Posts by Doug Mason

77

New commentary on revelation coming up?

by EdenOne in

i heard through the grapevine about a forthcoming book:.

together through the great tribulation - come to jehovah's mountain.

still awaiting solid confirmation though.

Doug Mason

The Book of Revelation that squeezed into the New Testament was only one of a number of Apocalypses written at that time. We are aware of perhaps as many as 10 other Apocalypses, and who knows how many others were destroyed by the successful Pauline Christians.

The Watchtower therefore accepts the decision that was made by the 4th century Christian Church, the same Church that accepted the Trinitarian formula, to accept the Revelation of John as Scripture.

The Apoclypse that made it into the NT is the product of the Jewish section of the Christian movement. It anticipated that the Coming was imminent, during their own lifetime. ("I am coming soon").

It has influenced history ever since, with people in every age using it to show that it refers to their own times. Its failure, whether for the people to whom it was originally addressed or to the people in every subsequent time, has not deterred people from repeating the mistake of saying "Coming Soon".

The lesson that history teaches is that people do not learn the lesson that history teaches.

Doug

13

What is Critical Thinking? (Not the distorted view the society teaches)

by stuckinarut2 in

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6olpl5p0fmg.

this great video explains what critical thinking really is, and why it is a skill all humans need to employ in daily life.. the expression had been distorted by the society to something that is negative or wrong, yet that is far from the case.....

Doug Mason

Thank you for pointing to that YouTube video. I am currently putting another Study together and I have been concerned at the response many will have to it, should I complete it and release it.

However, I gained comfort with the thought that there are people prepared to indulge in critical thinking, who are prepared to challenge themselves, so I shall continue working on it.

-------

I find it disappointing to read the Watchtower denigrating "Higher Criticism". But even more so, I find it interesting that people do not understand what the expression means and how it relates to the other forms of Criticism.

The Watchtower does not want people to think. They demand absolute and total loyalty - a totalitarian rue - regardless of what it says, because that is subject to change.

Doug

1

Amended URL for "1919" presentation

by Doug Mason in

as the result of feedback and comments, i made some minor adjustments to the presentation on the watchtower's method for calculating 1919. these adjustments are so minor that i doubt whether most people will notice them.

i guess i am a bit of a pedant.. anyway, the urls for the touched-up files are:.

for the powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919_version_2.ppsx.

Doug Mason

Hi,

As the result of feedback and comments, I made some minor adjustments to the presentation on the Watchtower's method for calculating 1919. These adjustments are so minor that I doubt whether most people will notice them. I guess I am a bit of a pedant.

Anyway, the URLs for the touched-up files are:

For the PowerPoint Show: http://www.jwstudies.com/Appointed_in_1919_version_2.ppsx

For the PDF file: http://www.jwstudies.com/Appointed_in_1919_version_2.pdf

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi Bohm,

Thinking a bit more on the complexity of my material.

In this latest presentation, I provide no supporting evidence for the statements I make. This makes it simpler. In my Studies, because I come with no academically recognised qualifications, I need to provide support through the material provided by scholars. I always say that I graduated from the University of Life, Faculty of Hard Knocks.

I would also like to add that what I prepare is a distillation from the books that really ARE very deep and technical. So I see myself as introducing people to those resources. I am currently researching the story of Christianity's first 200 years and in doing so I am looking into about 50 books. John Crossan says that if you get two Bible scholars together you finish up with three opinions.

In the end, each person must look deeply into their own positions and adjust these in the light of mature, objective, rational information and reasoning.

Let us agree to disagree, but to not be disagreeable. Discuss ideas so that we sharpen one another's thinking so that both benefit. If that takes deep thinking, then so be it.

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi Bohm,

I apologise for the complexity of my material. I am aware of that and this is one reason I try to use diagrams as much as possible in my Studies.

My sole intention is to inspire people to dig in and research for themselves, to experience the excitement of discovery, of finding new ideas, and to arrive at their own genuinely-held convictions but always prepared to accept change and growth. I know that no one will completely agree with me. That is the way it should be. I detest the way that the Watchtower demands every mind be in lock-step agreement.

If I get the opportunity, I could convert it into a video. Maybe after the project I am currently working on?

I do not like my voice, so that would have to be taken into consideration.

Any offers?

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

vidiot,

The ancient Hebrews were into the spiritual meanings of numbers. For example, each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet was assigned a numerical value. This meant that each word was also a number, by adding the value of each letter. It did not matter which order the letters were in. The term to look up on the www is gematria.

In addition, spiritual meanings were ascribed to each letter of the alphabet. Look up Kabbalah to get an idea of mystical Judaism.

This is important when reading the Bible. It is a collection of ancient Jewish documents and they need to be read in the context of each community that produced it and edited it. It is overlaid with these spiritual overtones. It is religious history, not a literal record.

Reading it through modern eyes fails to recognise the intention of a document. When they wrote 7 or 12 or 70, they did not have a calculator or a computer in mind, not even an abacus. Rather, they were using numbers to provide meaning (compare: 12 tribes, 12 disciples, 12 gates.)

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

prologos,

I have absolutely no idea regarding that procedure. Sorry.

There is too much detail regarding the evolution of the classes (Great Crowd, the Christ, Anointed, etc.) to present here, so have a look at the following and search for "witnesses", "jonadabs", etc.

http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Watch_Tower_Society_Reveals_Itself.pdf

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

crazy,

I had another look at the presentation in light of your comments on the "7th month" and I hope I have addressed them adequately. That was a place where I had provided too much information.

Thank you for your observation and help.

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi Cyberguy,

Yes they do present some confusing positions as the result of the GB taking over exclusive right to the FDS removing designation from the (earthly?) 144,000.

It would help if we were able to draw a picture that illustrates their situation. Perhaps another picture that illustrates the slave parable. And another that links the progression of the series of parables. It's not as if Matt 24-25 is a literal historical record; it is a collection of stories that have been put togther in one place, possibly for the purpose of preaching to the early Church. Matthew's gospel was written about 80 CE, some 50 years after Jesus had been executed. It results from oral and possibly written traditions and was intended for the Jewish community of the Church (Ebionites??).

I wonder whether each "new" Watchtower idea results from the ideas brought in by a new member of the GB but he was unable to express previously.

Doug

24

The Watchtower's method to show that it was appointed in 1919 CE

by Doug Mason in

please note that when you tell me of the corrections i need to make that this is a simplfied, minimalist presentation dealing with the society's appointment in 1919.. it is available as a powerpoint show: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.ppsx .

and as a pdf: http://www.jwstudies.com/appointed_in_1919.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

snowbird,

It works like this - the Watchtower starts out with the conclusion they want to arrive at. When you look at a typical paragraph in a Watchtower magazine, the para contains the argument and then a Scriptural reference is appended as a supposed support. This is a backward way of reasoning; it is termed eisegesis, which says that a meaning is read into a text of Scripture. They are looking for "support" of their position.

Instead of dong this, we need to extract the meaning. The proper way to understand any Scripture is to recognise that they are human creations, with each written at a particular point in time and with its own immediate context. None of them was writing to us or for us. In each case, the writers intended to influence their own immediate community.

Therefore, to understand what any of them was saying, we need to know the full context, not only literature structures, chiasms, and such, but equally importantly, we need to know the contemporary context of the writers, the editors (redactors), such as their secular and religious politics, geography, idiomatic expressions, and so on.

Let me give you just two examples: (1) Much of the Hebrew Scriptures [religious propaganda by one section of the community] was formed during and as a result of the neo-Babyonian captivity/exile - the so-called Deuteronomic History, (2) Although Isaiah lived in the 8th century BCE, from chapter 40 on of the document that bears his name was written 200 years later, again during that captivity period.

Knowing these contexts helps us understand the "what", "why", and so on.

The Watchtower Society hides the Bible from its followers as completely as did the Church of the Middle Ages.

Doug