by MarieChii 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Jehovahs witnesses don't actually answer intelligently with the bible.
Fact: JWs parrot cherry-picked scriptures and regurgitate cult propoganda. There's not a scripture they quote that isn't out of context and misapplied, sadly they are just too brainwashed to know it.
Hi NJWS
Foundational Teachings of the Watchtower Society: Are they biblical?
We cannot worship Jehovah in spirit and in truth if our worship is based on speculation.Truth and theory are not synonymous.” WT 6/15 1962 p.383
When I am sitting down with any JW I would ask them to read the following 7 quotations from their literature regarding the founding of their religion.
1. "Jehovah has established a limited number, 144,000, to make up the little flock, and he has been gathering it since Pentecost 33 C.E. Logically, the calling of the little flock would draw to a close when the number was nearing completion, and the evidence is that the general gathering of these specially blessed ones ended in 1935." WT February 15, 1995, p.19 “Have No Fear, Little Flock”
2. The Watchtower had expressed the hope that a convention scheduled for May 30 to June 3, 1935, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., would be “a real comfort and benefit” to those pictured by Jehonadab. And that it proved to be! In a stirring talk on “The Great Multitude,” delivered to about 20,000 conventioners, J. F. Rutherford ... declared: “Behold! The great multitude!” There was a hush, followed by loud cheering.” WT May 1, 2001, pp.14-15 “Behold! The Great Crowd”
3. When the sounding of the seven trumpets got under way in 1922, the Bible Student convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, (Rev.8:7) featured a talk by the president of the Watchtower Society, J. F Rutherford, based on the scripture, Revelation Its Grand Climax at Hand. p.172 ”The kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.”
4.“In 1918 he (the apostle Peter) was resurrected to the heavens along with the other faithful members of Christ’s congregation who had died prior to that time. WT February 15, 1966 p. 123 “Does Peter Now Use the Keys of the Kingdom?”
5.“Evidence from the prophecies of the Bible and their fulfillment in our time indicates that Jesus Christ came with his Father, Jehovah God, to the temple for judgment in 1918 C.E.” WT June 1, 1967, p. 345 “The Wedding That Brings Worldwide Rejoicing”
6. “When Jesus came to God’s spiritual temple in 1918 for the purpose of judging men, Christendom was rejected.” WT August 1, 1960, p. 462
7. “On arriving’ to inspect the ‘slave’ in 1918, Christ found a spirit-anointed remnant of faithful disciples who since 1879 had been using this journal [the Watchtower] and other Bible-based publications to provide spiritual ‘food at the proper time.’ He acknowledged them as his collective instrument, or ‘slave,’ and in 1919 entrusted them with the management of all his earthly belongings.” WT April 1, 2007, p.22
Then I would draw attention to each quote, one by one and ask the following questions.
1. Does the Bible teach that the anointed class was numerically complete in 1935?
(We don't teach that anymore) This was just speculation then?
2. Does the Bible teach that the Great Crowd of Revelation 7 was forming in 1935 ...or is this beyond what is written?
Is 1935 in the Bible? How do you know it was forming in 1935 then? Is this more speculation then?
How was this information conveyed if not in the Bible?
How many Great Crowd members are alive today? (8 million)
Is 8 million an innumerable number? (Rev.7:9)
If the average age of the conventioners was 20, how old are they today ( over 100) none having gone through the great tribulation. (Rev.7:14)
3. Does the Bible teach that the sounding of the 7 trumpets introduced in Revelation 8 got underway in 1922? (Revelation 8 verses 1-2; 6-7)
Where is this information in the Bible?
How do Jehovah Witnesses know this?
Is 1922 in the Bible? How about Cedar Point, Ohio?
4. Does the Bible teach that the apostle Peter went to heaven in the spring of 1918?
Is 1918 in the Bible?
How was this information conveyed?
5. Does the Bible teach that Jesus was conducting an investigative temple judgment in the fall of 1918?
How do JWs know this if 1918 is not in the Bible?
How was this information conveyed to WT leaders?
6. Does the Bible teach that Jesus concluded this 1918 judgment by rejecting every church on earth with the exception of your organization?
How do JWs know this?
How do Jehovah's Witnesses know this if it's not in the Bible?
How was this information conveyed to WT leaders?
7. Does the Bible teach that Jesus appointed the Faithful and Discrete Slave at Brooklyn headquarters in 1919?
How do JWs know this is factual? Brooklyn is not in the Bible.
Is 1919 a biblical date? Who exactly was appointed?
What were the names of those selected ones? On what grounds were they selected?
Can we really know what these men were like if we don't even know their names?
Do you know what the Bible Students were teaching and practicing in 1919?
The beauty of this approach is that you don't have to prove anything to Jehovah's Witnesses...because you can't. What I want them to do is attempt to prove their religion is biblical to me...because they can't.
I call this approach, Validation Evangelism; i.e. getting them to validate their faith from the book that tells them not to go beyond what is written and not to add to His word.
They believe it gives them authority if their statements are backed with a scripture. I have done it countless times.
The fact that the verse may be out of context or missaplied is another matter
MariChii - "Why do Jehovah's Witnesses always answer questions through the Bible?"
I've actually thought more about this the past couple days.
In some cases, I suspect that it's used as a cop-out...
...a way of shrugging and saying, "yeah, our stance is, actually, kind of offensive, but it says so in the Bible, so, y'know, what can you do?"
I could be wrong.
