by Merkaba 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'm trying to compile a list of J-Dub beliefs that are not solidlysupported by scripture - Examples: Abstaining from wearing beards, "door-to-door" witnessing, hierarchical authority structure...
Can you guys help me out with some that stand out to you?
Thanks in advance!
In no particular order, ... here are just a few "J-Dub beliefs that are not solidly supported by scripture"
Those are just the first few that come to mind ...
It's actually kind of funny about the first two items: 1914 and the "Overlapping-Generations" nonsense. They are of course related. The WTBTS would never have had to come up with the second Unscriptural Teaching if they didn't have the first Unscriptural Teaching, ... think about it!
00DAD
Most of it in my view.
My favorite is the two class doctrine, the 144,000 versus the great crowd.
It is amazing to me that more people who study their Bibles do not notice this:
Their basic and most attractive doctrine: That there will soon be survivors of Armageddon on Earth, who will never die, and that there will be earthly resurrections and judgment during the "thousand years."
Ask them to prove this scripturally. They will usually be stumped and eventually ask who the 144000 are supposed to rule over and judge during the thousand years. You can point out their belief is pure speculation that is contrary to scripture.
Revelation is explicit that the only resurrections that occur before the end of the "thousand years" are heavenly. The "rest of the dead" do not come to life and judgement (some whose names ARE written in the "Book of Life") not until "after the thousand years are ended..." (Rev. 20)
The new earth does not occur until after the thousand years, after the resurrections, and after the final judgment. (Rev. 20:7-15; Rev. 21:1)
That whole paraedise new earth during the thousand years is without scriptural basis.
I recognized this flawed teaching of giving people a hope of never dying while I was an active JW. I was "warned" by one who claimed to be of the annointed that: "You could be right, but you could be disfellowshipped for 'getting ahead of the organization' ".
Another thing they tend to avoid noticing about their "paradise earth" during the "thousand years" is that anyone resurrected (according to their own teaching) is neither male nor female, not married (Lk. 20:34-36; Gal.3:28).
In other words, the vast population of their "new earth" will not be the happy families with the frolicking children they portray in their paradise earth illustrations. They will not be reunited as married couples after Armageddon (according to their own teaching). The vast majority of the world's population in their "new earth" will be neither male nor female. Think about it. Will they live in dormatories?
While as presented it may be very appealing to those who have lost loved ones or are handicapped and hope to be instantly healed, the whole doctrine scenario is utter nonsense and without scriptural support.
~Binadub
1. Jesus = Michael
2. NT written for only 144,000
3. Heavenly v. earthly classes
4. Soul sleep for the dead
5. Salvation obtained by associating with an organization
6. Faithful and discreet slave = WTS leaders
7. Life is a loyalty and endurance test by Jehovah
8. Wrong for Christians to pray to Jesus
9. Wrong for anyone to worship Jesus
10. Insufficient WTS meeting attendance and field service = destruction at Armageddon
I really appreciated something I read on Marvin Shilmer's blog regarding the blood doctrine. The GB decreed that the Bible does not directly comment on organ transplantation so it is thereby not condemned, BUT neither is blood - any scriptural "support" they use in this doctrine is based on scriptures that talk about EATING blood. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen a blood transplant wherein the recipient eats the blood.
Something that really stood out to me when I read Crisis in Conscience was when the GB put eight doctrinal points in front of Ray Franz when he appeared at their inquisition, and asked him what his viewpoint on these dogmatic principles were and he concluded that not one of them "could be supported by simple, clear-cut statements in Scripture".
I remember struggling with that when I was a Witness. Struggling with these dogmas that were cornerstones to Witness belief. Dogmas that were staple in the J-Dub diet, yet in order to be supported scripturally it was almost as if you were trying to put a piece in a jigsaw puzzle that you knew didn't fit, but it was good enough to complete the picture. You could shove that puzzle piece in there, but in the back of your mind you knew that you had cheated to make the whole picture work. It was little points like these when I was in "the troof" that I just simply could not get around, and they eventually led to me just completely dropping the faith altogether. Witnesses give a new meaning to the word "faith".
' Manifesting a rebellious attitude toward authority '
" Avoiding that ...spirit... will help....to submit to... God given authority;
it will be a safegaurd against apostates...."----------------Reasoning book page 391
After his resurrection jesus was given the authority to tell his followers
in Matt 28: 18,19 and in acts 1:8 to go make disciples and be witnesses of him
However, Jehovah's witnesses introduce witnessing about jehovah as a
" new thought "
" But here is something that may be a "new thought " to you.... of whom was
Jesus the " faithful witness "------------ Reasoning book page 208
Galatians 1:8 warns of anything different even if it comes from an angel
The WTS acknowledge the authority of Christ, and dis him anyway
Now that's a rebellious attitude toward authority
.....That god would spiritually support a man made publishing company and exclusively choose it to channel truthful
bible interpretation for all mankind.
