Posted by Skeptic [Skeptic] on April 01, 1999 at 11:14:35 {feW1wc1uNQ4tPLfAHmiAQ0vvLkUBWM}:
Here are some things I wondered about when I was a JW, but dismissed quickly. After all, I didn't want to give into independent thinking.
I'm going on memory. Perhaps you can add to this list.
Some of this is from when I was born-again. Most of it is from when I was a JW. I know the answers to most of them now.
Some of the questions are sensitive, (e.g., they deal with sex). If you are sensitive about such things, please stop reading now.
1) Jacob (in
Genesis) lied. No matter how you slice it, he lied. If Jacob didn't lie, then no person in the history of mankind ever told a lie.
That is not necessarily mean Jacob was unrighteous. There was no law against lying. Also, in his concern that he get the birthright, he may have given in to human imperfection.
2) What is wrong with being in politics? Somebody has to do the job. There would be choas without government.
3) How can the Society conduct letter-writing campaigns to politicians if they are not to partake in politics? This is a form of political lobbying.
4) According to Awake!, the hair of the polar bear acts like an optical fiber to bring heat to the bear's skin. If this is a sign of intelligent design, how come God did it when the earth was supposed to be tropical? BTW, it cannot take heat away from the skin. Did God expect Adam and Eve to sin? If so, that raises many more questions...
5) Why do people in India have to die in Armageddon? They have never hear the good news, have a cultural background vastly different from ours, etc.
6) If the FDS is God's spokesmen, why so many changes in doctrine? Can't God give the right answer the first time? Especially with issues that could hurt His faithful followers?
7) Why is new light on when Armageddon coming given when history proves the Society wrong? Why can't God give the correct answer the first time?
8) Why did it take God's Channel 120 years to catch up with Christendom about when the end will come? (generation change).
9) If going to war is wrong, who would stop the Nazis? Someone has to stop the bad people.
10) Why do ALL doctrinal changes not cost the Society anything? Never have they had to lose money, etc. when a doctrine changes.
11) Why is God so concerned with restricting people from having fun?
12) Why are new things wrong, but then later acceptable? E.g., VCRs, new dances, video games, etc.
13) Does God really know EVERYTHING I do? I don't mean to sound perverse, but does God or an angel watch me have sex to ensure I am doing it righteously? If he doesn't, does He read my mind later to see if I was bad in bed? Either way, isn't there something perverse about Him doing that?
If He doesn't, how can He judge me correctly on Judgement Day?
14) Is it fair for God not to allow a divorced person to remarry? What if his/her spouse leaves but does not have sex? If they will never come back, why can't the "innocent" party remarry?
15)Why do so many churches preach against making a lot of money? They do.
16) Why does/did the Society prohibit so many things that could provide competition? Christendom, self-help books, therapy, many social customs, holidays, birthdays, etc. The pattern appears to be: Make sure JWs only come to the Society for guidance; make it as difficult to live in the world as possible, then when worldly people get upset at you call it persecution. That way, you will think JWs are nice and worldly people are bad.
17) Why does/did God want so many people to die for Him? Malawi, blood transfusions, etc.
18) Why does God have so many picky, stupid rules?
19) Why does God prohibit masturbation? What if a couple physically cannot have sex?
20) Why did God make us to have so many interests, then tell us that we can only do theocratic activities? Why does the meeting/FS schedule not allow us time to do other good things?
21) Are scientists REALLY in a conspiracy to prove evolution true? Why would they be so bent on making sure people didn't believe in God? How could they get away with it?
22) Why does God want to destroy so much of mankind? Most people are not that bad. Since God made the rules, isn't He being unfair? Especially since there are so many religions in the world. And God hasn't demonstrated that He exists.
23) Isn't the Satan story just a little too convenient? It is too big a catch-all. "That which exlains everything explains nothing."What would motivate Satan to want to be so evil?
24) Why would God have His Son tortured? Isn't that more than a little sick? Remember, God makes the rules.
25) Why can God do sick things, and is good? If people do them, they are bad? Killing babies, killing billions of people (Armageddon), genocide.
26) Why does it take God over 6,000 years to prove He is the best parent for mankind and that we cannot rule ourselves? Haven't the angels, Satan, etc. seen enough? Are they clueless? What kind of God would allow the killing, rape, etc. go on for 6,000 years just to make a point? Does this indicate that He is a GOOD parent?
27) Why can't we question the doctrines of the FDS? If they teach truth, they have nothing to fear.
28) Why did God make teenagers with a high sex drive, then tell them not to have sex?
Can you add to the list?
SS