"Without a doubt"
"It is not to be presumed that the prince of darkness will suffer the binding influences of the new Prince, which are now at work to fetter his power without a struggle. Without a doubthis rage will spend its force in distressing mankind in various ways, for he knoweth that he hath but a short time." – 1884WTWR 03 01 07
Well, that is as it may be, but we can now say without a doubt that this "short time" which the Watchtower taught back in 1884 was nearly over is still – 117 years later - taught by the Watchtower to be in progress..
"All know something of the failure of Brother Miller's expectations. The Lord did not come in 1844, and the world was not burned up with fire, as he had expected and taught others to expect; and this was a great disappointment to those 'holy people' who had so confidently looked for Christ ('Michael') then to appear and to exalt them with him in power and glory. But, not withstanding the disappointment, the movement had its designed effects - of awakening an interest in the subject of the Lord's coming, and of casting reproach upon the subject by reason of mistaken expectations. We say designed effects because without a doubtthe hand of the Lord was in it." – 1891TKIC 085
Some might view it as strange that the Watchtower teaches that without a doubt God is behind the widespread misleading of sincere people.
"But what is the great inspiration of Foreign Missions? Surely, without a doubt, it is the Second Coming of Christ in pre-Millennial glory. And why? Because, as soon as the Church arouses herself and, empowered by the Spirit, gathers out of the Gentiles the certain number of God's elect, then he will come and establish himself on David's throne, after which the residue of men may seek the Lord. The thought in the missionary's heart, then, should not be 'India for Christ,' or 'Africa for Christ,' or 'the World for Christ,' but the bringing to God from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, a people for his name." – 1906WTWR 02 15 069-70
Quoted approvingly by the Watchtower. But as they also teach that the gathering of God's elect was completed about 65 years ago, then without a doubt Christ's presence on the throne of David must be a subtle one!
"Our son, a good and noble young man, but not a professor of religion, has been suddenly taken from us by death.. Thank God that through the light of 'present Truth' we know without a doubtthat he is hidden only until the wrath be overpast. We thank God and you for the blessed knowledge." – 1912WTWR 06 01 186-7
Sadly, the authors of this letter (presented without adverse comment by the Watchtower) themselves passed away about half a century ago – and, without a doubt, they failed to see their son again.
"Without a doubtPastor Russell filled the office for which the Lord Provided and about which he spoke, and was therefore that wise and faithful servant, ministering to the household of faith meat in due season." - 1921THOG 239
Interestingly, what was stated to be true without a doubt in the 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 editions of 'The Harp of God' (and in many other Watchtower publications after Russell's death in 1916) became wholly false in 1928...
"The Aluminum Poisoning at Punxsutawney .. ptomaine (pronounced to main) poisoning .. without a doubt, a perfectly accurate statement of what occurred.. dealers in aluminum ware .. owners of aluminum stock .. the word 'aluminum' had been whitewashed into the word 'metal' and those grand and useful custodians of public health, 'three responsible physicians,' always to be had in a case like this, 'after an investigation' had come forth in the 'unanimous opinion' that each of the two hundred victims had, in some mysterious manner, managed to get hold of a piece of the same chicken, so dead that it was rotten, that in some other mysterious manner had found its way among the good ones.. Several subscribers for The Golden Age make their living selling aluminum ware, or at any rate they were subscribers, but they have intimated that since we have said something about their business we are no longer any good, and never were any good, and they are surprised at us, because they have at hand the necessary opinions of 'three responsible physicians' who know it all, and even if millions are made sick and die lingering deaths, we must not say a word on the subject. All of which scares us very much, and we promise not to publish anything more on this question until we get the next chance." - 1928GAGE 03 21 397-8
So, without a doubt, pressure from big business made the local Pennsylvanian newspaper change its story and cover up the diabolically dangerous nature of Satan's metal, aluminum. The Watchtower conducted a campaign of vilification against aluminum for nearly half a century, with literally hundreds of attacks onn it. But then New Light arrived and it was found that all the earlier beliefs about aluminum were false..
"Visible human creatures had to do with that message, [a resolution adopted at the Watchtower's 1922 Cedar Point, Ohio, convention] yet, in fact, it was a message of the Lord sent through his invisible angels, because without a doubtthese are clothed with authority to direct the course of earthly members of God's organization.. It seems clear that the spirit of the Lord, operating by his invisible angels, directed his people on earth to take this action [of distributing a resolution adopted at a Watchtower convention in Los Angeles in 1923]." - 1930LIT1 106/113
The proof of what is claimed to be true without a doubt is conveniently invisible. And this doctrine too was quietly dropped in later years.
"Without a doubtthe Lord uses his angels to cause the truth to be published in The Watchtower.. Certainly God guides his covenant people by using the holy angels to convey his message to them." - 1935WTWR 02 01 41
Do you get the feeling that the Watchtower attaches the phrase "without a doubt" to claims which it does not have a clue as to how to prove or substantiate?
"Have You Read Your Copy? .. But, without a doubt, nothing has created more interest in this textbook than the first chapter with its chart and fine information regarding the 7,000 years of God's rest day. The observation that 1975 may well mark the beginning of mankind's great Jubilee has intrigued many." – 1967WTWR 01 01 29
Quite so! And this was intentional. without a doubt the Watchtower intended a massive recruitment and sales drive, and the soon-to-be-dashed hopes of millions over 1975 was of no consequence.
"The Only Way of Survival .. Among all the religious groups that claim to be Christian, which one freely uses God's name, Jehovah, puts full trust in him and his promises and boldly encourages its members to be witnesses of him? (Isaiah 43:10) without a doubt, these are the ones 'seeking Jehovah.' They urge others to join with them in learning the only sure way to survive the coming global holocaust." – 1984AWAK 08 22 09
Such extreme presumptuousness, without a doubt, is the hallmark of the Watchtower!
As with "indisputable facts" and "physical facts", the presence of the words "without a doubt" seems a good indicator that the Watchtower has got it TOTALLY WRONG.
And that is truly without a doubt!
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Focus
(Without a doubt Class)