by sowhatnow 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Mainline Protestants have believed the same doctrines since the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th century.
On the other hand, cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses are constantly changing their doctrines because they have a history of constantly going beyond Scripture.
"As a Catholic let me clarify insidetheKH comments. I don't think the Catholic Church has ever changed doctrin." - little
Every religion have to evolve and adapt if they want to survive. Officially, before Vatican 2 in 1965 AD, all non-Catholic churchgoers will go to HELL! Today it is different!
Sign of the cross not practiced by apostles but started in 9th century! Tertullian made the sign on the forehead. Today it is different!
53 Roman Catholic Doctrines not found in the Bible (1400 years of doctrinal evolution) Marriage to non-Catholics was invalid until 1818 AD.
Eucharist: Withholding the communion cup from the laity began in 1416 AD. Eucharist: Frequency of communion changed from weekly to daily in 500 AD.
Baptism changed from immersion to sprinkling in 1311 AD. No infant baptism till 4th century.
No Pope was considered infallible until 1870 AD
They have to change, adapt or face extinction.
Ismael
One thing to keep in mind is the difference between doctrine, personal belief, and tradition. The mainstream churches I've attended or studied make clear distinctions between these things.
Doctrine defines really important matters; the nature of God and Christ, salvation, etc. The church I attended for the longest time had cards set out for newcomers to take home with contact numbers and the beliefs to the church on it. The whole thing was the size of a post card.
Mainstream churches generally allow a lot of lattitude for personal beliefs, and recognize that a lot of things they do are "tradition" which is a big word for "we like to do it this way."
The problem JW's have is that their hierarchial system does not allow any room for anything not handed down from on high. Everybody has to think the same way about everything, whether its the nature of God or when its OK to get up and go to the bathroom. They are also incapable of admitting that they made a mistake, which means that everything has to be "new light." Combine that with an organizational structure that encourages elders to throw their weight around and you have constantly changing beliefs, all of which are strictly enforced.
In the Brethren church I attended for years, they had a doctrinal statement, but allowed members to teach and preach who held differing views. For example, the elders and many in the congregation knew I believed the wages of sin is death, not torment; yet I was asked to preach quite regularly.
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Jehovah's Witnesses were a branch off the limb of Adventism, with the trunk of that tree being WILLIAM MILLER's fantasy about exact dates for
the arrival of Lord Jesus.
These were people who elevated their own self-styled cunning above common sense.
No matter how many times they got things wrong THEY WOULDN'T ADMIT IT.
Like a crazed, addicted gambler who loses his rent money at the crap tables, the Adventists kept doubling down on yet another try.
Jehovah's Witnesses invented a self-myth: "faithful and discreet slave" inside tips from Jehovah.
Those tips were nonsense and their horse never even crossed the finish line!
But, an addiction to gambling has less to do with winning than it does the fact all the EXCITEMENT and harrowing suspense
makes life really exciting, and they loathe packing it in to go back to ordinary human achievement.
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In Christian denominations (all 40,000+ of them!) every possible variation on a theme split off into branches, sects, cults, congregations, etc.
The only reason this happens is because Protestants worship the Bible. (The book about nothing.)
Protestantism carved out an identity as the UN-cola of soft drinks, i.e.,"We sure as hell aren't anything like Catholics."
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1,500 years of ONE monolithic church allowed prelates, priests, pontiffs, and other pointy-hats to do as they damned well pleased.
Protestantism was born with just one monk, Martin Luther, writing down the obscene list of blasphemies perpetrated by this Organization and demanding they answer for their hellish behavior.
Once they (Protestants) saw how much fun it was protesting what others believed--well, they sort of couldn't stop themselves.
Interpreting the scriptures is a lot like printing your own money!
After all, the Catholic Church could make up whatever their imaginations concocted and heaven itself would rubber stamp it, "What is
sealed on Earth is sealed in Heaven.)
That successful act set the stage for OPINION to rule the church forever into the future!
They don't call it that, however. It is called HERMENUTIC.
Don't want to hijack the thread but I feel I should answer a few of these questions....
Papal infallability:
Matt 16:18-19 (NAB)I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
You will also note when ever there is a dispute in acts... everybody gets a say, but when Peter speaks up it is considered decided. Also Papal infalitiblity was a major cause of the great east/west schism. So there was at least some understanding of this over a thousand years ago.
Infant Baptism.
Acts 16:15 Acts 16:33 1 Cor. 1:16 all speak of baptising entire housholds. No mention of not baptising children. We baptise babies becasue baptism takes the place of circumcision and babies where circumcised.
Baptism by sprinking
The word for baptism in biblical text is used for emersion AND sprinkling. The bible never tells us specificly how to baptise. We are just told to do it in Jesus name, or in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Also the new testiment speaks of baptising thousands at a time in the Jordan river, that river is just a creek it would have been very challenging to do all of them with immersion. Also it is unlikely that you would dunk infants as a form of baptism. Catholics believe in full imersion baptism as well, when our Church is done being renovated, we will have a baptismal font to allow for immersion baptism.
"Sign of the Cross"
That is just a prayer that many Catholics do. It is not a doctrinal thing. Don't all believers say prayers that arn't directly found in scripture?
Eucharist
As to when and how we recieve communion (The cup and/or the bread) that is a practice or tradtion of the Church. Again nothing doctrinal.
Marriage to non Catholics
I don't know enough about this one to comment sorry.
Immaculate Conception of Mary
Luke 1:28 (ASV)And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee.
Sometimes it is rendered as "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" both translations are not very good here. The word used is Kecharitomene, it is not used as an adjective instead it is a title given to Mary. The title means complete or perfected in grace. A much better reading of this text would be "Hail, full and complete in grace, the Lord is with you..." We just add Mary in there to make it read better in our language. How could Mary already be full of grace before Jesus was even born and probably before he was even conceived?
well, then, i suppose it has happened to other faiths, but certainly not to the extent and obvious way the wt org does.
apparently then what the wt org has is the new light of changing thier minds.
and walking on jello, hmm that sounds like fun
thanks for the input all.
The WT changes its teachings more than any other religion. A dub only needs to hold a teaching in mind for ten minutes (all they can manage)
When any other religion makes an "adjustment" the dubs are the first to point a finger and laugh: " HAHAHAHAHAHAHA " and THEY say they have the true religion..."
....and do other religions criticize the other religions for changing doctrines like the wt society does?
lol, yea, I bet no one would even know actually, like me, i dont know anything about other religions, how many people know about the wt org and how it changes so much? probalby not many, thats why they remain somewhat successful
