I had a discussion the other day. the swore up and down that they are or have never been told that they could not read material outside the wts. I said prove it, look at this (it was a bible study book that I had, nothing for or against any religion just questions to help) well they put their hand up in a defensive way and said no. I asked why and they said I can't ....I mean I don't want to. So I need a quote from the wt, I know there is one or two that does show that prohibits jw from readin material out side the org. can someone help me with it? thanks
looking for information on material
by bite me 12 Replies latest watchtower bible
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yknot
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km9/07p.3QuestionBox***Question
Box? Does"thefaithfulanddiscreetslave"endorseindependentgroupsofWitnesseswhomeettogethertoengageinScripturalresearchordebate?—Matt.24:45, 47.
No, it does not. And yet, in various parts of the world, a few associates of our organization have formed groups to do independent research on Bible-related subjects. Some have pursued an independent group study of Biblical Hebrew and Greek so as to analyze the accuracy of the NewWorldTranslation. Others explore scientific subjects related to the Bible. They have created Web sites and chat rooms for the purpose of exchanging and debating their views. They have also held conferences and produced publications to present their findings and to supplement what is provided at our Christian meetings and through our literature.
Throughout the earth, Jehovah’s people are receiving ample spiritual instruction and encouragement at congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, as well as through the publications of Jehovah’s organization. Under the guidance of his holy spirit and on the basis of his Word of truth, Jehovah provides what is needed so that all of God’s people may be "fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought" and remain "stabilized in the faith." (1 Cor. 1:10; Col. 2:6, 7) Surely we are grateful for Jehovah’s spiritual provisions in these last days. Thus, "the faithful and discreet slave" does not endorse any literature, meetings, or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its oversight.—Matt. 24:45-47.
It is commendable for individuals to want to use their thinking ability in support of the good news. However, no personal pursuit should detract from what Jesus Christ is accomplishing through his congregation on earth today. In the first century, the apostle Paul warned about getting involved in exhausting, time-consuming subjects, such as "genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith." (1 Tim. 1:3-7) All Christians should strive to "shun foolish questionings and genealogies and strife and fights over the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile."—Titus 3:9.
For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they explore InsightontheScriptures,"AllScriptureIsInspiredofGodandBeneficial," and our other publications, such as those that discuss the prophecies found in the Bible books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation. These provide abundant material for Bible study and meditation, whereby we can be "filled with the accurate knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as [we] go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God."—Col. 1:9, 10.
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yknot
***km5/92p.2ServiceMeetingsforMay***
WeekStartingMay 25Song 22010min: Local announcements and Theocratic News. Experiences from subscription campaign (these should be lined up in advance with help of brother who handles subscriptions in congregation).15min: Protect Yourself From Apostasy. Discussion between an elder and a publisher seated at a table. Publisher explains that he met someone in service who has been reading apostate literature. Publisher tells elder he feels householder was sincere in questions he raised. Publisher refused householder’s offer of apostate publication but would like to try to answer householder’s questions. Elder commends publisher for his good attitude and actions. Rather than discuss what apostates have written or said, it is wise to concentrate on Scriptural viewpoint of matters as set forth in Reasoning book. Elder invites publisher to open his Reasoning book, and together they review pages 34-7. Discussion should be warm and encouraging as they consider definition of apostasy, each bold subhead, and selected key texts as time permits. Conclude discussion with positive comments on all the upbuilding and encouraging material we have available for study. Share upbuilding message with householder. If he is sincere, he will see difference between the positive approach of truth and the negative, critical approach of apostates. By our rejecting apostate thinking and material, we display our loyalty to Jehovah and to his visible organization.20min: "Daily Spiritual Food—Essential for a Christian Family." Question-and-answer discussion of material.
Reasoning book reference to literature:
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rsp.36Apostasy***Would
faithfulChristianswelcomeapostatesintotheirpresence,eitherpersonallyorbyreadingtheirliterature?2 John 9, 10: "Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. . . . If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him."
Rom. 16:17, 18: "I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them. . . . By smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones."
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bite me
thank you for that info. one question, is that teaching truly supposed to make sense to anyone? I mean to where people buy into it?
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yknot
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yb86pp.201-202Nigeria***TESTED
ASTOLOYALTYIn the meantime, the West Africa branch was benefiting from organizational refinements that were being put into effect worldwide starting in 1938. The companies (congregations) were gradually reorganized to conform to the Scriptural theocratic pattern, and all appointments of servants began to be made directly by the Society. This called for greater individual submission to organizational instructions. It called for complete loyalty to theocratic arrangements. And it is this loyalty that came under test at about that time.
In 1939 S. A. Adediji, who was then working in the branch office, received an article that argued that the Lord Jesus Christ was not present. A covering letter pretended that it came from the Society’s headquarters and instructed that it be read in the various congregations at a stated time. Brother Brown was temporarily away. Adediji knew that the article had come from a Canadian apostate named Salter. He knew that TheWatchtower of June 1, 1937, had reported that Salter had been disfellowshipped, and that it had been resolved to "destroy without reading any such literature received through the mail or otherwise." Yet he sent out instructions that copies of the article should be read and discussed at one of the meetings of each congregation in Nigeria. Much harm resulted in a number of congregations as a result of this. In time, the tendency that Adediji there manifested caused him to withdraw from the organization, and he went back to being an Anglican clergyman.
In contrast, some of the brothers who received the letter refused to read it to the congregation, because they recognized that it was fraudulent. Their alertness and loyalty helped to safeguard the flock.
By 1940 "the little one" became a thousand in Nigeria. There were 1,051 active praisers of Jehovah. (Isa. 60:22) But severe pressures lay ahead.
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oompa
I need these too thanks....oompa
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yknot
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w863/15p.12‘DoNotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’***Have
NoDealingsWithApostates7
Now, what will you do if you are confronted with apostate teaching—subtle reasonings—claiming that what you believe as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the truth? For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: ‘It won’t affect me; I’m too strong in the truth. And, besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.’ In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt. (Compare James 1:5-8.) So remember the warning at 1 Corinthians 10:12: "Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall."
It later says...
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w863/15p.13par.10‘DoNotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’***10
When a fellow human tells us, ‘Do not read this’ or, ‘Do not listen to that,’ we may be tempted to ignore his advice. But remember, in this case Jehovah is the One who tells us in his Word what to do. And what does he say about apostates? "Avoid them" (Romans 16:17, 18); "quit mixing in company with" them (1 Corinthians 5:11); and "never receive [them] into your homes or say a greeting to [them]" (2 John 9, 10). These are emphatic words, clear directions. If, out of curiosity, we were to read the literature of a known apostate, would that not be the same as inviting this enemy of true worship right into our home to sit down with us and relate his apostate ideas?
and then.....
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w863/15pp.13-14pars.11-13‘DoNotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’***11
Let us illustrate matters in this way: Suppose your teenage son received some pornographic material in the mail. What would you do? If he was inclined to read it out of curiosity, would you say: ‘Yes, son, go ahead and read it. It won’t hurt you. From infancy we’ve taught you that immorality is bad. Besides, you need to know what’s going on in the world in order to see that it’s truly bad’? Would you reason that way? Absolutely not! Rather, you would surely point out the dangers of reading pornographic literature and would require that it be destroyed. Why? Because no matter how strong a person may be in the truth, if he feeds his mind on the perverted ideas found in such literature, his mind and heart will be affected. A lingering wrong desire planted in the recesses of the heart can eventually create a perverted sexual appetite. The result? James says that when wrong desire becomes fertile, it gives birth to sin, and sin leads to death. (James 1:15) So why start the chain reaction?
12
Well, if we would act so decisively to protect our children from exposure to pornography, should we not expect that our loving heavenly Father would similarly warn us and protect us from spiritual fornication, including apostasy? He says, Keepawayfromit!13
But suppose we are preaching the good news and people raise questions or objections similar to those raised by opposers? Of course, if a person is not sincere and merely wishes to argue, usually it is best to excuse ourselves and go to the next door. But if someone sincerely asks about certain claims of apostates, what can be done? First, we can ask what, exactly, has caused the concern. It may be only one or two points. Then we can stick to these and answer from the Scriptures, from the Society’s publications, and from what we truthfully know about the subject. We need not conclude that we have to read a book or a pamphlet that is filled with slander and half-truths in order to refute the false claims and teachings of opposers.***
w863/15p.14‘DoNotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’***? Why is reading apostate publications similar to reading pornographic literature?
***w863/15‘DoNotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’***
10. (a) What does Jehovah say about listening to apostates? (b) Reading apostate literature would amount to doing what?
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oompa
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km9/07p.3QuestionBox ***I added some more highlights to an important part of this QB....the last paragraph makes me physically ill......see what is recommend????ONLY WT material...period...ya they gave us all we could possibly need...right?......oompa
QuestionBox? Does"thefaithfulanddiscreetslave"endorseindependentgroupsofWitnesseswhomeettogethertoengageinScripturalresearchordebate?—Matt.24:45, 47.
No, it does not. And yet, in various parts of the world, a few associates of our organization have formed groups to do independent research on Bible-related subjects. Some have pursued an independent group study of Biblical Hebrew and Greek so as to analyze the accuracy of the NewWorldTranslation. Others explore scientific subjects related to the Bible. They have created Web sites and chat rooms for the purpose of exchanging and debating their views. They have also held conferences and produced publications to present their findings and to supplement what is provided at our Christian meetings and through our literature.
Throughout the earth, Jehovah’s people are receiving ample spiritual instruction and encouragement at congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, as well as through the publications of Jehovah’s organization. Under the guidance of his holy spirit and on the basis of his Word of truth, Jehovah provides what is needed so that all of God’s people may be "fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought" and remain "stabilized in the faith." (1 Cor. 1:10; Col. 2:6, 7) Surely we are grateful for Jehovah’s spiritual provisions in these last days. Thus, "the faithful and discreet slave" does not endorse any literature, meetings, or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its oversight.—Matt. 24:45-47.
It is commendable for individuals to want to use their thinking ability in support of the good news. However, no personal pursuit should detract from what Jesus Christ is accomplishing through his congregation on earth today. In the first century, the apostle Paul warned about getting involved in exhausting, time-consuming subjects, such as "genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith." (1 Tim. 1:3-7) All Christians should strive to "shun foolish questionings and genealogies and strife and fights over the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile."—Titus 3:9.
For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they exploreInsightontheScriptures,"AllScriptureIsInspiredofGodandBeneficial,"and our other publications, such as those that discuss the prophecies found in the Bible books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation. These provide abundant material for Bible study and meditation, whereby we can be "filled with the accurate knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as [we] go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God."—Col. 1:9, 10.
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Awakened at Gilead
Why is reading apostate publications similar to reading pornographic literature?
Answer: Both make a good read
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bite me
your second posting is useful too. thankful. now to somehow show the person that I do know and it is written that their org does not wish for them to read other information. it surely is not a personal choice.