Posted by Zadok [Zadok] on November 29, 1999 at 08:48:14 {DGglKT6Uj2drpa5PWFPAsmfOGWFvn6}:
In Reply to: *****Question for 1 posted by COMF on November 29, 1999 at 07:35:06:
You stated that it is not only reasonable, but required, that all these false ideas would be done away with immediately because of their own claim to be God's mouthpiece in modern times? What kind of reasoning is that?
Logical, obvious, clear as day reasoning.I'm glad you think so, but it would appear to be otherwise as shown by the rest of my reply that you interjected with your self-congratulatory comment.
If you're going to base your conclusion solely on their own claims, would it not only be reasonable, but required, that you acknowledge that they also claim that truth is revealed to them progressively, that they are not inspired, and that they have made, and will continue to make, mistakes?
No, it wouldn't. They cannot have been "progressively" cleansed of false Babylonish teachings, unless they got it wrong and Jesus didn't choose them and "cleanse" them in 1919.I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're trying to convey here. "They cannot have been 'progressively' cleansed ... unless they got it wrong"—Fine; they acknowledge that they "got it wrong," otherwise what's the point of being cleansed? "and Jesus didn't choose them and 'cleanse' them in 1919."—Is this part of your argument?
Of course we all know that this is exactly the case (that he didn't choose them over the other religions in 1919). But they still claim that he did. Therefore, to debunk their claim, one needs only to demonstrate that they were not "set free from enslavement to Babylonish false religious teachings" in 1919, as they say they were.They are not claiming that they were entirely freed of these teachings by 1919, but rather starting in 1919. The May 1, 1997 Watchtower makes this clear: "starting in 1919, Jehovah cleansed his people and reinvigorated them to serve him. They began to remove from their spiritual environment all the Babylonish practices and doctrines that polluted them in his eyes." Similarly, in the Watchtower of March 1, 1968, it was stated that "during the years from 1919 onward, sanctimonious dress, the viewing of the great pyramid of Egypt as 'the Bible in Stone,' the observance of pagan feasts such as the so-called 'Christmas,' the use of pagan symbols such as the cross, and other religious uncleanness, persisted for a time."
They lied; they made the whole thing up.This is nothing more than your opinion. While you are entitled to your opinion, why do you dogmatically state it as fact?
They were every bit as guilty as any other Christian religion of teaching falsehood, of mixing pagan superstition in with biblical Christianity. Perhaps even more so than the others. How many mainstream religions do you know who claim that the pyramids are "the bible in stone?" Case closed.No, the case is not closed. I'm not aware of any current religion that claims that the pyramid is the Bible in stone, including Jehovah's Witnesses. This incorrect view was acknowledged and eliminated many decades ago, which corroborates their claim they are being progressively cleansed. Now, if the Witnesses were still clinging to this idea today, that would be different, but that isn't the case.
Would you explain to me in what way the WBTS organization was "released from Babylonish captivity to false religious teachings" in 1919, and how it is that they were seen by Jesus as preaching the truth in contrast with other religions who were teaching falsehood?This is explained in the Watchtower quotes cited above. If you need more, there are entire articles that accompany those quotes, which I assume you have access to.
Zadok