I am curious to find out what the members of this forum have to say in support of the authority behind everything that The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society stands for. Personally, I think that the WTBTS has no greater authority than the pope.
Watchtower Authority - Part 1
by Voice 12 Replies latest jw friends
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stillajwexelder
It has less authority than the Pope - at least the Pope is a recognized head of state -- The Vatican is an official state.
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Voice
By your answer, I would presume you are not a JW.
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Sirius Dogma
Voice,
Most people here are Ex-JW's, not JW's.
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Voice
Hi Sirius,
That is news to me. I just joined.
But, judging by the threads I have read, I was under another impression. Most here seem to agree, for the most part, with Watchtower jargon. Maybe I haven't read enough.
But it is nice to know that some JWs are on this forum. Perhaps my contributions may help to open their eyes. But, then again, I am sure that it may be impossible for many of them to break from Watchtower slavery, if most or all of their friends and family are JWs.
Personally, I can remember a time when I was a Salvationist, a Pentecostal, a Nazarene, and a Baptist. But, through much personal contemplation and research into spiritual things, I have finally arrived at my own conclusion about my existence and ultimate fate. And, quite honestly it does not fully comply with the most fundamental conclusion of any of those institutions, of the Bible, or of any pro-heaven and pro-hell dogma.
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DevonMcBride
Welcome Voice. The Watchtower authority is a group of uneducated men and nothing more. The Pope on the other hand is more than just a religious figure, he is a political world leader. Vatican City is their own country with embassies around the world and the Pope is in charge. BTW, I'm not Catholic nor am I Christian and I don't hold faith in any organized religion that puts men in charge.
Devon.
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DevonMcBride
stillajwexelder,
Sorry I repeated your thread, I posted mine before reading yours.
Devon
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jgnat
I assume you are talking about SPIRITUAL authority? The WTBTS claims authority as the Faithful and Discreet Slave (Matthew 24:45) providing food in season. They claim to come from a long line of faithful Anointed, passing on the Truth from generation to generation. Prior to 1847, their lineage is spotty.
The pope of the Roman Catholic church claims authority from Peter the Rock, whom Jesus charged to "feed my sheep" (John 21:18). The Pope's lineage is likewise spotty, but I believe it is better documented.
Both claim to be the custodians of God's sheep. I would think the sheep would be in better condition to know whether they are well-fed or not. Also, neither organization has had recent, direct confirmation of their authority from God.
Why not go directly to Jesus, our mediator?
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Voice
Thank you, Devon!
I couldn?t agree with you more about the Watchtower men. The way they support some of their most dogmatic positions leads me to believe that they are more childish than anything else. They don?t seem to know the meaning of the word ?reason?, though they think they do. In fact, their reasoning is so incomprehensibly stupid that I find it impossible to believe that they could persuade anyone without resorting to brainwashing tactics.
I think you are on the right track, as far as your non-committal to another?s faith is concerned. I believe that everyone should learn to think for him or herself about religious issues and not feel obligated to hold to any objectionable teaching or faith.
Jgnat!
The authority that I am referring to is the authority to tell the truth about anything. So, in a very real sense, you could call that ?spiritual?.
And, yes! I believe it is far more in line with the clearest possible teachings of Holy Scripture to consider Jesus to be the ultimate authority on Christian doctrine and practice.
I too am Canadian!
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jgnat
Voice! The only authority others can have over us is the authority we give them.
The authority that I am referring to is the authority to tell the truth about anything.
By that definition, I give that authority to anybody who by their word and deed have proven themselves truth-worthy. One little lie, and they lose out with me.
Welcome, fellow Canadian!