The epitome of narcissism

by Separation of Powers 13 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Separation of Powers

  There are several disturbing things that were said in the latest Annual Meeting. One of the most disturbing was a comment made by David Splane. He made reference to how the clergy "howled" when the first New World Bible Translation Committee produced the first NWT. "Where are your scholars?" was their cry. He then went on to mention that the King James Version, otherwise known as the Authorized Version, had 47 translators and commented that no one knows "if there was even one GENUINE anointed one among" that group. The following comment is where the narcissism kicks in, "whereas ALL of the original New World Bible Translation Committee were of the ANOINTED."

  The comment seems innocent enough, but it is filled with arrogance and self-importance. It is self-serving. It tears down the efforts of those men over the course of centuries that had given THEIR lives to the promotion that EVERY MAN should have God's word. It furthers the distinction that THESE men in THIS century are the ONLY ones whose efforts are truly blessed. It discounts the efforts of the "seventy" of Jerome, of Tyndale, of Wycliffe, and countless others who literally gave their lives in the hope that EVERY MAN could read these words of salvation. It is a furtherance of the ideas promoted in the latest articles regarding the faithful slave and a rejection of the concept that since the inception of Christianity, Jehovah has "always" had faithful anointed who served the interests of his Son's church. It is the epitome of narcissism.

  (Now, please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that the Authorized Version (KJV) is THE version. It is replete with ideas and "positions" that were popular in its day. It did NOT use ancient manuscripts as a baseline, but rather existing texts, i.e Latin Vulgate, Geneva Bible, Bishops Bible, and the LXX. In its second preface, entitled The Translators to the Reader, the translators state that they "never thought from the beginning that they should make a new translation....but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one..." That was their objective and ultimately it was achieved, a CONTINUATION of the ideas and positions that had existed for scores of years, possibly hundreds.

  In reviewing the RNWT, it is apparent that the same idea exists. To make a "good one better." The baseline remains essentially the same. If you considered the NWT to be a "good" translation, then you should be satisfied. If you expect it to be unbiased, then you need to review the history of Bible translation and the idea that only THIS group of men have the ability to understand and INTERPRET the most holy word of God. )

  SOP
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  Pistoff

  Agreed.

  The entire meeting was so self absorbed; here is our Bible, oooh, and we even have a new font, ooooh, even the sisters like it and can't wear it out, haha; here is our NEW IOS app, isn't it wonderful.

  This is a religion?

  This is 8 men trying to keep a publishing empire from complete disintegration.
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  RobCrompton

  Before the NWT Committee could even begin work on their own version, a truly massive amount of scholarship had gone into the compiling of the master texts from the mind-bogglingly huge number of mss and fragments. The NWT is utterly dependent upon this textual scholarship. Any committee of translators ought to recognise their indebtedness to this scholarship and ought to be in a position to demonstrate that their own expertise is worthy of the task they have taken upon themselves. If they insist upon concealing their identity and their credentials they have no right to be taken seriously.
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  fulltimestudent

  Christianity is a controlling religion - control is in its very genes

  Somewhere, lost in the huge mass of human mental crap that now exists on the internet, is the experience of a Catholic translator that worked on the Jerusalem Bible. There were quite a few apparently on that team, but this translator tells of how they were 'supervised,' and even when the translating team was in agreement on certain points they were told to change it.

  I cant find that article anymore, but if anyone has access to it, I'd sure like to have it again.
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  skeeter1

  Splane's comment is illogical. It is pure circular reasoning. "Annoited" status is something that is made up by the WTS. So, proving that something by the WTS is more correct becuase it originates from the WTS elites is nonsense, it's circular. It isn't outside verification of the quality.

  Splane's comment also reminds me of another saying, "With the confidence that only ignorance can give."

  This is part of why the WTS doesn't want people to attend college. Philosphy & Critical Thinking was a mandatory class for every one of the 25,000 students in the big school I attended for my undergraduate. This class taught all sorts of fallacies in arguments.

  You can't fix stupid, but you can watch it within the Jehovah's Witnesses.
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  Finkelstein

  Indulgent self marketing for a religious publishing house to make, claim that are translators were anointed by god, those other

  bible scholars were not .

  Another way to make your products more valuable and viable as well.

  When you've got so much competition particularly in the US we've got to Bullshit a little. ......sometimes a lot .
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  Splash

  They did not deign to recognise they are standing on the shoulders of giants.

  Splash.
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  ADJUSTMENTS

  Anyone with access to endless funds can translate a bible... Go to any Christian library and have your pick! The WBATS are actually late and I believe they copied off of what is already been translated into modern language bibles... So big whoop-de-do a modern day translation it's nothing new but they will have you believe god personally wrote it for them! SMH what Audacity!
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  gingerbread

  The WT Society's NWT uses the dynamic equivalence method of translation : not a word for word translation but an expression of the intended meanings. i.e. what the words 'really' mean. This is effective for them because words and phrases can be adjusted to fit and appear to uphold WT teachings.

  Many are raving about this 'new' bible - especially among the born in youth - as a gift from God.

  In the mind of the faithful, the GB becomes God.

  And the truly faithful are the offspring of God and the Mother. They are spiritually fed by their Mother (the WT Organization) and saved by their father God (the Governing Body).

  ginger
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  Phizzy

  It is my opinion that the NWT was never really a translation, simply a tinkering with text already translated by scholars. Freddie Franz and assistants simply referred to all the existing translations they liked and approved of, and also used things like Vines Expository Dictionary if they felt the need to understand a particular word.

  Such a work has no real value unless it makes understanding the M.S that we do have easier, and more accurate. It is hardly able to achieve either if you have nobody on board who really undersatnds the original languages, and the historical context.

  That Theological Bias had a huge effect upon the end product that is the original NWT is indisputable, and that such a motive is the main driver of the Revised version is obvious.

  Freddie and Co had a literalist view of Scripture, and believed firmly that the books were written when they seemed to be, (or when the books said they were, or by whom) modern scholarship has shown how wrong this is, so again, lacking such knowledge does not help to produce a work worthy of respect.

  I concur fully with Rob Cromton above, who wrote :

  " If they insist upon concealing their identity and their credentials they have no right to be taken seriously."