by minimus 32 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Mini! As you already know. Crises of Conscience, Captives of a Concept, Blood on the Altar, Gentile Time Reconsidered, JWD, and the many other books from outside the organization and info on UN, Blood, Child Abuse, Personel experiences with my family and other families. 1919 farce and most of all, and this is key, because you 'Minimus' left.
Blueblades
NVR, well stated!
AGuest, good to hear from you....but Witlesses will say they are following "The Christ".
The logical falacies they come up with are too numerous to allow the JW's any credibility for belief by non-JW's. For example: Birthday parties are bad because two kings in ancient Israel killed two people on their birthdays. That makes birthdays bad. In my book, murder makes the murderer look bad, not the day on which it happened. Also, parts of the birthday celebration do have roots in paganism, but so does everything JW's do for marraige ceremonies. Don't want to put someone on a pedistal? That would mean cutting out baby and bridal showers, going away parties, graduation, retirement, and anniversary parties. God instituted marraige? OK, that's fine, but he did NOT institute the marraige ceremony known as the wedding with all of its pagan origins. Santa bad because he is a lie? What about the wild beast in Revelation? Doesn't exist, either. JW religion is led by Pharisees. Oh, the list goes on and on....
I would ask a Witness, If you were stranded on a deserted island for many years with just the bible and no Watchtower publications, would your faith be acceptable to God?
Most Witnesses would say yes. I would then ask, If God would accept your faith from reading the bible alone on an island, why wouldn't God accept a persons faith from reading the bible alone anywhere?
Now, we're cookin'.
Nothing matters if they can't back up their claim to be the sole channel, which of course they can't.
I would ask them to show me (using only WTS literature from that exact time period) , when where, why and how did the Annointed get together and vote to appoint a few nosepickers (GB) to be rulers for life....did they all get together in 1927 at the Polo Grounds to vote?
23,000 posts and you'r still asking ;)
My reasoning is pretty basic on this subject. I believe their entire religion rests upon the claim that Jesus Christ chose them in 1918/1919.
Problem is the only "evidence" we have for this event is J.F Rutherford claiming it happened, to a religion he started. Nobody ever saw Jesus. The Watchtower has only contradicting evidence to support their claims on this. It's all goofy conjecture.
So when it comes to the biggest claim the religion makes, there is next to nothing offered in the way of evidence to prove it. Thus, their "truth" is bogus.
If you have the truth it should be examinable from all angles and still stand up, therefore few if any lines of reasoning should be off limits. That being so let us look into.... 1914..1975... Education ...Shunning.... Child abuse and on. Pick a topic, of what u believe is right it should stand up to scrutiny. Wonder how far i get?
I actually believe it is not the truth for two main reasons, it's latent misogyny and anti education
llbh
I would ask them two questions. 1) What Is The Most Important Scripture in Watchtower Theology? Answer: Matthew 24: 45 - 47.
2) What Is The Most Important Event In Watchtower History? Answer: Jesus' Decision In The Spring Of 1919 To Appoint or Not To Appoint them as
The Faithful and Discreet Slave.
Then if allowed to continue, I would review the past history from 1818 to 1919 and let them answer the two questions for themselves. At the least they would have something to think very strongly and emotionally about. The rest would be up to them and I would be there for them to follow up and help ease them through it.
Blueblades
"The Truth" doesn't change.
If something is in fact, truth, then it can't be untrue. Most of the publications from 1800s to the present have the truth changed, sometimes from 1 year to the next and then back again. Sodom's inhabitants were going to be resurrected, then not, then would, etc....all within a very short timespan. How could the possessers ot the truth keep changing a view???? Unless of course they weren't "The Truth" to begin with.
