fish, will perhaps hand him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!" Thus, you can be sure that an understanding of the Bible is well within your reach and that if you ask God sincerely, he will provide the help you need to understand his Word. Why, basic Bible teachings can be grasped and appreciated even by children!" - 2 Timothy 3:15

  This is not such a bad article, but where's the lie?

  The WHOLE article is a lie, why?

  Consider what the WT says about understanding the Bible...

  "Let us face the fact that no matter how much Bible reading we have done, we would never have learned the truth on our own. We would not have discovered the truth regarding Jehovah, his purposes and attributes, the meaning and importance of his name, the Kingdom, Jesus' ransom, the difference between God's organization and Satan's, nor why God has permitted wickedness. " (Watchtower 12/1/1990, pages 19)

  "Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." (The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587.)

  "All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave." (The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.)
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  drew sagan

  So true, so true. The sad fact is since those comments where made years ago many current witnesses view them as "old light". They think that things have changed since then. The same attitude still exists though, it's just not put in the publications.
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  The Lone Ranger

  The WTS has had articules about the Catholic church during the dark ages, how they were keeping the bible away from the common people, what they are doing now is not much different.
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  TheListener

  For anyone with dub family, you could keep a copy of that article in your back pocket and say "I agree with the society" and pull out this article.

  :)
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  Super_Becka

  Hey, thanks for the post, it just goes to show how hypocritical the WTS really is!!

  On one hand, they're telling JWs that the Bible can't be understood completely and that they need to use WTS mags to interpret the Bible.

  Then, on the other hand, they're saying that God would never give us a book that we couldn't understand, so if you really want to, you can understand the Bible, no sweat.

  I think this part would be their disclaimer, though:

  Thus, you can be sure that an understanding of the Bible is well within your reach and that if you ask God sincerely, he will provide the help you need to understand his Word

  I think that's their way of covering their a$$es if someone says, "Hey, we can understand the Bible on our own, with the mags!!". With that one line, saying that "God will provide" the help that people need to understand the Bible, the WTS can simply claim that their magazines are that God-given help.

  -Becka :)
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  LDH

  "Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." (The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587.)

  I sense a phone call to the Service Department coming on.......
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  heathen

  That is disgusting . The bible only an organizational book . That's absurd . I agree that people have to pray for holy spirit to direct them in understanding alot of the bible but most of it is about an ancient civilization and requires research in secular history . The WTBTS has been wrong so many times , they just sound like idiots when saying they alone understand these things .
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  Star Moore

  I think they are really tiptoeing around lately. The new study book, 'What does the Bible really teach?" is very good as it really tiptoes around every controversal subject almost. This new Wt is another example of that. You could almost be any religion and read the new stuff and and not flinch.. What's going on. Why are they watering down everything?????
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  jwfacts

  I think it is on purpose that they put in contradictory articles. That way the average member believes whatever they want to and remembers the nice articles, but as soon as they step out of line an elder will crunch them with the high line.
  
  The average member thinks "Jehovah is wonderful he wrote the bible for me" but the minute he says something that is not in line with the WTS an elder can go "You are nothing without the WTS, see this article here..."
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  yesidid

  I think it is on purpose that they put in contradictory articles. That way the average member believes whatever they want to and remembers the nice articles, but as soon as they step out of line an elder will crunch them with the high line.
  
  The average member thinks "Jehovah is wonderful he wrote the bible for me" but the minute he says something that is not in line with the WTS an elder can go "You are nothing without the WTS, see this article here..."

  Spot on Paul.