Posted by Harold [harold] on October 31, 1999 at 17:55:52 {MDPAlM8llY61p6sL3HUsdt40fI85yM}:
In Reply to: *I Knew. They Knew. posted by Alan on October 31, 1999 at 09:57:00:
Alan,
Your comments:
>That's because they don't predict the future.
They study God's word.
They may misunderstand it but it was not yet time for them to understand it.
They don't predict the future??? Well, I'm sure that those perhaps newly associated with JWs who might be reading posts like yours AFTER observing extensive proof in the form of Society literature that they [Society] do in fact have a long history of trying to predict certain things to happen at certain dates, must find your comments amusing. They can observe first hand the MAJOR MALFUNCTIONS that result from years of being a SOCIETY man...
To be sure, JWs pride themselves in their extensive use and study of the Bible. What the newly interested ones don't usually realize is that the Bible is "studied" only within the context of Society literature, which has already been pre-determined and dogmatically accepted. It is no great secret how to 'support' a doctrine with scripture, you merely choose what the context of the supporting scripture shall be. Any and all religious denominations do it like that to a lesser or greater extent. And they all claim that they come by their respective interpretations with help of some sort by Divine sources. And JWs certainly rank right up there in the belief that doctrine is delivered exclusively to THEM alone via divine means. The simple truth is that once a claim is made to have EXCLUSIVE divine guidance, predictions that are made under this claim - and then fail - destroy the credibility of those making the claim. It's the same with the 'new light' theory. For this idea to work, one would have to assume that God believed, for instance a few decades ago that either vaccinations weren't scriptural, or they WERE but He didn't think that humans could handle that it was ok... or that He believed it would be better for the time being to let some believers go to jail rather than risk overwhelming the flock with the knowledge that various forms of alternative service could be acceptible. Who knows how many bros were saved from the unnecessary trauma of having to understand such a complex concept!!!! Isn't it GRAND, that according to the timetable under which the 'new light' on christian neutrality was delivered allowing for alternative service, the "timing" of the FDS in delivering "meat in due season" sure paid off BIG TIME!! Can you imagine the crisis the brothers would have faced if the Society would have dropped this BOMB on them, back incidentally during a time when accepting alternative service would have kept oneself out of jail? According to JWs, the wonderful timing of this 'meat in due season' can be attributed to Jehovah himself. Far be it from the FDS to take sole responsibility for all this spiritual food!!! These are the kinds of things that are implied - by default - when one organization claims to have exclusivity with God. As soon as changes are made to doctrine, or when predictions fail, it really stretches the limits of credibility to have to accept that this is still a Divinely directed/guided organization.
And Alan, when you come here and make the statements such as your's above, it makes it very easy to show anyone who might be reading how the level of the Society's credibility continues to sink....
Keep it up!! You're doing a GREAT job!!!
:-)
Harold