Questions about changing doctrine

Watchtower teaching: God searched the earth for his representative on earth & chose the Russelites (Bible Students)

The Bible Students (under Russel) & the early JW (under Rutherford) practiced:

  • Worshiping Jesus
  • Pyramydology  
  • Christmas
  • Racism 
  • Birthdays
  • Mother's Day
  • Saluting the Flag
  • Blood Transfusions
  • Support Military 
  • Taught that all witnesses went to heaven
  • Zionism 


QUESTION:

Why would God choose the Watchtower instead of groups like the Puritans who already refused to celebrate pagan rooted celebrations back in the 1700's ? 


................................................................

Some Doctrine that has changed: 

Christmas: Yes
Advocated for, even though they knew that it had pagan roots. Celebrated until 1926

Watchtower acknowledged Christmas had pagan links from as early as 1881(God's Kingdom Rules! p.101) but said it was important to celebrate anyway:
"Even though Christmas is not the real anniversary of our Lord's birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of his human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord's birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We may as well join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - "Christmas day."" Zion's Watch Tower 1904 Dec 1 p.364

"Whether or not the date is correct is of small importance, but the event was and is of the greatest importance." The Golden Age 1919 Dec 24 p.215

Suggested selling Miracle Oil, to make money for Xmas presents. Golden Age 1921 Dec 7 p.159

Suggested selling books to make money for Xmas presents
The Golden Age 1922 Nov 22 page 128

‘Christmas is sacred and included carols’ The Golden Age of 1924, Dec 19


Christmas: NO 1928
"What caused the Bible Students to stop celebrating Christmas? Richard H. Barber gave this answer: "I was asked to give an hour talk over a [radio] hookup on the subject of Christmas. It was given December 12, 1928, and published in The Golden Age #241 and again a year later in #268. That talk pointed out the pagan origin of Christmas. After that, the brothers at Bethel never celebrated Christmas again." Yearbook 1975 p.147


Birthdays: YES
"Pardon me for intruding on your precious time, but I just can't help letting you know how much I appreciate the phonograph which came to me on the morning after the 8th, which was my 80th birthday. It was indeed a birthday gift from Jehovah, to be used in proclaiming his name. May grace and strength be given me to do with my might what my hands find to do." Watchtower 1940 Jan 1 p.16

Birthday: NO 1951
"Is it proper to have or attend celebrations of birthday anniversaries?-F. K., Nevada.
Such celebrations have their roots in pagan religions, and not Scriptural grounds. Some Bible commentators suggest that birthday celebrations may have had their origin in the "notion of the immortality of the soul"." Watchtower 1951 Oct 1 p.607 Questions from Readers


Politics: YES 
Praised the USA government for going to war & Bible students were requested to pray for the military troops in WW1
Watchtower 1918 June 1 p.174

Honouring the flag: 
Watch Tower 1917 May 15

Rutherford praised Hitler at the beginning of the war & was antisemitic
"Be it known once and for all that those profiteering, conscienceless, selfish men who call themselves Jews, and who control the greater portion of the finances of the world and the business of the world, will never be the rulers in this new earth. God would not risk such selfish men with such an important position" The Golden Age 1927 Feb 23 p.343 

Politics: NO 1929

 

Pyramidology: YES
Russel's prophesies, 1914, were 100% based on it. Thought them divine. 
Rutherford continued teaching pyramidology. Erected the pyramid monument to Russel. 1924 The Golden Age magazine stated the pyramid as proof of God's "overruling of earth's affairs. 

Pyramidology: NO 1928
"If the pyramid is not mentioned in the Bible, then following its teachings is being led by vain philosophy and false science and not following after Christ." Watchtower Nov 15, 1928 p 344

The pyramid was now deemed "Satan's Bible." Pyramid study listed as an "idols" to be "cut off and put away." Preparation, 1933

 

Worship Jesus: YES

"He was the object of unreproved worship..." Zion's Watch Tower 1880 Oct pp.2-3 

"Yes, we believe our Lord Jesus while on earth was really worshiped, and properly so. It was proper for our Lord to receive worship in view of his having been the only begotten of the Father and his agent in the creation of all things, including man." Zion's Watch Tower 1898 Jul 15 p.216 

"Jehovah God commands all to worship Christ Jesus because Christ Jesus is the express image of his Father, Jehovah, and because he is the Executive Officer of Jehovah always carrying out Jehovah's purpose (Heb.:3-6)." Watchtower 1939 Nov 15. 339
whosoever would worship Him must also worship and bow down to Jehovah's Chief One in that capital organization, namely, Christ Jesus, his Co-regent on the throne of The Theocracy." Watchtower 1945 Oct 15 p.313 


from the 1945 Charter Amendment:

Worship Jesus: NO 1954

 "Should we worship Jesus?
Consequently, since the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is not a trinitarian co-person with God the Father, but is a distinct person, the Son of God, the answer to the above question must be that no distinct worship is to be rendered to Jesus Christ now glorified in heaven. Watchtower 1954 Jan 1 p.31  

Jesus began ruling invisibly in 1878
"The year A.D. 1878 … clearly marks the time for the actual assuming of power as King of kings, by our present, spiritual, invisible Lord - …" The Time is At Hand (1911 ed) p.239

Jesus began ruling invisibly in 1914
"The Watchtower has consistently presented evidence to honesthearted students of Bible prophecy that Jesus’ presence in heavenly Kingdom power began in 1914."Watchtower 1993 Jan 15 p.5

 

1914: Armageddon - System ends
"But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble". Zion's Watch Tower 1894 Jul 15 p.226 

1914: The start of the end
"Jehovah's witnesses pointed to the year 1914, decades in advance, as marking the start of "the conclusion of the system of things." Awake! 1973 Jan 22 p.8 

Baptism: not required 
Re-baptism was necessary only if the previous baptism was not in symbol of a dedication, or if it was not by immersion.The Watchtower 1955 Jul 1 p.412

Baptism: required
Watchtower 1956 Jul 1 p.406

Baptism is not in the name of any organization
"A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit." Watchtower 1955 Jul 1 p.411

Baptism into the Organization
“Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization? Having answered yes to these questions, candidates are in a right heart condition to undergo Christian baptism." Watchtower 1985 Jun 1 p.30 

Vaccines NO 1931-1952
The Golden Age, 1931, p. 293
The Golden Age 1929,  p.502
Golden Age 1929 p.106-107

Vaccines YES legal reasons
Watchtower 1952 p.764  
AWAKE! Dec1965 p.20 

Organ Transplants YES
Aug 1st 1961 - pg 480 

Organ transplants NO
1967 "Cannibalism."( Watchtower 1967 p.702-704

Organ Transplant YES
Watchtower 1980 Mar 15 p 31


Blood Transfusions: ALL YES up to 1945
Consolation 1940 Dec 25 p. 19

Blood: NO NONE 1945 – 1982
1961 became disfellowshipping offense:
"Beginning in 1961 any who ignored the divine requirement, accepted blood transfusions, and manifested an unrepentant attitude were disfellowshipped from the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses." Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom pp.183-184

Blood: YES some 
ractions allowed 1982 - 2000

Blood: YES minor blood fractions allowed 2000


Storing your own blood: NO
"Whether whole or fractional, one’s own or someone else’s, transfused or injected, it is wrong. ... It is forbidden as food. It is not authorized by God for administration to another person under the guise of medical treatment to sustain life." Watchtower 1961 Sep 15 p.559
“Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, DO NOT accept this procedure. We have long appreciated that such stored blood certainly is no longer part of the person. It has been completely removed from him, so it should — Deuteronomy 12:24." Watchtower 1989 Mar 1 p.30
"Occasionally, a doctor will urge a patient to deposit his own blood weeks before surgery (preoperative autologous blood donation, or PAD) so that if the need arises, he could transfuse the patient with his own stored blood. However, such collecting, storing, and transfusing of blood directly contradicts what is said in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Blood is not to be stored; it is to be poured out—returned to God, as it were." Watchtower 2000 Oct 15 p.30
“Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept preoperative autologous blood donation.”
https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/medical-information/ret/religious-ethical-position/

Storing your own blood: YES
Governing Body Update #2, March 2026

But still NO on the website:
https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/medical-information/ret/religious-ethical-position/#link4 






QUESTIONS:

1) Given that so many foundational doctrines flipped over the decades, what if the Watchtower decides in the future that they were wrong about historical Christian doctrine? 
If one day the GB announces Jesus' & the Holy Spirits' deity & that there is a place of eternal torment?  

If that were to happen, then all of the witnesses who died before that doctrinal change would forever be tormented in the lake of fire?  
( Mark 9:43–48; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10 -15; Luke 16:19–31) 

How does that make you feel about the constantly changing doctrine?

2) Once someone is baptized, they can be disfellowshipped for unaccepted behaviour or practices. 
If a foundational doctrine is changed after someone is baptized, how is it fair to hold that person to a changed doctrine?  What if they don't believe that the change is biblical & they would not have become a witness if that doctrine was being taught?

3) The Watchtower called being a witness "The Truth" or "being in the Truth"
    But every time a doctrine changes, that means that what you thought was the truth was a lie. Doctrine seems to be constantly changing. So how can you ever have the peace that surpasses understanding if you never know if you actually have the truth? 


 


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