The idol of 'accurate knowledge'

Noumenon

JWs certainly do bang on a lot about 'accurate knowledge'. For most Christians John 3:16 is the most important verse in the bible, but to JW's John 17:3 is. JW's are so enamored with this concept of 'accurate knowledge' above all else that they have basically made an idol out of it. The need to have all this 'accurate knowledge' is highlighted with nauseating frequency and persistency, even more so than any emphasis on more fundamental concepts taught by Christ, such as mercy, prayer, kindness, and loving our enemies. The whole organisation is built around this idol of accurate knowledge. It has become a kind of golden calf to them. Jesus is relegated to a good teacher who told lots of nice lessons primarily, from which the kiddies can mainly benefit. He is in effect a kind of 'Aesops fables' figure, providing good moral lessons for us all, but of far more importance is to study, study, study and make sure you don't miss a beat of the institutionalised progamme of burdensome prosaic dry meetings. One must read all the magazines, mark up their Watchtower, mark up their bookstudy book, read the latest brochures and releases, read this, read that, study this, study that.

JW's revel in their so called 'accurate knowledge' and pity all the rest of those poor ignorant fools in Christendom and in the 'world' who do not have this special version of accurate knowledge that they alone have been blessed to receive. All those fools believing in the trinity, hell, immortal soul, etc etc. God is sure to slaughter them for not accepting the accurate knowledge that JW's alone possess. Isn't it grand.

The similarity between the GB and other WTS leaders and the religious leaders in Jesus time is there for everyone to see. Like the proud Pharisees in Jesus time the JW elite glory in their special and enlightened knowledge of scripture, their spiritual banquets and feasts, their language of truth, while the amharets in the world and in Christendom must starve on spiritual junk food. 'Cursed are this people who do not know the law'.

All hail our saviour and life-giver - ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE.

VM44

and what the Watchtower dishes out is...INACCURATE KNOWLEDGE! --VM44

El blanko

Jesus is relegated to a good teacher who told lots of nice lessons primarily, from which the kiddies can mainly benefit.

I don't think that is exactly true, but I know what you are getting at.

It's crazy isn't it, the term "accurate knowledge" is used to support many ideas within the organization, yet the precepts are not to be challenged. So a witness cannot actually test out whether the knowledge is accurate in the first place

That is not really fair in my considered opinion.

kwintestal

And it's not even accurate!

Kwin

Narkissos

Insightful post.

Leaving aside the highly dubious interpretation of epignôsis as "(doctrinally) accurate knowledge" (especially in Johannine literature), I feel most of us actually began to break free from "accurate knowledge"(TM) when we realised, not that it was wrong, but that we just didn't like it (even if it were true). Only when we come to trust such a personal feeling better than guilt and fear do we dare challenge the "accuracy" of "accurate knowledge". Those who don't trust their "devious heart" (TM) will never "know"...

Honesty

Occult - (o-kult') adj.

1. beyond ordinary understanding.

2. secret; known only to the initiated

3. hidden knowledge.

FairMind

I guess my thinking is that while accurate knowledge is important and in some areas critical, it still is not what leads to one's salvation. The Bible teaches that it is faith in God and in the ransom sacrifice of his son Jesus that puts one on the narrow road to everlasting life. I really believe that the main reason the WTS stresses their brand of accurate knowledge is to keep JWs so busy studying WT literature that they don?t have time to question it.

sweet tee

most of us actually began to break free from "accurate knowledge"(TM) when we realised, not that it was wrong, but that we just didn't like it (even if it were true

Here! Here NSSE

Bottom line is their knowledge is errant and should be plain to see to all jdubs. They hear the flip-flopping of prophesy but they still go along with the FDS ... actually believing there is no where else to turn. I'm glad to hear there is an exodus in the US and elsewhere. It's a very good thing !!!

heathen

Good points --- The accurate knowledge of "Truth" includes the testing out of inspired exspressions and it's clearly to see who is the false prophet . Let those that claim to speak for God be known for their error so people who really do hunger and thirst for knowledge can find Truth . They even dodge the issue when convenient that the holy spirit bears witness to the spirit imparted to humans by stating they are not spirit inspired . I can imagine the meetings that go on in brooklyn , well look here we were wrong again , it's time to tell people we aren't spirit inspired but let's not say we are a false prophet , they'll never understand what we are doing because we will say we are the FDS and enforce a stricter code of loyalty to the organization . We already have them brainwashed to believing they need to sell magazines for salvation ...................

peacefulpete

Many high control, world renouncing religions use a technique, called "Sacred Science" in which the group or it's leaders are claimed to possess knowledge that is both exclusive to themselves and the key to pleasing god or enlightenment. The Wt's emphasis on "accurate knowledge" is part of this technique. The next step is to convince recruits that this accurate knoeledge is revealed through them as the sole agents of God. Even years after the recruit is invested in the group, they continue to insist that the reason they became JWs was because "only the WT" has the truth aka accurate knowledge. This illusion is reinforced through the use of a number of related techniques including "Information Control" which for most all such groups means warning against the evils of other church's and opinions, and opening discouraging study outside the literature provided by the group's leaders.

The idol of 'accurate knowledge'

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