New Pattern regarding Science in the Awake

by konceptual99 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    Reading the first couple of Awakes for 2013 I think there is a pattern developing.

    They have the regular "could it have happened by chance" article on something amazing in nature but they are also interviewing a scientist who is also a Witness. This is a pretty interesting tack on a number of levels.

    Firstly it is sending out the implicit message that "look, this educated person accepts creation, the flood and every other account that is at odds with generally accepted science, so that should give you confidence that you are right as well".

    Secondly, as a magazine designed for public comsumption is suggests to non-witnesses that there are many well educated people who accept the Bible. This is a potentially a far stronger and more relevent message than an account about some Witness missionary preaching in a jungle or the life story of a Bethalite. Again, it is about perception and managing the message being sent.

    The third point is that it also suggests that Witnesses value education to post graduate level. We all know this is absolutely not the case. The two people interviewed so far came into the truth after they had completed their studies. They chose to stick with their careers and not throw in the towel to pioneer, a choice which perhaps has brought them disapproving glances from others yet now they are useful tools to promote WTS propoganda.

    Any young witness wanting to follow their course would be looked down on by the vast majority. If they attended university then they would almost certainly lose and appointment or service privilage. If their dad was a pioneer, MS or elder then they would probably lose that appointment. The WTS hates further education and to use educated people in this way is purely a PR exercise.

    The final pont is that so far the featured scientists have not been directly involved in highly contentious disciplines such as anthropology, archeology, geology, evolutionary biology etc. Publish an article from a respected anthropologist who is a Witness and has solid answers for how Genesis fits with the fossil record and I will eat my hat. I would love to hear the answers these two and the future participants have to questions about the real harmony of science and Bible.

    So, on the one had we have a PR exercise in interviewing these ones. On the other we have regular articles about amazing aspects of nature finished with a plea to emotion and some fuzzy logic about "chance".

    Neither of these articles, that will no doubt continue to be regular features, pose any really deep questions about the fundamental disconnects between accepted science and the Biblical record. They certainly don't offer any answers. They are simply fluff and bluster, inconsequential mutterings designed to send a PR message to the outside world and offer hollow comfort to non thinking Witnesses that they are correct to treat every aspect of science with disdain except where Brother Scientist is able to wave the WT flag.

  • inbetween
    inbetween

    good analysis,

    its a mistake, even the WTS likes to point out, to rely on other "smart" people in order to believe something.

    Even smart people often believe weird things (see book: Why people believe weird things - Michael Shermer), the reason is not because of scientific proof or evidence, but lies in a psychological background.

    anyway, even though higher education for witnesses is frowned upon, and lately became more restrictive, one does not automatically loose the privilge, they just will be questioned about their motives in connection with their overall spiritual appearance. In my area, I know elders, pioneers, ms, who went to university as babtizes witnesses, and it did not effect their privilege. But maybe in Europe things are more relaxed regarding higher education, I guess.

    This whole new take in the new magazines, as you rightly pointed out, is a PR-campaign, trying to cover up their really extremely sceptical stand towards higher education, which you hear at conventions, meetings etc...

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Has anyone looked up the credentials of the Scientist?

  • mind blown
    mind blown

    .......while channel surfing a few years back I came accross a program where a few scientists were discussing/promoting the bible....as I continued to watch, it turns out it was a religious program where either the scientists were from the same church...or they had found scientists that were religious......I thought what a great scam......

    WTS is simply copying other religions.........

  • Borges
    Borges

    I agree with everything you wrote konceptual99.

    I made an interesting observation in the german issue. In the interview with Massimo Tistarelli they adress him formally, as if he wasn't a witness. But he's baptised since 1992. It is just an hypocratic way of pretending some kind of respect for Science, while there is absolutley none. Hard to believe that Tistarelli doesn't realize how he's beeing (ab)used.

  • St George of England
    St George of England
    Has anyone looked up the credentials of the Scientist?

    Yes, if you google him he certainly seems to be pukka, though nowhere in his bio does he mention that he is a witness. Probably not surprising that! I only glanced at the article, does it actually say he is a JW? Someone here on a previous thread suggested e-mailing him.

    George

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    Yes he is indentified in the article as a Witness.

    Regarding losing your privilages it is fair to say that it is not 100% a given. The wording in the Flock book allows for mercy, context, rationality, common sense and a balanced view to prevail since it says pursuit of a university education "may call into question" one's qualifications. The reality is that the recent couple of years has seen a hardening from the top down. BOEs are losing moderate elders and being taken over by the hardliners. The language of the society has got stronger. The underlying approach of the new Flock book stifles moderation despite the outward emphasis on shepherding with love.

    The slight swing towards tolerance a few years ago has firmly swung back to condemnation. At the CA I attended last weekend over 80% of the non meeting replacement talks mentioned higher education in a bad light. The strong message is that those pursuing such a course are motivated by materialism, lack of faith, lack of appreciatation, misplaced priorities, egotism, self-indulgence etc. I am prepared to make a prediction now that there will be no educated JW scientists interviewed in the Awake who were brought up in the truth, went to university, never pioneered and stuck to their career.

    I would love to hear from any current Elder whose child is planning on going to university or young person (especially if they are a pioneer or MS) doing the same yet finding the congregation is supportive and not challenging the course of action. If it is happening at all then I bet it will be very much a minority.

  • inbetween
    inbetween

    no doubt the society backed off from a more liberal approach in the 90`s, is getting harder again on higher education.

    The brother/sisters with some kind of privilege I know startet their university education during or short after those "liberal" years, so I agree, for a family today to support one childs higher education will pretty sure at least provoke a visit from local elders, the rest depends, how strict the local BOEW views the matter.

    On the other hand I know a sister, being invited to visit bethel, only because she studied and finished Law at Universitiy, as a babtized sister btw.

    A Bethel were physicians, laywers and who knows whoe else with higher education is working and is needed.

    Anyway, the whole stance regarding university education revealed through articles (mostly in the study edition) or in talks is one of the most outstanding and disgusting hypocrisis in the org.

  • breakfast of champions
    breakfast of champions

    I can't imagine the mental gymnastics neccesary to be a "scientist" and a Jehovah's Witness.

    I suspect these individuals are not particularly good at being either one.

    INBETWEEN - just curious. . . This sister's last name doesn't happen to begin with the letter G, does it?

  • sir82
    sir82

    Let me guess - they are interviewing, say, a chemical engineer about biology, or a jet propulsion scientist about molecular structures, right?

    Doesn't matter that they are interviewing scientists who have no direct knowledge of or experience in the topic at hand - just so long as they can somewhat legitimately refer to Brother X as a "scientist", and he is capable of expressing an opinion that aligns with WTS doctrine about some scientific topic, that's good enough.

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