The Watchtower and the Occult

by brotherdan 44 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  brotherdan

  Came across this interesting expose' on some of the occultic influences that took place during the Watchtowers creation. The implications are very interesting.

  I had never heard about their use of Phrenology...but apparently they believed it to be true. There are a lot more examples of their necrology ideas as well as other occultic symbols that were used. I appreciate that the conversation does not get sensationalized and Tom is quick to point out that JWs do not know nor practice occultism today.

  Here is a towertotruth.net audio file with a discussion with Tom McGovern: http://jumbofiles.com/a8r4vgfa8jd0/wt_occult_full.mp3.html

  
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  leavingwt

  IMHO, this line of thought is a dead end and counter-productive. Not once in my 23 years (and six at Bethel) did I ever see or hear of anything even remotely occultic.

  It's a publishing corporation, evolving to surivive, made up of mostly sincere people under the delusion that WT is 'God's Organization', the only true religion.
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  brotherdan

  Not once in my 23 years (and six at Bethel) did I ever see or hear of anything even remotely occultic.

  Listen to the audio LWT. That same point is made by Tom (who also served at bethel). But the implications of what they did and believed in those early days DID have occultic connections.

  When Rutherford claimed that the dead and ressurected C.T Russel was still communicating new light to him...that's called necrology. It's occultic.

  I think it is applicable because JWs do not celebrate the holidays because of occultic or pagan connections. But their own religion has some pagan and occultic connections.
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  leavingwt

  brotherdan: I have just the site for you: Six Screens of the Watchtower.
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  notverylikely

  When Rutherford claimed that the dead and ressurected C.T Russel was still communicating new light to him...that's called necrology. It's occultic.

  Kinda like when people claim the dead will be resurrected and do stuff, like rule in heaven, talk to god or claim that a dead and resurrected Jesus talks to them?
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  brotherdan

  I know about the sensationalism that goes on at that site. But you cannot deny the facts of what they said. They mention phrenology directly. They mention new light coming from the dead directly. They used occultic mason symbols. They used occultic egyptian symbols. They quoted from known spiritualists like Gruber. You can't deny those things.

  I think it's a very valid argument.
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  brotherdan

  Kinda like when people claim the dead will be resurrected and do stuff, like rule in heaven, talk to god or claim that a dead and resurrected Jesus talks to them?

  I don't think that any Christian claims that the dead talk to them and give them information from God. But be that as it may, if they do, it's communication with the dead which is condemned in the Bible.
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  undercover

  BroDan...

  Make sure that you apply your new critical thinking skills to the anti-JW stuff just as you have been the pro-JW stuff.

  I see myself when I was first exiting in you to some degree. There's a lot of shit about the WTS we didn't know and it all kinda hits hard when you start to allow it to influence you. It's an avalanche of information. You read and read and read and you learn all this shit about the WTS they you never knew existed.

  The problem is.. not all of it is accurate. Some of it is just as fucked up as the WTS shit is. You have to muddle through it and determine what is accurate, or makes logical sense, and disregard the rest.
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  brotherdan

  If anyone listens to the audio to show the direct quotes from the WT, then I'll discuss it with you. But so far you guys are just brushing it off. But you all are atheists anyway, so the implications of something being occultic wouldn't mean anything to you anyway, so I understand.

  But you see nothing wrong in Rutherford saying that new light was coming from the ressurected faithful slave, C.T Russel?
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  Think About It

  No need to resort to sensationalism to vilify the WTS. To connect the JW's with the occult is a stretch. What little possible things there are would probably also be true of the guys who started the Baptists, Methodists, Disciples/Church of Christ, etc. I consider them all sincere and wrong in their claim to be the true religion, but consider none of them to be occult.

  Think About It