Posted by J.H. on March 14, 1999 at 18:06:30 {MWKQmDRkic4cM}:
In Reply to: Message to Jan Haugland posted by Eyes of Anonymity on March 14, 1999 at 16:37:35:
Eyes,
: They have been studying matters pertaining to the Bible for over a century. Whereas your age alone is a quarter of those years, and most certainly a tiny fraction of the collective man years invested in Biblical research by WTS scholars.
The argument from authority is usually worthless in a real debate, and in this case it is particularly futile. As far as I know, the WTS has no "scholars" who have had any influence on the development of doctrine. The doctrine was hammered by people like Russell, Woodworth, Fisher, Rutherford and Fred Franz. Of those mentioned Fred had the most creditentials, and he was a college drop-out! Seriously, how much credibility has these men, who have an unbeatable world record in false prophecies?
This is not the real problem with your argiument, however. I do not rely merely on my own reading and research. I build on the collected textual scholarshop of the whole western world, going back to St. Jerome. I have quite a library, I have read thousands of pages of respected scholarly books and journals. These books represents massive knowledge, and practically all of it contradicts JW doctrine on key issues. How much would that add up to in man-years, you think, compared to a very young religion like the JWs?
One could also ask what should prevent anyone in the mainstream churches in the 1870s to present Charles Taze Russell, at the time quite a bit younger than I am now, with this argument? What would you answer then? Should Russell also "put up or shut up", or is this only an argument you will apply one way?
That said, I strongly believe that arguments should stand on their own merits. Who is presenting the arguments is not very relevant, when you can examine the argumemnt themselves. This you are not prepared to do. And the reason is quite easy to see in debates with JWs, who are sadly lacking in both knowledge and reasoning abilities.
(PS to moderators. I was addressed directly, in a way that merits a response. I have above done this in a way most restrained and respectful, considering the original posting. I hope you for once allow an actual debate to
stand on this board.)