Things we were persuaded to believe

by iamfreenow 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  iamfreenow

  Linda and I were just chatting about some of the more odd beliefs of JWs, and how we tended to accept them despite not totally understanding them. The JWs have a tendency to pick incidents from the scriptures and look for a modern - day application, priding themselves on being the only ones who can truly understand what these things mean for todays' world. There are severa that I had trouble getting my head around, but gullibly accepted the Society's take on them.

  For example, I always had problems accepting or even understanding the JW interpretation of the 7 trumpet balasts of Revelation, which they said were fulfilled by 7 conventions held between 1922 and 1928. The WTBS was an insignificant religion then compared to the more mainstream churches, and isn't all that significant now in terms of membership, and I just couldn't see why a seemingly - significant event in the Bible would find it's fulfillment in a series of conventions that the majority of humanity wouldn't even be aware were taking place. I accepted it, of course, but never quite understood it.

  Another strange idea, to me at any rate, was the Society's thought that the ships of Kittim, from Daniel 11, had a modern - day fulfillment by the British Navy during World War 1. When we discussed this at the book study, no one could really grasp it, and I can remember the conductor saying that JWs are the only religion that realise the significance of the ships of Kittim, and how they have a modern fulfillment. Most of us left the study with a baffled expression on our faces that night, but we all accepted it, after all the Watchtower said it, so it must be right.

  That's just a couple of bizarre, to say the least, JW ideas, there are more. Was anyone else baffled by these "explanations", or can you think of other strange interpretaions that bothered you at the time, but you went along with anyway because you thought the Society was infallible?

  Marion
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  greendawn

  JW doctrines tend to get rejected by the JWs themselves after a while they can not withstand the test of time because they are trash produced by people having little or no training in religion and other relevant fields.
  
  Rutherford saw himself in one of the figures presented in the Revelation of John that's how arrogant he was and behemoth was to him nothing but the train predicted in Job many centuries in advance.
  
  The grandiose attitude of it all, an insignificant devious cult presented prophetically in Revelation 1900 years earlier.
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  lovelylil

  It was Russell who first taught that the Behemoth was the locomotive in one of his scripture studies books. If you point this ridiculous statement out to modern day Bible Students, they just ignore it. I don't get it. I didn't like the idea that they taught that in Isaiah when it states "come come up to the house of Jehovah to be taught about his ways" meant attending meetings or conventions. I thought - first of all the text is taken out of context for in its context the "mountain" is Zion in Jerusalem. And secondly, how arrogant that only THEY can speak for Jehovah.

  At the last meeting I attended during the WT study they were trying to say that the vision of Paradise that Paul saw had a modern day fulfillment in us sitting at the meetings studying the WT???? In other words the paradise was the meetings that he saw in a vision and how wonderful that Jehovah allowed him to see into our time period us taking in spiritual food.

  It was obvious when I looked up the word "paradise" that it was the same word Jesus used when he told the man hanging next to him "truly I tell you today you will be in Paradise".

  I was so MAD during that study I walked out and never went back. I told my hubby I wanted to get the mic. and scream into it "DOES ANYONE HERE BELIEVE THIS BULL THAT THIS MEETING IS THE PARADISE THAT PAUL SAW?" My hubby had to stop me so I left and was yelling in the parking lot and never stepped foot in the hall again.
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  Seeker4

  Even when I was conducting the Book Study in the Revelation book, I found that explanation of the 7 trumpets absolutely preposterous. According to Revelation these trumpet blasts were to be these huge events that would rock the world.
  I'd be willing to hazard a guess that not one book detailing the events of the 20th Century mentions those Witness resolutions and the subsequent tract distributions even in a footnote! They were total non-events, even to most Witnesses.
  This is exactly what we wrote about in another thread of how presumptuous the WTS is.
  S4
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  freetosee

  Yes, the trumpet blasts is one of the strangest interpretations. When I read your topic it came straight to mind. I knew how to answer every paragraph at that study, but never felt it made real sense. I wanted it to make sense and was depressed or exhausted inside blaming myself.

  When my very studious ‘bible studies’ asked me about this I had a hard time giving convincing explanations. Usually I felt energized after a good day in service, I was also thrilled about the release of the Climax book and placed many of them, however two of my studies discontinued. One asked me, "How can you believe that?" I defended by distracting to the 1914 fulfillment, Jesus arrangement of the FDS whom we must trust, praying inside "Jehovah please help me". But he could tell and said, "You want me to believe this and you don’t believe it yourself". He also reminded me I told him on my first visit that very question can be answered because we have the truth, if we can’t answer or it doesn’t make sense then it is not the truth. I answered saying he is weak and lacking faith, the next time I will bring an elder. This never happened, I was told the study is going on for over a year and the person has not made much progress.

  The truth was right in my face, but it took me a couple more years to realize it.

  fts
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  vitty

  When I was still fully immersed in the crap, I remember telling my sister , whilst studying the Isahiah book, where do they come up with this crap, She laught and said we dont fully understand it....... I would never have the nerve to say that now...............what a shame
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  earthtone

  I wouldn't be surprised, if in a few years they say that the 7resolutions are the 7trumpet blast in Rev. - New Light!
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  Double Edge

  I told my hubby I wanted to get the mic. and scream into it "DOES ANYONE HERE BELIEVE THIS BULL THAT THIS MEETING IS THE PARADISE THAT PAUL SAW?" My hubby had to stop me so I left and was yelling in the parking lot and never stepped foot in the hall again.

  ROFLMAO.....
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  lovelylil

  Double edge,

  Its funny now to both of us. But you should have seen the scene I made in the parking lot of the KH. I think I even scared my kids. My hubby went to the meetings for a few more months and told everyone that I was having a nervous type breakdown. Everyone felt sorry for him. Then he realized it was Bull**** and stopped going too. So now, I am having the last laugh. Lilly
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  fullofdoubtnow

  The belief about the 1600 furlongs in Revelation 14:20 always amused me. From what I can remember, it was believed to refer to the publication of the "finished mystery", and the distance from Scranton, where it was supposedly written, to bethel, via the Hoboken Terminal. I doubt many modern - day jws would know much about it, but it seems more than a little presumptious to believe that a prophecy in revelation refers to one of their publications.