by mrsjones5 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
What exactly are the "Core Beliefs" of the WTBS? I was raised in it and don't even know what "they" are. Is it me or has these core beliefs been extremely fluid? I find Christianity outside of the bOrg to be so much easier to understand.
What do you think?
Josie
1914, 144k, great crowd, paradise earth, no fiery hell, ... to name a few
When I think of "core doctrine," what leaps to mind is that any doctrine over which someone can be removed, rejected, or censured would be a core doctrine.
With JWs, every single doctrine they hold is held severely enough that someone could be disfellowshipped for unrepentant public disagreement, or announced as disassociated. All of their doctrine is core doctrine, as far as I can tell. Unless someone believes that "core doctrine" refers to what they most frequently talk about, but I don't personally think that is a fair measure.
Respectfully,
AuldSoul
3 Nevertheless, not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. 4 But because of the false brothers brought in quietly, who sneaked in to spy upon our freedom which we have in union with Christ Jesus, that they might completely enslave us— 5 to these we did not yield by way of submission, no, not for an hour, in order that the truth of the good news might continue with YOU.
If only this was true today...
The WTBTS's teachings change like the clouds with every new breeze.
jehovah is the name of our god, and he selected the slave, which should be followed in everything they say.
basically the two baptism questions
jehovah is the name of our god, and he selected the slave, which should be followed in everything they say.
How
Is God’s Name Pronounced?The truth is, nobody knows for sure how the name of God was originally pronounced. Why not? Well, the first language used in writing the Bible was Hebrew, and when the Hebrew language was written down, the writers wrote only consonants—not vowels. Hence, when the inspired writers wrote God’s name, they naturally did the same thing and wrote only the consonants.
While ancient Hebrew was an everyday spoken language, this presented no problem. The pronunciation of the Name was familiar to the Israelites and when they saw it in writing they supplied the vowels without thinking (just as, for an English reader, the abbreviation "Ltd." represents "Limited" and "bldg." represents "building").
Two things happened to change this situation. First, a superstitious idea arose among the Jews that it was wrong to say the divine name out loud; so when they came to it in their Bible reading they uttered the Hebrew word ’Adho·nai´ ("Sovereign Lord"). Further, as time went by, the ancient Hebrew language itself ceased to be spoken in everyday conversation, and in this way the original Hebrew pronunciation of God’s name was eventually forgotten.
In order to ensure that the pronunciation of the Hebrew language as a whole would not be lost, Jewish scholars of the second half of the first millennium C.E. invented a system of points to represent the missing vowels, and they placed these around the consonants in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, both vowels and consonants were written down, and the pronunciation as it was at that time was preserved.
Divine Name published by the WTBTS
When it came to God’s name, instead of putting the proper vowel signs around it, in most cases they put other vowel signs to remind the reader that he should say ’Adho·nai´. From this came the spelling Iehouah, and, eventually, Jehovah became the accepted pronunciation of the divine name in English. This retains the essential elements of God’s name from the Hebrew original.
Their core belief is that they alon have been chosen by God as his only apporved religion. Everything else they teach is a tool used to make people come to that conclusion.
I've looked, and come to pretty well the same conclusion that Auld Soul has. Whereas Orthodox Christianity has a brief declaration of beliefs (You believe it, you're a Chrisitian. You don't, you aren't) that nearly all denominations ascribe to, the JW's are expected to believe EVERYTHING that comes out of the mouth of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave". http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm
AlanF maintains that the only key doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses is, "Follow the Faithful and Discreet Slave." He argues that if the Watchtower magazine declared that the moon was made of green cheese, the JW's would be obliged to believe it. If the Watchtower approved blood transfusions, the JW's would then agree that blood transfusions are OK.
I think the closest thing we have to "core doctrine" for the Jehovah's Witnesses is the 104 questions at Baptism, listed in the back of the "Organized to do Jehovah's Will" book.
Part 1, Elementary Bible Teachings (35 questions) Part 2, Jehovah's Righteous Requirements (37 questions) Part 3, Jehovah's Arrangement of Things (32 questions)
Here are my favorite gems:
Part 1, Q 20 Who is Satan the Devil? Where did he and his demons come from?
Part 2, Q 2 What is the only Scriptural basis for divorce that frees one to remarry?
Part 2, Q 7 How does Jehovah view (a) the unlawful shedding of human blood? (b) abortion? (c) suicide?
Part 2, Q 8 What responsibility rests upon a person who is infected with a communicable disease that is potentially fatal?
Part 2 Q 9 To avoid transmitting an infectious or a potentially fatal disease to others, why should an infected person (a) not initiate public displays of affection such as hugging and kissing? (b) attend the Congregation Book Study at the Kingdom Hall if at all possible? (c) not react negatively when some choose not to invite them in to their homes? (d) Why should a person who may have been exposed to an infectious disease voluntarily choose to have a blood test before beginning a courtship? (e) Why should one having a communicable disease inform the presiding overseer before getting baptized?
Part 2 Q 13 How should Christians view the shortcomings of fellow believers?
Part 2 Q 20 Why should Christians abstain from all nonmedical use of addictive or mind-altering natural or synthetic substances?
Part 2 Q 29 What is the Christian's position as to the world alienated from God?
(Answer: They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. - John 17:16.
Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God. - Jas. 4:4.)
Part 2 Q 31 When a person separates himself from the world and becomes a Christian, what treatment should he expect from those in the world?
(Quotes John 15:19, 20; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 4:4)
Part 2 Q 34 Would it be proper for true Christians to share in worship with other religious groups?
(Quotes Rev. 18:4, 5; Matt. 7:13, 14, 21-23; 1 Cor. 10:30; 2 Cor. 6:14-18)
Part 2 Q 36 How can you determine whether you should observe or participate in celebrations that are popular in your community?
(Quotes John 17:16; 1 Cor. 10:21; Ps. 106:35; 1
Pet. 4:3)
Part 3 Q 3 Is the wife whose husband is not a believer freed from his headship?
(Quotes 1 Pet. 3:1, 2)
Part 3: Q 13 What is the Governing Body of the Christian congregation?
(Quotes Acts 15:1, 2)
Part 3: Q 15 How do members of the congregation demonstrate submission to the headship of Christ in the congregation?
(Quotes Heb. 13:7; Heb: 13:17)
Part 3: Q 25 What should be our attitude toward giving of ourselves and of our material possessions in Jehovah's service?
(Quotes 1 Chron. 29:14; 2 Cor. 9:7)
Part 3: Q 26 What attitude should we have when we are persecuted or undergoing trial?
(Quotes Matt. 5:10-12; Jas. 1:2, 3; Acts 5:41)
The absolute core doctrine [singular] is that of the 'Faithful and Discreet Slave Class' and thier selection in 1919 by Christ.
They had to distort scripture to get that one - and they have distorted scripture for all the rest of them since developed.
Sad.
Jeff
Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection.....
The central CORE doctrine of the Watchtower,yes the reason the Watchtower came into existence was to declare Jesus second coming in 1914.When the prophecy (derived from William Miller of 1842) failed they said that he came "invisibly".
Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection and sealing of the 'anointed' so the entire wts doctrinal superstructure comes crashing down like a house of cards.
