While I was doing research on my March, 2011 post, I ran across a WT lie. My handy thesaurus says a lie could also be described as "an untruth, falsehood, fib, invention, propaganda, tall tale or exaggeration." After reading this blog, you decide--did the WT lie? and if so WHY.
Let me quote from the
WT’s own “Aid to Bible Understanding,” (1971 edition, pg. 1060) under the word
LIE. “The opposite of truth. Lying generally involves saying something false to
a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive
or to injure him or another person.”The WT talks about the first lie by Satan in the garden and then says, “All other malicious lies uttered since that time have likewise been a reflection of selfishness and wrong desire. Lies have been told to escape deserved punishment, to profit at the expense of others and to gain or maintain certain advantages, material rewards or the praise of men. Especially serious have been the religious lies, as they have endangered the future life of persons deceived by them.”
From the WT’s own book I would say that a lie is . . . well . . . a lie—a falsehood, an untruth. Why would the WT lie? Again the “Aid” book states correctly—to gain "material rewards and/or the praise of men." Check out for yourselves the holdings of the WTBTS and if you are or were a JW, you know how the elders, overseers, etc. are admired and as my handy thesaurus states, "adored, venerated, revered, exalted, put on a pedestal."
On to the lie.
My March, 2011 post centered on the topic, “Is God the author of the WT?” The WT answer—Yes and No.
First NO.
“We have not the gift of prophecy.” (The Watchtower , January 1883, page 425)
“Nor would we have our writings reverenced or regarded as infallible.” (The Watchtower , December 15, 1896, page 306)
Then YES.
"The Watchtower is a magazine without equal on earth because God is the author." (The Watchtower, April 15, 1943)
“Nothing is interpreted but the interpretation comes from God and is then published.” (The Watchtower, July 1, 1943 pp. 202-203)
"God uses The Watchtower to communicate to his people; IT DOES NOT CONSIST OF MEN’S OPINIONS." (The Watchtower, January 1, 1942, page 5)
The WT even said that if you don’t believe God is the author, don’t read the WT.
“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,” (The Watchtower, Jan. 1, 1942, p. 5)
Now a flip-flop, back to NO.
"True, the brothers preparing these publications are not infallible. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers." (Watchtower, Feb 15, 1981, page 19)
"The Governing Body consists of a group of anointed Christian men ... They are not inspired of God and hence are not infallible." (Jehovah's Witnesses Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide brochure [1986], 26)
"Those who make up the one true Christian organization today do not have angelic revelations or divine inspiration" (Jehova's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom [1993], 708)
Finally,THE BIG LIE. In 1954 the WT said:
"... Because it [Watch Tower Society] is not infallible and has never claimed to be, from time to time corrections are necessary." ( Oct 15, 1954, 638)
Oops! “never claimed to be.” I guess they just forgot Watchtower about the teachings of the ‘40’s where they said,”
"The Watchtower is a magazine without equal on earth because God is the author." (The Watchtower, April 15, 1943)
One last quote from the WT:
“It is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our understanding was in error, and then after that, to go back to the very teachings that, by years of study, we had thoroughly determined to be in error. Christians cannot be vacillating—“wishy-washy”—about such teachings. What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment of such persons?” (The Watchtower, May 15, 1976, page 298)
Now you decide, Did the Watchtower lie and Why?
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