by hubert 35 Replies latest watchtower bible
Can j.w.'s research Russel's and Rutherford's teachings once they are baptized?
If not, where in their material does it instruct them not to?
How far back are they "allowed" to research?
Can Bible study converts ask these types of questions before they are baptized?
Hubert
I think a Witness can research about whatever they want to as long as they remember the following.
Another way to show that we trust the slave class today is to
support its decisions. Even though we may not fully understand the
reasoning behind certain decisions, we know that upholding them
will be for our lasting good. On occasion important issues have
been clarified, and we have wholeheartedly supported these
decisions. As a result, Jehovah blesses us for our obedience to his
Word and to the slave class. We thus show our subjection to the
Master, Jesus Christ.
Organized to Do Jehovah's Will Page 20
>> Jehovah blesses us for our obedience to his
>> Word and to the slave class. We thus show
>> our subjection to the Master, Jesus Christ.
Thanks Gary! I was choking on a bit of pork chop and that was just what I needed to dislodge it. Better than the Heimlich!
I called Bethel recently with a doctrinal question and they referred me to a magazine from the 70's, but then added that it was referred to in a 1986 Watchtower, so it is still considered current. Based on that statement, it looks like about 20 years back would be considered "current". Anything further back would probably only be considered historical.
Dave
I was NEVER encouraged to do research..unless it was to downgrade another religion!
They kept us so busy with current studies..bible school (Ministry) and field service..babysitting kids so others could go out in service and social functions who had time for research!
Only after leaving did I finally find reasons for my feeling that something was wrong.
And the things I found out knocked my socks off!
Snoozy..
As long as new light is supported, as far back as possible
hi hubert,
imho, BEFORE your baptized, you can ask anything you want. its after that you get yourself into trouble.
as far as i know, you can read any jw publications as long as they are jw. many older kh have these publucation right in their own library. in some you can sign them out and take them home.
i don't think you'll find that its "written" anywhere that you can study or as ???'s about older jw dogma.BUT, its sorta like beards.....no, its not "written" anywhere, but if you start to grow a beard, your gonna hear and experience some really cold attitudes, loose priveledges, ect. maybe even get shunned, unofficially.
yet, its not written rule! i know i did lots of research on this while in, and couln't find anything that would stop me. untill i actually started growing one. holy moly. you'd a thought i had been bagged in the redlight district.
i think you'll find that while unbaptized you may ask away, your supposed to. after, your gonna get into hot water. questioning anything about the society, olde or new is taboo.
harold
Isn't the one Watchtower index 1930-1985?
It is an unwrittenn rule as far as I remember.....but the attitude about this from the society is.....They do not "encourage" deep study into outdated literature. Their opinion is, ' why waste time studying material that has been paved over with new light?
I well remember when I was younger wanting to study the dates concerning 1917-1919 as these dated never added up correctly to me with prophecy. I was a servant at the time and an elder who had close ties with our current CO....told me the CO recently told him the society discouraged studying old material. If witnesses studied and "lived by" old material.....they would now be disfellowshipped for Apostacy.
Gumby
The WTS quotes from publications as far back as 1877.
I would emphasize that I am just looking at them from a historical viewpoint.
There is no official WTS stance against looking at older publications. Individual JWs may have them though.
I was in a congregation that had publications back into the 1890's. Of course, you couldn't take them out of the library. So if you read them, you had to be conspicuous about it, doing it before or after a meeting or getting access from someone with a key if you weren't a qualified keyholder.
I supposed you could be marked by certain elders if you showed too much curiosity.
That is why it is great that Russell's books and the WTs from 1879 to 1916 are available online courtesy the Bible Students as well as other publications from that time. They also have a CD. Rutherford's books are on CD too and available through Freeminds (and others). The Bible Students have reprints of the books available as well besides Ebay, alibris, and Amazon.
Blondie
If Dorothy, from the Wizard of OZ, was a JW, when Toto pulled back the curtain exposing the magician, and the manifestation of the Great and Powerful Oz told her,"To pay no attention to that man behind the curtain", she would have replied, "Oh! OK!" turned her head away from the man and listened only to the smoke and mirrors!
Can Bible study converts ask these types of questions before they are baptized?
You can ask anything you want, but the depth of the questions and the way that they are presented might cause raised eyebrows. If you're a "righthearted one" in JW lingo, then you're expected to go along with the program. Asking probing, challenging questions may cause you to be quickly written off as an unproductive study. And baptism is something that is by permission only. Permission is granted only after the student has passed a series of oral examinations given by the local elders (examinations that are largely a CYA product of the WT legal department), you can't just show up at a JW assembly with swim trunks and say that you want to be baptized.
