Is the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matt. 24:45-47?

by Roger Kirkpatrick in

thesis: when someone who is given a responsibility mistakes that responsibility for authority, bullying is very likely to occur.. jesus spoke an illustration recorded at matthew 24: 45-51 which well illustrates this thesis.. jesus asked, “who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over all his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?

happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so.

truly i say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.

Vanderhoven7

I'm looking for a recent WT quotation that says

Trust in the FS is essential to Salvation

And another that says if we don't trust the slave we are not trusting Jehovah

Anyone???

18

Does Jehovah have a visible organization?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do jehovah’s witnesses say they are god’s organization so matter of factly as though such an audacious claim is an undisputable fact?

here is how one person sees this claim.. "the entire jehovah’s witness religion is founded on unsubstantiated hubristic claims which are continually repeated until they are assumed by adherents to be a proven fact.. never is this more evident than when the beliefs of a jehovah’s witness are successfully challenged.

the more compelling the evidence against them, the more they resort to repeating their convictions with a sense of insistence, as if they are chanting a mantra.. confirmation bias is prevalent in all religious ideologies, but particularly with jehovah’s witnesses.

Vanderhoven7

@LongHairGal

Yes, in 1967 there was not enough time left in this old system to develop a career. I graduated from high-school in 1968. A fellow graduate told me there would not be time to go to university and that I would be destroyed if I did not become a JW by 1975. I told him he would wake up in 1976 with egg all over his face.

18

Does Jehovah have a visible organization?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do jehovah’s witnesses say they are god’s organization so matter of factly as though such an audacious claim is an undisputable fact?

here is how one person sees this claim.. "the entire jehovah’s witness religion is founded on unsubstantiated hubristic claims which are continually repeated until they are assumed by adherents to be a proven fact.. never is this more evident than when the beliefs of a jehovah’s witness are successfully challenged.

the more compelling the evidence against them, the more they resort to repeating their convictions with a sense of insistence, as if they are chanting a mantra.. confirmation bias is prevalent in all religious ideologies, but particularly with jehovah’s witnesses.

Vanderhoven7

@ Watcher

Does Jehovah need and use only one organization to feed and house the poor and distressed?

US Branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses provides little support to ”Distressed Households”

by Jason Wynne Feb 16

World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses, Warwick, New York The United States Branch of Jehovah's Witnesses has released a 7-page document to elders in the U.S. entitled, Resources for Distressed Households. Instead of providing practical support to members in need, they provide links to government aid agencies and other charities to find that support.

18

Does Jehovah have a visible organization?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do jehovah’s witnesses say they are god’s organization so matter of factly as though such an audacious claim is an undisputable fact?

here is how one person sees this claim.. "the entire jehovah’s witness religion is founded on unsubstantiated hubristic claims which are continually repeated until they are assumed by adherents to be a proven fact.. never is this more evident than when the beliefs of a jehovah’s witness are successfully challenged.

the more compelling the evidence against them, the more they resort to repeating their convictions with a sense of insistence, as if they are chanting a mantra.. confirmation bias is prevalent in all religious ideologies, but particularly with jehovah’s witnesses.

Vanderhoven7

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses say they are God’s organization so matter of factly as though such an audacious claim is an undisputable fact?

Here is how one person sees this claim.

"The entire Jehovah’s Witness religion is founded on unsubstantiated hubristic claims which are continually repeated until they are assumed by adherents to be a proven fact.

Never is this more evident than when the beliefs of a Jehovah’s Witness are successfully challenged. The more compelling the evidence against them, the more they resort to repeating their convictions with a sense of insistence, as if they are chanting a mantra.

Confirmation bias is prevalent in all religious ideologies, but particularly with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The reason for this is that their evangelical work puts them in contact with many rival belief systems.

In order to overcome challenges to their beliefs and to prevent any doubts creeping in, Jehovah’s Witnesses have to retreat to their echo chamber to bolster their faith.

By repeatedly discussing their beliefs with fellow believers, they convince themselves that what they teach is the only ‘truth’. As well as supporting their own need for certainty, they in turn are helping to reinforce the delusions of other members.

There is a very interesting logical fallacy which highlights this method of confirmation which Jehovah’s Witnesses use, called ‘proof by repeated assertion’.

Here is a brief description:-

“Proof by repeated assertion is an informal fallacy in which a proposition is repeatedly restated regardless of contradiction and refutation. The proposition can sometimes be repeated until any challenges or opposition ceases, letting the proponent assert it as fact, and solely due to a lack of challengers. In other cases, it’s repetition may be cited as evidence of its truth, in a variant of the appeal to authority fallacy.

…In its extreme form, it can also be a form of brainwashing.”

At their meetings, Jehovah’s Witnesses are trained by role playing, acting out the arguments they regularly encounter in their ministry. However, they only ever consider the scenarios which present the softest resistance to their beliefs.

By constantly ‘overcoming’ the more easy arguments during practice sessions, Jehovah’s Witnesses are lulled into a false sense of security, believing that they have watertight answers to all the questions and objections they can expect to encounter in their ministry.

However, in real life JWs are occasionally confronted with much more profound and difficult challenges to their faith which they have not previously encountered. They invariably refrain from directly arguing or debating on these topics, but instead use deflection tactics such as referring the questioner to their website, and then they quickly retreat.

Later, when no longer under direct pressure, JWs are likely to replay the difficult challenge over in their mind. If there are no set answers in the Watchtower literature, they are compelled to fabricate a refutation themselves, perhaps by looking for relevant bible verses. The motive for this is often more to reassure themselves than to answer the challenger.

But many times there is no valid refutation. A frequent recourse if they can't find a gratifying way to refute the objection to their religion, is to vilify the character of the challenger, as a means to negate the challenge.

They are then compelled to use flawed logic to find a ‘solution’ to the challenge. Once they have an idea, they cling to it and repeat it, however false or illogical it is, until it becomes an ‘established’ counter argument (at least in their minds).

A classic, often repeated example is as follows. After pointing out a flaw in the Organisation they will reply by saying:-

“Show me an alternative religion that has more truth than ours”.

If their adversary fails or declines to suggest an appropriate alternative religion, the JW erroneously concludes that this is decisive evidence that theirs is the true religion by default.

Many people who have had encounters with Jehovah’s Witnesses will recognise this trait. Very often, when Jehovah’s Witness are confronted with contrary evidence, they simply repeat an invalid point over and over, even though they have been presented with well-founded objections or incontrovertible evidence.

After several such encounters, Jehovah’s Witnesses begin to have misplaced confidence in their false reasoning, which leads them to the absurd conclusion that their religion is the only one God is backing.

The Watchtower literature is also a factor which builds confidence in JWs that their religion is God’s organisation. The articles repeatedly make the hubristic claim that they are God’s ‘channel’, that God is using the ‘Faithful Slave’ to convey his message, etc.

Despite the lack of sufficient evidence, the constant repetition of these claims forms a confirmation bias in the minds of the followers, and these invalid assumptions become an established fact.

One only has to read the posts of many JWs on Quora to see this process in motion. There are countless answers from JW apologists in which they claim to be God’s people.

Remaining in an environment where this predominant attitude is constantly played out, has convinced millions of followers that their religion is God’s organisation, even though they lack sufficient evidence to back up this baseless claim."

Giles Gray

61

Why are so many Jehovah’s Witnesses Angry and Rude?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do you think many jws are hostile and rude?

or is that just my imagination?.

mark jones writes: the vast majority of jehovah’s witnesses are nice people.

Vanderhoven7

Peaceful Pete,

Thanks for living up to your handle and expressing your concern for Witnesses coming to this site. As Christians, If we do not share the truth in love or out of love for Jehovah’s Witnesses and others we fail to glorify God.

28

Bait and Switch "Bible studies"

by Vanderhoven7 in

mark jones, a witness for over 30 years describes what jws call bible studies offered to the public.. .

"they (jehovah's witnesses) offer you a free home “bible” study - which turns out to be a study of a watchtower publication with the bible brought out as an afterthought to try and prop up whatever current idea the governing body are claiming is “the truth” this week.. i think it’s underhanded.. when my parents became jehovah’s witnesses and they offered people a free home “bible” study, this is what they brought to study with them:.

what, did you think they were going to study the bible with you?.

Vanderhoven7

Mark Jones, a Witness for over 30 years describes what JWs call Bible studies offered to the public.

"They (Jehovah's Witnesses) offer you a free home “bible” study - which turns out to be a study of a Watchtower publication with the bible brought out as an afterthought to try and prop up whatever current idea the governing body are claiming is “the truth” this week.

I think it’s underhanded.

When my parents became Jehovah’s Witnesses and they offered people a free home “bible” study, this is what they brought to study with them:

No longer in print or referred to, because the predictions and claims in it failed. The people who were duped into studying it and becoming Jehovah’s Witnesses and promised that they’d live forever in paradise on earth - died.

When I was a Jehovah’s Witness and the offered people a free home “bible” study, this is what we brought to study with them:

No longer in print or referred to, because the claims in it turned out to be false even by Jehovah’s Witness standards. So it should have been called “What did the bible really teach from 2007–2016?”

Today, when Jehovah’s Witness offer people a free home “bible” study, this is what they bring to study with them:

What, did you think they were going to study the bible with you?

Hahahahahahaha - no.

Go ahead and ask them for a bible study and make clear that you’ll only use the bible and no magazines. They might agree at first (might)… but when its made clear during the first study that you wont use their literature they’ll end the study with you. One reason being, 99% of Jehovah’s Witnesses dont even know what they’re supposed to believe anymore and have never actually read a real bible in context.

The “bible” will be brought out every now and then, you’ll be told to jump around to different scriptures out of context to make it look like the magazine or book is correct and if you dont agree with their leader’s interpretation of scripture you’ll be regarded as “not honest hearted” or “insincere for the truth”.

You’ll also notice that the “bible” they use isn't even called a bible. For legal reasons it’s called “The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures”. Have a look who was on the translation committee… oh, no, you cant. Because non of them are in any way educated in biblical languages, history or theology.

It’s impossible to be baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness by actually studying the bible and the bible alone.

They dont allow it. No, you have to study what the leaders are saying is true this week via their literature (subject to change) and change your mind as to what is “the truth” when they tell you to.

You know, like a cult.I

61

Why are so many Jehovah’s Witnesses Angry and Rude?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do you think many jws are hostile and rude?

or is that just my imagination?.

mark jones writes: the vast majority of jehovah’s witnesses are nice people.

Vanderhoven7

Vidiot 👍😎

61

Why are so many Jehovah’s Witnesses Angry and Rude?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do you think many jws are hostile and rude?

or is that just my imagination?.

mark jones writes: the vast majority of jehovah’s witnesses are nice people.

Vanderhoven7

@ Peacefulpete,

I can't remember anyone on this forum being rude or nasty to me.

The irony is not that JWs on this forum are or are not polite, but that they are talking to Ex-JW apostates against the instructions of the Faithful and Wise Servant on whom their salvation depends. So I'm sure they wouldn't have the audacity to report their efforts here as service time.

61

Why are so many Jehovah’s Witnesses Angry and Rude?

by Vanderhoven7 in

why do you think many jws are hostile and rude?

or is that just my imagination?.

mark jones writes: the vast majority of jehovah’s witnesses are nice people.

Vanderhoven7

Good point Peacefulpete! A wise man once said," Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

And as Mark Jones commented in the OP:

"The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses are nice people. They strive to be honest and try their best to do what they’ve been told their god wants them to do.

The angry, hostile and rude Jehovah’s Witnesses you find on forums are not representative of the whole bunch. They’re not even supposed to be on here as their leaders forbid it. They’re often committing a disfellowshipping offense by communicating with former members - the irony is lost upon them."

Perhaps Scholar and Fisherman would like to address this irony as obedience to the Faithful Slave is necessary for salvation, i.e., survival at Armageddon. if I'm not mistaken.

19

Are Jehovah's Witnesses who are disfellowshipped allowed to communicate and comfort each other while waiting to be reinstated?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i just read about a disfellowshipped person who was looking for other disfellowshipped persons to socialize with.

what does the org have to say about this?.

Vanderhoven7

Fulfilling the org's claim that many who apostatize are mentally diseased.

Vanderhoven7

Posts by Vanderhoven7