[Please keep in mind that the author of this document is only offering
her or his _opinion_, and this sould not be considered or taken as fact
in any way. If you want to know about the Jehova Witnesses, and what
they "believe" in, then ask ONE OF THEM: Do not listen to someone like
the author of this diatrib, who's sole intent is to JW-bash.  -- DMR]

filename : JEHOWIT4
added    : June 6, 1988


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           THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS BOOK!!

   Would you place you trust in a surgeon who was about to perform a
major operation on you, if he refused to give you his name or
credentials?
OR....
   Would you place your faith in an attorney, who was defending you
against false accusations of felony charges, if he also refused to
give you his name or credentials?
   We can see how important it is that we rely on the names and
credentials of those who serve us in the important aspects of our
life.  As in the case of the lawyer, it is essential to know these
things, for without knowledge, we would have no assurance that he
would truly and honestly represent you.  It is therefore of the utmost
importance to know the men, the credentials and the qualifications of
those who we entrust our spiritual lives!!
   The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has failed the public at
this most crucial point, as they refuse to give their followers the
names and credentials of the Translation Committee of their Bible, The
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (see pg. 258 of Jehovah's
Witnesses in the Divine Purpose).  This is more important than the
Watchtower Society will admit since the New World Translation
Committee has deceived many in their translation of the Bible in the
following ways:

1.  They have invented non-existent rules of Greek grammar and then
proceeded to follow these rules only when necessary to support their
peculiar theology.  A clear example of this is John 1:1, where the
Translation Committee has rendered the Greek "and the Word was a god".
We cite the appendix of another Watchtower publication (The Kingdom
Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, page 1158), for their
footnote concerning John 1:1: "The reason for their rendering the
Greek word Divine and not God is that it is the Greek noun Theos
without the definite article..."  May we call the Watchtower Society's
attention to verses 6, 12 and 13 (also found in the first chapter of
the Gospel of John).  Here the Greek noun Theos appears without the
definite article (as in John 1:1) and yet the Translating Committee
has translated each verse as (Jehovah) God.

Another example of non-existent rules followed only when needed to
support their theology is found in the forward of the afore mentioned
Kingdom Interlinear Translation (pg. 18).  Here we are taught how to
restore the Divine name.  We are instructed that we can render the
Greek words "Kyrios" (Lord) and "Theos" (God) into Divine name by
determining if the Christian (Greek) writers have quoted from the
Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).  If so, we can render "Kyrios"
(Lord) and "Theos" (God) as Jehovah God.  Once again, the Watchtower
"rule" is avoided by the Translation Committee as they translate
Philippians 2:11.  The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 as he states
that "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Jehovah God
(Kyrios) to the glory of God the Father.

2.   The Translation Committee has made up a Greek tense that is
non-existent.  We cite the 1950 edition of their "New World
Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures" rendering of John 8:58
where they have translated "ego eimi" as "I have been" and state that
it is "properly rendered in the perfect indefinite tense" in the Greek
language.  There is NO "perfect indefinite sense" in any language!
After the Watchtower Society was informed of this fact, they made the
change to the "perfect tense indicative" but as the Greek student
knows, it is present tense and is correctly translated "I AM" (see
Exodus 3:14).

3.   They have added words to Scripture which changes the meaning of
the texts to agree with their theology.  Notice the Watchtower's
rendering of Colossians 1:16,17, where the word "other" has been added
four times to the text, completely changing its meaning.  When Paul
wrote those passages that the Son created all things, it is obvious
that the Son was not himself created.  The Watchtower, however,
believes that the Son is also a created being and has therefore added
"other" - not found in the Greek Biblical text at all - to make it
appear that the Son is also a creature.  As mentioned before, the
Translation Committee has added the word "a" to John 1:1 to make the
Son a creature rather than God Himself.  Take note also of the same
deceitfulness displayed in Philippians 2:9 where the word "other" is
again added, when  it is not found or even suggested in the original
Greek.

4.   The men who comprised the Translation Committee had no adequate
schooling or background to function as critical Bible translators.
The self-appointed "scholars" who made up this Translation Committee
were: N.H. Knorr, F.W. Franz, A.D. Schroeder, G.D. Gangas and M.
Henschel.  Aside from the current President Franz, none of the
Translation Committee members knew Biblical Greek or Hebrew and
Franz's ability is open to serious question.  This came out in the
Scottish Court Sessions in November, 1954 (just four years after the
release of the Watchtower Scriptures).  The following exchange of
question and answers between the attorney and Franz is taken from the
trial transcript:

  Q. Have you also made yourself familiar with Hebrew?
  A. Yes....
  Q. So that you have substantial linguistic apparatus at your
	command?
  A. Yes, for use in my biblical work.
  Q. I think you are able to read and follow the Bible in Hebrew,
	Greek, Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, German and French?
  A. Yes.....(Pursuer's Proof, pg. 7)
  Q. You, yourself, read and speak Hebrew, do you?
  A. I do not speak speak Hebrew.
  Q. You do not?
  A. No
  Q. Can you, yourself, translate that into Hebrew?
  A. Which?
  Q. That fourth verse of the second chapter of Genesis.
  A. You mean here?
  Q. Yes.
  A. No, I wouldn't attempt to do that.  (Pursuer's Proof, pgs.
102,103).


   What Franz failed to do was a simple exercise which an average
first or second year Hebrew student in any seminary would have no
difficulty (see further, "We left Jehovah's Witnesses - A
non-Prophet Organization" - Edmond C. Gruss, pg. 59-101).  It is also
interesting to note that no Greek scholar with andy credentials will
ednores the New World Translation.  Bill Centnar, in 1954 (while still
a Jehovah's Witness working at Bethel), was assigned to interview a
well known Bible translator, Dr. Edgar J. Goodspeed, asking him for
his evaluation and recommendation of the New World Translation of the
Hebrew Scriptures.  Dr. Goodspeed replied: "No, I'm afraid that I
could not do that.  The grammar is regrettable...".
   We agree with Dr. Goodspeed and go a step further and state that
the theology brought forth in this translation is a fatal distortion
of Biblical truth.  We ask you not to put your trust in such a bias
translation of Holy Scripture or in the Society that has deceived many
in the writing of it; we ask that your faith and trust be placed in
the Lord Jesus Christ who said that unless you believe that HE IS the
Eternal God (Ego Eimi - "I AM"), you will die in your sins (John
8:24).  It is because of the danger of the perversion of the New World
Translation of Holy Scriptures that this warning has been written.
Our concern is for you to come to know the TRUE LORD Jesus Christ...

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