Interesting quote - October 1, 98 WT

by Dawn 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  eisenstein

  Dawn,

  This is a good question you raised. Why would a JW not be allowed to read Crisis of Conscience?

  If every person who ever doubted or questioned something the WTBS wrote or did was DA'd or DF'd there would be no more followers. When I found this website and started reading many of the posts, my heart was beginning to be crushed, because I felt that maybe the one organization that I had held my trust in for so many years was being abandoned by God. And the more I read the more the WTBS sounded like a cult.

  People in the dark ages were burned at the stake/cross for reading the bible.

  Why would the WTBS ban anyone reading anything that may help them in their search for truth? I don't understand it, but it makes me want to spit out nails when I hear of stories on this board of good people being Disfellowshipped and Disassociated and shunned for such matters as trying to expose pedophiles, or for reading Ray Franz' book and being spied on and considered apostates, and for even being open minded to post on forums such as this and get Disfellowshipped.

  eisenstein
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  scholar

  Gamaliel

  I believe that the Jonsson hypothesis is a pece of biased pseudo-scholarship and has no evidence that would invalidate 607 and the teaching of the Gentile Times ending in 1914. I for one do not trust Jonsson as he has already demonstrated his incompetence in interpreting ancient secular evidence. He simply does not possess the academic qualifications and this is shown in his publication. The only people who have been deceived by Jonsson;s treatise are those who do not fully understand the Society's wondrous biblical chronology.

  scholar BA MA Studies in Religion
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  NeonMadman

  He simply does not possess the academic qualifications and this is shown in his publication.

  Interesting. Jonsson, despite his advanced degrees, can't disprove WT chronology because he "doesn't possess the academic qualifications," yet the "greatest Bible scholar who has ever lived" was a college dropout who failed to complete his undergraduate requirements, and who couldn't translate a simple passage of Hebrew when asked to do so in a court of law.

  And what, pray tell, are the "academic qualifications" of those who developed "the Society's wondrous biblical chronology"?
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  scholar

  NeonMadam

  Yes, your observation is quite correct but do not you see a certain irony in all of this.

  scholar

  BA MA Studies in Religion
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  NeonMadman

  NeonMadam

  Errr, that's Madman. NeonMadman. Not "Madam." You're associating me with a questionable crowd, I think...

  Yes, your observation is quite correct but do not you see a certain irony in all of this.

  What I find ironic is that, despite your claim to an advanced degree in religion, the only "academic credential" you seem to recognize is agreement with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Fred Franz was no Bible scholar. A first year Bible college student would be able to devastate his theology in many areas. What he was, was a cult leader, who used the same manipulative techniques used by other cult leaders to hold his membership in line.
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  stillajwexelder

  IMHO: The only person in a spiritual vacuum is the one who thinks they already know all there is to know and are no longer searching.

  I assume this means all those who have MA and BA and even PhD is religious studies. The most blind people and the most deaf people are those that do not want to hear nd those who do not want to see - a person like Ray Franz who see things and then finally does something about it -- despite spending most of his life in it -- to me - is a man of utmost integrity.
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  scholar

  NeonMadman

  I have never known anyone who can or has devastated WT biblical theology and by the way what contribution have you made towards a greater understanding of the Bible seeing as you are in the habit of ridiculing others.

  scholar

  BA MA Studies in Religion
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  NeonMadman

  I have never known anyone who can or has devastated WT biblical theology

  Then you haven't looked very hard. Of course, as a loyal JW, you will accept whatever the WTS tells you without question, so in your eyes, WT biblical theology is solid - after all, God's organization told you it was, right? But the fact is that it is easy to demonstrate that many JW teachings are unscriptural, and to show where the WTS rips scriptures from their context to support their doctrines - the ones they don't make up out of whole cloth without any scriptural support at all, that is.

  and by the way what contribution have you made towards a greater understanding of the Bible seeing as you are in the habit of ridiculing others.

  Please point out where I have ridiculed anyone in this discussion. I merely pointed out your blatant hypocrisy in denigrating Jonsson for his supposed lack of "academic qualifications," when in fact he does possess advanced degrees, whereas not one of those who developed the theology for the Watchtower Society throughout its history has possessed even an undergraduate degree in the field of religion, and the vast majority possessed no undergraduate credentials at all. Anybody who had earned even a 4-year degree in Biblical studies would certainly have learned enough about proper hermeneutics to realize that the WTS doesn't engage in them, but takes a completely authoritarian and dogmatic approach to doctrine.
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  jwbot

  scholar: You became a witness a long time ago (in the 60's) and I am assuming you went to college within that time? You must not have been that "spiritual" then and now. 1) You went to college during a time when the society deeply discouraged higher education, especially a masters degree which is even now discouraged by the society. 2) You went to college for religious studies, "do not rely on the philosophies and understandings of men". Did you only read JW texts for that masters degree? Probably not. 3) You are posting on a forum, apostate or not, participating on any online forums are discouraged by the society, in a recent Kingdom Ministry, how do you justify yourself? Also, I am 21 years old, a college student, a young and neive person and even I can see your spelling and grammar are horrid for a "scolarly" person. I beleive that only an insecure person would put their "credentials" after everything they post-or, that or someone with something to hide. -jwbot BA in bitching, MA in drunkenness
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  scholar

  NeonMadman

  You say that Jonsson has obtained advanced degrees then what are they?

  scholar