If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
1881 "If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now: But with god there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from god must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. New light never extinguishes older light, but adds to it. If you were lighting up a building containing seven gas jets you would not extinguish one every time you lighted another, but would add one light to another and they would be in harmony and thus give increase of light. So is it with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another." (Watchtower Feb. 1, 1881, Reprints p. 188)
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1963 It is not a form of religious persecution for anyone to say and to show that another religion is false. It is not religious persecution for an informed person to expose publicly a certain religion as being false, thus allowing person to see the difference between false religion and true religion. (Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1963, p. 688)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1968 "We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with Gods Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination. It should be the sincere desire of every one of us to learn what Gods will is for us, and then to do it." John 8:32 (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968, p. 13)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1968 If a religion is not in accord with what the Bible teaches, then it is not in harmony with truth. it is not the true religion. (Rom. 3:4) You have nothing to fear in examining your beliefs by the standard of Gods Word, for if you have the true religion you can only be reassured. And if what you believe is not in keeping with the Bible, then you should welcome the truth, because it leads to eternal life. John 17:3 (Watchtower, July 1, 1968, p. 389)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1971 "Then we should expect them to have Gods prophetic truths. Does the evidence show this? Let us examine what Jehovah's witnesses have been saying down through the years and compare it with what has been said by the political, religious and commercial leaders of this system of things. Who has told the truth? Who today deserve our confidence as they tell of events to come in the very near future?" (Watchtower, Aug 1, 1971, p. 467)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1972 "Jehovah, the God of the true prophets, will put all false prophets to shame either by not fulfilling the false prediction of such self-assuming prophets or by having His own prophecies fulfilled in a way opposite to that predicted by the false prophets. False prophets will try to hide their reason for feeling shame by denying who they really are." (Paradise Restored To Mankind By Theocracy, 1972, p. 353, 354)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1972 "Does this admission of making mistakes stamp them [Watchtower] as false prophets? Not at all, for false prophets do not admit to making mistakes." (Watchtower, Nov. 1, 1972, p. 644)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1974 "Consequently, is it unchristian today to offer Bible-based comments about anothers religion? The scriptural answer must be No. True, criticism that reveals faults in the teachings or practices of someone's religion might at first seem severe. Yet, how should one react? Not like those who became violently enraged over Stephen's criticism. Rather, note the fine reaction of some Athenians who heard Paul's comments. They accepts the Bible truth and became believers, to their eternal benefit. Compare Acts 17:11, 12. Far from being rejected as unchristian then, criticism based on gods word should be carefully considered, for it can bring real benefits". (Awake! Nov. 22, 1974, p. 28)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1979 "However, all person who have love for the truth are invited to examine this claim that Jehovah's Witnesses really do have the truth. In doing so, they should imitate what those persons in the first century did who listened to the preaching of the apostles: They received the word with the great eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so." (Watchtower July 1, 1979, p. 25)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?
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1985 "But that does not relieve each individual Christian of the responsibility to dig deeper into Gods Word, for the purpose of getting the full depth of the thoughts explained. This involves looking up the scriptures cited. It means reading the footnotes in Watchtower articles, some of which refer the reader to an older publication that provides a fuller explanation of a certain passage or prophecy. It requires digging deeper, putting forth effort to locate that older publication and then studying the pages referred to." (Watchtower, June 15, 1985, p. 12)
If Witnesses have the truth and nothing to fear from self-investigation, why are they officially forbidden from reading any materials that examine their doctrines?