Contact With The Watchtower Society

Tha:yo:nih

Tha:yo:nih

Member
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Jesus spoke of thieves in the 10th chapter of John. Out west thieves that steal
livestock are usually called rustlers.

Well; my first encounter with sheep rustlers came about when a cheery Jehovah's
Witness came down my dad's driveway bright and early one Saturday morning back
in 1969. I was still very inexperienced at that point, and honestly believed the JW was
a fellow Christian well met.

You see: rustlers wear boots, hats, and chaps like real cowboys, they strap on six
guns like real cowboys, ride horses with a saddle and a lasso like real cowboys, and
talk like real cowboys; so neither their looks nor their manners give them away.

Well; that JW was well groomed and shiny like you'd expect a real Christian to be,
and they carried a Bible like you'd expect a real Christian to do, and they were
polite and courteous which is the kind of manners you'd expect from a real
Christian.

But when I spoke of the JW with an elder; he became alarmed because he'd been
around the block a time or two with those people and knew for himself just how
dangerous they are to youngsters like myself who thus far hadn't enough Bible
under my belt to detect a Christianized bandito when I see one.

Well; my friend told me that the first red flag I would see with JWs is their refusal
to accept that Jesus is a divine theophany, viz; they do not believe he is a human
form of God (a.k.a. Jehovah) instead they insist he was an angel in human form.

When the JW came back a week later to pick up where they left off; I tested them
with what the elder told me and sure enough my friend was spot-on. What us
sheep believe as the "deity of Christ" is not what they believe of him. Well; I
reacted badly and angrily demanded they leave and not come back.

My friend the elder then urged me to purchase a little book titled "30 Years A
Watchtower Slave" by William J. Schnell, which was a very useful source at the
time because back in 1969 there were no internet services nor even yet personal
computers to work with. In our day, I'd recommend YouTube for information
related to the JWs though Mr. Schnell's book is still available via book stores and
online venders like amazon dot com.
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Were John Que and/or Jane Doe Watchtower Society missionary to be questioned if
they believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, I can assure you they would
answer in the affirmative. However, they and the interviewer wouldn't be speaking
the same language as the conversation would be talking about two very dissimilar
processes that go by the same name. In other words: the interviewer would soon
find themselves thrown off by semantic double speak.

In Watchtower Society theology, an angel named Michael volunteered to come to
the earth to die for humanity's sins. But in order to do so; he had to relinquish his
angel existence to become a human existence seeing as how in Society theology it
is impossible to exist as a spirit being and a material being simultaneously.
However, when Michael expired, he didn't go completely out of existence. Instead,
his so-called "life force" remained intact and was transferred to a human form.

"The transferral of the life of his firstborn Son from the spirit realm to earth. Only in
this way could the child eventually born have retained identity as the same person
who had resided in heaven as the Word." (Aid to Bible Understanding, 1971, p.920)

Also:

"He had to become a perfect man and yet not lose his continuity of life. His life
force was not to be extinguished but would be transferred to the ovum of the virgin
girl, Mary." (Watchtower Magazine, Feb 02, 1982, p7)

But Michael's existence as a material being was only temporary. When his human
form passed away on the cross, the Society claims that God transferred Michael's
life force back into his angel corpse thus restoring him to his former spirit
existence; leaving the corpse of his human existence in a permanent state of
decease.

In other words: The Watchtower Society's Jesus is still dead, and his remains are
squirreled away on Earth somewhere in a condition and a location known only to
God.

FAQ: How does the Society explain Jesus' post resurrection appearances?

REPLY: Those were an artificial Jesus. The Society claims they were the angel
Michael disguised in a materialized body, i.e. an avatar. I say "disguised" because
never once did their Michael give himself away, rather, their Michael led Jesus'
friends to sincerely believe his crucified dead body was back from the grave.

* It could be argued that Jesus lives on in the body of an angel; but that wouldn't
be true seeing as how Jesus' life force would've been Michael's to begin with.

The Society has to accept the obvious fact that their doctrine implies that Jesus
Christ was never really fully human, rather, he was an amalgam of angel and
human seeing as how it was the life force of an angel that kept Jesus alive. In other
words: the Society's Jesus wasn't an organic human in the normal sense, rather; he
was an organic angel.
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A mediator is defined as one who interposes between two parties at variance to
reconcile them, viz: an intercessor.

Here's a question that someone wrote in to the questions from readers section of
the April 01, 1976 issue of Watchtower magazine, asking:

"Is Jesus the mediator only for anointed Christians? (a.k.a. the 144,000)"

The answer given in the magazine is YES.

The magazine's answer is corroborated on page 1130 of the Society's publication
titled "Aid To Bible Understanding" where it says that the 144,000 are the only ones
who have the mediator; a.k.a. Jesus Christ. (1John 2:1)

Intercession for non anointed Witnesses is accomplished on the coattails of the
144,000; viz: Jesus Christ is an indirect, second party mediator for the rank and file
via their affiliation with the Watchtower Society.

It's sort of like buying insurance from Allstate. The company doesn't sell direct; its
business is conducted through brokers. In essence, that's what the Society
presumes itself: Jesus Christ's mediation brokerage.

So then; when a JW either defects or is disfellowshipped, their pipeline to the
mediator is broken, and they right quick lose all contact with God; thus placing
themselves in grave danger of the calamities depicted in the book of Revelation.

Bottom line: According to Watchtower Society theology; it is impossible for non
anointed people to be on peaceful terms with God apart from affiliation with the
Society's anointed class, a.k.a. the faithful and wise steward.

In other words: Christ's mediation for rank and file JWs as per 1Tim 2:5 is
accomplished via a chain of benevolence that begins with Christ's association with
the faithful and wise steward; and from thence to the rest of humanity. Removing
the faithful and wise steward from the chain cuts humanity off from Christ; thus
leaving them with no way to reconcile with God.

NOTE: I've had JWs tell me that the Watchtower magazine isn't their authority in
matters of faith and practice. But the Jan 1, 1942 issue of the magazine, on page 5,
speaks for itself as a trustworthy source of Watchtower Society theology by saying:

"Those who are convinced that The Watchtower is publishing the opinion or
expression of a man should not waste time in looking at it at all. Those who believe
that God uses the Watchtower as a means of communicating to his people, or of
calling attention to his prophecies, should study The Watchtower."

In other words: the haulers of water and the hewers of wood-- John Que and Jane
Doe rank and file --are not only expected to know what's in the Watchtower
magazine, but they're also required to accept it as God's providence.

Not all JWs are thoroughly familiar with their own religion. For example some years
ago I informed one that their Jesus is still dead and his remains squirreled away on
Earth in a condition and a location known only to God. They became indignant and
accused me of a bald faced lie.

Apparently the Society grooms neophytes gradually so they don't get shocked too
soon and go away shaking their heads in awe and disgust. Scientology does that
too because if their people were told about Thetans too soon, and/or about L. Ron
Hubbard's thoughts pertaining to intelligent life in outer space, they might question
his sanity and get out early before they throw away thousands of dollars obtaining
Scientology's "clear" certification.

* You know; with all the information available these days on YouTube about JWs,
Mormons, Scientology, Mary Baker Eddy's Church of Christ Scientist, and Ellen G.
White's Seventh Day Adventists; it just amazes me there are people out there still
falling for that stuff.
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● 1Tim 2:5 . . There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man,
Christ Jesus.

There are two Greek words in use to translate "men" and "man" in that verse. The
word for "men" is anthroópoon whereas the word for "man" is ánthroopos. Both are
common words for humans in the new testament.

Now it's extremely important to note that Christ Jesus is a human's name rather
than an angel's name, viz: in Watchtower theology Michael the arch angel was
identifying himself as Mary's son Jesus while on Earth, but the thing is: Michael
could no longer identify himself as Mary's son Jesus after the crucifixion because
when her son expired, Michael's life force was transferred back to Heaven so he
could return to his prior existence as an angel; which of course eo ipso disqualified
him from getting installed in the mediator's position per 1Tim 2:5.

FAQ: Supposing Michael were to don a materialized human body. Couldn't he then
occupy the position of mediator between God and man?

REPLY: A materialized body isn't really human; it's an avatar. In Michael's case, it
would be an angel in disguise which I seriously doubt God would accept for the
position of the mediator per 1Tim 2:5. And besides, the position is patterned after
Melchizedek-- a human being rather than a spirit being. (Gen 14:18-20, Ps 110:1
4, Heb 5:1, Heb 5:6-10, Heb 6:20)

NOTE: Heb 5:1-10 requires mediators to have human sensibilities. When the
Society's Michael relinquished his human nature and took back his angel nature, I
believe it is reasonable to assume he lost the human sensibilities he had while
Jesus; thus rendering him no longer capable of relating to us as a fellow man.
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FAQ: 1Cor 15:50 says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Wouldn't that fact alone preclude the possibility of Christ's crucified dead body
restored to life and taken to Heaven?

REPLY: Yes.

FAQ: Well then; how is it that classic Christianity insists his crucified body is up there?

REPLY: Because there's more to the story.

Sometime in the future, the chemical composition of the bodies of the folks
unified with Christ will undergo a miraculous transformation as they levitate up to
meet him in the air. Their bodies will be rendered immortal. (1Cor 15:51-53 and
1Thess 4:13-17)

I should think there exists sufficient reason to believe that Jesus' crucified body
underwent the very same process when he was levitated up to heaven per Acts
1:9-11. In other words; his crucified body is no longer a normal human body,
rather; now it's a superhuman body.

● Phil 3:20-21 . . As for us, our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place
also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will refashion
our humiliated body to be conformed to his glorious body according to the
operation of the power that he has, even to subject all things to himself.
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The verse below is deliberately misquoted in order to emphasize a point. Watch for
the revision.

"It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spirit body. If there is a natural body, there
is also a spirit body." (1Cor 15:44)

There are of course spirit bodies, e.g. angels and demons. However, the actual
word in the verse above is supposed to be spiritual rather than spirit, and in some
places describes spiritual things that bear absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to
the bodily characteristics of a ghost. For example:

Spiritual gifts (Rom 1:11)
Spiritual law (Rom 7:14)
Spiritual things (Rom 15:27)
Spiritual people (1Cor 2:15)
Spiritual nourishment (1Cor 10:3)
Spiritual water (1Cor 10:4)
Spiritual rock (1Cor 10:4)
Spiritual counselors (Gal 6:1)
Spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3)
Spiritual music (Eph 5:19)
Spiritual understanding (Col 1:9)
Spiritual housing (1Pet 2:5)
Spiritual sacrifices (1Pet 2:5)

"The words that I have spoken to you are spirit" (John 6:63)

In that instance, the Greek word for spirit relates to that which is intangible;
whereas the word translated spiritual in 1Cor 15:44 is a broad category consisting
of both tangible and intangible. So then the properties of a spiritual body aren't
necessarily those of a specter.

● 1Cor 15:53 . . For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal
must put on immortality.

Immortal people are able to dine upon ordinary foods and beverages.

● Matt 26:29 . . I tell you: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until
that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.

● Luke 22:15-16 . . I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer. For I tell you: I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of
God.

● Luke 22:28-30 . .You are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I
make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a
kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom
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● 1Cor 15:35 . . How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?

Everything that we know of in the cosmos-- all life, matter, and energy --is
composed of elements listed in the so-called periodic table. (There was a time when
every one of those elements were indigenous, but now several of them are
man-made, viz: artificial.)

Well; it seems reasonable to me that if God was intelligent enough, resourceful
enough, and capable enough, to create the elements we know of, then it shouldn't
be too difficult for Him to create any number of elements that we don't know of. (I
think it safe to assume that the properties of the world above are quite a bit unlike
those of our world below.)

● 1Cor 15:50 . . This I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s
kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

(According to John 3:3-12, a portion of God's kingdom will be established on
Earth.)

Now; if I am reading the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians correctly, then verse 50
refers to Adam, i.e. to the original chemistry of the human body. It's very possible
that Jesus' spiritual body is composed of elements nobody has ever heard of; yet
remains easily seen by the naked eye.

● Acts 1:11 . . Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus,
who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as
you have watched him go into heaven.

● 1 John 3:2 . .We shall see him just as he is.

● Rev 1:7 . . Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him
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● John 3:5-6 . . . Most truly I say to you: Unless anyone is born from water and
spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. What has been born from the flesh
is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit.

One day I asked an experienced Jehovah's Witness if he was born of the spirit. He
answered no; and added that he did not expect to undergo a spirit birth in either
this life or the next because his hope isn't in Heaven.

The JW was somehow unaware that Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus wasn't about
things in Heaven, rather, things on Earth.

● John 3:12 . . . If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe, how
will you believe if I tell you Heavenly things?

In other words: the kingdom of God, and the spirit birth requirement, pertain to
Messiah's theocratic world down here on the ground rather than the supreme
being's celestial world up in the sky.

It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file missionaries
go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will never be allowed to
enter-- not because they didn't work hard enough to deserve it, but simply because
they were led to believe themselves exempt from the mandatory spirit birth.
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Many of the Jehovah's Witnesses going door-to-door throughout the world are
honestly, and sincerely, wanting to enter the kingdom of God on Earth; which is
why I'm convinced that normal Christians really ought to know something about
"hope" as it's depicted in the New Testament before engaging JWs in a conversation
about the kingdom.

● 1Pet 3:15 . . Always be ready to make a defense before everyone that demands
of you a reason for the hope in you,

The New Testament's Greek word for "hope" in Peter's instructions is elpis (el pece')
which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with confidence.
Note the elements of anticipation, expectation, and confidence.

In other words: elpis hope is a know-so hope rather than a cross your fingers hope.

So, unless someone knows for proof-positive, beyond even the slightest glimmer of
sensible doubt, that they have a passport to the kingdom of God locked in and
irrevocable, then of course it is impossible for them to comply with Peter's
instructions seeing as they would not yet have the kind of hope about which he
wrote.

● Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in the hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind dreading the
worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; but they do have plenty of cause
to fear the unknown.

Elpis hope is one of the three primary elements of Christianity. (1Cor 13:13) It's
also a calling. (Eph 4:4)

When people are lacking the kind of hope described by the Greek word elpis, then I
believe it's safe to assume that 1) God has not yet called them, 2) they have
refused His call and/or 3) they're not on His list of viable candidates for kingdom
citizenship.
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● John 14:16-17 . . I will request the Father and he will give you another helper to
be with you forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because
it neither beholds it nor knows it. You know it, because it remains with you and is in
you.

● John 14:26 . .The helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name,
that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told
you.

Rank and file JWs are taught to believe that they obtain boldness in speaking the
word of God, and zealousness in engaging in the work of witnessing, from "having"
the holy spirit. (pg 382, Reasoning From The Scriptures)

However; when speaking of "having" the holy spirit, the JWs mean that it is
alongside them rather than inside them. Only a special guild of 144,000 JWs are
believed to actually have the spirit inside them. The special guild are known as the
anointed class; a label taken from 1John 2:27.

The non-anointed class— a.k.a. the great crowd, a.k.a. the hewers of wood and
haulers of water —are in a very serious condition. Here's why:

● Rom 8:9 . .You are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God's
spirit truly dwells in you.

Seeing as how God's spirit does not truly dwell "in" John Que and Jane Doe
missionary, then they are, by default, in harmony with the flesh. That only makes
things worse.

● Rom 8:5-8 . . For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the
things of the flesh, but those in accord with the spirit on the things of the spirit. For
the minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the spirit means life and
peace; because the minding of the flesh means enmity with God, for it is not under
subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be. So those who are in harmony
with the flesh cannot please God.

The non-anointed class' situation is just too ironic for words. They displease God,
and He displeases them; yet they go door-to-door sincerely believing themselves
Jehovah's friends and allies.
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● 1John 2:26-27 . .These things I write you about those who are trying to mislead
you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, and
you do not need anyone to be teaching you; but, as the anointing from him is
teaching you about all things, and is true and is no lie, and just as it has taught
you, remain in union with him.

The anointing provides people with some valuable advantages to which people who
lack it of course have no access.

1» Protects people from deception

2» Enables people to comprehend Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them
comprehended.

3» Makes it possible for people to remain in union with him.

According to Watchtower Society theology, only 144,000 special Jehovah's
Witnesses have the anointing. There aren't that many living Witnesses who have
the anointing though because when anointed Witnesses die, their passing doesn't
create vacancies; viz: 144,000 is the maximum unless an anointed JW either
apostatizes or is ousted via the process of disfellowship.

What that means is: the vast majority of today's living JWs don't have the
anointing. We're talking about some serious numbers here.

Currently, there are approximately +/- 20 million adherents following the
Watchtower's Society's version of Christianity. Even if all 144,000 anointed
Witnesses were alive today, that would leave approximately 19.86 million JWs
roaming the earth in our day who 1) have no protection from deception, 2) are
unable to grasp Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them grasped, and 3)
not in union with him.

I'd imagine that quite a few ordinary Witnesses sincerely believe that their
association with the Watchtower Society keeps them in union with Jesus Christ; but
according to 1John 2:26-27, union with Jesus Christ isn't accomplished on the
coattails of an organization; it's accomplished by means of the anointing, i.e. no
anointing = no union.

Ironically, every non anointed JW coming to our doors preaching the kingdom of
God are themselves "those who are trying to mislead you."
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So-called Replacement Theology is just another name for identity theft. Take for
example the Watchtower Society's interpretation of Rev 7:1-8 wherein is listed a
specific number of Hebrews taken from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

The Society claims that those aren't biological sons of Israel; but rather "spiritual"
sons-- referring of course to the Society's elite cadre of 144,000 Witnesses who
have supposedly undergone a spirit birth per Christ's instructions at John 3:3-12;
& the anointing per 1John 2:26-27.

The Society's claim is premised upon its observation that there never was a tribe of
Joseph; when in reality Joseph is listed as both a son and a tribe (Gen 49:2-28 &
Ezek 48:31-34). So that portion of the Society's reasoning is clearly a false
premise.

The Society's claim is also premised upon its observation that Ephraim and Dan are
missing from the list of tribes at Rev 7:4-8. However, what the Society's
theologians have somehow overlooked in the Old Testament is that it doesn't
matter whose names are chosen to represent the twelve tribes of Israel just so long
as there are twelve names. Are there twelve in Rev 7:4-8? Yes. Well then that's
good enough. I realize that makes no sense but then the Lord's apostles were still
referred to as "the twelve" even with Judas out of the picture. So that premise in
the Society's reasoning is spurious too.

The Society's claim is also premised upon its reasoning that Levi isn't a valid tribe
based upon the fact that the Levites are exempt from warfare. However, Levi is
clearly listed as both a son and a tribe (Gen 49:2-28 & Ezek 48:31-34) which is a
good many years after Num 1:1-54. So that premise is bogus too.

The Watchtower Society not wanting the 144,000 to be biological Hebrews is one
thing; but I would just like to know from whence Charles T. Russell's and Joseph F.
Rutherford's followers got the idea that their people constitute the 144,000. That's
a pretty serious claim. How do they validate it? I don't know; but I can just about
guarantee that their explanation is an outlandish stretch of the imagination
consisting of humanistic reasoning, rationalizing, spiritualizing, clever sophistry, and
semantic double-speak.

NOTE: According to Rev 14:1-4, the 144,000 are supposed to all be males, and
none have ever slept with a woman. That, if true, would of course disqualify
married JWs and all the females among them too.
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● Matt 24:45-47 . .Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master
appointed over 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.

The core of the Watchtower Society-- the Governing Body --sincerely believes itself
the faithful and discreet slave spoken of in that passage, i.e. believes that God
chose the leaders of the Watchtower Society as His sole distributor of truth to
mankind; thus explaining why John Que and Jane Doe Jehovah's Witnesses are
taught that they need to submit unquestioningly to the Governing Body in order to
associate with God, and for protection from doomsday, viz: the calamities depicted
in the book of Revelation.

"That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true followers
in this time of the end. It is vital that we recognize the faithful slave. Our spiritual
health and our relationship with God depend on this channel." (Jul 15, 2013
Watchtower, p.20)

"We need to obey the faithful and discreet slave to have Jehovah’s approval."
(Jul 15, 2011 Watchtower, Simplified English Edition, p.24)

"[A mature christian] does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor
private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete
confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus
Christ, and "the faithful and discreet slave." (Aug 01, 2001 Watchtower, p.14)

According to the above: rank and file JWs are being taught that it's essential to
comply with the Governing Body's teachings. However; at the same time they are
warned that the Body's teachings should not be assumed either inspired or
infallible.

"The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in
doctrinal matters or in organizational direction. In fact, the Watchtower Publications
Index includes the heading “Beliefs Clarified,” which lists adjustments in our
Scriptural understanding since 1870. Of course, Jesus did not tell us that his faithful
slave would produce perfect spiritual food." (Feb 2017 Watchtower Study Edition,
¶12, under the heading: Who is leading God's People today?)

Just imagine the degree of confusion and insecurity that would pervade the minds
of Bible-believing Christians had the authors of the New Testament scriptures
attached a disclaimer to their writings similar to the above.

In addition to the Society's disclaimer -- there's a recommendation for its literature
on page 5 of the Jan 01, 1942 issue of the Watchtower magazine where it's stated:

"Those who are convinced that The Watchtower is publishing the opinion or
expression of a man should not waste time in looking at it at all. Those who believe
that God uses the Watchtower as a means of communicating to his people, or of
calling attention to his prophecies, should study The Watchtower."

In other words: the haulers of water and the hewers of wood-- John Que and Jane
Doe rank and file JW --are not only expected to know what's in The Watchtower
magazine, but they're also required to accept it as God's providence in spite of the
Society's caveat that their teachings are neither inspired, infallible, nor guaranteed
free of error.
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Some of the Watchtower Society's ethics rub people the wrong way. For example
they don't celebrate birthdays, observe Christmas, participate in Halloween and
Easter, serve in the military, nor allow blood transfusions.

Their feelings about special days are protected by the fourteenth chapter of Romans
so it would be extremely unchristian to criticize them on that front.

Their feelings about blood transfusions appear tenable from the passages below.

● Gen 9:3-4 . . Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in
the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul— its
blood —you must not eat.

● Lev 7:26-27 . .You must not eat any blood in any places where you dwell,
whether that of fowl or that of beast. Any soul who eats any blood, that soul must
be cut off from his people.

● Lev 17:10-14 . . As for any man of the house of Israel or some alien resident who
is residing as an alien in your midst who eats any sort of blood, I shall certainly set
my face against the soul that is eating the blood, and I shall indeed cut him off
from among his people.

● Acts 15:19-20 . . Hence my decision is not to trouble those from the nations who
are turning to God, but to write them to abstain . . from blood.

The Society construes those passages to imply that medical transfusions are all the
same as consuming blood for food.

Rather than get into a semantic quarrel with the Society over its interpretation of
those passages; I suggest another tact. And our purpose is not to win a debate;
only to offer a second opinion.

The Jews' sabbath law is very narrow. In point of fact, the covenant that Moses'
people agreed upon with God imposes capital punishment for sabbath violators. (Ex
31:14-15)

Now, that is very interesting because Jesus broke their sabbath on a number of
occasions, and when doing so based his actions upon the principle that human life,
safety, and welfare trump strict observance of religious law. (cf. Matt 12:3-8)

One of the best illustrations I've seen of a die-hard legalist was a cartoon showing a
man behind the wheel of his car stopped at a red light while huge landslide
boulders are within seconds of crushing to death him, his family, and the family
dog. While his wife and children shriek in mortal panic, the legalist calmly points
out that he can't move the car until the light turns green, viz: legalists typically
refuse to accept the possibility of mitigating circumstances.

Although it's illegal to run red lights, those boulders rumbling down the hill to crush
the man's family to death unless he moves the car, are an acceptable excuse to go
before the light turns green. In those kinds of cases, human life, safety, and
welfare trump strict conformity to traffic laws.

Compare Ex 1:15-21 where Jewish midwives lied through their teeth in order to
save the lives of little Jewish boys. Did God punish the midwives for the sin of
dishonesty? No, on the contrary; He overlooked it and instead rewarded the
midwives' actions with families of their own. In point of fact, their actions were
adjudged as fearing the true God. (Ex 1:21)

Should someone reading this section chance to discuss blood transfusions with a JW
from a humane perspective; I urge them to go about it with the utmost in
tact and civility because this is a hot-button issue. Should your JW audience come
to the realization that they've made a monstrous mistake, they will be
overwhelmed with guilt, disillusion, and humiliation; not to mention fear of the
organizational tsunami that'll come their way should they dare to question the
Society's stance on blood transfusions.
_
 
.
● Col 1:15 . . He is the firstborn of all creation

The Greek word translated "firstborn" in that verse is prototokos, which never
means created first; no, it always means born first. The correct Greek word for
created first is protoktistos.

* John Que and Jan Doe Witness probably don't know the difference between
prototokos and protoktistos; and no doubt would care little about it anyway. To
some; born first and created first are pretty much synonymous.

The thing to note is that "firstborn" doesn't always refer to birth order. The term
also refers to supremacy, and as such is transferable, viz: it's possible to
circumvent an elder and give his advantages to a younger, e.g. Ishmael to Isaac
(Gen 20:11-12) Esau to Jacob (Gen 25:23) Reuben to Joseph (Gen 49:3-4, 1Chr
5:1) Manasseh to Ephraim (Gen 48:13-14) and David to Jesus (Ps 110:1, Matt
22:42-45)

NOTE: The transfer of supremacy from David to Jesus is highly irregular because in
their case it was from father to son instead of sibling to sibling.

Also: the rank of firstborn isn't limited to family circles. For example the people of
Israel are God's firstborn among the world's nations (Ex 4:22) and David was God's
firstborn among the world's heads of State. (Ps 89:20-27)

In the beginning, Adam was the ranking man over all the Earth (Gen 1:26-28) but
he has since been replaced by someone better. (Dan 7:13-14, John 3:35, 1Cor
15:27, and Phil 2:8-11, Heb 1:1-2)

* It can be easily proven that Jesus is one of Adam's paternal descendants so this
again is a father superseded by a son instead of by a sibling. Well at least Jesus is a
son that Adam can be proud of instead of so many of his sons that are a disgrace.
_
 
.
Below is the text of Col 1:16-17 quoted verbatim from the Watchtower Society's
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ©1969.

"Because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon
the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are
thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been
created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means
of him all [other] things were made to exist."

The word "other" is in brackets to alert Bible readers that it's not in the Greek
manuscript; viz: the Society's translators took the liberty to pencil it in; which gives
the impression that God's son was His first creation; and thereafter, the Son
created everything else.

NOTE: I heard it from a JW that the Society's translators added "other" because
that's what Col 1:16-17 means to say even though it doesn't say so in writing. In
other words; that portion of the Society's Bible is an interpretation rather than a
translation.

One day, a pair of Watchtower missionaries came to my door consisting of an
experienced worker and a neophyte. I immediately began subjecting the
inexperienced Witness to a line of questioning that homed in on the Society's rather
dishonest habit of embellishing the Bible in order to reinforce its line of thinking.

I had him read the Society's text of Col 1:16-17 and then pointed out that the word
"other" is in brackets to alert him to the fact that "other" is not in the Greek
manuscript. The experienced worker corroborated my statement.

I then proceeded to have the inexperienced Witness read the passage sans "other".
It comes out like this:

"By means of him all things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the
things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or
lordships or governments or authorities. All things have been created through him
and for him. Also, he is before all things and by means of him all things were made
to exist."

The young man's eyes really lit up; and he actually grinned with delight to discover
that Col 1:16-17 reveals something quite different than what he was led to believe.

Had I pressed the attack; I would've pointed out that the Society is inconsistent.
They really should've penciled "other" into John 1:3 to make it read like this:

"All [other] things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even
one [other] thing came into existence."

NOTE: The 1984 revised version of the New World Translation omits brackets
around the word "other" in Col 1:16-17. However, it's readily seen from the
Watchtower Society's Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
©1969 that "other" is nowhere to be found in the Greek text. Caveat Lector.
_
 
.
● John 20:17 . . Be on your way to my brothers and say to them; "I am ascending
to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God."

FAQ: If Jesus is God, as classical Christianity claims, then how can anyone be his
superior?

REPLY: There's a hierarchy in the divine relationship just as there is a hierarchy in human
relationships. Though all members of a human family are equally human, they are
not all equal in rank and privilege-- parents are superior and children are subordinate.

The Watchtower Society calls Jesus "the only-begotten son from a Father" (John 1:14).
However; the Society dare not accept the son as the Father's literal progeny because
the ramifications would force them to revise their theology.

The Society also refers to the son as "the only-begotten god" (John 1:18). Well; If the
one true God were to beget a deity, wouldn't that deity be just as much the one true
deity as its father? Does the Watchtower Society really expect us to believe the one
true deity begot a fake replica of Himself?

For simplicity's sake; it helps to think of the one true God as a species; viz: if
indeed the one true God were to reproduce and beget a child, He would beget a
child of like species; i.e. the one true God would beget a one true God, i.e. more of
Himself, because that's the only kind of offspring that the one true God could
possibly reproduce; just as when a true human being begets a child, they beget a
child of like species i.e. they beget a true human being like themselves because
that's the only kind of offspring that a true human being can reproduce.

Now, we can volley back and forth with JWs, countering each other's verses with
more verses-- verse upon verse --but I can just about guarantee that us and they
will both be chasing our tails and getting nowhere until they agree to approach the
Son's relationship to his Father from a biological perspective; which is a perspective
that just about anybody with even a cursory knowledge of the birds and the bees
can understand with ease.

FAQ: How can the one true God be two of Himself out there when even Jesus
plainly declared there is only one true God? (John 17:3)

REPLY: The Bible also declares that there is only one Man. (Acts 17:26)

God created Man in two persons, viz: male and female. But the two persons were
not created as two Mans: they were just the one, i.e. Eve was the flip side of the
same coin. In other words: there is only one Man though the one Man is a binary
creature and can be spoken of with a plural pronoun. (Gen 1:27, Gen 5:2)

After God created Adam, he then proceeded to construct Eve with material taken
from Adam's body rather than create her from the soil as before. That way, Eve
retained Adam's humanness rather than be given a unique humanness of her own,
viz: Eve was in Adam, and he in her.

In a similar manner-- though no doubt quite a bit more complex --God's son is in
God, and God is in His son. i.e. the Son extends the Father just as Eve extended
Adam. In point of fact, several verses in the New Testament verify that the Son is
God's direct descendant, i.e. the Son is a being consisting of God similar in manner
to how Eve was Adam's direct descendant, i.e. a being consisting of Adam. (Luke
1:35, John 1:14, John 1:18, John 3:16, John 3:18, Heb 11:17, 1John 4:9)
_
 
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.
● 1John 4:1 . . Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the
inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false
prophets have gone forth into the world.

The Greek word translated "false prophets" roughly defines a supposedly inspired
speaker who's actually on the wrong side of the aisle, viz: imposters; and they are
everywhere, e.g. radio, television, the internet, social media, in print, and at our
very doors.

Jesus said that false prophets are known by their fruits (Matt 7:15-20). For
example: the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's predictions regarding
Armageddon and Christ's return have been incorrect every time. Seventh Day
Adventism's performance hasn't been any better.

Well; if a religion's predictions fail, then prudence requires that we assume its
theology is highly suspect no matter how convincing their explanations may appear.
_
 
.
The passage below from the Watchtower Society's bible ©1984 is deliberately
misquoted. Watch for the revision.

● Ps 146:3-4 . . Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to
whom no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that
day he loses awareness.

The actual passage says "his thoughts do perish" which is quite a bit different than
losing awareness.

The Hebrew word for "thoughts" in that passage is 'eshtonah (esh-to naw') which
means thinking.

Unfortunately, Ps 146:4 is the only place in the entire Old Testament where
'eshtonah appears so we can't compare its uses in other contexts.

According to Webster's the word "thinking" is ambiguous with quite a variety of
meanings to choose from; including, but not limited to: concerns, anticipations,
conceptions, opinions, imaginations, visualizations, ideas, epiphanies, plans,
schemes, fantasies, arguments, aspirations, deliberations, and the like.

For the rich man in Jesus' parable at Luke 12:16-20; I would choose ideas, plans,
and schemes.

"I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years;
take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself. But God said to him: Unreasonable one,
this night they are demanding your soul from you. Who, then, is to have the things
you stored up?"

For a contemporary example: consider all those people who perished in the World
Trade Center, and in the Japan and Indonesia tsunamis, and the Haiti earthquake.
None of them woke that day planning on it being their last on earth. No, on the
contrary; they had people to see, places to go, and things to do: but before the day
ended; whatever was on their itinerary lost its importance— their priorities went
right out the window and became no more significant than green cheese on the
moon.

All their plans, their dreams, their schedules, their appointments, their schemes,
their problems, their ambitions, their loves, and their aspirations went right down
the tubes as they were suddenly confronted with a whole new reality to cope with.

So then, an alternative to the Watchtower Society's interpretation is that people
don't lose awareness when they die; no, Ps 146:3-4 only means to say that
whatever was on their minds before they passed away is now null and void.

Take for another example Pop singer Michael Jackson. While working on a new
world tour, Jackson died in his sleep. As a result; his tour wrapped on the spot.

When my eldest nephew was paroled from prison, he quit drinking, and began
going to college with the goal towards becoming a counselor. For 2½ years all went
well. His parole officer was happy, and he was on track and getting good grades.
My nephew's future looked assured. And then on the morning of Sept 25, 2015, he
dropped dead to the floor of natural causes.

My nephew's passing was a terrible disappointment to everybody; but actually we
all kind of expected it. He was grossly overweight, had high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, rarely exercised, and smoked. But the point is; my nephew's dream
ended just as abruptly as flipping a light switch. And all of our hopes for his success
ended the same way, viz: our thoughts perished right along with his.

Death is the mortal enemy of human ambitions. It often casts its long shadow when
people set about planning their lives. The Scottish poet Robert Burns noticed that
life sometimes throws a curve ball that makes all your careful preparations strike
out instead of getting you on base.

He was working one day plowing in the field and uprooted a mouse's underground
nest who was all set for the oncoming winter. The mouse had picked a fallow field
as the site for its winter retreat thinking it would be safe and snug; unmolested
during the cold. But it didn't (or maybe we should say it couldn't) know the
workings of powers higher than itself— in this case, farmers and their machinery.

"Mousie, you are not alone in proving foresight may be vain.
The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew,
And leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy.
_
 
.
In the story told at Luke 16:19-31, there's a rich man dead and buried (Luke
19:22) and there's the patriarch Abraham dead and buried. (Gen 25:9)

Well, the thing is: the rich man is able to see from his grave over to Abraham's
grave, and they are able to communicate by voice from grave to grave. I am very
curious how Abraham deceased, and the other guy deceased, are able to
communicate with one another at all let alone through the ground like that.

Now, according to Solomon's world view, the dead know nothing (Ecc 9:10) yet
here in Luke we find the rich man deceased, and Abraham deceased, are both no
less sentient beyond death than they were while in life.

There's a diseased pauper in the story whose remains, when he passed away, were
apparently transported by celestial beings to a burial with Abraham when it's far
more likely the pauper's corpse was disposed in a city dump for incineration: yet
there he is beyond death not only interred with Abraham, but also embraced in a
hug with him who's also beyond death.

● Luke 16:22-23 . . The rich man died and was buried, and he lifted up his eyes
and saw Lazarus.

Just exactly how is it that the rich man could both see and recognize Lazarus from
below ground when quite possibly the pauper's remains were above ground
incinerated in a dump? How it is that a dead man's eyes are in any way functional
at all? Aren't graves supposedly pitch black dark? Are dead folks equipped with
night vision or maybe even X-ray vision so they can see thru the ground into other
graves?

Now; at some point during his nautical adventure, Jonah was taken to a place
identified as sheol (Jonah 2:2) which he located at the bottoms of the mountains.
(Jonah 2:6)

Well; the bottoms of the mountains aren't located in the tummies of fish, nor are
they located under the sea, no; they're located deep underground. So, the only way
that Jonah could possibly be at the bottoms of the mountains while simultaneously
in a fish's tummy was for the man and his body to part company and go their
separate ways.

Also, the language of Jonah's recorded prayer strongly suggests that he underwent
a resurrection.

"But out of the pit you proceeded to bring up my life, O Jehovah my God." (Jonah
2:6)

The Hebrew word for "pit" in that verse speaks of putrefaction. The very same
Hebrew word is located in Ps 16:8-10, which Acts 2:25-31 verifies is speaking of a
dead body.

FAQ: Why should we care whether Jonah was dead or alive?

REPLY: There are missionaries at large insisting human life is entirely physical, viz:
when people die they go completely out of existence. But Jonah's prayer --not the
one he prayed from inside the fish, rather, the one he prayed while down at the
bottoms of the mountains-- strongly suggests that he existed beyond death; which
likewise strongly suggests Jesus existed beyond death too because he likened his
own afterlife experience to Jonah's.

● Matt 12:40 . . Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the
sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth.

Now when you think about it, Jesus' crucified dead body wasn't laid to rest in the
heart of the earth. In point of fact it was laid to rest up on the surface; and even
then not in the earth's soil but was above the soil in a rock tomb. So in order for
Jesus to be in two places simultaneously, the man and his remains had to part
company and go their separate ways; the same as in Jonah's adventure.
_
 
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