![A former Witness has discovered that biologist Niles Eldredge (pictured) has been gravely misquoted by Watchtower](https://jwsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/niles-eldredge-misquote.jpg)
“Just move on” is what Watchtower ideally prefers former Witnesses to do after leaving the organization. So-called ‘apostates’ are urged to walk away and, above all, not scrutinize their former faith or say anything negative about it.
“They are not content just to leave the organization that they perhaps once loved,” laments the July 15, 2011 Watchtower (regarding apostates). “Their aim, Paul explained, is ‘to draw away the disciples after themselves.'”
It is with good reason that Watchtower stigmatizes and ridicules former Witnesses for revisiting their old beliefs in the light of logic and reason. Why? Because if a former Witness digs deep enough, it isn’t long before they uncover convincing evidence of deliberate lies and deception.
Step forward a former Witness named Juan, who was disfellowshipped as recently as February this year for questioning his faith. Juan had been promised by his JW father that contact would continue whatever happened. But sure enough, after the disfellowshipping was announced, Juan was told that contact with his father would henceforth be limited.
This is where Watchtower wanted Juan to “suck up” their abuse of him and stay quiet. But he had other ideas.
Juan remembered that his father had first been attracted to the organization after reading the “Creation” book (full title: Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?). He recalled from looking at information on JWfacts.com that there were numerous misquotes in this book. He decided to dig deeper and see if he could utilize his University library to uncover further evidence of Watchtower deception in the very book that had convinced his father to become a Witness.
What Juan found was astonishing.
Consider the following paragraph from pages 15 and 16 of the Creation book…
“Paleontologist Niles Eldredge, a prominent evolutionist, said: ‘The doubt that has infiltrated the previous, smugly confident certitude of evolutionary biology’s last twenty years has inflamed passions.’ He spoke of the ‘lack of total agreement even within the warring camps,’ and added, ‘things really are in an uproar these days . . . Sometimes it seems as though there are as many variations on each [evolutionary] theme as there are individual biologists.'” – Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?, pages 15 and 16.
The objective of the above paragraph is to convince the reader that doubt exists between evolutionists, and that this is sufficient reason to dismiss evolution as fact. The study question for the above paragraph thus asks, “What has been happening among those who promote evolution?”
But what does the quote actually say when read in full context? Take a look at the partial scan below (I have indicated with an “X” where the Watchtower ‘quote’ ends).
To examine a high-resolution scan showing how the above text appears in the 1982 Natural History magazine, please click here.
As you can see from reading the above, Watchtower’s use of Eldredge’s words completely and intentionally twisted and misrepresented their meaning in such a way as to lead the reader to precisely the conclusion Eldredge was warning against.
The deception and misrepresentation is so blatant it is almost comical.
![The level of dishonesty in the Creation book is almost comical](https://jwsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/creation-book.jpg)
Eldredge was praising the fact that there is “exuberant, creative doubt and controversy” between evolutionists and pointing to the fact that such free inquiry and loyalty to the scientific principle is entirely at odds with his experience of creationists (such as the writers of Watchtower publications) who dismiss any questioning of their conclusions.
Watchtower took Eldredge’s argument, snipped out the conclusion, and recast it as a perversion of itself – conforming neatly to Eldredge’s observation of intellectually dishonest proponents of creationism in the process.
It is yet to be known how Juan’s father will react to this damning evidence of Watchtower dishonesty. But thanks to his son’s persistence, many will benefit from this discovery regardless.
The 1971 book Your Youth—Getting the Best out of It posed this question: “When you think about it, isn’t it true that any apparent benefits from lying and cheating are short term at best?” (page 173) I would answer most definitely “yes!” Watchtower may have duped millions over many decades with its intentional misquotes, slandering apostates as liars all the while, but inevitably their own lies are now catching up with them.
Further reading…
I wonder. Did Watchtower use the Dag Hammarskjold library to get this quote?
Great article and alot of insight from the commentors. Enjoyed reading almost everyone’s comments.
Real science is not dogma, the theories of science continue to be challenged and moved forward. The results continue to be catalogued and added up to reach better, more clear and concise understanding.
Religion is dogma, it operates from the postion that all of it’s ideals and teachings are absolutes. John 17:17 ‘sanctify them by your word, your word is truth’
Unlike scientific knowledge, religion does not feel the need to challenge their beliefs, for the simple reason they believe, without solid evidence they have the truth. However truth is something absolute, indisputable, simply put it is inarguable fact.
Fact: Gal 5:19-22 lists the fruitage of God’s spirit to include, joy and peace. Why, are people who read the Bible and apply its counsel suffering from depression and mental illness at higher rates than ever. Why can’t they just pray as told at Phil 4:6,7 where they are promised ‘peace of mind’? Why are they instead turning to science and doctors to take prescriptions for depression and mental illness.
Fact: The bible claims there was a flood and Noah and his family survived. However one only has to look at the formations in places such as the grand canyon carved by the Colorado river, the polar ice caps with no radical change in salinity over millions of years and the deltas, with finely layered, undisturbed silt for 10’s of thousands of years to find abundant indisputable evidence that there never was a global flood.
Fact: The Bible’s creation account is inaccurate.
Fact: A book claiming to be God’s word/Truth is nothing more than dogma.
Fact: True science is far superior, when old ideals, such as prohibition on blood and other ancient ideas are no longer valid, science moves forward. Religion stagnates and causes the lives of their followers.
Hey i’m thinking about going to work from the watchtower. Look at this job i have done quoting the great Mr Cedars:
John Ceders recently said on his youtube post:
“I have.. something positive to say about being a jehovahs witness.. There are lots of endearing things like being part of a community, international brotherhood and being able to go anywhere in the world and encounter people of the same mind. … The morals are advantageous … Theocratic ministry school trains you to be a better public speaker. Learning how to do something well.. These make it worthwhile to be a JW”
There you have it! Cedars the JW apologist!
Zeebo, hopefully you’re just trying to demonstrate what misquotes are in a humorous way.
Though I appreciate the plug for my YouTube video, I never said “These make it worthwhile to be a JW.” Let’s be clear on that.
John yes it was a deliberate attmpt to show how the WatchTower even misquotes opponents to twist the meaning.
Sorry to be a git but:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6hng6I5LLo
0:45
You said it!
Not the way you wrote it I didn’t! But glad it’s a joke anyway. :)
Purlesse, or however you spell it, why did you even bother to comment?
You do not understand evolution, you do not understand the correct way to quote someone and you do not understand the true nature of your religion.
As Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, said “education, education education”
Boy, do you need to go study!
Totally and utterly busted. So busted that when you look up “busted” in the dictionary, there’s a picture of the nefarious un – named author of that piece of excrement staring gormlessly back at you!!
Please, please stop posting comments of this nature. You make yourself look like a complete idiot.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
@ Puh Leez, Mistakes? Get real, the WT makes a careful and deliberate practice of misquoting other peoples words and even its own past publications. Unfortunately for the WT the internet now makes it possible to fact check everything and the deeper you dig the more misquotes (lies) you uncover. If they were mistakes they would correct them and apologise when they are brought to their attention, but have they ever done that even once?
The reason the WT doesn’t want it’s members nosing around the internet and sites like this is because they might actually discover that they are being misled (conned) The watchtower matches every definition of a brainwashing Cult. In recent times I have been reading a bit about Scientology and notice so many parallels.
Both demand blind obedience to the doctrines of the leadership, regardless of how crazy or contradictory to past doctrines they may be.
Both claim to be the only ones who have the truth about why we are here. Both condemn anyone who disagrees or questions , WT calls them apostates, Scientology calls them SP’s or suppressive persons. Scientology’s version of disfellowshipping is called being “declared” and results in “disconnection” which prohibits all association or communication with the person regardless of family or other relationship. You can even be “declared” just for continuing to associate with another “declared” person.
Sound familiar anyone???????????????????????????
@tiger 123, Beautiful comment!
“Why, Lord, Did You Remain Silent?” (w07 5/15 p. 32)
Can Lord answer really these beautiful questions or he/she/it will remain silent forever:
Why, are people who read the Bible and apply its counsel suffering from depression and mental illness at higher rates than ever. Why can’t they just pray as told at Phil 4:6,7 where they are promised ‘peace of mind’? Why are they instead turning to science and doctors to take prescriptions for depression and mental illness.
We really need answers to these WISE AND DEEP QUESTIONS!!!
@imacountrygirl:
Sadly, I don’t think it will ever happen. The WT has never been about bible truth and started out with several failed predictions for the 2nd coming of Christ. I believe CT Russell predicted this would happen in 1884, 1912, 1914 and then 1919. He based most of his predictions on the study of pyramidology, believing that the dimensions of the great pyramids contained a cypher that could be used to determine this date. He was so dedicated to this belief that his headstone is carved in the likeness of a great pyramid.
After Russell died without any of his predictions coming true, quite possibly one of the worst men in the world got his grubby little hands on the bible students organization Russell had built. Rutherford was a drunk, philandering, misogynist who abused his power at every turn. Amongst the first things he did was to have a palatial home built in San Diego (called Beth Sarim), under the pretenses that it was where Abraham, Isaac, David et al would live once being ressurected in 1925 (there we go with failed dates again). Upon completion, he moved in to hold ‘stewardship’ of the mansion until they showed up. He also had a fleet of Cadillacs brought in so the great kings of old could get around with ease. All this on the congregations’ dimes, all through a time of tremendous financial hardship.
This just scratches the surface of some of the crackpots who were in charge when the JWs were in their infancy. I guess the point is, there has never been a time in this organization’s history when it was purely a bible-based group. It started deeply ‘pagan’, then immediately got handed over to a sociopathic oligarch. There has never been a shred of truth there, and there never will be.
@Daniel. You have hit the nail on the head, so to speak. This ‘organization’ was first built by a crackpot (Russell), then taken over by a self-serving dictator that proclaimed himself as the one chosen channel (Rutherford). After he kicked, then a corporate monologue (Knorr) took over with a self-proclaimed bible scholar stooge sidekick (Fred Franz). BTW, most of the doctrine that is so preposterous came from this fellow. His own nephew (Raymond Franz) called him and the other GB members out, getting the ‘don’t you question me!’ mentality started. Now, the GB has declared itself the ONLY channel to Jesus and God? I think not!
@Puh Lezz. The reason ‘I think not!’ is that I have looked at the bigger picture. I studied with them and gave the WTS the benefit of listening. I asked the questions. I researched and found that it is not the truth. I found their dirty little secrets, jaded history, and false prophesies. This article from Cedars is just one more FACT that proves it. The WTS is a DANGEROUS, self-serving, mind-control cult; that not mistakenly, but purposefully tells lies to its followers.
@Jeni. Excellent logic!!!
@Searcher– Thank you! :)
“…slandering apostates as liars all the while…”
In my experience, authoritarian leaders are the most vocal in accusing others of what they themselves are the most guilty of.
Puh leez, as I said in my original comment, at least some of the misquotes in the Creation book were due to the WT writer’s liberal reliance on available creationist literature. If you compare the WT misquotes with the misquotes in the other books, many of them are word for word. So…. yes, some of these may have been “mistakes”. But given that, it wasn’t one or two simple mistakes. It happened dozens and dozens of times, and they were of a lazy and completely unscholarly nature. Considering that the Creation book is populated with hundreds of references throughout – which give the appearance of scholarship – while its writers were plagarizing their misquotes is in itself unethical and misleading.
Your analysis of the Eldridge quote demonstrates you have no clue how real scientific inquiry is conducted. Raising more questions is the entire point! All pure science starts with a question. And once a potential answer comes into view it is loaded with more questions to explore. Welcome to the joy of discovery.
And I hate to break it to you, but JWs are creationists. They are not YOUNG EARTH creationists, no. But there is such a thing as OLD EARTH creationists as well. And JWs fit neatly into that category. You are not unique and do not have special insight into the world. You are just sheltered and lack unbiased information.
… nothing shocking about this misrepresentation of words
WT did the same about The Cross and many many other doctrines .
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?”
Good article, but a general point: I wonder if anything can be done to speed up this website. I find it a bit slow to load sometimes, almost to the point of being off putting.
[Off topic comment removed – This is not an article debating evolution, or belief v. non-belief. This is an article showing how Watchtower uses misquotes to defend its anti-evolution anti-science position. If you want to promote your own revulsion against the scientifically proven evolutionary process I suggest you find an alternative website on which to do this.]
Cedars,
Thank you for this article. It is evidence that no matter what topic you want to dig deeper into you can find lies or contradictions in WT publications.
What is important is that Juan took the time to research his chosen topic. He knew how to do a balanced enquiry to get all the facts. He put effort in and yielded fine results.
This is what keeps us safe from WT, research, research, research.
Kate xx
This is so true.
Hi Koalaboy.
I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses 48 years ago and a few months ago, I would have agreed with you but don’t be afraid to do research on the history of the Organization. Read what was being published in 1918 and 1919 and decide for yourself if Jesus actually chose the Bible Students as his only True Organization. A lie is a lie. If an Organization deliberately takes quotes out of published articles to prove that they didn’t evolve but were created, then that Organization is a fraud and are proven liars. JW’s aren’t the only religion that believes in creation by an intelligent god. When the Watchtower Society deliberately joined the United Nations in 1992 and covered it up, then they are part of the world and are only pretenders to be a Christian religion and are the real apostates, even to their own teachings. Look at Cedar’s last video, Is there anything good about being a Jehovah’s Witness. I can’t think of anything good really either except we won’t kill each other in a war and learned to speak publicly and aren’t afraid of other Witnesses. All I see around me is pain and suffering because of being separated from loved ones because of the shunning policy. One year, the Watchtower said the Catholic Church was terrible because of their ex-communication policy and the very next year, the Watchtower started the disfellowshipping policy. They condemn themselves with their own words. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and look up the Jewish rendering of the name Jehovah and you will see that the name Jehovah is actually describing the Devil. Those concordances are cheap off of Ebay.
In my last comment, I meant to say when the Organization deliberately “misquotes” published articles, then that organization are deliberate liars.
In their book “Benefit from the Theocratic Ministry School Education”, the Watchtower teaches their people that they must unconditionally use quotations in harmony with the original connection (pg. 225, German).
What did the apostle Paul say – “Do you, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself?”
Good job Cedars.
slimboyevenfatter said “I find it a bit slow to load sometimes”
Everything is fast for me…except when it comes to “leave a reply”, which is kind of iffy for me. Plus I can’t seem to log in anymore. I don’t know if the problem is on my side or their’s.
Sorry my comments offended you. You could have easily transferred them to the appropriate section instead of deleting them. But it’s your website so you can do what you want. If you really believe that you are right that Evolution is the answer then mankind’s future is bleak indeed. All you have to look forward is War, destruction of the planet, our resources running out, morals going down, joblessness, misery ect ect. So Cedar what do you tell your kids if you have any, what hope for a decent life when they grow up? Scientists agree that we have gone past the ‘tipping point’ to stop climate change. Guess what? We are on the ‘Titanic’ and it’s sinking whether you are in 1st class like Canada or Australia or 3rd class like Syria, the ship is going down and sadly you Cedar actually jumped out of the lifeboat back into the sea.
Hope is an amazing attribute. Without it people have given up and despaired, even died but those who hope in Jehovah have a life raft as they watch the world slowly sink into oblivion and it keeps them going. BTW how do you explain supernatural beings like demons with your Evolution theory? Did they evolve too from some alien matter? I have seen them and what they can do. I have never taken drugs either so it wasn’t that. Why don’t you go to Papua New Guinea jungle and talk with the natives and they will tell you a few stories that will send a chill up your spine. Maybe you will even have a demonic experience yourself. Actually the 3 times that they showed up and harassed me, the only way that I got immediate relief was calling out loudly the name Jehovah. What a coincidence. :o) I expect that this comment will also be deleted too but everyone have a nice day. I certainly enjoyed writing my 2 posts to you to share my experiences. It was fun.
Your comments haven’t “offended” me. I found them mildly irritating because it was an obvious attempt to derail a discussion on this article (which I worked hard on) and turn this comments section into a debate about belief verses non-belief – which you have apparently succeeded in anyway. There was nothing offensive in your comments themselves because you offered nothing that could be considered “proof” against the non-religious position other than a half-baked story about how some friends in a class one time who were atheists couldn’t give you the evidence you personally demanded.
You have actually summed up quite nicely the problem with religious belief in just this comment…
“If you really believe that you are right that Evolution is the answer then mankind’s future is bleak indeed. All you have to look forward is War, destruction of the planet, our resources running out, morals going down, joblessness, misery ect ect. So Cedar what do you tell your kids if you have any, what hope for a decent life when they grow up?”
“Evolution” is not an answer to anything other than how life diversified into all its current forms, and by your comments you show how ignorant you are of what is an observable fact all around us – that creatures adapt to their environment over time. Why do you think superbugs exist? Because bacteria can evolve more quickly to become immune to various antibiotics because their lifespans and reproductive properties speed up the evolutionary process. And you ‘believe’ in some magical barrier that prevents evolution occurring in larger organisms over longer periods? You’re welcome to this, but show us some evidence before you start spouting off your dogma on these pages.
As to mankind’s future being “bleak,” you betray in this comment precisely what makes you and others turn to religion in the first place. You don’t WANT to believe this life is all there is, and you desperately WANT to believe you can survive your own death, and life for you personally is meaningless without believing you are eternal. But WANTING to believe something doesn’t make it true. And I can find plenty of beauty and fulfillment in life without viewing it as a trailer for the real show. In fact I cherish it more because I appreciate how rare life is, how remote the likelihood of me ever being on this planet and writing this comment to you now, and this makes me want to treasure every moment rather than wasting it with silly teachings that aren’t based on a shred of evidence but on wish-thinking and tradition.
“Hope is an amazing attribute.”
What you call “hope” I call wish-thinking, and no I don’t think that’s an “amazing” attribute at all. It’s an attribute that is used to support every single religion around the world, as well as to justify some of religion’s worst atrocities against mankind. The suicide bomber blows up a bus full of schoolkids because he “hopes” he will be assured his 70 virgins in paradise. This propensity to believe without evidence is nothing to be proud of, and it completely evaporates your suggestion that you can’t have morals without religion. In many cases, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, it TAKES belief in the supernatural to make humans do immoral things, such as shunning family members or letting children die for want of blood transfusions.
I won’t ban you if you can understand that there IS another side to the argument but that this particular comments section is NOT the place to be having this discussion. The thing to do when you contravene our posting guidelines is to apologize and cease – NOT to carry on as normal. If you can relent with pedaling your own personal convictions on our readers as though you alone have the answers to all life’s mysteries I will happily let you continue posting, but the rules are for everyone’s benefit (including the religious) and I must draw the line somewhere.
@koalaboy
Actually the 3 times that they showed up and harassed me, the only way that I got immediate relief was calling out loudly the name Jehovah.
____________
Maybe you need less Jehovah and more pills.
koalaboy, Not everyone on here believes in Evolution. Some of us believe in Creation.
However, a lot of us have come to see The Watchtower as a dangerous, mind controlling cult.
I know you did not ask for advice, but I urge you to do your own research into the history of the Governing Body. Not everything with them is as it appears to be.
If it is “The Truth”, you will easily be able to dismiss my claim. So, you have nothing to lose to research for yourself.
koalaboy
Some of us on here believe that the Creator is our Heavenly Father, and that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.
Just because we do not believe in the Watchtower anymore, does not mean that we don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Actually I belive in both evolution (however not as darwin did) and the the Creator (Heavenly Father) how is that for a mixed barrel of apples?
The truth of my statement is contained within the fossil records.
Our civilization which is one of many is actually much older than the biblical record.
Human civilization as a whole, has actually being on this planet for at least 200,000 years.
Hi Koalaboy.
I had never been “harassed” by demons either until I started studying the Bible with JW’s way back when but I think it was because I had never heard of demons before, but when the topic of demons came up, it scared me so much and I think what it was was that I’d be dreaming about them and when I woke up, I was still in a dream like state and that’s why it seemed so real to me. The Society likes to use fear as a tactic to make people think it’s the “truth” and fear of demons is just another cult tactic just as the fear of Armageddon is a fear tactic of a cult religion and just as many churches use the fear of hell fire to keep their people in other religions. This after-life is a handy tool for religions to fleece you of your time and money and the Watchtower uses it also. Just being able to use scripture, doesn’t make it the “truth”. Anybody who resorts to telling lies to push their agenda, can’t be the “truth”. Either you are a liar or you are a truth teller. The Society never hesitates to tell lies to force their agenda on us. I am quoting from the Dec. 15th Watchtower page 25, “While malicious lying is wrong in Jehovah’s eyes, a person is not obligated to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it.” Just because an organization wants to push creation by an intelligent god so badly that they will resort to lies and half-truths, doesn’t make it the “truth”. Even people who don’t believe in the Bible at all, still may be believe in a creator. The Watchtower Society will say and print anything to make themselves look like experts and have all of us held hostage by the threat of ex-communication if we should disagree with anything they say in print. The whole organization is being held up by a house of cards and that house of cards is the history. Sooner or later, the truth will come out. All you have to do is look to see what was being printed and distributed as “truth” in 1918-1919 to see that there is no way that Jesus would have pointed to that religion and said it was the one and only “true” religion. If that was true, then why did Rutherford come along just a few years later and change it all to his way of thinking? If it was the one and only “true” religion, then Russell would have had it right. The Watchtower is a sham religion and Rutherford had it right “Religion is a racket and a snare.”
@koalaboy,
One of the destructive techniques of apocalyptic religions, JW’s included, is that they paint a horrific picture of the conditions of the world. Part of the rationale behind this is to truly give you no other options but the salvation that they offer to you.
However, on closer inspection you can see that this is not borne out by the facts. The standard of living has been steadily improving for the last few centuries. Fewer humans are starving, length of life is increasing (I use fewer in the sense of population proportion).
Even wars are more civilized than they have been last century
Do you find it at all odd that during the time of the ride of the four horsemen, which was supposed to have death and ravages on humans, killing a quarter of people, that in actuality there has been the fastest growth in human population since our species appeared on the planet?
Koala boy,
You are entitled to your beliefs, dear sir. You have the right to interpret the experiences you had as demons attacking you.
It doesn’t make you right, with the deepest respect.
Evolution is a FACT. Please, religious folks, learn to accept that. It is evident in every aspect of our bodies and in every living thing. There is no doubt. Evolution is a FACT.
Now, if you want to believe in a God and a Son and a Kingdom then I am happy for you and I will defend your right to hold your view in a free society. But you cannot say that evolution is wrong. You simply do not have the evidence to back that up.
This article was about the horrendous mis-quoting by the WTBTS. On that point, I am sure that we are all in complete agreement.
Let’s not concentrate on what separates us, let us instead work together to help people affected by the WTBTS.
Regardless of how we got here….we are here. We need to come together in mutual respect and work together to make the world a better place.
I look forward to working with you to that end.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
@Koala
Here’s some food for thought:
Those demanding proof of opposing views should probably have the same expected level of proof for the things they believe.
Though I myself do believe in evolution based on what can be observed in our universe, I have to ask: When did this become an “either/or” debate? Have you considered that perhaps the answer hasn’t even been postulated yet, and we are all arguing red vs. green when the true answer is purple?
Perhaps instead of debating about how we came to be on this earth, we should all focus on what we will do while we are here. After all, that’s really the only thing we can control.
@Excelsior: Your comment “Regardless of how we got here….we are here.” is spot-on. Let people believe what they want to believe and let’s go forth from there. Cedars is right by saying that the Evolution vs. Creation debate is beside the point of this article.
The real point is that the WTS and GB sanctions lies by intentionally misquoting sources and scholars. This really doesn’t suprize me at all. I can remember when I was studying the “Bible Teach” book. One of my teachers would ‘weave’ together several scriptures by playing hop-scotch through the bible. Fortunately, I got wise to this and would stop them and read scriptures before and after the targeted scripture. Usually, the targeted scripture was taken out of context and sometimes not even the whole scripture was read. To me, half-truths and misquotes are just the same as a lying. The effect is the same.
The “Truth”? Yeah. My big butt on fire!!!
@koalaboy: Probably a good idea to lay off that kool-aid for a while, or sitting so close to the campfire in the Papua jungle breathing the smoke. You’ll stop having those demon visitations after a while.
Excelsior’s comment “regardless of how we got here … we are here” won’t impress a mind saturated in Watchtower lore.
In fact, already the third paragraph of Chapter 1 of the “Creation” book adresses just this point — perhaps you, the reader, don’t think it is important how you got to be here, for you ARE here, and that’s all that matters to you. Perhaps you’ll live to be 60, 70, or 80 (who knows?) — but you may feel that it is of no importance whether humans evolved or were created.
Instantly, the text goes on to correct such an attitude: Supposedly it is VERY important to believe the right thing! It will impact on how long you will live, and under what conditions.
(Translation: If you believe in evolution, any day now your life will be cut short by Armageddon, since you failed to honor Jehovah as the Creator. But if you believe in creation and everything else the Watchtower teaches, you will live forever in paradise. Hurray!)
If you have to cheat to defend your beliefs, your beliefs don’t deserve to be defended.
“The 1971 book Your Youth—Getting the Best out of It posed this question: ‘When you think about it, isn’t it true that any apparent benefits from lying and cheating are short term at best?'”
Absolutely.
I’ll take it a step further: if you have to cheat to defend your beliefs, your beliefs don’t deserve to be defended.
@Reader notes, “One of the destructive techniques of apocalyptic religions, JW’s included, is that they paint a horrific picture of the conditions of the world.”
Indeed. And somehow this often gets to be associated with acceptance of evolution. To the religious mind, evolution is a doctrine of hopelessness and despair.
On page 8 of the Creation book, we are told that many who believe in evolution think that life will always consist of fierce competition, strife, hate, wars and death. “Some” also think a nuclear disaster is coming up fast, maybe within a few decades (incidentally, the book is now 29 years old!) Even without a nuclear war, “many” think death will end their existence forever. And to really rub in the utter hopelessness, the paragraph finally mentions “theories” to the effect that ultimately, the sun will become a red giant and destroy all life on earth!
That’s it. That is ALL you have to look forward to, if you accept evolution!
Same thing in the more recent Watchtower anti-evolution brochure “Was Life Created?” One reviewer summarized its final message like this: “The ultimate page of WLC wraps up the brochure with a series of emotional appeals. In a transparent argument from consequence, the author insists that accepting the scientic evidence for evolution leads one inevitably to accepting the following notions: life is pointless, God does not exist, and the future of humanity is unavoidably bleak and terrible. On the other hand, rejecting science leads to a wonderful immortal existence full of ‘loving purpose’ and obeying God. No actual evidence is presented for these extravagant claims.”
Then compare this to the perspective Koalaboy shared with us above, and it is clear where he gets his ideas from: “If you really believe that you are right that Evolution is the answer then mankind’s future is bleak indeed. All you have to look forward is War, destruction of the planet, our resources running out, morals going down, joblessness, misery ect ect [sic, sic!]. So Cedar what do you tell your kids if you have any, what hope for a decent life when they grow up? Scientists agree that we have gone past the ‘tipping point’ to stop climate change. Guess what? We are on the ‘Titanic’ and it’s sinking …”
A rational person might respond, What on earth has evolution to do with “our resources running out” or “joblessness”? Or global warming?
The big problem is apparently that if humans and all life-forms are the result of natural processes, then there may not be some grand cosmic father-figure who will step in and supernaturally solve all our problems. We might have to solve them ourselves! A horrifying prospect, if your idea of humanity is that of a fallen, evil, sinful, wretched, perverted race.
Creationists regularly accuse evolutionists of wanting to be free to live immoral lives since “there is no God” anyway. But plainly they themselves feel a profound _angst_ at the thought that in the REALLY big picture, their existence may not have some kind of cosmic importance after all, and then they can’t secure eternal life just by believing in the right stuff.
Some of us just don’t feel that abyss opening under our feet at the thought that we are, in fact, the product of natural processes. But others feel their lives robbed of all hope, purpose and meaning if that should be so. The meaning provided by everyday joys and relationships just isn’t enough for them. They crave something more. Their lives MUST have “top-down” meaning coming down from a Supreme Being who specifically designed the human race and takes a special interest in every individual in it — or they will simply despair.
@Jeni – red + green make brown not purple :-)
But, this is another good point, and evidence of logical thinking, Jeni. Instead of E vs. C, the possibility of a blend of E and C.
The issue with most creation statements and arguments seems to be the focus of the development of life. Meanwhile, the science community has extended the borders of evolution to encompass not only the formation of the earth, but the universe and detailing how the randomness of life developing evolved from the perceived chaos in the universe.
Yet, in the community of bible students and the Watchtower, very little consumption of new findings in science is examined and refuted, or integrated into the web called creation story. Granted reading an academic journal or some lay journals is probably over the heads of the researchers, but not one statement about punctuated equilibrium? or asteroids vs. dinosaurs?
Actually, I was implying an entirely different third theory may someday be suggested — not a mix of evolution and creation. The more we learn about what’s out there, the more chance there is that a completely new answer will arise. You just never know.
Hey everyone. Remember that this is an article about the deception of the WTBTS writers, and not E vs. C. You could debate this on and on, but the point of the article is the WTBTS lies. Their use of misquotation in this book is an example of how they purposefully deceive people to meet their own ends. They do this same thing with blood use information, and it has DEADLY consequences. Not quite what we would expect from people with such a ‘moral compass’.
Well said Searcher. :)
I am not here to debate, just to say that I am grateful for finding your site.
So much amazing information here and I love soaking it all up. Thank you for putting hard work into it and I look forward to reading more and satisfying my need to be right (my parents are JWs and I’m an ex-JW).