by Gorbatchov 15 Replies latest watchtower bible
Friends,
At the end of the 80's the WTS published "Mankind's Search for God", about the global mainstream religion's.
What's your opinion about this publication?
I think it was written for use on the weekly bookstudy, there were questions for all paragraphs.
After the publication it was never used at the bookstudy, and it was only rarely used in the congregation.
That was also my impression. But maybe it was only meant as a tool for the publishers to approach people from other cultures.
Actually the book was released during the 1990 District Convention. In my opinion it's pretty well documented, mostly factual about the various religions. I believe the Society published the book so that the Witnesses may have a reference work about the world's religions published by the "faithful and discreet slave" class so they wouldn't have to browse material that might pose a threat to their faith.
The presence of study questions does not necessary mean that the book is intended for the Congregation Book Study, it means that the Governing Body recommends the book to be studied. That can also be the personal study or a part of family worship.
Although the book is still being offered sometimes in the ministry and has been reprinted with the new, 4-color soft cover (but no end-sheets with the maps), the book hasn't been released in certain languages. For example, the Witnesses in Romania don't have their own translation of the book and I don't think the Society will ever (in the near future) consider translating it into Romanian.
I thought that book was totally awesome! I remember looking through the gory pictures as I kid. I still think it's the most fascinating, informative book ever published by the Borg. It was way cool to see the pictures of Durga and Chinese hell.
I remember studying it at the book study, it was my favourite book for a while.
I do remember when the "Mankind's Search for God" book was published and that it was intended to be used also in FS when meeting people from nonchristian denominations. I wonder what they may have thought: First, there is a very selective discussion of a religion and then it is announced by the WT with all its 'authority' why it is wrong. I have known some hindus and buddhists and can say the so-called information in it does not correspond to what they think is essential. The emphasis is on what the WT thinks is easy for the publishers to handle with their assumed bible understanding.
In fact, that book is just another attempt of the JW organization to invalidate other false religions. Just a couple of excerpts from the yellow bound book "What Has Religion Done for Mankind?" (1951), have some serious fun:
In the chapter Buddhism, a Salvation by Psychology, their concluding statement is: "In this day when human psychology proves itself unable to scheme out any salvation for men, it is time for buddhists and all others to turn to Jehovah God for true enlightment." (p.213)
The next chapter on Confucianism contains the following pearl, exemplifying the amazing logic a la WT: "Confucianism is not the real science of government, for it has no prophetic vision of the great theocratic government of Jehovah God." (p.224)
As WTBS books go, I thought it was one of the more even-keeled, though definitely filtered through the lens of JW theology. Not being an expert on world religions, I took most of what it said at face value.
I looked forward to studying it at the BS, but obviously we didn't. Despite it's JW perspective, there are long sections outlining the beliefs and practices of world religions with nary a constesting scripture or WTBS thought in sight (although the slant of the writing lends itself to the whole thing being skewed to WTBS thought.)
In my opinion, a reason it never was studied was because there would be entire book studies spent solely talking about Buddhist or Catholic or Hindu beliefs, and many times not a contrasting JW viewpoint presented. One could come away from these meetings with some genuine interest in these other belief systems and investigate them further, and that could not be allowed to happen!
This book was never used in the school either in the #1 talks or as material for the #2, #3, #4. I used to keep asking when we were going to study it at the book study...still waiting.
strange...I remember studying it quite vividly, though I could be hallucinating
You must have been hallucinating. I have the advantage of having the WT-CD which definitely shows that it was not studied at the book study (no schedule in the KM). It also shows that it was never part of the TMS schedule.
