Is the Watchtower Society speaking critically about other groups whose predictions have failed, as though?

Question

they themselves had never been guilty of doing the same?

"The World's End - How near? Why So Many False Alarms?...The flood of false alarms is unfortunate. They are like the wolf -wolf cries of the shepherd boy- people soon dismiss them, and when the true warning comes, it too is ignored."

Awake 3/22/1993, pp. 3-4

"How will Jehovah show that such a clergy prophets are fake? By not fulfilling what they announce to be " an utterance!" or what they presume to speak in his name. He does not back up their falsehood."

Watchtower 9/1/1979

Answer 1

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Gal. 4:16

Ex-JW Sued for Watchtower Quotes


Issue Date: November/December 2005

An enterprising ex-Jehovah's Witness has been sued by the Watchtower Society for "a loss of reputation and goodwill."

Peter Mosier has set up a web site operated out of Canada that does nothing but present short quotes from literature published by the Witnesses. The site, http://quotes.watchtower.ca*, is grouped by subjects such as Dates, Present Truths, Oscillating Truths, and Abandoned Truths. Of course, excerpts are chosen to illustrate discrepancies in JW prophecies, and contradictions in doctrine and teachings. It was the failed prophecies that caused Mosier to abandon the Jehovah's Witnesses several years ago. (*Note: The Watchtower website has been taken down since the writing of this article.)

The lawsuit claims that Mosier has violated copyrights by quoting more than is allowed under the fair use laws. He says that the quotes are one-tenth of one percent of the source material used. His attorney says this is well within the fair use limits. For older Watchtower material with expired copyrights, Mosier has quoted entire publications.

There is no doubt that the material is an embarrassment to the Watchtower. JWs have much to be embarrassed about, particularly in the area of failed prophecies. Thomas Heinze, in his book Answers to my Jehovah's Witness Friends, details many of the specific prophecies that failed to occur. Starting in the late 1800s, JW leaders predicted the beginning of the Millenium in 1872 with the "breaking into pieces of the kingdoms of this world and the establihment of the Kingdom of God under the whole heavens." When this failed to occur, they moved the date to 1975 which also passed without fulfillment.

Christ's second coming was also predicted to occur in 1874. When He did not appear, they claimed that He did come incognito. Leader Charles T. Russell declared, "Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874."

Heinze points out how this contrasts with the biblical account of Jesus coming in the clouds so that "every eye shall see him."

One of the most bizarre events was the construction of a house in San Diego, California, in 1929, to be occupied by "faithful men of old [who] will soon be resurrected by the Lord, be back on earth, and take charge of the visible affairs of earth."

Heinze points out: "When it became obvious that the prediction would not be fulfilled, the house became an embarrassing monument to a false prophecy. It was sold in 1948!"

Heinze covers a wide range of subjects that soul winners need to know when dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses. These include their view of salvation, deity and resurrection of Jesus, eternal punishment, Bible interpretation, significance of the name "Jehovah," and prohibition against blood transfusions. Because witnessing to JWs is a difficult and frustrating job but we need to be well equipped to show them the errors of their Watchtower teachings. Heinze has given us a short but powerful summary of the essential tenants of their false faith and ways of lovingly sharing with them the Truth.

Answer 2

The Watchtower Tract & Bible Society is one of those groups I have a hard time respecting. These folks are hard to pin down on many subjects in part due to their updates of what they claim is a translation of the Bible. Biblical scholars have examined the variations in the "Bible" used by the Jehovah's Witnesses and determined that at best there would be serious doubt about some of the results of their "translation" work. Not surprisingly, the differences in the J.W. text result in some rather bizarre interpretations when compared to those of mainstream churches.
This is not the only problem. While the J.W.s claim a sort of authenticity, their view of prophecy follows closely--with sheep-like trust--the teachings of early 19th century American "evangelicals." In essence, these unschooled charismatic preachers taught that prophecy foretold the future--a stance that developed into a highly detailed dispensational world-view. Many churches still preach "end-of-the-world" messages, generously illistrated with selected stories from current events.
The Watchtower has published many end-times predictions. The founding 'prophet' of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Charles Taze Russell proclaimed several dates, reinterpreting them when the expected events didn't happen. Russell may have been among the first to describe an "immanent" future event known as the Rapture, an idea unknown before the 1830s.
If it is true that the Watchtower has been critical of others for making predictions, it is perhaps an attempt on their part to draw attention away from their unremarkable track record.

Answer 3

Michelle Chang

Shes being ignorant. The WatchTower has always admitted they had false expectations on what was to come. in the book Reasoning with the Scripture, which most Witnesses use when they go out in the ministry.

Why do we call the clergy false prophets? A false prophet isn't just someone that makes a false prediction, it someone who is a false teacher.

Answer 4

Please to elaborate?
Did you read the footnotes?
Or are you just interested in slander?

[Footnotes]

Jehovah’s Witnesses, in their eagerness for Jesus’ second coming, have suggested dates that turned out to be incorrect. Because of this, some have called them false prophets. Never in these instances, however, did they presume to originate predictions ‘in the name of Jehovah.’ Never did they say, ‘These are the words of Jehovah.’ The Watchtower, the official journal of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has said: “We have not the gift of prophecy.” (January 1883, page 425) “Nor would we have our writings reverenced or regarded as infallible.” (December 15, 1896, page 306) The Watchtower has also said that the fact that some have Jehovah’s spirit “does not mean those now serving as Jehovah’s witnesses are inspired. It does not mean that the writings in this magazine The Watchtower are inspired and infallible and without mistakes.” (May 15, 1947, page 157) “The Watchtower does not claim to be inspired in its utterances, nor is it dogmatic.” (August 15, 1950, page 263) “The brothers preparing these publications are not infallible. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers. (2 Tim. 3:16) And so, at times, it has been necessary, as understanding became clearer, to correct views. (Prov. 4:18)”—February 15, 1981, page 19.

Second reference? No article by that title in the w79 9-1 issue.

Answer 5

No.

Jehovah's Witnesses use literally dozens of different legal and corporate entities, many of which have names similar to "Watchtower Society" but none of which has commented upon predictions of any kind. Rather than to a corporation, beliefs and teachings are common to persons of the same religion, specifically to the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

When a questioner refuses to even use the actual and respectful name of a religion, it would seem to expose the questioner's lack of objectivity and lack of credibility.


In other words, a legal or corporate entity tends to comment upon legal and corporate subjects. A legal or corporate entity generally is uninvolved in matters of "prediction".

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/

Answer 6

Jehovah's Witnesses are consistent in their condemnation of all other religions that are not approved by the Governing Body.

In answer to your question, yes they condemn the Adventists over their false prophecies, and they condemn the Mormons over their failed prophecies, and any one else that they can find.

The Witnesses as people seem to be sincere, but they do not see the hypocrisy in their stand on most issues.

Answer 7

The Watchtower has never claimed to be fool proof. Other organizations say their predictions come from God and are 100% accurate. The Watchtower says its predictions may have come from god, and could happen. But they leave the gap of doubt because they realize they are not profits.

Answer 8

It is easier to point the finger at others than at yourself.

Or if you want it biblically, there's a verse about "taking the log out of your own eye before examining the speck in your brother's"

Answer 9

How about you stop attacking the various sects of Christianity and instead attack the bible and show how awful that is since it is the root of all these problems.

Answer 10

yes. Yes they are and they do.

but they put some different rules upon "their" predictions to make them seem less of a failure and more of a misinterpretation.