Are Jehovah’s Witnesses “Too Dogmatic”?

[Anna]

27 minutes ago, AlanF said:

My favorite example of such mealy mouthed deception is from the Proclaimers book (p. 163). Speaking about what Rutherford and company taught in the decade after 1914, it said:

<< As the years passed and they examined and reexamined the Scriptures, their faith in the prophecies remained strong, and they did not hold back from stating what they expected to occur. With varying degrees of success, they endeavored to avoid being dogmatic about details not directly stated in the Scriptures. >

It might sound mealy mouthed, but it's hardly deception.

They tried hard not to be dogmatic, but they didn’t always succeed. Sometimes they did well and were not dogmatic, and sometimes they didn’t do well, and were dogmatic.

I believe they endeavored to avoid being dogmatic. But obviously didn't always succeed.

[Srecko Sostar]

2 hours ago, Anna said:

I am aware that our mothers would say we would never go to school, that Armageddon would be here by then.

She had not been alone in that reasoning. My wife' mother gave same lesson to her ;))) Imagine how many miles Croatia and your country have distance, but The Same Teaching moves around heads of JW's. Tell me someone, please, how is possible that some individual in USA start to make gossips about 1975 and how that wrong idea ended in one little town in one communist Balkan state ???  :)))))

Have in mind how we talking about generation borne in 1961. In 1968/69 they start to go to Grammar school. Here we have 8 years (you have 10) of this school. And 1975 is so close .... There is no chance to finish school before 1975 Armagedon :)))))

Definition of dogmatism

1: the expression of an opinion or belief as if it were a fact : positiveness in assertion of opinion especially when unwarranted or arrogant

2: a viewpoint or system of ideas based on insufficiently examined premises

Merriam Webster source

 

stating your opinions in a strong way and not accepting anyone else's opinions:

Cambridge source

 

Every ideology we facing is dogmatic !! 

 

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

48 minutes ago, Anna said:

Yes, very dogmatic. Obviously this was when they "didn't succeed" in not being dogmatic. I didn't say they were never dogmatic.

 

[AlanF]

16 hours ago, Anna said:

It might sound mealy mouthed, but it's hardly deception.

They tried hard not to be dogmatic, but they didn’t always succeed. Sometimes they did well and were not dogmatic, and sometimes they didn’t do well, and were dogmatic.

I believe they endeavored to avoid being dogmatic. But obviously didn't always succeed.

Kind of like "he endeavored to avoid being dead". But he didn't always succeed.

You are what you are until you're not.

[Anna]

1 hour ago, AlanF said:

18 hours ago, Anna said:

It might sound mealy mouthed, but it's hardly deception.

They tried hard not to be dogmatic, but they didn’t always succeed. Sometimes they did well and were not dogmatic, and sometimes they didn’t do well, and were dogmatic.

I believe they endeavored to avoid being dogmatic. But obviously didn't always succeed.

Kind of like "he endeavored to avoid being dead". But he didn't always succeed.

You are what you are until you're not.

I don't think so, more like "some people just can't help themselves"

[BlahBlahWoofWoof!]

What is the difference between being dogmatic and critical argument? Is it philosophy or belief in polarization?

Do I believe witnesses are dogmatic? Compared to, which religious organization. Can we say Jesus was dogmatic? Does anyone have an answer about Jesus and the apostles?

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

I will have to ask my new Android v. 12.6 (as seen on TV) RONCO DOGMATIC.

Cereally though ....  I suppose the difference is if the arguments are based on verifiable reality, or hopes and dreams, masquerading as facts.

[AlanF]

4 hours ago, Anna said:

I don't think so, more like "some people just can't help themselves"

I agree that some people can't help themselves when it comes to lying. The Watchtower Writing Staff in particular.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

That always occurs when writers have no other skills and need to eat and sleep warm.

[Anna]

44 minutes ago, BlahBlahWoofWoof! said:

Can we say Jesus was dogmatic? Does anyone have an answer about Jesus and the apostles?

Dogmatism: "the tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others". So I think Jesus had the right to be dogmatic because he had authority from God to lay down principles, and he didn't need to consider evidence or opinions of others for the same reason. However, in areas that didn't demand it, he did consider others, and at no time was he arrogant and haughty. Arrogance and haughtiness are negative synonyms of being dogmatic. Same goes for the apostles, but of course since they were imperfect, they didn't succeed as Jesus did. 

 

[BlahBlahWoofWoof!]

1 hour ago, Anna said:

Dogmatism: "the tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others". So I think Jesus had the right to be dogmatic because he had authority from God to lay down principles, and he didn't need to consider evidence or opinions of others for the same reason. However, in areas that didn't demand it, he did consider others, and at no time was he arrogant and haughty. Arrogance and haughtiness are negative synonyms of being dogmatic. Same goes for the apostles, but of course since they were imperfect, they didn't succeed as Jesus did. 

If Jesus gave that authority to his followers, what would be the difference? I’m no referring to personal authority, but of that given by God. Do you believe the Holy Spirit doesn’t have any authority?

Are we not slaves to God and Christ? Isn't showing the same zeal that Christ displayed be done in today's Christianity? The principles of faith need to live with us.

 

[Anna]

10 hours ago, BlahBlahWoofWoof! said:

If Jesus gave that authority to his followers, what would be the difference? I’m no referring to personal authority, but of that given by God. Do you believe the Holy Spirit doesn’t have any authority?

 

Are we not slaves to God and Christ? Isn't showing the same zeal that Christ displayed be done in today's Christianity? The principles of faith need to live with us.

Jesus’ followers have limited authority in every way. The authority given to them by Jesus  is to look after the sheep in their care, not lording it over them,  to keep the congregations morally and spiritually clean, and encourage them in the work Jesus commanded (preaching the good news). Also they were to provide spiritual food at the proper time. This did not mean re- inventing scripture or experimenting and then being dogmatic about the interpretation unless its proved crystal clear.

If the holy spirit had authority to “make” people do things, then people under its influence would never make any mistakes. It does not have that authority. Holy spirit only works if the person is willing to be molded by it. We know mistakes have been made in interpretation and organization.  Obviously Holy spirit was unable to influence that. The organization itself does not like the word dogmatic being applied to it because of its negative connotation. This is because imperfect humans do not have the right to be dogmatic about anything really.