Latest "Questions From Readers" - who wrote in with this question?!

cedars

Hi everyone

I kid you not. The latest Watchtower Study Edition has the following question under consideration in the "Questions From Readers" article on page 20:

Do Jesus’ words found at Matthew 19:10-12 suggest that those who choose to remain single have received the gift of singleness in a mysterious way?

You've got to wonder about the mental integrity of whoever it was that wrote in with such a bizarre question, assuming anyone wrote in with it at all!

The answer (in a nutshell)...

Thus, the Scriptures tell us that a Christian does not receive the gift of singleness in some mysterious way. Rather, he cultivates it by remaining unmarried so as to advance Kingdom interests without distraction. Many today have resolved in their heart to stay single for this reason, and others do well to be a source of encouragement to them.

Well, I'm sure we all find that a great relief. It's nice to know that some random curse of divine origin won't result in you NEVER being able to marry.

Seriously though, who writes this stuff??!

Cedars

diana netherton

No one..I think they made it up themselves, just like all of the "examples."

sir82

No "Questions from Readers" has legitimately come from a letter from a reader for at least 35 or 40 years. They're all made up now.

The QFR is one of the primary places where "new light" is introduced.

slimboyfat

They have been writing their own questions for decades. The days when they entertained the genuine questions of Frances from Omaha and Derek from Devon are long gone, their letters go in the bin.

Sauerkraut

Weird that there still is the Questions from Readers section, when the Society doesn't want anyone to write them with questions in the first place.

Bobcat

Cedars:

This was always one of my pet peeves. The NWT, in its running head on the page with Matthew 19:10, 11 has "gift of singleness." The idea is WT nonsense.

Maybe its just me. But see if you see what I'm seeing. Here is Mt 19:10, 11 from the NWT:

10 The disciples said to him: "If such is the situation of a man with his wife, it is not advisable to marry." 11 He said to them: "Not all men make room for the saying, but only those who have the gift.

OK, now my commentary:

First off, "have the gift" is not exactly literal. The Literal greek has "has been given" or "has been granted" rather than "have the gift." The whole phrase is just one word, a verb, which is perfect, indicitive and passive. The NWT turns it into a present possessive verb ("have") with an articulate noun ("the gift"). The passive voice of the verb says that it is something given to the person by someone else, in this case God. The perfect tense puts it in their past. It was either granted to them, or it wasn't. Being born or blessed with good eyesight might be comparable. You either have it or you don't. And you personally had nothing to do with acquiring it.

But that aside, just taking the NWT as is, let me restate verses 10 and 11 with the unstated meanings added: [Jesus just finished stating God's requirements in connection with marriage and divorce.] Verse 10 has the disciples saying, "If such is the situation of a man with his wife, it is not advisable to marry." Jesus' response is, "Not all men [i.e. single men] make room for the saying [i.e. to not get married or to stay single], but only those [single men] who have the gift."

Now try reading that again but replace "the gift" with "singleness." It makes nonsense of the verse. In effect, it would be saying that the only single men who can make room for singleness are those who have singleness.

I'm tired. I think the WT does this just to confound people. And trying to explain this to brains fried by WT propaganda - you just get the dumbfounded look.

Take Care

slimboyfat

Let's remember that the NWT and most JW literature from the middle of the 20th century was written by Fred Franz who himself had "the gift of singleness", so he was probably pretty hot on promoting the idea as a good thing.