Fallacy of the "Light gets brighter" Teaching

by rassillon 13 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  rassillon

  This is by no means a complete discussion of the subject but I will start it with my thoughts and I hope those smarter than me will contribute.

  The WT teaches that the changes in doctrine and their understanding of the scriptures over the years is because as we get nearer the end of this system the "light gets brighter" or God allows(?) a better understanding. This is based off the scripture Proverbs 4:18 which states

  1 8 But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

  As a witness I never questioned this, but when reading what was written here I now believe that it is dishonest to base this teaching off of this scripture. Especially since the very next verse says

  19 The way of the wicked ones is like the gloom; they have not known at what they keep stumbling.

  Now wouldn't it be reasonable that mis-interpretations would be likened to stumbling and then those making those wrong interpretations would be likened to the "wicked ones" of verse 19.

  You can't take one verse without the other.

  Well, that is about all I have on the matter...Now what do the BIG GUNS have
• 

  Paralipomenon

  I think C.T Russel said it best here:
  
  Zion's Watch Tower, Feb, 1881, p.3
  
  If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now; But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. "New light" never extinguishes older "light," but adds to it...
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  avidbiblereader

  READ the context, the first several chapters is Solomon and in a bigger sense God pleading with His children to choose one of two paths. The dark path of the wicked and the one of righteousness which gets brighter for the one choosing that path.

  It is not a scripture that allows an organization to keep changing its beliefs, teachings, principles and conduct. IT IS NOT A SAFETY NET TO TEACH AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT NO MATTER HOW DISTRUCTIVE TO OTHERS WITH NO ONE TO CHECK YOUR HAND POLICY.

  If that were the case what would be the point of James, not many of you should be teachers Brothers as you will have a heavier judgement. Couldn't all religions just simply say the same thing as they do whatever they want?

  abr
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  lfcviking

  1 8 But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

  Analysing this: the word 'path' suggests a journey in a direction so the journey could be a spiritual one in which things are being constantly reproved & adjusted, and the direction could be the JW faith and the 'day' that is firmly established could be the climax of Armaggeddon. So this scripture could support the JW concept of 'light'.

  But notice what a different translation of the Bible the 'Revised Standard Version' says:

  Prov 4:18: 'But the path of the righteous one is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day'.

  Now this could be interpreted completely differently. Which begs the question: Has the Watchtower 'fiddled' with the translation of this verse to read in this way to support its own 'new/old light' doctrine?
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  lovelylil

  The thing about Proverbs is it is a book of wise sayings. And while it is filled with good common sense advice, and many pearls of wisdom to live by, it was never intended to be a book of prophecy. As such "the light getting brighter" is not a prophetic statement, and does not justify the changing of doctrine.

  As for Russell - Darn the day he ever gave this text to the WT. As even Russell did not fully understand what the proverb here was saying. He also applied it to mean that the understanding of the Bible Students would get clearer as time passed. Although some may say he did not contradict his original teachings altogether, he also thought of this proverbs verse as prophetic. Lilly
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  johnny cip

  rassillion: any time a jw uses prov. 4;18 on me i go straight to prov. 4:19. then ask them was ther ANY LIGHT. in the world was to end 1874-78 1910- 1914-15 (pick your date or false prophecy/teaching) then i MAKE THE JW SAY YES THERE WAS NO LIGHT IN THAT TEACHING.. then i give them a SHOVEL, and watch them dig thier own grave trying to talk their way out of what they just admitted was DARKNESS. there is no LIGHT IN DARKNESS. AGAIN THERE IS NO LIGHT IN DARKNESS, and that's the reason the wts has STUMBLED FOR THE LAST 130 YEARS . IT'S ALL DARKNESS. ( AND I RUN DOWN THE LIST) . great way to SHUT UP ANY DUB. GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP. because it works every time. and that's a fact. boy i could talk about this for weeks on end. but i can't type for my own good. GREAT TOPIC AND RESPONSE TO ANY JW. john
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  Robert222

  I agree, what does that verse about light getting brighter have to do with policy or doctrine changes? It seems more about a personal journey. A wicked person will fall down into darkness by doing injury to himself or others, where an enlightened person (spiritual, i guess) would seek to do good in the world, be lifted up to a higher level in life. It has nothing to do with getting dates wrong, then changing your mind years later.
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  greendawn

  It's one of the many gross deceptions of the WTS and it shows the very casual way in which they can totally distort verses to protect their selfish interests. They give to their followers lies and darkness rather than the truth. The truth simply never changes and no responsible God would use inadequate incompetents like them to "channel" His truths.
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  Billzfan23

  That. my friend, is the 10,000 dollar question. How can "new light" replace old light so quickly and so often?
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  OnTheWayOut

  When I first discussed (pretending I still had) doubts with two elders, we discussed
  Proverbs 4:18. I used this-

  ***

  w81 12/1 p.16 par.2 ‘Light Has Flashed Up for the Righteous’***

  Note that the shining of light on the path of the righteous is progressive. It keeps "shining ever brighter." We might
  illustrate this by a man who gets up before daybreak and who sets out on foot to travel through the countryside. He
  might see an outline of a building in the distance, but at first cannot tell whether it is a barn or a house. Gradually
  as day dawns and he gets closer he can see that it is a house. After a while he is able to tell that it is a wooden,
  not a brick, house. Then, later, he can make out the color of the house, and so forth.

  If you say the path is progressive, then you admit that there was a time when you did not know what you were looking
  at. A discreet slave would know that he needed to remain silent untl he knew what was ahead. If he wasn't sure if
  "the generation of 1914" was what Jesus referred to, then he would remain silent until he was sure.

  Well, in their excitement to proclaim the Kingdom of God, they advanced their hopes. (Really, they said this)

  If they felt the need to advance their hopes, then they could identify it as a "hope" instead of a certainty. It's recorded
  on page two of every Awake as a promise from God until they removed the statement in 1995. In the example from the
  1981 WT, the man could say "I see a building- it might be a barn. I think it's brick, perhaps red." He could let us know
  that he could be wrong. If they escaped from Babylon the Great in 1918, I would expect some errors, like celibrating
  Christmas and using the cross, but as errors were removed, everything would be more correct. The faithful and discreet
  slave could say that they hope the generation of 1914 is alive before Armageddon. They believe it is so, but will study
  and wait on Jehovah.

  IT WAS LIKE TALKING TO TWO MEMBERS OF A CULT. They never really listened.