Since Blondie thoroughly covered every single point that I found save one, I will only comment on that one. I hope to make this a weekly tag-along to Blondie's thread, if she'll have me.
Welcome to the first installment of "This Week In Sophistry" where I will attempt to focus a lot of attention on at least one glaring flaw in reasoning.
This week, the spotlight of incredulity shines on paragraphs 16, 17 of December 15, 2004 Watchtower article entitled, "Do You Accept Jehovah's Help?"
16 Psalms 1:2, 3 says of the godly man: "His delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in an undertone he reads in it day and night. And he will certainly become like a tree planted by streams of water, that gives its own fruit in its season and the foliage of which does not wither, and everything he does will succeed." Do you see the point of that passage? It is easy to read those words and conclude that they merely paint a pretty picture of a peaceful setting ? a shade tree growing by a river. How pleasant it would be to take an afternoon nap in such a spot! But this Psalm is not inviting us to think about rest. It is painting quite a different picture, one that suggests hard work. How so? 17 Notice that the tree here is not merely a shade tree growing by chance next to a river. It is a fruit-bearing tree, deliberately "planted" in a chosen spot ? "by stream of water." How could one tree grow near more than one stream? Well, in an orchard of fruit trees, the owner might well dig irrigation ditches to bring water to the roots of his valuable trees. Ah, now the point comes into focus! If in a spiritual sense we flourish like that tree, it is because much work has been done in our behalf. We are associated with an organization that brings the pure waters of truth right to us, but we must do our part. We need to put ourselves in a position to soak up this precious water, engaging in the meditation and research needed in order to bring the truths of God's Word into our mind and heart. In that way, we too will produce good fruitage.
That passage in Psalms makes a mockery of much that Jehovah's Witnesses teach to be truth. I love the question, "Do you see the point..." Wow! Now that's effective manipulation! The implication is: "If you don't believe the way we do you are less spiritually atuned than we are." Sophists frequently use such phrases to gain mass consensus of opinion where there is no actual reasonable basis for support of a viewpoint. The artful question is followed by a farcically simplistic interpretation that would not be arrived at by anyone with an IQ greater than the upper teens (mild exaggeration). The intent? The effective sophist must flatter the victim(s) by engendering a feeling of superiority to others. This works best when the "others" are merely a figment of the imagination in the victimized mind(s). Imaginary masses of people can be as ignorant as you like in comparison with yourself, it is immaterial (literally and figuratively) that these comparative fools do not exist. Anyone would feel intellectual alongside such imagined dolts.
Are the streams of water truths from God's Word? Well, at risk of defying the magisterium of the Faithful and Discreet Clergy ... er, um, that is ... Faithless and Calloused Slave ... er, um, that is ... well, you know who I mean. Anyway, at risk of defying them I used the Bible to interpret itself (see October 15, 1998 Watchtower, p. 5 "The Importance of the Scriptures") as shameful a practice as that is.
I came up with John 4:7-15; 6:60-68; 7:37-39; 15:11-27; 16:12-16; Luke 11:5-13; 1 Corinthians 1-4; Revelation 22:17. From these scriptures I concluded that the streams of water are Holy Spirit. You know what? I couldn't find a single scripture indicating that the streams of water was "God's Word" or "truth from God's Word." Try as hard as I might, I could not find a single instance of holy spirit being supplied through an organization of any kind. I could not find a single instance of any organization being directed or led by holy spirit. There are hundreds of instances of individuals being variously directed, led, opposed, assisted, and taught by holy spirit.
Is this water only obtainable by those who are attached to an organization? Luke 11:5-13; James 1:5 indicate that there is no organization required for this water, only a receptive heart and an eager desire to know. Receptive to holy spirit, that is, and an eagerness manifested by studiousness and prayerfulness.
Jesus did not attach himself to the earthly organization of his day, and he did not hold back from rebuking that organization when it instructed contrary to God's Word - and contrary to the holy spirit. I know whose example I try to follow.
Ah, now the point comes into focus!
Translation: "Of course you see it for what it is, because you are mature enough to let us lead you by the nose ring we installed when you answered those two questions on the most important day of your life! Those other imaginary fools are the ones who don't 'get it,' not you. You're too smart for that."
Implication: "If it isn't in focus for you, you must be one of those imaginary dolts who has an overly simplistic view of things. You better pretend to be sharper than you are or else other Witnesses will think you are a fool."
And again it is the "truth" that produces fruitage. Odd how that directly contradicts Galatians 5:22, 23, isn't it? Why, Paul must have been a fool who didn't get that it is the "truth" that produces fine fruitage! Poor confused apostle Paul ... tsk ... he thought the spirit produced fine fruitage. Silly apostle, it is plain to any who are mature that it is The Truth? (Patent Pending, Wachtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.) from God's Word that produces fine fruitage. Ipso facto, Paul was spiritually immature. That must be the case, because he just didn't "get it" at all. It wasn't in focus for him. After all, what did he know? Aside from the languages the Bible was originally written in, that is, and the Mosaic Law and Talmud from the teachings of the most prominent lawyer of the time, and the pre-Mosaic Torah.
If in a spiritual sense we flourish like that tree, it is because much work has been done in our behalf.
Translation: "Jehovah, and Jesus, and the angels, and the Faithful and Discreet Slave have been digging ditches for years now. If you flourish spiritually that is no credit to you. If you have a close relationship with God, have deep knowledge of the Bible, have strong faith, and LOVE - it is only because you did what you have been told to do. It is no credit to you personally. You have no reason for boasting."
Implication: "You are a self-centered ingrate if you don't appreciate all this hard work we did to mislead you into thinking that truth from God's Word is the streams of water and that you can only get this truth through the Faithful and Discreet Slave."
Hopefully, this gives some fodder for discussion and/or thought. This has been "This Week In Sophistry" with your host, OldSoul.
Respectfully,
OldSoul
