From: diarmuid@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Diarmuid Pigott)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Jehovah's Wintnesses
Date: 17 Aug 92 07:36:25 GMT
Organization: University of Western Australia

I have a friend who became a member of the Watchtower Society, which as
I am sure you are aware of has some very odd ideas indeed.

(ie blood transfusions are bad, Jesus was actually the archangel
Michael, God gets upset when we don't call him by his first name, only
144,000 people can be redeemed, the end of the world is nigh (and Christ
returned in 1870,71,72,73,85,93,1913,1914,1925,1975...) )

I know they have dubious theology, and a murky past, but these things
don't seem to matter to him. My problem is that information about the
JW's is mostly written by ex-JW's, and so is inadmissable as evidence
since they are not allowed to "converse with apostates".

I would like some form of history of the JW's written by someone
mainstream and unimpeachable. Are there any suggestions? Also I would
like a lsit of the twistings of truth in their rather unusual
translation of the bible. 

Thank you in advance

[As usual, I would advise you to read at least some material by JW's
themselves.  I'm sure one of our JW readers could suggest a good
summary of their beliefs.  But I'm afraid you're not going to find
anyone impartial.  There are certainly writers who base what they say
primarily on written material and not "apostates", but it's always
dangerous to judge people purely on the basis of their writings.  It's
often not clear just what signficance the written material has to
them.

Of the things I've read, the most useful by far is "Crisis of
Conscience" by Raymond Franz (1983, Commentary Press, Atlanta).  It's
more useful than other works I've seen because he was a member of
their governing board.  As such he has a better perspective on what is
important.  Many of the writings by former JW's deal with problems
that are real enough, but not intrisic to the religion.  No religious
group is without its problems.  Franz manages to stay away from this,
and focus on the essentials.  He also gives an account that I think is
mostly sympathetic.  It's not an "expose".  He still retains a good
deal of respect for what the JW's are up to.  The earlier parts of the
book are more useful than the latter.  When he gets into talking about
the events leading up to his own disfellowshiping, I'm afraid he loses
his perspective.  Yes, the leadership followed procedures that were
less than optimal.  But basically, by that time he had come to reject
basic principles of the JW's, so it's hard to see how they could
ignore it.  It's also not surprising that they would feel more of an
obligation to deal with this in a member of their Governing Board than
in an ordinary member.  He obviously thinks he had kept his doubts to
himself, and that we was not a threat to the organization.  But based
on his own descriptions, I think he underestimates the effect of one
person's witness for the truth -- even if he is trying to keep his
doubts to himself.

It's very common to see exaggerated claims about JW's.  Their actual
beliefs are far enough out.  They do not believe that only 144,000
will be saved.  The 144,000 have a special role, and will be the only
ones in the heavenly kingdom.  However the JW's believe that the earth
will be transformed and that the rest of the saved will live in this
transformed earthly kingdom.  What I find more disturbing is that (at
least as of 1983) they seem to believe that Christ is the mediator
only for the 144,000.  He is mediator for the others only in an
indirect sense.  Much of what the NT says about Christians applies
directly only to the 144,000.  This view upsets a number of JW's, so
it's possible that it will change.  I'm reporting the situation as of
about 1983, which is when Franz wrote his book.

--clh]