How the WT Uses a Straw Man Fallacy to Malign the Trinity!

THE  CHRISTIAN TRINITY  DOCTRINE

 (From gotquestions.org “Is Jesus Yahweh?”)

The third chapter of Exodus describes the encounter between Moses and God about the Lord’s name: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you”’” Exodus 3:14.

The phrase I am who I am in the Hebrew is YHWH, often translated as “LORD,” “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah,” and is referred to in theology as the tetragrammaton (“a word having four letters”). The literal translation of the term is “I be that I be,” a statement that makes reference to God’s self-existence—He is not dependent upon anything else for His existence. This title, YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah, can refer to the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit or to the one God who exists in triune fashion as three Persons within one God.

One of the foundational Christian doctrines is that Jesus is God. He is the YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah described in Exodus 3. This teaching can be difficult to grasp because the Bible also says there is only one God: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4).

The Bible’s claim that only a single God exists is called monotheism. The doctrine of Jesus being God does not mean that more than one God exists (polytheism) or that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity equates to there being three gods (tritheism) or that there is one God who represents Himself as one person in three different ways or modes (modalism).

Instead, Christianity teaches that there is one God who exists in triune fashion as three Persons within one God, i.e., one “what” but three “who’s”; a plurality of Persons who are one in essence. Referencing the depth of this doctrine, A.W. Tozer writes, “Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity must remain forever futile, and only by deepest reverence can it be saved from actual presumption. We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we are ashamed to wonder, we are afraid to whisper ‘MYSTERY’” (The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 18).

THE WT KNOWS THE TRINITY DOCTRINE

To the right is The WT, February 1, 1960, page 93. As you read this document, you will realize The WT Correctly Understands the Trinity Doctrine. “For centuries millions of people have believed the Doctrine Of The Trinity, Which Teaches That in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: 'The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but one GOD."

As you read this blog, note that the WT DISTORTS the Trinity Doctrine and then proceeds to show this DISTORTED Trinity Doctrine to be unbiblical—textbook definition of a  STRAW  MAN  FALLACY.

THE WT's DISTORTED VIEW OF THE TRINITY

The WT, in order to disprove the “Trinity Doctrine of Historical Christianity,” engages in a “STRAW  MAN” Fallacy. The “WT’s Straw Man Fallacy on the Trinity” goes like this: The WT takes the “Christian Trinity Doctrine,” DISTORTS it in some kind of extreme way to create a False/Pretend Argument and then attacks the False/Pretend Argument, as if that is the Real Argument. The WT “knocks down” this “Straw Man,” creating the illusion that the WT has refuted, defeated, or weakened the “Trinity Doctrine of Historical Christianity,” when all they have done is to defeat a Pretend Argument.

The WT DISTORTS the Trinity Doctrine in 4 ways.

(1) The WT states that Trinitarians call “the Father” YHWH/Yahweh/ Jehovah—thus that name cannot logically be applied to “GOD.” (2) The WT teaches JW’s that Christians worship three Gods; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (3) The WT states Christians believe that Jesus and Jehovah (the Father according to the WT) are the same person. (4) The WT states Christians believe that there are three Gods in one person.

THE WT'S "TRINITY STRAW MAN"

(The information for this blog from this point to the end comes from: 

https://www.oocities.org/thewatchtowerstudy/strawman.htm 

A great source for information on the Jehovah’s Witnesses.)

The WT’s PRETEND Trinity Straw Man Argument #1  comes from The WT, Sept. 1, 1984, pg. 26. The WT states that “according to Trinitarian theology, YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah, is the name of the God of the Hebrew patriarchs and the Jews, the God whom Jesus came to reveal as "the Father," or "God the Father.”

WRONG: Christians DO NOT believe that the divine name only applies to God the Father. It can also apply to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit OR the entire Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

The WT then wrongly concludes: Since Christians use the name YHWH/ Yahweh/Jehovah for “the Father” they cannot logically use the same name to designate the entire ‘Godhead.’ Therefore, Christians are “condemned to worship a mysterious triune God that has no name.”

WRONG AGAIN: Christians DO NOT believe that the divine name only applies to God the Father. It can also apply to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit OR the entire Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Therefore, the God of the Bible, the Triune God’s name is not a mystery, it is YHWH/Yahweh/ Jehovah.

The WT’s PRETEND Trinity Straw Man Argument #2 comes from The WT, April 1, 1970, pg. 210. In this article the WT states: “If he is one Jehovah, then could he be THREE GODS, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, AS THE TRINITARIANS TEACH?"

The WT, as previously noted, knows full well the Christian Trinity doctrine but since that doctrine is based on sound Bible evidence the WT must distort the Christian Trinity. Once distorted, the WT can then disprove the distortion and appear to have disproved the Christian Trinity. A  CLASSIC  STRAW  MAN!

In Pretend Argument #2, the WT states that Trinitarians teach that there are three Gods. (Remember, Trinitarians teach there is ONE GOD who exists in triune fashion as three Persons within one God). Having floated the idea that Trinitarians teach there are three Gods the WT states: “the Bible plainly says He (YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah) is one God.” (Deut. 6:4). A CLASSIC STRAW MAN! Make up a pretend argument, defeat the pretend argument then claim victory over the Real Argument.

The WT’s PRETEND Trinity Straw Man Argument #3 is the WT’s assertion that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity holds that Jesus and Jehovah (the Father according to WT Doctrine) are the same person.  Look at the “Questions from Readers” from The WT, April 1, 1959, page 224. “At Zechariah 11:12,13 (AS) Jehovah speaks of "thirty pieces of silver" as "the goodly price that I [Jehovah] was prized at by them." At Matthew 27:9,10 the prophecy is applied to the price Judas received for betraying Jesus. DOES THIS INDICATE THAT JEHOVAH AND JESUS ARE THE SAME PERSON, AS TAUGHT BY TRINITARIANS?"

As previously stated, the WT knows the correct Trinity Doctrine, but does not correct this reader in his/her misunderstanding of that Doctrine. Instead, the WT runs with the idea that Trinitarians teach that Jehovah and Jesus are the same person. 

The “Questions from Readers” continues: “That Jehovah and Jesus are not one and the same person is abundantly testified to in the Scriptures.” Trinitarians whole heartedly agree with this.

IN REVIEW. By making it APPEAR that the Trinity doctrine holds that Jesus and Jehovah (the Father) are the same person, the Society is then able to refute the doctrine using scriptures that show Jesus and the Father to be distinct persons. A  CLASSIC  STRAW  MAN!

The WT’s PRETEND Trinity Straw Man Argument #4 is the WT’s assertion that,  “CHRISTENDOM has copied the heathen, pagan nations of Asia in TEACHING THAT GOD IS A TRINITY, THREE GODS IN ONE PERSON,” The Watchtower, April 15, 1962, page 235. 

WRONG. The Trinity Doctrine teaches that there is one God who exists in triune fashion as THREE PERSONS IN ONE GOD NOT THREE GODS IN ONE PERSON.

IN CONCLUSION

After erecting their STRAW MAN TRINITY, the Watchtower Society is free to knock it down using scripture as well as a more  traditional Watchtower method: name-calling. The Watchtower has called the Trinity 'pagan', 'inexplicable', 'blasphemous', 'unscriptural', 'mystical', 'profane', and 'satanic’. The Triune doctrine as presented by the WT is all these things. What it is not, however, is the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

By deliberately misrepresenting a doctrine with which they are well familiar, the Watchtower Society is shown to engage in Theocratic War Strategy (lying when it benefits the goals of the WT.)

If you are unfamiliar with the WT definition of “LIE” read the paragraph from “Insight on the Scriptures,” Vol 2 p. 244-245. It can also be found in “Aid to Bible Understanding,” p. 1061. The WT or an individual JW can  “LIE”  (withhold  truthful  information)   if   they determine that YOU are not entitled to it.

THE DETERMINING FACTORT: Can be found in the The WT, “Use Theocratic War Strategy,” May 1, 1957, p. 286.  “At all times they (JW’s) must be very careful not to divulge any information to the enemy (non JW’s) that they could use to hamper the preaching work,” i.e. if the truth hurts the WT--LIE. If the truth helps Christendom--LIE.

Dishonesty Originates With Satan, 

"The Father Of The Lie."

The WT should follow their own advice on honesty. “As servants of Jehovah, they (JW’s) are obligated not to imitate this condemned world's dishonesty, not for any reason. Instead, they must carry on all their activities in harmony with God's laws. And his laws have not changed in this regard.” WT, Nov. 15, 1986,  pg 11.

”All who want to live in God's new system must reflect his qualities, one of which is that "God ... cannot lie. Dishonesty originates with Satan, "the father of the lie. WT, November 15, 1986, page 12.

“So, Jehovah's servants must be honest in all things. Since that is the way everyone will have to be in the new system, it is the way God's people must be now.” WT, November 15, 1986, page 12. 

(Once again I want to acknowledge "www.oocities.org" for the info. for this blog.

https://www.oocities.org/thewatchtowerstudy/strawman.htm A great source for information on the Jehovah’s Witnesses.)