Contradiction in scripture and equality

by iMARX 3 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  iMARX

  Okay so I've just found a scripture that totally condraticts what the JWs preach and also a lot of equality laws.

  Proverbs 22:29 talks about if a man is skilled enough in his trade then he will no longer need to slave for the common people, he can serve Kings.

  So the Bible is telling JWs and Christians to pursue their secular work and time so they need no longer "slave" for the working classes. Not only does this reinforce Capitalism but it also goes against putting Jehovah first and his workship.

  I don't get it!!!

  I thought JWs were supposed to treat everyone the same. Like Jesus apparently did. Wasn't Jesus all about serving the lowly and the humble. There are other scriptures that back this up, e.g. the woman who gave her last two coins as opposed to the pharasees who gave their surplus.

  How do JWs explain this?
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  Doug Mason

  iMARX,

  The author was writing to his/her own community, not to any other. It is difficult to translate from one language to another, but it is far far more difficult to translate from one culture to another. We need to ask questions such as:

  When was that Proverb written?

  What were the prevailing community standards at that time?

  What were the political (secular and religious) conditions at the time?

  Each Bible writer was addressing their own immediate community, reflecting their contemporary views and attitudes. All we may do is distill a principle that is applicable to our own contemporary conditions and ensure we do not try to transport every nuance or idiom from them into our own. In other words, we must read their words through their eyes, not through the eyes of a 21st century person.

  Whereas virtually all OT prophets were of the priestly class, which were associated with the royal household when it existed, Jesus was from the country, where people were illiterate, and he spoke to them using their imagery and their values. Jesus' ministry was more like that of Jeremiah's, who also was not from the main city, and who too spoke harsh things against the ruling priests.

  Doug

  BTW. I have never been a JW.
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  iMARX

  No offence Doug but I can tell you've not been a JW.

  The JWs don't think about contextualising scriptures historically or politically. They literally just pull out a random scripture to prove the random point they're making at that time in the talk, or the ministry.

  And when this scripture is used as an argument against the JWs they cannot answer a lot of the questions or points that apostates make.
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  carpediem

  I agree Imarx. Jw's pull out random scriptures to a prove whatever point they want to at the time. When you spend as much time as a JW being indoctrinated, you end up in a better position than most at making your views and Bible knowledge look valid. The Bible is just full of contradictions anyway so it is hardly surprising the world is full of scraping religions.