Justification of misquotations

by gringojj 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • AlanF
    AlanF

    How far you get depends entirely on the honesty of the JW you're dealing with. You can score some big points, though, by trapping him into an admission by doing the following:

    First give him the quoted material, and have him read it out loud and comment on what it means. Make sure you draw him out on the specific misquoted material, and get him to say very clearly what the material means. The point is to have him state, for the record, what the material means, in his own words.

    Next, have him read the Watchtower material. Ask him about the quoted stuff. Ask if the impression he gets from it matches what he just agreed to when he read the original. It's critical to get him to see a discrepancy. Most likely he'll hem and haw and do everything he can to avoid admitting that the material was misrepresented.

    If he absolutely refuses to admit the misrepresentation, then you can handle it as you see fit, including telling him that you refuse to go along with such blatant intellectual dishonesty. If your wife is looking on, surely she'll note this with chagrin.

    If he admits to the misrepresentation, he most likely will try to play it down. He might say that it's really no big deal in view of the many other fine things in the book. That will give you another opening: "But this isn't the only one! I've found lots of other misrepresentations." Again you'll have to play this by ear.

    The overall goal is to try to get observers to see that misrepresentation of sources is not just an occasional occurence in Watchtower literature, but is fundamental to it. If an observer sees this, it's probably all over for his relationship with the Society. If he sees it and still goes along, well, that's his stupid choice.

    Some years ago a German man who had briefly "studied" with the JWs wrote me about his efforts to get a clear answer from the German Branch about a gross misrepresentation in the 1985 Creation book (on page 143, of zoologist Richard Lewontin; see http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/ce01.htm). After close to a year's worth of correspondence, and even correspondence between the German and Brooklyn Branches (Brooklyn simply claimed, without explanation, that there was no misrepresentation), the Branch admitted that there might be a problem, but it was no big deal. In 1997 I confronted the author of the book, one Harry Peloyan (editor-in-chief of Awake! ) about the overall tone of misrepresentation in the book. He refused to admit anything at first, but eventually conceded that there might be a few tiny problems. He claimed that such small problems meant nothing because the book was such a fine pointer to Jehovah and the Kingdom. So that's about what you can expect from rank & file JWs, too.

    AlanF

  • blondie
    blondie

    grinijo, I found this article about how the WTS misrepresents 1874 and 1914 and some other quotes the author uses.

    http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/lies.html

    DECEIFUL CLAIM REGULARLY REPEATED

    As for the time of Christ’s second presence, Daniel’s prophecy is again the one that gives the chronology for it. (Dan. 4:16) It was figured out as pointing to A.D. 1914, and The Watchtower called notice to the significance of 1914 in the year 1879.
    WT 1952 November 1, p. 658

    Why, then, do the nations not realize and accept the approach of this climax of judgment? It is because they have not heeded the world wide advertising of Christ’s return and his second Presence. Since long before World War I Jehovah’s witnesses pointed to 1914 as the time for this great event to occur.
    WT 1954 June 15 p. 370

    Bible chronology also fixes the time for Christ’s second presence and the assuming of his right to rule as at 1914; this date was published in the Watchtower as early as 1879, 35 years before 1914.
    Tract: Sign of Christ’s Presence 1955 p. 3

    …history confirms that Jehovah’s witnesses were the only Christian group found awake as to 1914…
    WT 1960 July 15 p. 433

    As we look back over the years, we can clearly see how God’s organization in modern times has progressed in understanding. For example, it learned that Christ’s second presence was to be in the spirit, and not in the flesh as many professed Christians believe. His rule would be from the heavens. This was a new revelation of great importance to God’s people who had been anxiously awaiting his second presence toward the end of the nineteenth century. WT 1965 July 15 p. 428

    For over thirty years before that date and for half a century since, Jehovah’s witnesses have pointed to the year 1914 as the time for the end of “the appointed times of the nations” and the time in which Christ would begin his Kingdom rule. (Luke 21:24)
    WT 1966 February 15 p. 103

    “Do you believe in the second advent of the Lord?” I asked the young man [a WTS colporteur in 1928] who came to the door. “Christ’s second advent was realized in 1914” he answered. In astonishment, I told him that was impossible. “You should read this book,” he said, handing me The Harp of God. I was baptized the following year, March 23, 1929...
    WT 1988 May 1 p. 22
    [Note: Nowhere in The Harp of God (1921) is the “second advent” of Christ put in 1914. On the contrary, 1874 as the date of the “presence” of Jesus is mentioned in The Harp of God on pages 230, 231, 234, 235, 236, 237 241, 244, 271). Also “the young man” could not have known in 1928 that “Christ’s second advent” was realized in 1914” because that teaching had not been published at that time! Even the later editions of The Harp of God (1937 & 1940) retained 1874 as the date of Christ’s “presence”.]

    He [a WTS colporteur of 1921] explained to me that Jesus had been present since 1914, invisible to man. This was the most thrilling news I had ever heard... In late 1921 I was transferred back to England, and in the spring of 1922, I was discharged from the army.
    WT l990 September 1 p. 11
    [Note: When this purported conversation occurred in 1921 no WTS publication had mentioned 1914 as the date for the “return of Christ’’—nor for nine years afterwards!]

    The Watchtower has consistently presented evidencethat Jesus’ presence in heavenly Kingdom power began in 1914. Events since that year testify to Jesus’ presence.
    WT 1993 January 15, p. 5

    …a prophecy providentially caused sincere 19th-century Bible students to be in expectation. By linking the “seven times” of Daniel 4:25 with “the times of the Gentiles”, they anticipated that Christ would receive Kingdom power in 1914. WT 1998 September 15 p. 15

  • Hellrider
    Hellrider

    LoL Blondie,I know, it`s so obvious that it can hardly be called lying anymore, it`s crossed the line into insanity! It`s as if I was to stand in front of you, looking you straight in the eye and saying "2+2 = 5". The fact that they DARE to stuff like that, it`s incredible, only an organisation that is confident it has brainwashed its members down to the fullest, can dare do something like that.

  • toreador
    toreador

    Excellent quotes Blondie

  • funkyderek
    funkyderek

    While discussing my reasons for leaving the Watchtower with an elder, I raised the point of all the misquotes in the Evolution/Creation book. He responded with something like: "So you think birds decided to fly one day, and then they just evolved wings?"

    It's difficult to argue with someone like that.

  • Pubsinger
    Pubsinger

    I have a few reservations about using the creation/evolution topic when showing misquotes.

    The subject means that the JW subconciously interprets the discussion as "doesn't believe in a God or creator anymore" rather than the actual issue of deliberate misquotes and scholastic dishonesty.

    For that reason I prefer to use the 1914/1874 stuff instead. It's easier to stick to the point and not as easy to be accused of being unbelieving/athiest

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    gringojj, I was thinking along the same lines as carla. I don't have the old wts books, but I do have some of the secular books quoted by the WTS. I've always thought it would be nice to see these specific quotes put up on a website with actual scans of both books to show they lied. I do have a web site I could use for that purpose but don't have the resources to do the project by myself. If you ever feel like sending me some of your research and scans of the misquotes, PM me and I'll see about putting them up on the web. I think they could help a lot of people. It's a big project though.

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