I just bought "What has Religion Done for Mankind" at an estate sale...

Left in the Cold

It's copy right 1951. It is so different than the things I learned from 79-today. WT heavily relied upon WWI to show that God's kingdom was established in 1914 etc. Chapter 24 is called "The Remnant Restored from Mystic Babylon". But there are emphasis on certain ideas that are hardly, if ever spoken of now. It's almost like it was a different religion then. Guess a lot has changed. Most of you probably have or had this book. Sorry. I'd never seen it. I only paid $.50. I was a little excited. Sorry.

NewChapter

Cool. I think you're right, it's a very different religion today. Since they made the changes gradually, many may not have noticed. But when you compare then and now, you see drastic----HUGE----changes.

We could argue that the religion that was inspected by Jesus (and approved) is not the religion of JW's today. How could Jesus have approved of a completely different religion, when the religion of today is THE TRUTH.

scary21

I also have that book.. 50 cents sounds pretty cheap. It's so funny when you read the old stuff. Sounds crazy to you now, right ?

kurtbethel

I have a 1963 Babylon the Great Has Fallen. It is wall to wall text, with very occasional illustrations. People used to really read back in those days, and they had a higher reading level than todays swill put out by the Watchtower.

sir82

It's interesting in that as of 1951 the organization still referred to itself as "Jehovah's witnesses" (small "w") and adamantly proclaimed they were not a "religion". A vestige from the Rutherford era.

Sometime in the early 50's (maybe 1952?), they changed that viewpoint - instead of saying they were not a religion, they claimed to be the only true religion, and became Jehovah's Witnesses.

I've not seen that book you bought, but I'd be willing to bet it is full of Fred-Franz-wild-eyed screeds against all "religion" in general. Followed, of course, with why you the reader should want to leave "religion" and join the witnesses (small w).

Broken Promises

I look out for those old books too. They're good to use if the JWs ever deny an old teaching.

transhuman68

Probably any WTS book from before 1975 is worth buying or keeping. The PDF's are useful, but to have the actual book- it's indisputable evidence of how this religion has lied and whitewashed its past failures & false predictions.