Is Jehovah's Organization Truly a Bible-based Religion?

Celestial

Some public statements are as follows;

w87 10/1 pp. 6-7 Can You Find the Right Religion?

Without a doubt, a Bible-based religion that helps people to take care of their families in a wise and loving way is practical.

w82 1/1 p. 7 How Can Religion Ease Tensions?

Second, Jesus said: “My kingdom is no part of this world.” (John 18:36) Hence, the true, Bible-based religion is neutral as to the world’s politics. It is neither for nor against any nation, race, political system or economic arrangement. Christians are promoting God’s kingdom, not some “kingdom” of this world. A Christian should not take sides in the political disputes of this world any more than Jesus took sides in the festering controversies between the Jews and the Romans of his day.—Mark 12:17.

OldGenerationDude

Yes, the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is very much a Bible-based religion. And that is what is wrong with it.

The Scriptures of the Jews was not the basis of their religion. The Jewish religion came first and was functioning for centuries before the texts of the Old Testament took the form that we see them in today. As can be seen by textual analysis and even from the writings themselves, it was not until after the return from Babylon did the texts finally become settled, sometime around the era of Ezra and Nehemiah.

As for Christianity, it flourished for three centuries before it made claim to a canon of inspired texts. The works found in the Christian Scriptures were written by Christians who already practiced an established religion, a religion that had not arisen from reading a book (that they themselves would have to write first before they could read it). The religion of Christians is based on their encounter with a person, Jesus of Nazareth, not a book. And Jesus never said that reading or studying the Bible was a requisite to gain God’s approval or be “saved.” In fact he taught the opposite, that nothing besides himself personally was the Way and the Truth that lead to life. While the gospels have words that tell of Christ’s teaching, Christ was the Word Incarnate--the Word that came before any of the written pages of gospel took form.

So yes, the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on a book that tells about Christ, but Christianity is based on the Person of Jesus.

The Scriptures are a book that is a reflection of another tradition and its theology—not the basis, but again a reflection of what they already believed. And, as I've said before, if one follows a reflection for the basis of their religion, they are sure to get everything backwards as a result.

So yes, the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is very much a Bible-based religion. And that is what is wrong with it. That is why it fails.

jwfacts

w82 1/1 p. 7 " Second, Jesus said: “My kingdom is no part of this world.” (John 18:36) Hence, the true, Bible-based religion is neutral as to the world’s politics."

That is an extreme conclusion, and rhetorical fallacy, as the first statement does not imply the second statement. If I am an Australian but have settled in the UK, I would be interested in the politics of both countries, not only in Australia. Jesus certainly implied this when saying to render Caeser's things to Caesar, and many Bible characters were involved at high levels in politics (Joseph in Egypt).

Phizzy

Well said Sir ! (OGD) I especially like your metaphor " if one follows a reflection for the basis of their religion, they are sure to get everything backward...."

The JW/WT religion does exactly that ! everything in it is, as we would say in the part of the U.K I come from, "arse about face".

Bible literalists and fundamentalists forget that their was a spreading flame of faith in Jesus even before the ministry of Paul, they had no written documents of their own then, not even pastoral letters, until Paul wrote his.

The Bible we have seems to fit mostly with what was an accepted Canon when it was more or less formerly fixed, around 381 C.E but of course by then the Church was rather politicised, so perhaps politics, and a desire to keep the power of the Church, dictated what books and writings went in to the Canon.

We will never know if the Church destroyed some writings, it is my hope that they did not, but that they lurk in the Vatican Archive or somewhere, but who knows ?

I don't think much was written until after the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E, the Gospels were written with an agenda and were not written as accurate history or accurate records of what Jesus actually said, but a more reliable collection of the sayings of Jesus may surface one day.

The Bible is an interesting collection, but should not form the basis of true faith as you rightly say OGD, Jesus is "The Way" for Christians.

bats in the belfry

Celestial >> Define the Bible and its books.

Based on 66 booklets? Or, all the manuscripts, including the ommitted and hidden (stashed away, Vatican-hidden) texts?

Phizzy

Also, "Bible based" is the usual WT weasely use of words, it doesn't mean they stick to what the Bible actually says, just use it as a base to jump off.

Vanderhoven7

The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is spurious to the Bible. It is not Bible-based; it is Bible imposed.

Every doctrine which is both unique and original to Jehovah's Witnesses is in fact extra-biblical.

e.g. What are the 7 trumpets of Revelation? When were the Bible students uniquely selected to channel God's truth to mankind?

Anybody can superimpose their invented church "history" onto the Bible.

WTWizard

It is nominally based on the LIE-ble. However, there are exceptions. The most notorious is the doctrine that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger takes priority. Even if you can prove a doctrine wrong using their own Bible, you still have to abide by and teach the bad doctrine until they themselves fix it (and, in some cases, make a bigger mess. Then, you abide by and teach the even worse doctrine).

Lady Lee

When you create a version of the Bible that says what you wnat it to say to support your beliefs then you aren't really using the Bible. Are you?

Last chapter of their Bbile says:

I am bearing witness to everyone that hears the words of the prophesy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll;
and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophesy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll.
Rev. 22 18-19

Wonder how long before they change that?

JW GoneBad

Jehovah may have a true Bible-based religion out there somewhere. One thing is for certain it is not the WTBTS or those who simply call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses.

If anything, the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization of today bring a great deal of reproach on the God of the Bible, Jehovah. No chance in hell that the JWs are Bible-based!

Is Jehovah's Organization Truly a Bible-based Religion?

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