Correcting a miscitation from my interaction with the JW

I finally got around to listening to the INTERACTION I had with the JW from the other day and was overall pleased with how it went.  I won't go into reviewing or offering much critique in this post as I would like the viewers to decide for themselves (at least for now anyway).

But I did notice a blunder I made at about 41:30 where I attempted a paraphrase of the following quote:

*** w57 5/1 p. 284 par. 14 Trust Your Proved, Faithful Brothers ***

Showing respect for Jehovah’s organization really resolves itself down to our attitude toward God’s visible channel and the trust that we place in our proved, faithful brothers. If we have become thoroughly convinced that this is Jehovah’s organization, that he is guiding and directing his people, then we shall not be unsettled by anything that happens. If something comes up that we do not understand we will wait patiently until it is made thoroughly clear to us. If we feel sure something is wrong we will ‘keep the commandment’ of our Father and take whatever theocratic steps are open to us and then wait on Jehovah. We will not ‘forsake our mother’s teaching’ by immediately beginning to criticize and find fault. We will realize that Jehovah knows what is going on in his organization, and if he is willing to permit it, who are we to insist it should be different? If we really have faith, we will know that if it is wrong he will straighten it out eventually, and we are far safer inside his organization even with these minor difficulties than we would be on the outside where only chaos and destruction await us.

What I paraphrased went something as follows: "If we come to believe that something the Watchtower teaches is false, then we should just believe what they say anyway."  Of course, the part in bold contradicts this and is consistent with what my JW friend said whereby one should keep quite about it and let Jehovah straighten it out.  While I think that there are still some significant theological and psychological disagreements that I have with the above, I didn't represent it accurately.

However, i'm kicking myself now because there is a quote that appears to be consistent with what I paraphrased that I wish I would have used:

*** w52 2/1 pp. 79-80 pars. 11-12 Jehovah’s Theocratic Organization Today ***

We must show our understanding in these matters, appreciating our relationship to the visible theocratic organization, remembering the fate of those like Korah and Achan and Saul and Uzziah and others who forgot the theocratic order. Are we assigned as individuals to bring forth the food for the spiritual table? No? Then let us not try to take over the slave’s duties. We should eat and digest and assimilate what is set before us, without shying away from parts of the food because it may not suit the fancy of our mental taste. The truths we are to publish are the ones provided through the discreet-slave organization, not some personal opinions contrary to what the slave has provided as timely food. Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals. If we do not see a point at first we should keep trying to grasp it, rather than opposing and rejecting it and presumptuously taking the position that we are more likely to be right than the discreet slave. We should meekly go along with the Lord’s theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us and proceed to quibble and mouth our criticisms and opinions as though they were worth more than the slave’s provision of spiritual food. Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord’s visible organization and not be so foolish as to pit against Jehovah’s channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings. 

12 Now some may ask, Should we accept as from the Lord and true the food provided through the discreet slave, or should we withhold acceptance until we have proved it for ourselves? If we have gained our present understanding of the Bible by feeding at the table set by the slave, if we have been thereby freed from false doctrines and built up in the clean and undefiled worship of God and given a new world hope, we should have some confidence in the slave’s provisions. After being nourished to our present spiritual strength and maturity, do we suddenly become smarter than our former provider and forsake the enlightening guidance of the organization that mothered us? “Forsake not the law of thy mother.” (Prov. 6:20-23) And if the heavenly Father would not give a stone or serpent or scorpion to a child who asked for bread or fish or an egg from him, are we to take the spiritual food he provides through the slave into our hands as if we were going to be bruised by a stone or bitten by a serpent or stung by a scorpion? (Matt. 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13, NW) Are we to be doubtful and suspicious about each new provision? “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. In fact, let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from Jehovah.” (Jas. 1:6, 7, NW) Even the Beroeans first received Paul’s preaching “with the greatest readiness of mind”, and then went to “carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so”. (Acts 17:11, NW) This was the first real contact the Beroeans had with Paul’s preaching, yet they received it readily and then studied the Scriptural support for themselves. How much more readily we can receive the slave’s provisions with confidence, since, unlike the Beroeans, we have much past experience with the precious provisions from the slave. After receiving these food supplies we prove their Scripturalness for ourselves to make the message our own, in a spirit of meekness and trustfulness and not combativeness.

Its difficult not to underline nearly every sentence in this quotation because I think this well illustrates the point I was trying to make.  If a JW comes to question the correctness of something the WT teaches, what is he expected to do as a faithful JW? Hold silently to what he firmly believes as true?  No.  Instead, this one should "have some confidence in the slave's provisions," because we are not, "more likely to be right than the discreet slave."  Therefore, "we should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification."

Unless i'm missing something, the faithful JW is expected to go along with what the WT teaches, even if it questionable or something we feel is incorrect.  After all, they're smarter than us, right?

Were Jehovah's Witnesses chosen by Jesus Christ in 1919?

*** w08 5/15 p. 26 Pursue “Holiness in God’s Fear” ***

For his modern-day servants on earth, Jehovah opened “the Way of Holiness” leading away from Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. In 1919 he freed anointed Christians from spiritual bondage to false religion, and they progressively cleansed their worship of all false teachings. As Jehovah’s worshippers today, we enjoy a clean, tranquil spiritual environment in which we can worship Jehovah and have a peaceful relationship with him and with our fellow man.

1. Can you prove from the Bible that Jehovah's Witnesses were exclusively appointed by Jesus Christ in 1919?

2. Can you prove from the Bible that Jesus Christ did an inspection of all religions in the world in that year?

3. Can you prove that Jehovah's Witnesses had been freed from the practices of false religion in that year?

Faithful and...Discreet?

*** w00 10/1 p. 32 Are You Discreet? *** 

Are You Discreet?

IN APPOINTING judges over Israel, Moses strove to find “wise and discreet and experienced men.” (Deuteronomy 1:13) Experience, which came with age, was not the sole criterion. Wisdom and discretion were also important.

A person who is discreet shows good judgment in speech and in conduct. According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, the discreet person is also “capable of preserving prudent silence.” Yes, there is “a time to speak,” and there is “a time to keep quiet,” and the discreet person appreciates the difference. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) Often, there is good reason to keep silent, for the Bible states: “In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly.”—Proverbs 10:19.

Christians are careful to be discreet in their dealings with one another. The one who speaks most frequently or most forcefully is not always the one most important or most indispensable. Remember, Moses was “powerful in his words,” but he could not effectively lead the nation of Israel until he cultivated patience, meekness, and self-control. (Acts 7:22) Therefore, those who are entrusted with authority over others must especially strive to be modest and to show a yielding spirit.—Proverbs 11:2.

Those to whom Jesus Christ has entrusted “all his belongings” are described in God’s Word as “faithful and discreet.” (Matthew 24:45-47) They do not immodestly run ahead of Jehovah on an impulsive whim; nor do they lag behind when God’s direction in a matter is clear. They know when it is time to speak and when it is time to wait silently for further clarification. All Christians do well not only to imitate their faith but also to prove themselves discreet, as the slave class does.—Hebrews 13:7.

Take what is said above and compare it with the following:

We have made a selection of more than seventy-five of Judge Rutherford's concise, straight-to-the-point explanation of the most perplexing problems in the Bible and have arranged them in thirteen attractively bound booklets.  Each treatise can be read in just fifteen minutes, and more genuine satisfaction and profitable pleasure derived therefrom in that length of time than can be gotten from studying the Bible by yourself in a whole year. (Vindication, 1932, Vol. 3 p. 383)

Given what is said by the Watchtower above, would you consider the author of these words to be "discreet?"

(Click picture to enlarge)