by Ding 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Precisely Ding!
One imagines taking it a step further by getting them to write down their answers.
This may make it difficult for them to deny, change, obfuscate or rationalise what they said before.
It may force them to see and face their own contradictory and irrational reasoning.
Well done outline, Terry. Three years ago I took the WT's encouragement to understand "our spiritual heritage". It became a hobby of mine - I used the WT library and wikipedia exclusively as my source material. I figured these were "safe" resources. The more I researched the more I came to realize that the core beliefs that I (and my family for a couple of generations) held as the foundation of faith was NOT from Russell and other "annointed" bible students. Everything was borrowed and rewritten. The society's writers paint a picture of a little band of humble truth seekers being led to "truth" by holy spirit. That picture is a distortion of the facts - a romanticized, revisionist history of the WTBTS and the origins of the "Truth".
This led me to examine the "spiritual routine" that I was following - required reading, attendance, participation, privileges & responsibilities, forms and more forms, construction projects.... It didn't take long to realize that none of these were required for a Christian to be found acceptable by God.
Ding, you know what for me finally broke the whole "we're in charge 'cause the Bible say so" thing? It was simply this:
The spiritual authority they claim for themselves is fundamentally dependent upon the seven times doctrine based on the fourth chapter of Daniel. Once you realize that their "second fulfillment" teaching is an extra-biblical one, the complete edifice falls down. Daniel chapter four itself explains how the prophecy was fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar himself with no loose strings to tie up. They grab at straws to force the chapter to say what it does not. Without the backing of this doctrine there is no 1914 pivotal date, nor the supposed prophesied activities that would give evidence of divine selection!
So now, instead of concerning myself about the intricacies of explaining the errors in various doctrines and the questionable history of the organization, I would simply say the following to a JW:
"Unless the Bible explicitly says so, I don't believe in second fulfillments of Bible prophecy including the one about the seven times in Daniel chapter four. Therefore I cannot see any convincing Biblical evidence for believing that the Watch Tower Society has been chosen as an instrument of God."
The terms "Governing Body" and "Jehovah's Channel" do not appear in the Bible.
Many years ago, after I had grown up and left home, I was visiting my parents and so I asked them both at the same time if God was directing the Watchtower. At exactly the same time my Dad answered "No." and my Mom answered "Yes."
You should have seen the "Holy Crap!" look that passed between them. Priceless.
