Worshipping the Watchtower: Symbolism and Idolatry

Eyes Open

The other day, something occurred to me: the symbol of the watchtower is in my old Kingdom Hall's driveway, created with different coloured bricks. It would be interesting to read of any other displays which show that the symbol of the watchtower is effectively held as sacred.

tfjw

I have seen it on jewelry (necklaces and lapel pins), decals on cars and on KH doors, over the book room, on KH library windows and/or doors, etc.

There's a thread somewhere on here where photos were posted about such things a while back.

lawrence

I buried my dog in a coffin shaped like a Watchtower, seeing that the dog always enjoyed pissing on the magazine's front cover. There's a guy (now in a commune for the criminally insane) who made cat and dog coffins like churches, a Watchtower was a piece of cake for him.

journey-on

It has taken the place of the cross. After all, the WTS has usurped Jesus' place as mediator between

God and man. They call themselves God's channel. When a JW sees the emblem of the Watchtower, they revere it just

like a Christian does the cross. No difference. But they will deny it all day long.

jgnat

I've redirected to one of my favorite essays on this subject several times, but few have commented.

http://www.unc.edu/~elliott/icon.html

Paradise Earth is definitely in the iconography of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Atlantis

Click here and scroll down!

These are made by Jehovah's Witnesses, or were two years ago when I emailed them.

http://www.westcoastclips.com/

N.

james_woods

While it is in reality nothing more than a sort of "corporate logo", the JW do seem to have a rather fetishist view toward the odd little "watchtower" emblem. Primary example must be that one they displayed out over the harbor in Brooklyn for years. Wonder if it is still there?

It is ironic - I would just guess that if you adorned an ordinary Kingdom Hall with such a watchtower icon, you would probably get called out for it by the CO/DO. But in Brooklyn, this was an emblem of the Society for all to see.

Most curious - while the T-cross or the fish symbol at least have a historical context of many centuries, this thing - thought up at the same time that CRT was enamored of the pyramid, various masonic-like symbols, his own version of the cross (and crown), etc...still persists to this day.

And, to my knowledge - "watchtower image" has absolutely no real historical connection to anything about the early church.

WTWizard

I have noticed the same thing. The Washtowel Slaveholdery is known for idolatry, despite having a professed zero tolerance for it. They worship the Watchtower symbol, despite claims of having no images. The people worship the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger, despite claims to not put their trust in nobels. To me, that is hypocrisy.

tfjw

Ironically the Awake magazine, December 22, 1976 says:

"The ancients used many other religious symbols. For instance, the Winged Globe or Winged Disk was used in various forms in Phoenicia, Assyria and other nations. However, The Migration of Symbols by G. d’Alviella says: 'It has been said, with good reason, that the Winged Globe is the Egyptian symbol par excellence.' Likely you have seen it in Egyptian art or designs.

The Egyptians also employed as religious symbols things in nature around them. Regarding the scarab or dung beetle, The World Book Encyclopedia reports: 'For the Egyptians, the scarab also symbolized the resurrection and immortality. They carved figures of the insects out of stone or metal, and used them as charms.'" (page 13)

(Emphasis added)

daniel-p

It would be interesting to see who first made the well-known tie pin with the watchtower on it with a backdrop of a mountain. I have one myself.

Worshipping the Watchtower: Symbolism and Idolatry

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