by stocwach 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hi NeonMadman.
You mentioned something in your post that I wanted to respond to. It was this:"Also another thing that is confusing is that for 4000 years, non jews had no opportunity to be god's covenant people since God made this covenant exclusive to the jewish nation."
Not to be nit-picky, but it was stocwach who said that, not me.
Tom
"The truth was obscure, too profound and too pure; to live it you had to explode." ---Bob Dylan
Oops!!
Sorry . . . [:|]
stocwach,
I suggest that you discuss how the Watchtower lies to it's OWN MEMBERS. This is not "theocratic warfare" lies to outsiders, but lies to the R&F witnesses! Let your friend examine the following:
Application No. 28626/95
by Khristiansko Sdruzhenie "Svideteli na Iehova"
(Christian Association Jehovah's Witnesses)
against Bulgaria
The European Commission of Human Rights sitting in private on
3 July 1997,
"The applicant association (Watchtower Society) was represented by MM. Alain Garay, Philippe
Goni and Michel de Guillenchmidt, avocats à la Cour, Paris, France, and
by Mr. Lioubomir Kioutchokov, founding member of the applicant
association.
The Government submit, firstly, that the applicant association's
statute did not require a minimum age for membership and that children
have been participating in its religious activities without the consent
of their parents. Moreover, there have been occasions where teachers
adhering to the association have abused their position to preach in
school among minors. The Government state that the distribution to
children of forms for the refusal of blood transfusion and of other
religious materials without the consent of the parents is an unlawful
practice which infringes public health and the rights and freedoms of
others.
The applicant association contends that the measures against it
are not necessary in a democratic society within the meaning of these
provisions. Thus, the association maintains that it does not pose a
threat as alleged by the authorities. As regards the alleged unlawful
activities of Jehovah's Witnesses with children the applicant
association submits that children cannot become members of the
association but only participate, together with their parents, in the
religious activities of the community. As regards a "pioneer card"
issued to a Ms. V., the applicant association explains that the card
was issued when Ms. V. was 16 years old and could assume some civil
obligations herself. Also, Ms. V.'s card prohibiting blood
transfusion aims at "informing the medical professionals [of the
parents' religious stand], and not at imposing on them a certain
medical practice."
In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant (Watchtower Society) association submits that while this is part of the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, its acceptance depends on the personal choice
of the individual concerned. There are no religious sanctions for a
Jehovah's Witness who chooses to accept blood transfusion. Therefore,
the fact that the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against
blood transfusion cannot amount to a threat to "public health", every
individual being free in his or her choice."
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/hudoc/
"Victory for human rights in Eastern Europe:
Christian religion sets legal precedent in Bulgaria
After years of arrests, beatings, and loss of property, Jehovah's Witnesses have regained legal recognition in Bulgaria. They are the first religion in the country to successfully appeal to an international body in order to regain legal recognition. Dozens of religions were banned in 1994.
This legal recognition, which was received Wednesday, October 7, 1998, represents an important victory for religious freedom in the country and throughout Eastern Europe, said Lubomir Kutchoukov, spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses in Bulgaria. "We are grateful that appeals to international standards of human rights have led to this reasonable and peaceful conclusion," he said. "All people of Bulgaria will benefit from this victory."
This important legal victory came after intervention from the European Commission of Human Rights of the Council of Europe. In July 1997, the Commission suggested that the government of Bulgaria enter into a friendly settlement with Jehovah's Witnesses. On March 8, 1998, the Commission accepted the terms of the settlement, which included the government's promise to grant legal recognition to Jehovah's Witnesses. As part of the settlement, Bulgaria also agreed to create a bill that will allow alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors. The terms of the agreement involved no change in the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses were first legally recognized in Bulgaria on July 17, 1991, shortly after the fall of communism. However, despite democratic changes in Bulgaria, restrictions on religion continued. Beginning in 1993, public defamation against "non-traditional" churches began, resulting in many human rights violations. In 1994, some 39 religions lost their legal status after the passage of a restrictive law on religion. Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to a rash of police raids, beatings and arrests.
At the same time, "there has not been a single member of a 'sect' [judicially] charged for committing a crime motivated by religious convictions," stated a 1996 report by the Bulgarian Helsinki Commission and Human Rights Without Frontiers."
October 8, 1998
http://www.jw-media.org/releases/981008a.htm
Hence a Christian who deliberately receives a blood transfusion and thus does not keep himself from blood will not prosper spiritually. According to the law of Moses, which set forth shadows of things to come, the receiver of a blood transfusion must be cut off from God's people by excommunication or disfellowshiping.(The Watchtower January 15, 1961, page 64*** )
Recognized by Our Conduct
Consistent with that understanding of matters, beginning in 1961 any who ignored the divine requirement, accepted blood transfusions, and manifested an unrepentant attitude were disfellowshipped from the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses." Proclaimers, 1993, page 183-4.
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WHY did the Watchtower Society change its literature distribution program in 1990, eliminating set prices for literature items? JWs believe the Governing Body instituted a "simplified" arrangement. Few know the change really took place because Jimmy Swaggart lost his case in court. In a February 21, 1990 letter to congregations, the Society explained the new policy this way:
By adopting a method of literature distribution based completely on donation, Jehovah's people are able to greatly simplify our Bible education work and separate ourselves from those who commercialize religion.
However, this is what really happened:
Early 1980 State of California informs Jimmy Swaggart Ministries that tax is due for religious books and tapes sold in the state since 1974. Swaggart eventually pays the tax--$183,000.00--but sues for a refund. The case begins moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
February, 1989 U.S. Supreme Court rules it is illegal for Texas (and 14 other states) to exempt religious books from sales tax. Some states had been taxing religious books all along.
Summer, 1989 WT Society gives away "free" books released at U.S. conventions. Witnesses are instructed to place donations in contribution boxes to cover the cost.
June 22, 1989 Watchtower Society, files amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief with U.S. Supreme Court in Jimmy Swaggart case. Others filing similar briefs include National Council of Churches and Society for Krishna Consciousness.
January 17, 1990 U.S. Supreme Court rules against Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, declaring that the sales tax must be paid.
February 9, 1990 WT Society writes letter to congregations announcing that literature will no longer be sold at Kingdom Hall and no price will be set in door-to-door distribution.
February 25, 1990 February 9th letter from Society is read at Sunday meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses across the United States.
March 1, 1990 New policy of distributing literature without naming a price goes into effect.
The March 15, 1990, WATCHTOWER magazine and March 22nd AWAKE!--printed earlier--still say "25 cents (U.S.) a copy" and "$5.00 (U.S.) per year." The April 1, 1990, Watchtower no longer carries a price.
March 11, 1990 Announcement is made at Kingdom Halls in the U.S. that food will be available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis, at JW conventions.
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I read some of your literature regarding the early Bible Students. Here are the quotes that I found:
*** ka 209-10 11 "Here Is the Bridegroom!" ***
55 In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free." In its chapter 11, entitled "The Count of Time," it did away with the insertion of 100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted the spelled-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures. This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man’s existence into the decade of the 1970’s. Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or Parousia. The millennium that was to be marked by the detaining of Satan the Devil enchained in the abyss and by the reign of the 144,000 joint heirs with Christ in heavenly glory was therefore yet in the future. What, then, about the parousia (presence) of Christ? Page 324 of the above book positively says: "The King’s presence or parousia began in 1914." Also, in the Watchtower issue of July 15, 1949 (page 215, paragraph 22), the statement is made: " . . . Messiah, the Son of man, came into Kingdom power A.D. 1914 and . . . this constitutes his second coming and the beginning of his second parousía or presence."
So we can see that the early Jehovah witnesses believed that Jesus Parousia began in 1874. The truth book states this above and it is in all the old books. It was not until 1925 that the doctrine was changed. Before 1925 Jehovah’s witnesses believed that 1914 was the END of the Gentile times and Christ parousia (which had started in 1874) and the START of Armageddon. This is what Russell and Rutherford believed. The Witnesses back then were not knocking on people’s doors and telling them that Christ presence was GOING TO START IN 1914 but that it had started in 1874 and would last 50 years and would culminate in Armageddon. Then in 1925, we changed it. I have pasted the bit out of the “proclaimers” book that deals with this:
*** jv 138-9 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth ***
A real milestone was reached, therefore, in 1925, when The Watch Tower of March 1 featured the article "Birth of the Nation." It presented an eye-opening study of Revelation chapter 12. The article set forth evidence that the Messianic Kingdom had been born-established-in 1914, that Christ had then begun to rule on his heavenly throne, and that thereafter Satan had been hurled from heaven down to the vicinity of the earth. This was the good news that was to be proclaimed, the news that God’s Kingdom was already in operation. How this enlightened understanding stimulated these Kingdom proclaimers to preach to the ends of the earth!
Then recently I came across this Watchtower.
*** w87 3/1 15 'Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing' ***
Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed. Furthermore, those who assist in writing articles for The Watchtower are Christian elders who appreciate the seriousness of their assignment. (Compare 2 Chronicles 19:7.) They spend many hours in researching the Bible and other reference material to make sure that what is written is the truth and that it faithfully follows the Scriptures. (Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10; 2 Timothy 1:13) It is not unusual for one magazine article-that you may read in 15 minutes-to take from two weeks to over a month to prepare.
So then why do you print stuff like this?
*** g73 1/22 8 Who Can Accurately Predict Man's Future? ***
"Of all men used by God to prophesy, Jesus is outstanding. Based on what he said, along with the words of Daniel and John, Jehovah’s witnesses pointed to the year 1914, decades in advance, as marking the start of "the conclusion of the system of things."
*** w54 6/15 370 The Revelation of Jesus Christ ***
"4 Why, then, do the nations not realize and accept the approach of this climax of judgment? It is because they have not heeded the world-wide advertising of Christ’s return and his second presence. Since long before World War I Jehovah’s witnesses pointed to 1914 as the time for this great event to occur."
This is the account of Jack H Nathan:
*** w90 9/1 11 Trusting in Jehovah Brings Happiness ***
"After the war ended in 1918, there was no work available in England, so I rejoined the army and went off to India as part of the peacetime garrison. In May 1920 the malaria flared up again, and I was sent up into the hills to recuperate. There I read all the books I could get my hands on, including the Bible. Reading the Scriptures intensified my interest in the Lord’s return.
Months later, down in Kanpur, I started a Bible study group, hoping to learn more about the Lord’s return. It was there that I met Fredrick James, a former British soldier who was now a zealous Bible Student. He explained to me that Jesus had been present since 1914, invisible to man. This was the most thrilling news I had ever heard."
This account is not supported by your chronology. This account places the experience around the 1920’s, around 5 years before the official doctrine had changed.
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w89 1/1 12 "The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them" ***
[as originally published in Watchtower magazine]
"The apostle Paul was spearheading the Christian missionary activity. He was also laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century."
w89 1/1 12 "The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them" ***
[as it appears on Watchtower bound volumes & CD-ROMs]
"The apostle Paul was spearheading the Christian missionary activity. He was also laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our day."
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tr (Truth book) pg.9 1 Grand Blessings from God Near at Hand! ***
[as published prior to 1975]
Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." And he warned: "I know enough of what is going on to assure you that, in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in."
tr (Truth book) pg.9 1 Grand Blessings from God Near at Hand! ***
[as published after to 1975]
Also, as reported back in 1960, a former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, declared that our time is "a period of unequaled instability, unequaled violence." Based on what he knew was then going on in the world, it was his conclusion that soon "this world is going to be too dangerous to live in."
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ts (Is This Life All There Is? 1974) 46 What Is This Thing Called "Soul"? ***
...God, who is himself "the God of truth" and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to organizations that teach falsehood. (Psalm 31:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Revelation 21:8) And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you?
Changing dates and doctrine can be reasoned away, but lying to faithful witnesses is hard to explain.
thinker
They are not finding "new truths" they just lie about the old ones.
They go from new light to old light and back again. They should just turn the light off once and for all.
