Do Jehovah's Witnesses embrace past teachings of their church?

Question

Since the Jehovah's Witness organization currently rejects most of the teachings of its founder Charles Taze Russell (who was president of the organization from 1879-1916), and since they also reject "Judge" Joseph Franklin Rutherford, who succeeded Russell as president from 1916 - 1942, how can we be sure that in 25 more years, Jehovah's Witnesses won't also reject president, Milton G. Henschel as they did Russell and Rutherford?

Answer if you like. Or don't.

I know henschel is no longer president. Neither are the other 2 men mentioned. that's the point of the question, isn't it?

Hannah J Paul: you might want to read what simon611 wrote down below. No need for me to make another long response.

To hanna J Paul:
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob etc. were to be back on earth as perfect humans in 1925. The Society built a palatial home called "Beth Sarim" for them BUT when the patriarchs failed to show up, the President of the Society moved in.

Answer 1

Aww - Favor/Grace/Humble - you are far to smart to perpetuate the falsehood and be one of them.

About 1877 Russell started predicting the "END".

Matter of fact he found this so effective in motivating followers and selling mags he did it again and again.

1877 Christians would go to heaven in 1878 then in 1878 the saints would be raptured in 1881 1891 using the Great Pyramid of Gizeh rapture would be in 1910

1912 Russell dies - Rutherford takes over
1942 Rutherfor dies Nathan Knorr
1977 Knorr dies - Frederic Franz takes over
1992 Franz dies - Milton Henschel replaces him
2003 Henschel dies - Don Adams replaces him

A good question is why does the WTB&TS own a gravel pit in Shawangunk?
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Unfortunately the JWs follow this advice: Watchtower 3/15/1986, pages 12-14
"Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason'

Have No Dealings With Apostates..."When a fellow human tells us, 'Do not read this' or, 'Do not listen to that,' we may be tempted to ignore his advice. But remember, in this case Jehovah is the One who tells us in his Word what to do. And what does he say about apostates? "Avoid them" (Romans 16:17, 18); "quit mixing in company with" them (1 Corinthians 5:11); and "never receive [them] into your homes or say a greeting to [them]" (2 John 9, 10). These are emphatic words, clear directions. If, out of curiosity, we were to read the literature of a known apostate, would that not be the same as inviting this enemy of true worship right into our home to sit down with us and relate his apostate ideas?" (Watchtower 3/15/1986, page 13)
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I chose them to write about in the book, because the family is the most renown of the Satanic families and the easiest to expose to people just becoming acquainted with what is going on. The other family which has a chapter devoted to it is the Russell family, which is described in chapter 1. 6. The Russell family has yet to be covered in this series, but was covered in the Be Wise As Serpents book because of their importance to the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. I am aware of intense secret meetings that have been going on in Frankfurt and Moscow between World Bank officials.
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/the_rothschild_bloodline.htm
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Look at your founder: http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/the_russell_bloodline.htm
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more:What is also very interesting about C.T. Russell and the Watchtower Society which is revealed in three of my books (The Watchtower & the Masons, Be Wise As Serpents, Bloodlines of the Illuminati) is that C.T. Russell came from an Illuminati bloodline, the hierarchy of the WT Society is Illuminati, and that they (the Watchtower Society) received financial support from Jewish financiers, the B’nai B’rith and Freemasonry. Russell himself was a Freemason. The connections between the Illuminati and the Watchtower Society continue to this day.

The Watchtower Society is perhaps the best example of an Armageddon preaching religion and they are Illuminati sponsored. Most groups calling themselves Christian have various ministries that they emphasize such as benevolence, running hospitals etc., but the Jehovah’s Witnesses have all their spiritual eggs in one basket, the preaching of Armageddon.
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/armageddon_plot.htm

Answer 2

Any Bible reader changes their interpretations over time, and that comes along with being a student of the Bible. So, the argument can be made that just about every Bible reader changes their interpretations over time or come to a better understand of the scriptures. For example, I use to talk to this guy who didn't believe Jesus was Michael, and now he does. however, he doesn't believe Michael is a Angel. So why are they not important? Because what was previously believed was obviously false, and there is no reason to believe them again. UPDATE: Wrong again. Being guided by God's holy Spirit leads you into the right direction, but you just have to ask for the holy spirit to guide you there. Let me ask you this, why did the Nation of Israel have so many problems, since they were considered God's Holy Nation for some time? God has used his Holy Spirit on the nation, yet they still had so many problems. So why is that? Well, the real reason why is because they were unfaithful and fulfilling their own needs. So based on your logic and understanding, you can say the holy spirit was never with the nation of Israel in the first place. The Holy Spirit doesn't act as a control guide and every man and women is used as a puppet. It leads you and guides you and helps you. This is the case as long as its going along with Jehovah's will. Whats different from the nation of Israel and the Faithful and discreet slave (which was first brought about since the first Christian congregation was started) is that they are faithful and are willing to accomplish God's will. They will have mistakes on the way yet they are still faithful in accomplishing God's will. SO if you expect a spirit directed organization to be prefect, then you are clearly wrong because all of God's earthly (key word, earthly) organization were never perfect since they are run by men.

Answer 3

Line Dancer: What you and others don't seem to get is that an organization who has always claimed to be "Jehovah's mouthpiece", should not have to change, modify, or discard any doctrine. Has Jehovah not said that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever? So either the WT is not His mouthpiece, as they have always contended, or else Jehovah has changed His mind quite a bit.

Hannah: Do you even know what Russell taught? About his theory of Pyramidology and how it was the foundation of the 1914 end of the world date? Do you know that he taught that Jehovah resided on the star Alcyone in the Pleides star system? Do you know that he believed in the Rapture and celebrated Christmas?

Did you know that Rutherford taught that the patriarchs and apostles would return to earth in 1925 and take up residence in his San Diego mansion, Beth Sarim? That said mansion was built specifically for that purpose and that when it didn't happen, Rutherford took up residence there until he died? How much more do you need? Cuz I can keep it going.

Answer 4

This statement is passed around the Internet by several detractors of Jehovah's Witnesses. On the surface, of course, it looks quite alarming. You mentioned that Witnesses rejected the teachings of Charles Taze Russell. If I may ask, exactly what teachings of Russell have Jehovah's Witnesses rejected?

You mentioned that Witnesses rejected J. R. Rutherford, although you mentioned nothing about his teachings. If I may ask, how did Witnesses reject J. R. Rutherford?

Specificity on your part will greatly facilitate an answer on ours.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 5

We know our own history better than anyone else.
No one has hidden anything from us , our history is there for us to read.
In the book of Daniel, Daniel was told to seal the things he had recorded because the day was not yet here for him to understand what he wrote.
Since then, we have seen many of the changes in the world taken place just as has been recorded for our time.
I have had family members as Jehovah's Witnesses since the days of Russell. I didn't know any of that until some 30 years ago because I was not raised in a Witness home.
But I have spent the last 32 years studying the bible and the publications.
Yes I have seen some adjustments, but the world has has changed too, some expected, others unexpected.
After 32 years, I do appreciate the updates and clearer understanding of what is taking place.
And just as in the days of Nehemiah, Jehovah God's Organization is continuing to follow Christ commands issued nearly 2,000 years ago and I appreciate all they do more and more as the days of the end of Satan's old system of things comes to an end.

Answer 6

No. The watchtower won't let them think for themselves. They try and cover everything up so they don't get to embarrassed when they are exposed. Why would anyone embrace something that exposes them? Rutherford and Russell would both be disfellowshipped from their own organization if they were alive today. I'm sure they'll reject Henschel. History always seems to repeat itself.

Answer 7

No, the vast majority of regular churchgoers (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) generally embrace the current understanding of their religion. Otherwise, many or most self-described Christians would still believe that non-whites were inferior, that the sun revolved around the earth, and that a colicky baby likely had a witch for a mother.

With regard to Jehovah's Witnesses specifically, it seems interesting to note that nearly no other Christian religion believes as they do, namely:
...the soul is not immortal
...hell is not a fiery place of torture
...mankind's hope is resurrection to paradise earth
...true worshippers should use the name Jehovah
...Jesus is NOT God, but the divine Son of God
...every Christian should preach
These core beliefs have been a constant among Jehovah's Witnesses for 130 years. If one believes these core teachings to represent bible truth (as Jehovah's Witnesses do), then there would seem to be little alternative to association with this religion.

(John 6:67-68) Jesus said to the twelve: “You do not want to go also, do you?” Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_13.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 8

They have changed they "truth" many times. Any sincere Witness should be aware that, if they have changed their doctrines in the past (and sometimes back and forth!), they cannot be the true servants of God.

They should better believe in the Bible as the final authority (not the writings and magazines of the group), and find the real Jesus, which is different from what they are taught.

They are deceived, but - as it happens with many false religions, cults, and even philosophies, including atheism - it is also a spiritual deception. That makes the bondage stronger to break, if not by the grace of God or by the prayers of christian believers.

Answer 9

Do you really want to know or are you one of those who sets his sights on JW's and uses questions about them for the purpose of ridicule?

Do you still embrace the teaching that the earth is flat? Why do you ask if Jehovah's Witnesses embrace teachings from the distant past. Knowledge is progressive. As we learn new things, old views are modified or discarded. There was a time when the WBTS celebrated Christmas. But after doing research, it was found to have pagan origins. Christmas and other pagan holidays are no longer celebrated by JW's. What about YOUR religion. Does it still celebrate Christmas and Easter, even though it is common knowledge that those observances are wrong?

At one time, JW's participated in wars as conscientious objectors. When it became clear that ANY participation in war was wrong, they refused to go into the armed service. Does YOUR religion involve itself with war, which violates Jesus' message of love? John 13:34, 35; Matt. 5:44.

JW's used to believe that all of them were going to heaven. After doing much Bible research, that view changed. It had to change since Ps. 37:29 says: The righteous themselves will possess the EARTH."

At one time, JW's used the cross in their worship. After researching it, it was found to be a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years. So the cross was discarded.

At one time, in their publications, drawings of Jewish men were done without beards. But after considerable study, that changed. Now most drawings of Jewish males have beards.

As the truth gets brighter, adjustments in viewpoint change as well.

Although there is a president of the WBTS for legal purposes, we do not follow the teachings of any man. Our doctrines are based solidly on the Bible.

Unlike what Joshua said, JW's do not change the truth. A truth remains constant. A person's understanding of that truth can change. It happens all the time. It's called "learning."

BTW, Milton Henscel is no longer the president of the WBTS.

Answer 10

No, they aren't encouraged to look too closely at contradictions.
http://www.carm.org/witnesses.htm