Watchtower Comments - Missionary

Interview with L. Goller, graduate of the Watchtower School of Gilead, Jehovah's Witnesses' missionary program.

PART 1



PART 2

Fear of being shunned.

A Jehovah's Witness speaks out by means of an animated character for fear of being disfellowshipped.

Wedding Rings - Pagan, but Allowed

Watchtower 1952 June 15 pp.361-2 The Marriage Ceremony

We, of course, recognize that rings are used extensively in many pagan rituals. This fact, however, in no wise prohibits their use in any Christian service, particularly when the Bible mentions their use with approval. It is certainly more reasonable to expect that Satan, the mimic god, copied their use from Jehovah, rather than to accept the untenable position that Jehovah copied their use from demonic heathen practices. However, if some prefer to dispense with them in their marriage service, it is their right to do so. On this point let each one feel quite free to do that which is proper and right in his own mind.

Watchtower 1956 September 15 p.571 Marriage Ceremony and Requirements

Even where the wedding ring is recognized as marking a married woman and serves notice upon anyone with passionate desires, some may conscientiously object to featuring a ring in the ceremony, having in mind the pagan origin of the customary wedding ring in Christendom.

Watchtower 1972 January 15 p.63 Questions from Readers

Of course, our concern is greater as regards the use of wedding rings, since this relates, not to minor secular matters, but to the marriage relationship, which the Christian rightly views as sacred before God. Really, the question is not so much whether wedding rings were first used by pagans but whether they were originally used as part of false religious practices and still retain such religious significance. As has been shown, the historical evidence does not allow for any definite conclusion on this.

For the full quotes, visit http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/wedding_rings.html

Excommunication/Disfellowshipping is pagan practice

Here is a scan of the Awake-1947-January-8-p.27. This scan was made avialible by Atlantis at JWD.

JWs are very strict when it comes to holidays with pagan origins, however they practice disfellowshipping, something they once claimed to have pagan origins.

1975

In 1967, Jehovah's Witness Circuit Overseer, Charles Sunutko, gave this public talk in which it is strongly inferred that the end of the world was scheduled to arrive in 1975.

This information was also disseminated to JW's worldwide through Watchtower publications and magazines over the proceeding 7 years. This information caused true believing Jehovah's Witnesses to sell their homes, belongings, and businesses, donating mass amounts of money to the WTBTS to "further the preaching work" in order to save as many lives as possible from the impending doom.



See also http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/1975.html for a list of quotes promoting 1975.

Watchtower Blood Component/Fraction Deception

Comment made by 'jwfacts' at JWD

The Watchtower attempts to create a semblance of logic to its allowance of blood fractions by presenting the concept that blood consists of four primary "components". Use of these components are unchristian. These components can be broken into "fractions", which are acceptable to use. (w04 6/15 p. 21)



This Watchtower distinction of fractions from components is used to make it appear that a component is somehow different and hence more of a violation when used than a fraction. The fact is that a component is a fraction, these are interchangeable terms. Many medical texts refer to red and white blood cells as fractions. Likewise, text books discuss the breakdown of plasma into components.

The classification of blood into the four major components or fractions of plasma, red cells, white cells and platelets is a common one. It is accurate, albeit a basic simplification that has arisen from what results when blood is processed through a centrifuge. The result is plasma buffy coat (white cells and platelets) red cells.
However, this classification is only one of many ways to describe blood.

Blood is alternatively classified as being made of four major components of plasma, fat globules, chemicals and gas - with red and white cells being considered fractions of plasma. (http://www.mcghealth.org/greystoneData/content.asp?pageid=P02316)

Alternatively, "blood consist of cellular material (99% red blood cells, with white blood cells and platelets making up the remainder), water, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, hormones, vitamins, electrolytes, dissolved gases, and cellular wastes." http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blbloodcomp.htm

Simply put, blood plasma is a liquid made up of water, water red cell, white cells, platelets, proteins, glucose, mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide, immunoglobulins, growth factors, albumin, plus a host of other substances.

Watchtower discussion that blood comprises four components is deceptive; as their use of this definition is to make it appear breaking a component into a fraction becomes acceptable. In reality, many of the allowed "fractions" are suspended in the plasma in much the same manner "components" such as red cells are suspended in plasma.

For example, the hierarchal system the Watchtower presents is intended for it to appear that a platelet is more offensive to God than Immunoglobulin. However, in reality these are both components suspended in the plasma, and whilst "acceptable" immunoglobulin composes 1.7%, platelets compose only 0.5% of the volume of blood.

The Bible writers were unaware of any of these definitions. Blood was not separated by a centrifuge. Blood was simply regarded as blood. To contain some semblance of logic, the Watchtower should either allow blood use, or not allow it - in any form. If it wishes to disallow whole blood but (somewhat illogically) allow blood fractions, then all fractions should be considered acceptable, including red and white cells.

Serve Jehovah In Your Youth!

Can you explain "the last days"?

post originated by Mary at JWD... thanx

OK, I was working on my project about "New Light" and I came across a very interesting statement that was made 24 years ago via the WT:

December 1, 1984 Watchtower:

"....Have apostates who claim that "the last days" began at Pentecost and cover the entire Christian Era promoted Christian alertness? Have they not, rather, induced spiritual sleepiness?...."

February 15, 2008 Watchtower:

".....Since Jesus did not use negative qualifiers when speaking to them about "this generation," the apostles would no doubt have understood that they and their fellow disciples were to be part of the "generation" that would not pass away "until all these things [would] occur....."

So let me get this straight: If you believe that "the last days" started 2,000 years ago at Pentecost, then you're an 'apostate', but if you believe that "this generation" which is supposed to see "the last days", started 2,000 years ago, you're 'keeping up with Jehovah's Organization.

Am I reading this right? I wasn't even aware of the 1984 quote before, but I think, given the 'new light' about "this generation" and how it supposedly started 2,000 years ago and has covered the entire Christian Era, is quite interesting and I'd love to know how a Witness would answer you on that one.

NWT is a faulty translation of the scriptures

History of Jehovah's Witnesses Documentary

Saddened that so many have died

This story breaks my heart.


I didn't have the strength to read all these experiences.
http://www.ajwrb.org/experiences/index.shtml

Members of the United Nations

United Nations releases a letter indicating that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was a member of the NGO.

http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/pdfs/watchtower.pdf

JW's clearly going 'beyond the things written'

Perusing JWD, some interesting points were made as to unscriptural practices by the WTBS. Here are some interesting comments made:

Awakened at Gilead

1. "great crowd" of "other sheep". These expressions don't appear in the Bible together and they are different concepts. The juxtaposition confuses JWs into thinking they are almost the same.

2. "7 Gentile times"... Same explanation as above

3. "paradise earth". this expression doesn't appear in the Bible. Check out the old insight book... Paradise in the Bible is always talking about heaven.....

Seeker4

If a married couple have sex after one of them has committed adultery, this nullifies being able to use the adultery as the basis for a scriptural divorce.

Dagney

Grooooooooowing to perfection in a paradise earth.

Prov1320

My favourite is the 2 year "forgiveness" rule.

If you committed a sin (up until a few years ago this also included adultery or fornication), but no one found out about it, but your exemplary behaviour over the past 2 years has demonstrated that Jehovah's continues to bless you, then you are "forgiven" and neither reproved or removed from congregational responsibilities.

DNCall

When Paul says to "remove the wicked man from among yourselves [the congregation]" he does not state that he should be removed from your family, if he happens to be a relative. In harmony with Paul's other words regarding understanding and discernment, it would be up to each Christian to determine how to handle the family situation based on any number of variables. That is precisely why Paul did not state a rule with respect to family members. However, the Society certainly does.

passwordprotected

All the recent stuff about how, after the Great Trib and into the 1000 years, our lives will be ALL about the hard work of burying the dead, cleaning up the earth, building houses for the resurrected ones, teaching said resurrected ones the truth. G. Losch said in his recent Hawaiian discourse that, while we may think it'll be a long vacation, that certainly won't be the case. It's going to be very hard work. (Meanwhile the anointed are in heaven directing us. 2nd class citizens....) In all seriousness I found those discussions very, very depressing. (One publisher stated that it makes you wonder if it's all worthwhile...) And also none of it is in scripture. However, God is stretching out his hand and satisfying the desires of every. Living. Thing.

NBC report

When I came to realize that this was a problem and not just lies, I shook with fear remembering all the times my little one would be off running around the KH or off playing in someone’s house after the BS.