Watchtower: Why the changes?

Question

*** re chap. 21 p. 131 par. 7 Jehovah’s Plagues on Christendom *** 1988 printing
In 1919 … Joseph F. Rutherford, recently released from prison and soon to be completely exonerated,

*** re chap. 21 p. 131 par. 7 Jehovah’s Plagues on Christendom ***2006 printing
In 1919 … Joseph F. Rutherford, recently released from prison and soon to see all charges against him dropped,

Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently “studying” the book “Revelation: It’s Grand Climax At Hand” written by Watchtower. The quotes above are from last week’s study of page 131. JWs were given a 4 page ‘insert’ prior to commencement of this ‘study’ that details 70 ‘changes’ to the text of the book. They are to “consider” these as they go along. But there are far, far more than 70 changes to the text of the book. I am electronically comparing the entire text of this book using the 2006 CDrom VS the older 2005 one.

One consistent change throughout, -- the erasure of discussion of Russell and Rutherford as “president” of Watchtower in an attempt to play down the CORPORATION.

Re. the quotes above, there’s a big difference between “exoneration” and having the charges “dropped”. Even OJ Simpson had the charges “dropped”. Didn’t Watchtower know when they printed the book in 1988 and before JWs “studied” the book on THREE prior occasions that J.F. Rutherford was guilty but got off because…. well I don’t want to give it away, but let’s just say that in the book “Proclaimers” written also by Watchtower, Rutherford laments what he had to do to get off, but there’s no details as to what exactly it was they were charged with and or how he capitulated to the US authorities so that he could go free.

Was Watchtower was FORCED to change the text of the book because another book, an accurate one, Apocalypse Delayed M. James Penton, is now in wide circulation and the cat is out of the bag? Read the book to get an honest picture of Watchtower history.

Want a sneak peak at the truth regarding Rutherford?

http://www.freeminds.org/history/exonerated.htm

For those who are trying to understand how it is that Jehovah’s Witnesses can continue to worship the Watchtower, see the post by “Rainbow”. He/she says they are “astonished”, which in/of itself is a bold statement for a JW considering their inability to discern much past the latest Awake article, and goes on to talk about watchtower “continuing to refine their doctrines to be ever closer to the Bible's base meanings”… Now we are discussing the watchtower’s lie about Rutherford, originally claiming he was “exonerated”, when no such thing was true, and their later altering their own words because the truth is coming out. I ask … “What does Rutherford’s crime, and his not getting prosecuted, have to do with ‘refining Bible doctrine”? But of course I personally can reason, and if you are a religion student reading this, then you also are being taught to reason. But the Jehovah’s Witnesses who post here in their feeble attempt to defend watchtowerism cannot reason.

"achtung heiss" (see below post) tries to confuse the matter by jawing about the meaning of "exonerated" ...without actually stating what it means. So let's do that now. To be exonerated means “To free from blame.” Or vindicate: To clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof:
Rutherford was not cleared in any way, and if watchtower didn’t recant it's seditious words as it did, then the prosecutor would have stuck him in jail for a long, long time and none of us would be here right now. By the way, what does "achtung heiss" mean? Well it means "attention horny" in German.

Answer 1

There are so many of us now with access to the original transcripts of actual details of what went on in this case, the society clearly sees that they are being caught in more lies. The changes you cite look subtle, but they are legally meaningful. Technically, they still aren't totally accurate. The final ruling was that there had been errors made in the trial and that a retrial would be necessary. They were neither pardoned nor declared innocent nor were the charges technically "dropped." The government simply chose not to bother with retrying them since the war was over by then. The lucked out. And contrived their escapades into a mythology that they connected to prophecy to give themselves "authority." Goodie.

Answer 2

whats up, Did you ever study those verses I despatched you? comprehend in 1880 the main bible getting used replaced into the KJV. So while the brothers study 'worship' in that bible, such as you, they assumed it must be superb. As greater advantageous bibles and greater advantageous lexicons got here approximately. greater advantageous be attentive to-how of what's being reported got here approximately. additionally the which ability of the be conscious 'worship' has replaced over the years. keep in mind interior the 1600's via the 1800's adult men in England have been stated as Your "Worship" So if a human choose ought to rightly be referred to as Your "Worship" how lots greater so could Jesus. In Rev 3:9 the KJV says that the untrue Jews will worship Christians. So no count if that's ok for Christians to have people 'bow down' earlier them, Then Christ the greater so. yet at present, the term 'worship' has taken on a greater restrictive which ability. because of the fact the which ability of the be conscious has substitute, the be attentive to-how of "worship" to Jesus additionally should substitute. comprehend too, you haven't any longer got here upon some 'dark secret'; Jehovah's Witnesses comfortably admit that their be attentive to-how of a few scriptures have been incorrect. previous to the 1950's no Septuagint had Jehovah's call interior the Greek, with the oldest replica from the third & 4th century. interior the 1950's copies of the Septuagint from a hundred BCE & a hundred CE have been got here upon that do contain God's call. yet many, even in this information superhighway internet site, nonetheless quote the older Bible dictionaries and say that "No replica of the Septuagint consists of God's call yet used Lord extremely." while the apostles mandatory to alter their be attentive to-how, they humbly did. .

Answer 3

Let's pay attention to Attention - and the lack of details. WHAT BOOK? Name it, please, so that we can get hold of it and decide for ourselves whether the writer used inflammatory, potentially seditious language that would rightly worry a Government at war. We want to read for ourselves whether hostility towards the Christian churches at that time, and the Government, was O.T.T. or not.
And for WHAT did that Judge accept bribes? Matters to do with the Wt.Soc case in question, or other, unrelated cases?

Attention needs to be drawn to the fact that Rutherford's hatred of all the clergy of Christendom was due to having been put in prison and the Society's work being dissolved. Instead of following the Christian principle of winning over those who had ill used him (if that had actually been the case), he proceeded to oppose and attack them mercilessly.

Here's what Rutherford wrote in his book 'Religion', published in 1940 (p225 para 2):
"In 1918, because Jehovah's people were restrained of liberty and service the religionists, and particularly the high clergy-men, were much at ease, and so Jehovah says concerning that situation: 'And I am very sore displeased with the heathen (the religionists, who claim to serve God but who do not) that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased (with my consecrated people in 1917 and 1918), and they (the religionists) helpd forward the affliction (upon my faithful servants).' Zech. 1:15. Thus the religionists did by heaping reproach upon God's consecrated people, claiming them to be enemies of God and calling them by all manner of false names and shamefully treating them."

Zechariah would be fairly astonished at such an interpretation. JWs today will be more astonished to learn that Rutherford was inferentially placing the blame for this 'punishment' upon the Bible Students' failure to acquiesce meekly to Rutherford's assumption of the presidency of the Society and to the formation of a new Wt. Soc. under his leadership. But the mis-application of scripture above assumed they would have come round and accepted Rutherford's status. To assist this acceptance, they Wt.Soc had to find a scapegoat for their having purged 75% of all Bible Students between 1919 and 1931. So, by pointing the finger at the clergy and fostering hatred of them, the Wt.Soc created a smokescreen to hide that bitter and unchristian episode of purges.

'Why the changes?' - to hide the truth, perhaps? Well, truth has nothing to fear from examination, so all power to your elbow in producing this exhaustive list of changes!

Answer 4

The change was likely made because "exonerated" is a literal legal term with a very specific meaning in some jurisdictions.

Please be assured that the matter surrounding the prosecution and imprisonment of Rutherford and others continues to be one of the most exhilarating in the modern history of Jehovah's Witnesses. Most Jehovah's Witnesses are fully aware of the main facts and are happy to discuss them with any interested person.

Essentially, Jehovah's Witnesses published a religious book which many non-Witnesses didn't like. At the time, the committee which eventually became known as "the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses" was (for the most part) the officers and board of directors of the Watch Tower Society, which published the book.

Shockingly, because of this book, Rutherford (then president of the Society) and several others associated with the Society were prosecuted for sedition by the government of the United States of America! This in a land purportedly founded upon freedom of religion and freedom of worship! Over a book! This book advocated no violence, advocated no human government, but merely pointed to God's Kingdom as humankind's only hope!

Perhaps more disappointing than the government's prosecution is the fact that nearly all so-called leaders among Christendom were entirely silent with regard to this attack on justice and true freedom of religion. This in the United States!

In retrospect, the result of the trial might have been foreseeable. All these representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses were convicted and all were sentenced to shockingly long prison terms, mostly of 20 years each, on June 22, 1918. Almost immediately, these responsible men were swiftly transported to federal prison on July 4, 1918 (ironically, considering the United States 'Bill of Rights' issues involved).

Did a subsequent court of law eventually declare them "innocent", providing a literal legal "exoneration"? No, but they were released from prison within a few months in March 1919. On May 14, 1919, a federal appeals court reversed all the convictions.

Since the federal government never considered (much less attempted) to retry the charges, there was never a literal finding of "not guilty". A literal finding of "not guilty" is practically the only legal basis for using the legal terms "exonerated" and "exoneration". Still, by every other measure, those brothers were exonerated, vindicated, proven innocent of these invented charges in every practical way.

Immediately thereafter, beginning in the 1920's, Jehovah's Witnesses initiated the greatest, most sustained Christian evangelizing effort this globe has ever seen. In 1918, there had been about 4,000 witnesses of Jehovah, but by 1928 there were 24,000 (more than six times as many). By 2007, there were about 7,000,000 active Jehovah's Witnesses, and another 10,000,000 who associate themselves with them.

Interestingly, the federal judge who had presided over the original cases was proven to have accepted bribes, and he himself was imprisoned for his crimes.

Learn more:
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm

Answer 5

God only comunicates through the governing body. They get the prophecies right, but God keeps changing his mind. It frustrates them to no end!

Answer 6

The question I have for you is why have you not made changes according to God's Word the Bible.
Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and other Pagan Holidays. Is your religion part of the world when Jesus said my people are no part of this world? How's your paid clergy doing? Living large I'm sure.
Don't be a hypocrite.

Answer 7

Interesting question....The WBTS is changing a lot of things...I think it is because the Newer witnesses, do not have enough time in the organization to remember what they use to preach as Gods Gospel.

They are now claiming that they never said that they were God's prophet, or the voice of God on earth...

I expect in the future, it will be a sin for a witness to read outdated Watchtower literature....The theology gets shaky-er and shaky-er.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap4vWX0zitWwOdc0dIC0jTnsy6IX?qid=20070906223059AAmxw0p

Answer 8

I think it's because they have updated the older version so it is more accurate.

You serve in the congo? Wow! : )

Answer 9

theres not much of a difference....
the new version is a little simpler to understand than the other
when we studied it some years ago it was a little complicated (maybe cuz i was 5)
but thts the difference

Answer 10

Methinks you do not want a sincere response because methinks you do not ask a sincere question. Given the depth of information you possess concerning this publication, it would seem you are seeking validation. I am sure you will find what you seek, judging by your first few responses.

Another glorious and golden opportunity for all detractors to chime in and label Witnesses a cult.

Hannah J Paul