Society's position on water dowsing?

mizpah

Over the years the Society vascillated on its position of the practise of water dowsing? Does anyone know it's present position?

Elsewhere

I actually had a JW teach me how to do that. Granted, he is not a die-hard JW, but he still hangs on the fringes.

DanTheMan

I'm almost sure that it is a no-no according to the Watchtower Opinionated Pompous Asses Society. Somebody should be along with a C&P from the WT CD-Rom.

Euphemism

Latest information is g92 4/22 14-16:

Author Ben G. Hester was originally convinced that dowsing was simply a "not-yet-understood physical phenomenon." But after eight years of investigating the subject, he wrote the book Dowsing—an Exposé of Hidden Occult Forces. In it he equates the dowsing rod with such devices as Ouija boards. He found that some dowsers claim the ability to heal people—or make them sick—with a dowsing rod! Similarly, dowser Robert H. Leftwich wrote in his book Dowsing—The Ancient Art of Rhabdomancy: "The energies being tapped probably belong to powers that . . . are closely allied to those practised in witchcraft. Careless experimentation can therefore be dangerous."
To true Christians, the foregoing has an unpleasant ring to it. Whether real or fake, dowsing in such cases as noted above is clearly not science; it seems to be the occult. As scientists Evon Z. Vogt and Ray Hyman summed up in Water Witching U.S.A.: "We therefore conclude that water witching is a clear-cut case of magical divination."
Should
a Christian Dabble in Dowsing?
Of course, if dowsing is really an act of divination, a true Christian would want nothing to do with it. God’s people were commanded, as we read in the Bible at Deuteronomy 18:10: "There should not be found in you . . . anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer." The prophet Hosea bemoaned the Israelites’ failure to heed this command, writing: "My people consult their block of wood, a rod answers their questions."—Hosea 4:12, The Jerusalem Bible.
Some might object, though, that they only indulge in the simplest form of dowsing: locating water. But is water dowsing clean of all association with the occult? It is interesting to note that dowsing instructors commonly teach students to tell the rod directly what they are looking for, as if it were an intelligent entity. One dowsing instructor even tells his students to name the rod and address it by name! Dowsers often ask their dowsing rods how far down the water source lies. The rod begins to bob, and the dowser counts the number of times it does so. The final tally equals the depth, in feet [meters], of the water source! Does this not suggest that a hidden intelligence is at work?
Furthermore, water dowsing is associated with another practice that Jehovah’s Witnesses have long been careful to avoid—ESP (extrasensory perception). The Watchtower noted that connection back in 1962. Shortly thereafter, the American Society of Dowsers responded with a letter: "We agree with the theory that dowsing is a form of ESP and that engaging in any form of ESP can lead to ‘possession’ or the involvement with ‘wicked spirit forces’ unless proper precautions are taken. We must take exception, however, to your dogmatic advice of total abstinence."
What do you think? If even the most ardent proponents of water dowsing admit that it carries a risk of involvement with wicked spirit forces or even of possession, should not a Christian want to abstain from such a practice?

Thanks for the reference. It seems the Society still has not taken a firm stand on this issue. But it seems to favor the idea that it could involve the occult. It leaves it up to the individual to make the decision.

It's odd that on some issues the Society leaves no doubt as to its view. But on others it is ambivalent.

NeonMadman

But is water dowsing clean of all association with the occult?

Is the Watchtower Society clean of all association with the occult?

DanTheMan

mizpah,

even though there the article doesn't make it into a disfellowshipping offense, I don't see much ambivalence. JW's know what mother is telling them with this article:

Of course, if dowsing is really an act of divination, a true Christian would want nothing to do with it.

that line pretty much sums it up. Does the article explore any alternatives to the view presented in the above statement?

rem

The funny thing is that they actually believe it works!

rem

mizpah

Dantheman:

The "ambivalence" I meant was the shifting position of the Watchtower Society on this subject over the years. I agree with you that the latest article seems to favor condemning the practice.

minimus

Where is there a change in the Society's position that there is a connection to spiritism? The article mentioned here is pretty clear to me that the Watchtower views this as a connection to spiritism. I recall articles years ago that mentioned dowsing was a spiritistic practice. Do you have any references to suggest that they have vacillated?

Society's position on water dowsing?

Share this