The 3 Most Twisted Scriptures in JW Thinking

metatron

Once upon a time, a bible edition was said to have been printed that accidentally omitted

a "not" in a critical text. Thus, the "Thou Shalt Commit Adultery" bible was created - and

quickly destroyed thereafter. Too bad Christendom didn't have a knee-jerk reaction as

Witnesses may, in declaring "new light" when they supposed it to have been manifested.

Thus, we have an example of a clear Bible command being contravened by a printing

mistake. What is more impressive than this takes place when the Watchtower engineers

a scripture into justifying something that is the direct opposite of what the author intended.

Of these, 3 stand out as particularily galling.

1st, Matthew 6:9 "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified".

Jesus did not say "Jehovah, let your name...." He chose to avoid that and use "Father"

as he did thruout his ministry. Jesus chose to avoid using "Jehovah" during his sacrificial

death, even when his quotation was transliterated for the whole world to see ( Matt. 27:46)

Clearly, Jesus liked the universal notion that God was everybody's Father.

So, how is it that the simple words of the Lord's Prayer get twisted into a cultish and

narrow view that God will hate you if you fail to use his 'special' name? ( that Jesus

didn't bother with , in teaching prayer, either?)

Genesis 9:4 "the life is in the blood" ( various)

What is the purpose of blood? To sustain life. To permit your brain and eyes and

fingers to move and live. That's what blood is for.

Any thought that blood exists to be "poured out" as part of some religious ritual

is clearly a case of "not seeing the forest for the trees"! ( and ignores the moving

eyes and fingers and benumbed brain of those would defend Watchtower silliness

about blood!)

Jesus made the matter of the Sabbath clear by noting that "the Sabbath was made for

man and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27) Was blood made for man -- or was man

made for blood? The whole transfusion issue is an example of true perversion - wherein

something is twisted into opposition of its original intent - the sanctity of life.

And finally, the whole Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. ( Matt. 25:31 - 46)

A simple reading of the story reveals that the downtrodden "brothers" of Christ

are STRANGERS to BOTH THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS! (vs 35, 46). The entire

illustration hangs on that one point - be nice to downtrodden people because they

might be the Favored of God! The plain purpose of this parable is to encourage kindness

and compassion in the midst of a brutal empire.

Instead of all this, the Watchtower manages to throw out any notion of generalized

charity towards the common oppressed ( sick, in prison, strangers, naked, hungry) and

conclude that peddling magazines and working in sweatshop factories to further the aims

of a few well-known elderly men are what Jesus expects for gaining salvation. Thus, the

whole thrust of his words is lost - and again - warped into narrow and cultish fealty.

These are the worst I can find in their import to Witnesses. You may have other choices,

according to your background.

metatron

All valid points and make you think about how reasonings are arrived upon there. I have to many to mention in this forum but I think it is valuable to open this for discussion for people who have questions on these subjects.Personally I am burned out on thinking to deeply on subjects like this for myself since I spent so many years of my life giving "public talks" on the same things but keep'em coming because it is a great way to keep the gray matter active!! GREAT JOB11

omegaone

OOOPS...GREAT JOB!!

Carmel

In the Quran, Muhammed tells His followers that the " bible has been corrupted by those who follow Jesus". For centuries this was interpreted literally by Muslims and the most of them today believer the bible has been falsified to a great extent by inclusion of human text. The Bahai' founder Baha'u'llah, however, says that Muhammed meant by corruption, was faulty interpretation for want of personal leadership by the church leaders. This has given rise to complete abandonment of the spiritual themes to be replaced by nonsensical ritual and ceremony as well as doctrins that contravene logic and reason.

What you describe of the GB and their obfucation would seem to be in the same vein.

carmel

Satanus

Another scripture twisted is john 1:1. Once a person understands what it is saying, it's a very simple concept. Us pantheists take it a step further.

S

Satanus

Carmel

A question for you. Do you know if arabic was used to help to figure out some hebrew words? I know that the script is different, but one book i am reading claims that some word structure is similar, or the same in some cases.

S

funkyderek

Revelation 22 is a blatant example of the convoluted method of translation in the NWT. To avoid the obvious conclusion from the text that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, they separate verses 12-15 with a set of quotation marks to make it seem that Jehovah is being quoted rather than Jesus. It's an utterly impossible interpretation of the text. In any normal translation the phrase "I am coming quickly" is uttered three times by Jesus. In the NWT it is uttered twice by Jesus and once by Jehovah, although the latter doesn't at any point introduce himself, and when he's finished, Jesus immediately continues speaking.

blondie

John 13:34,35

As far as I am concerned, this is the scripture the WTS twists the most.

azaria

Revelation 22 is a blatant example of the convoluted method of translation in the NWT. To avoid the obvious conclusion from the text that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, they separate verses 12-15 with a set of quotation marks to make it seem that Jehovah is being quoted rather than Jesus. It's an utterly impossible interpretation of the text. In any normal translation the phrase "I am coming quickly" is uttered three times by Jesus. In the NWT it is uttered twice by Jesus and once by Jehovah, although the latter doesn't at any point introduce himself, and when he's finished, Jesus immediately continues speaking.

How do witnesses reconcile these two verses: Even though I don't believe in the NWT I am quoting from that book just to show that they have interpreted something correctly. In their own version of the bible it states that both God and Jesus are the First and the Last. Isaiah 44:6 I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God. Rev 1:17-18 Do not be fearful. I am the First and the Last, and the living one, and I became dead, but look I am living forever and ever,

Noumenon

Genesis 9:4 "the life is in the blood" ( various)

What is the purpose of blood? To sustain life.

A JW sympathiser or apologist might counter-act this by saying - What right then does God have for condemning people who commit fornication and adultery when what is the purpose of sex - to transmit and sustain life! Assuming one has a faith in God, are we to say that God must be wrong to kill people for engaging in activities that involves the very transmission of the life process? So to say that blood transfusions are entirely permissible based on the Franzian argument that 'blood represents life, not death' might be questionable, especially given such a clear edict in the scriptures. The comparison made with the Sabbath issue is probably more valid because it shows that God and Jesus can be flexible about things that might seem otherwise set in concrete, something the Society aren't prepared to be. Personally I believe that a baptized, more or less adult, Christian should abstain from blood transfusions, but that this should be a matter of conscience not grounds for disfellowshipping (because there are strong arguments for and against). What I feel is very wrong is the policy that has led to JW parents allowing their children and babies to die for want of a blood transfusion. Children and babies cannot make up their own mind about such things and therefore cannot take a conscientious stand on such an issue. They do not come under God's law, not having been baptized. The Society's emotional blackmail of parents in forcing them to 'sacrifice' their children at the alter of religious legalistic pedantry is wrong, a clear case of pushing aside the higher issues of love, mercy etc for the sake of squeezing the gnat.

And finally, the whole Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. ( Matt. 25:31 - 46)

A simple reading of the story reveals that the downtrodden "brothers" of Christ

are STRANGERS to BOTH THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS! (vs 35, 46).

I'd say that's purely open to interpretation. Why would Jesus refer to total strangers as his 'brothers'? Seems out of context with the rest of the new testament.

The most abused scriptures by JW's to my mind are Matt 24: 45-47 re the Faithful and Discreet Slave. A small elite clique keeps millions in mental bondage because of the view that they are God's sole channel; a view that has arisen because of the erroneous interpretations of this small passage of scripture.

The 3 Most Twisted Scriptures in JW Thinking

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