I honored my dad's name without ever calling him Charles. I'm pretty sure he would have been insulted if I had called him Charlie because everyone around knew him by that name...
Faulty Reasoning to Promote God's "Name"
by Dissonant15 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
vinman
It seems very odd for me to actually admit that God's name is not the most important thing. When you are in, it seemed SO clear that it was. Now I examine it, and it is obvious that they throw that name around like a lucky charm. One of the newest songs is "Jehovah is his name". That song is so empty. The Bible speaks of "a good name is better than fine oil." Charles Russell used the name, but it was more incidental. Their is no need to keep throwing a spotlight on it any more than Jesus name. In fact, if you think about it, if suddenly the organization started focusing on Jesus name and created a song called "Jesus is his name", many would wonder why. I mean, everyone knows Jesus name. Well, everyone knows Jehovah's name. -
smiddy
"The Kingdom Interlinear of The Christian Greek scriptures" published by the WTB&TS /Jehovah`s Witnesses does not contain the Tetragramaton , the 4 letters in the Hebrew text attributed to God`s name YHWH .
If it does not appear in the Christian Greek Scriptures word for word published by the Watchtower Society ,why is it in their Bible ?
smiddy
-
jhine
Smiddy , I'm sure I'm not saying anything you don't already know in replying that their arbitrary adding of the word Jehovah suits at least two purposes .
One , to reinforce this idea of them being the only group to call God by His name , which I commented on earlier .
Two , to change the meaning of verses where portions of the OT clearly referring to Yahweh are quoted in the NT in reference to Jesus so indicating His Deity .
I think it useful to answer your question , though I think that you know the answers , for the sake of lurkers .
BTW this has been covered on another thread , with excellent examples given .
Jan
-
jhine
The other thread was about the accuracy of the NWT which I have bumped if anyone wants to have a look .
Jan
-
Tenacious
I still have those even after being out mentally for almost 10 years. -
stuckinarut2
Great thread! -
Room 215
It also seems to me that the off-hand "Jehovah this" and "Jehovah that" in everyday conversation has exactly the opposite of their intended purpose: it actually devalues or cheapens it. Once you detach it from any identification with his role as the Lord God Almighty, the All-Wise, Eternal Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, it immediately devalues it to the commonplace, or to the level of "just another name.".
He becomes little more than a superstitious talisman, the evocation of a tribal desert god of the Hebrews, among his peers in a pantheon of lesser deities.
-
Giordano
Total agreement Room 215.
Probably the worst choice for Rutherford and company was to name their new religion Jehovah's Witnesses (the JW's weren't a formal religion under Russell they were called the International Bible Students). After 70% of the BS bailed out due to Rutherford's stupidity the WTBTS was desperate to re-brand themselves and become a legal religion. So they picked that name based on a casual use of that name by Russell and his followers.
When you hang a name on a god your stuck for life with it. Jehovah was a transliteration of the old Jewish God. Odd because Rutherford and the Society of his day were prejudiced against the Jewish people.
The Jews were smart to not reveal his name thus the Jewish god could not be mocked. Nor did Jesus. When Paul took the Christian faith international they didn't have to defend a name...... he was simply the Father he was Almighty God their God and your God.
By personalizing the heavenly father you talk about Jehovah God as your god not every ones god. The JW god has been diminished and to this name must be explained.
There is now an element of pandering at work in the JW world. "Don't you love Jehovah? You've made Jehovah sad. Jehovah is so happy you are in his one true organization. Jehovah helped me find my keys."
Jehovah has been reduced by the WTBTS to the status of a child.
-
Island Man
You are spot on Dissonant15! The JWs focus on the need to use an inaccurate personal name is actually quite petty and silly when you think about it.
They say bible names have meanings and God's name has a rich meaning. But they then turn around and negate that argument about the importance of the meaning of God's name, by focusing instead on the need to use a personal appellation. So which is really important - the meaning of the name or the verbal appellation? Make up your minds already, you blind guides!
If it is the meaning of God's name that is really important then that meaning is already known by christians who study the bible. Also, studying the bible reveals God's name - his character and personality. Thus, whether a christian uses "Jehovah" or not, he gets to know and use God's name in the most important ways that would matter most.
This fixation on the need to use a particular appellation thus amounts to petty superstitious nonsense that only serves to paint their God as a petty snob.