by Terry 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Take a step even further back before Russell and you have the Millerite movement which was a break away from main stream religions. Its time prophecies failed and these ones didnt want to return to their old churches formed the 2nd Adventism churchs such as the Seventh Day Adventists and the Christadelphians and from these sources Russell nicked plenty of his ideas tho never once acknowledging them as his source.
Apostasy is the basis for the WTS and will ever be such.
Az
@maksm What makes a person qualified to preach the Bible, another man or institute that claims God's backing? I doubt Terry would think the
other Churches in Christendom are backed by God. The crazy writtings of the "Puritans" in the early United States, and their insane fear of demons,
witches, bears, Indians and their ability to slaughter with no conscience. I hear Fundamental preachers talk about the "good christians" who had
"thanksgiving with the Indians and how they benefited each other". The Christian benefit to the American Indians, was ethnic cleaning and the
slaughter of their race! What qualifies as heretical is not so easy to prove. The Holy Scriptures comment on the ordinary men in the Book Of Acts,
who were stepping on the toes of the Jewish Leaders. The Christians were apostates from Judaism, and the Muslims will say the Jews were
apostates from the teachings of Abraham.
The damage done by JWs, is nothing when weighed against the history of all the major religions. Poor
teachers versus blood lusting, Inquisitional, the rape and pillage of the "unSaved" world. Spain and Latin America, England with her long reach, as recent as the England- China War 1800s. Opium Wars.
Wars propped by religion and business) Crusades, Purge of the Moors (Spain late 1400s). The sins of the Watchtower leaders pale's in comparison
with the blood dripping swords of a Holy War, thats lasted for almost two thousand years. The exquiste devices used to torture the Indians, by
the Spanish church, could not have been developed by other than Satan himself. To combat the propaganda by the C.I.A. and Catholic Church,
some of these devices were displayed to the public, to show the Anti-Dictator dissedents, how evil the Church treated their ancients. When weighed against the other diabolic sources, the devil I slept with, was not as wicked as the one I did not.
The damage done by JWs, is nothing when weighed against the history of all the major religions.
Damage is damage.
A ruined life IS a ruined life, after all.
The culprit is NOT....I said "not" religion (major or minor), but, rather the hypnotic, addictive nature of DENIAL of mortality.
The only medicine available for humanity's terror of non-existence is FALSE HOPE and that, dear friends, Religion has in great professional abundance.
We start innoculating children from the cradle.
All our "needs" are met in one giant bubble of hope.
The victims are self-made.
I don't want to die and Jesus gives me the door outta here.
All "religions" are really about is the buffet table of personal preferences. Whatever appeals to your appetite for fantasy and irrational imagination is sitting there in a hopeful package.
US versus THEM?
No.
Us versus ourself.
We just don't want to die.
Killing in the name of faith or belief has always been an apostasy against humanity.
As it was in ancient times when the Israelites,(god's chosen people) due to their faith killed people of opposing beliefs.
One death instigated by persuasion of belief is equal to a thousand killed upon the same idealogical premise.
Yes Terry - good points well put. I agree.
Loz x
Terry: Watchtower leaders admit when they are wrong AND THEY CHANGE THEIR POSITION!
Well they don't actually "admit" it, they call it "New Light" to obfuscate the issue.
I know what you mean and agree completely. But the fact is everyone else is wrong and they alone are right (from their POV) and you can't argue or disagree.
On THIS THREAD, some of us have been bouncing around the question, "Are there ANY JW beliefs/doctrines that has remained the same from start to now?" Several pointed out that in particular the period of 1918/19 is critical as that is allegedly when Christ chose the Bible Students over all other religions.
The conclusion so far is this: There are only two beliefs that have remained from Russell's time until now:
1. Soul Sleep, taken from the Second Adventists, which has two sub-beliefs/doctrines attached:
2. Gentile Times ended in 1914 which actually came from:
So practically EVERYTHING taught in Russell's time has been since discarded except these two basic beliefs, one of which he got from another religion and the other conceived of and then twisted and mangled by a bunch of crackpots all vying one-upsmanship style to prove their superior personal understanding of the incontrovertible Word of God!
Must be holy spirit, excuse me: Holy Spirit!!!
Of the two beliefs, the evidence is clear that the second is false. Also, JWs currently teach that it has a completely different meaning than Russell taught. Regarding the first, from our perspective as living human beings, it is completely unverifiable either way. Although, ironically, I think most atheists would agree with this doctrine (minus the resurrection hope angle of course!).
Nice!
The funny thing about Soul Sleep is you have to believe in a "soul" whatever THAT is......
and you have to believe it can "sleep". The implication is dormant consciousness.
The silly thing about religious words is that they are made of silly putty!
In fact, if you really examine it, the JW's idea of death and resurrection is more along the lines of what in Sci-Fi circles would be some form of "suspended animation."
Even Satan gets this treatment when he is cast into the abyss according to the Aid/Insight book.
DNCall: Throughout the history of the organization major doctrinal changes have occurred as one administration ended and another began. JFR apostatized from CTR, Knorr and Franz apostatized from JFR and the GB apostatized from Knorr and Franz. Given enough time and GB.2 will apostatize from GB.1. And we're the apostates?
Jesus was an apostate. Think about it!
