AlanF
Yadirf, if a group of men claims to speak for God, but promulgates false teachings such as banning blood transfusions, the 1914 doctrine, and so forth -- teachings that sometimes result in the death of someone -- then they are false teachers, which means they're false prophets, and they have bloodguilt for causing the deaths.
According to that way of reasoning then, Alan, those with wrong concepts, referred to at Daniel 11:35 -- mistaken concepts which result in the stumbling of "some" -- would have to be "false teachers" and "false prophets" as well. Of course the context suggests otherwise, because the outcome is favorable in that a refinement takes place for the better. That particular text in its entirety revolves around those who are sincere promoters of God's interests. The WTS fits that description.
According to Proverbs, anyone declaring the righteous one wicked is detestable to God. JW leaders do exactly that by disfellowshipping people whose only 'crime' is to disagree publicly with some teaching.
There's much more to it than what you're intimating here, although I haven't the desire right now to go into it in depth.
They deceive people in the first place, then hold over them the sword of disfellowshipping.
They've never deceived me. I don't think that the word "deceive" is appropriate. Yes, they've made erroneous applications to the Bible and taught that, but it wasn't for the purpose of deceiving their students.
I'm glad to see that you understand that Daniel 11:35 applies before "the time of the end". But because JW leaders teach that we've been in "the time of the end" since 1914, they're teaching yet another falsehood in the name of God.
And I'm glad to see that you understand what I myself derive from that text. Actually the very fact that the Society has taught for so very long now that "the time of the end" started in 1914 (87 years past now), but in reality it didn't, makes the scripture all the more meaningful. Why? Read it again, it's as if it addresses that very problem ... a problem unique to the WTS. NOTE: "For the time of the end is
YET for the time appointed." Can you get the feel of those words in light of the fact that the Society has from its inception preached something contrary to reality on that point.
Just how many things does a religion have to get wrong before an intelligent person will realize that it has no more or less to do with God than any other? JWs apply one standard to others and another to themselves -- all so as to tell themselves that they're "the one true religion". If they applied the strict standard they apply to others to themselves, and were honest about the results, they'd immediately realize that they're very little different from religions that they regard as cults.
Accuracy though is not so much an identifying mark of true Christianity as is a genuine dedication to do God's will. Those in association with the WTS will place their lives on the line out of a desire to obey God. The same is not true however with Christendom as a whole, as seen by her being so much a part of the world (she's extremely nationalistic, as one example).
There is no evidence whatsoever that JW leaders were appointed by God or Christ to do anything, not in 1919 and not before. Their claim to have been specially appointed is yet another proof that they're a cult, since normal people don't do this.
True, the appointment mentioned a Matthew 24:47 hasn't been realized yet, because Jesus hasn't returned. However, Jesus surely appoints "over his domestics" (verse 45) those who show the sort of dedication which the WTS has demonstrated, even from its earliest days. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind who Jesus has appointed over his “domestic” in this day and age, whether it was in 1919 or not.
I wonder what you will do, Alan, once the refinement spoken about in Daniel has been fully accomplished. Will you then say: "See, the WTS finally came around to seeing things our way." One thing that you want to realize though is that the refinements will come about as the result of loyal ones having stumbled, not the other way around. It appears too that the site at the link which LPH supplied is the work of those who are behind the work of the WTS, not fighters against it ... which you are.
Yadirf
Daniel 11:35 ... a KEY prophecy that must be fulfilled before the "time of the end" gets underway.
