They have made changes/updates, such as to the 'Genereation' teaching, as mentioned on another thread.. and yet this mistranslated verse still remains, allowing the offensive and hateful application of it to continue.
Take a look at these quotes from the online Insight book..
(Watchtower quotes are included as well, handy if you don't already know how they apply this term).
- Bible Words Indexed (4 occurrences)
MENTALLY DISEASED, 1Ti 6:4.
- Rbi8 pp. 1495-1553 - Reference Bible (Rbi8)
- Abusive Speech (2 occurrences)
(2Pe 2:11) But such talk can be expected from those who indulge in loose conduct, those who are proud and mentally diseased over questionings and debates, and those who disregard or disrespect God’s appointments.
- it-1 p. 35 - Insight, Volume 1
- Epilepsy (2 occurrences)
We still use the word ‘lunatic’ to signify a person mentally diseased, although we have long since ceased to believe in the moon’s influence in such cases.” [This is a quote from a book, but it illustrates the general understanding of the term mentally diseased.]
- it-1 pp. 756-757 - Insight, Volume 1
- Godly Devotion (2 occurrences)
If anyone who professes to serve God relies on his own ideas instead of adhering to the Bible and if his teaching does not ‘accord with godly devotion,’ thus failing to reflect the teacher’s devotion to God, he becomes “mentally diseased.”
- it-1 pp. 971-973 - Insight, Volume 1
- Understanding (2 occurrences)
He is not like those in the apostle Paul’s day who assumed to be teachers of others but were “puffed up with pride, not understanding anything,” unwisely letting themselves become “mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words,” things that produce disunity and a host of bad results.
- it-2 pp. 1138-1141 - Insight, Volume 2
- Will You Heed Jehovah’s Clear Warnings? (2 occurrences)
Well, apostates are “mentally diseased,” and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings.
- w11 7/15 pp. 15-19 - The Watchtower—2011
- Will You Pay Attention to Jehovah’s Clear Warnings? (2 occurrences)
The Bible says that apostates are mentally diseased and that they use their teachings to make others think like them.
- ws11 7/15 pp. 10-16 - The Watchtower (Simplified)—2011
- Make Your Advancement Manifest (2 occurrences)
Paul described such individuals as being “puffed up with pride, not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words.”
- w09 12/15 pp. 11-15 - The Watchtower—2009
- Keep Practicing the Things You Have Learned (2 occurrences)
(Philippians 3:17; Hebrews 5:14) Instead of being “mentally diseasedover questionings and debates about words,” they continued moving ahead in their positive course of godly devotion.
- w02 9/15 pp. 15-20 - The Watchtower—2002
- Firmly Uphold Godly Teaching (2 occurrences)
(1 Timothy 6:5; Galatians 5:15) Of those who caused these arguments, Paul wrote: “If any man teaches other doctrine and does not assent to healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the teaching that accords with godly devotion, he is puffed up with pride, not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words.
- w00 5/1 pp. 8-12 - The Watchtower—2000
- 1 Timothy (2 occurrences)
- Rbi8 1 Timothy 1:1-6:21 - Reference Bible (Rbi8)
m.wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=mentallydiseased&p=par
And for anyone who claims they are 'just quoting the Bible', see this list of translations of the same verse. Do they say 'mentally diseased'? :
www.biblehub.com/1_timothy/6-4.htm
Newspaper coverage here:
m.huffpost.com/us/entry/985479
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/war-of-words-breaks-out-among-jehovahs-witnesses-2361448.html
Interesting video here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=ni1U_5nw3kI&fulldescription=1&hl=en&client=mv-google&gl=US