Bridge of Reason

  The above title comes from a jw.org article as an answer to one of their Frequently Asked Questions .   This is of particular interest around this time as they have just celebrated their annual memorial of Christ’s death.   I have to say, for full disclosure, that I have never attended one of these memorial meals despite having been invited several times.   I just don’t think I could manage to bite my tongue hard enough not to respond to the talks being made.   However, I have read and listened to a number of accounts from non-Jehovah’s Witnesses who have attended, some repeatedly over many years.   The Memorial Meal , as Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to their version of communion, only takes place once a year and is always regarded as a very special event.   As they do not celebrate any other event, such as Easter, Christmas, birthdays, Pentecost, and so forth, they do make a big thing of it. Potentially millions of invites are handed out around the...

  Jehovah’s Witnesses were originally members of Charles Russell’s Bible Student Movement . It was in 1931, under the leadership of Joseph Rutherford, who had seized control of the movement, that they became Jehovah’s Witnesses. Isaiah 43:10 is the organisation’s apologetic for being Witnesses of Jehovah: “ You are my witnesses,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and have faith in me…’ On the face of it that seems reasonable enough. However, the Watch Tower Society is a Restorationist as well as an Adventist movement and claim to have restored Jehovah’s Organisation of the 1 st Century. While they emphasise how the early church was organised, they seem to have misunderstood what they were organised to do. In the above linked article, they write: ‘ Jesus made God’s name known.   In prayer to his heavenly Father, Jesus said: “I have made your name known.” ( John 17:26 ) In line with Jesus’ example, Jehovah’s organization does eve...

Could you agree that it is possible that God would ever require you to believe something to be true that is actually false, on pain of Him irrevocably destroying you?  Titus 1 v 2 (amongst other scriptures) would tell us that God cannot lie and Proverbs 12 v 22 (amongst other scriptures) would tell us that God hates a liar.  So, it would seem inconceivable that He would require us, on pain of death, to believe a lie.  But, this is exactly what the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society teaches, even though they may not put it in that way, or even realise that they teach it.    It is a matter of record that, since its inception in the late 1800s, the Watchtower Society has never got all its doctrine correct at any one time, it has always taught something that later turned out to be false.  By 'false' I mean something that has had to be 'clarified' under their 'brighter light' policy taken from Proverbs 4 v 18.  And by 'clarified' I mean completely cha...

  The ‘good news’ of the Watch Tower kingdom is not the Gospel that evangelicals see in the Bible. A fact the Society readily admits: ‘ But the Kingdom witnessing of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1914 has been something far different from what Christendom missionaries have published both before and since 1914.’ - The Watchtower, 1 October 1980, p.28 Of course, the only Gospel is the gospel proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 24:45-48 and Paul at 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. It concerns Jesus' death, his sacrifice for the sin of mankind, his burial and his resurrection. THE WATCHTOWER'S 'GOOD NEWS' According to the Watch Tower interpretation of Luke 12:32 , o nly a 'little flock' inherit the kingdom. Their understanding of Revelation 7:1-8 and Revelation 14:1-5 , limits this little flock to 144,000 who are ‘spiritual Jews.’ ‘ The 12 tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 must refer to this spiritual Israel for several valid reasons. The listing does not match that...

  Under the heading RELIGION in Reasoning From the Scriptures, p.326, the Watch Tower asks, Is belonging to an organised religion necessary? They write: 'Most religious organizations have produced bad fruitage. It is not the fact that groups are organized that is bad. But many have promoted forms of worship that are based on false teachings and are largely ritualistic instead of providing genuine spiritual guidance; they have been misused to control the lives of people for selfish objectives; they have been overly concerned with money collections and ornate houses of worship instead of spiritual values; their members are often hypocritical. Obviously no one who loves righteousness would want to belong to such an organization. But true religion is a refreshing contrast to all of that. Nevertheless, to fulfill the Bible’s requirements, it must be organized.' Quoting 1 Corinthians 1:10 they say: “ Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you ...

  We are, again, in the June 2022 study edition of the Watchtower magazine, looking at the story of Job, and the lessons we can come away with. There is much to encourage a Christian here. Two questions arise from the article: 1 the nature of the hope Christians have, and 2 the reason for being confident in that hope. The Watchtower study article 27 begins: 'JEHOVAH has given a beautiful hope to all those who love him. Soon he will bring an end to sickness, sorrow, and death. (Rev. 21:3, 4) He will help “the meek” who are hoping in him to transform the earth into a paradise. (Ps. 37:9-11) And he will make it possible for each one of us to have a warm, personal relationship with him that will be even more wonderful than what we enjoy now. What a marvelous hope that is! But what basis do we have for believing that God’s promises will come true? Jehovah never breaks a promise. We thus have good reason to “hope in Jehovah.” (Ps. 27:14) We show this by waiting patiently and joyf...

  On their website the Watch Tower asks, 'Is it Necessary to Belong to an Organised Religion? In  Reasoning from the Scriptures ( pp. 283/4 ) Jehovah's Witnesses offer seven characteristics that identify Jehovah's organisation: (1) It truly exalts Jehovah as the only true God, magnifying his name.—Matt. 4:10; John 17:3. (2) It fully recognizes the vital role of Jesus Christ in Jehovah’s purpose—as the vindicator of Jehovah’s sovereignty, the Chief Agent of life, the head of the Christian congregation, the ruling Messianic King.—Rev. 19:11-13; 12:10; Acts 5:31; Eph. 1:22, 23. (3) It adheres closely to God’s inspired Word, basing all its teachings and standards of conduct on the Bible.—2 Tim. 3:16, 17. (4) It keeps separate from the world.—Jas. 1:27; 4:4. (5) It maintains a high level of moral cleanness among its members, because Jehovah himself is holy.—1 Pet. 1:15, 16; 1 Cor. 5:9-13. (6) It devotes its principal efforts to doing the work that the Bible foretold...