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Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine
The doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses have developed since publication of ''The Watchtower'' magazine began in 1879. Early doctrines were based on interpretations of the Bible by Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society founder Charles Taze Russell, then added to, altered or discarded by his successors, Joseph Rutherford and Nathan Knorr. Since 1976, doctrinal changes have been made at closed meetings of the religion's Governing Body, whose decisions are described as "God's progressive revelations"〔"Jehovah, the God of Progressive Revelation", ''Watchtower'', June 15, 1964, page 365,"The abundance of spiritual food and the amazing details of Jehovah’s purposes that have been revealed to Jehovah’s anointed witnesses are clear evidence that they are the ones mentioned by Jesus when he foretold a 'faithful and discreet slave' class that would be used to dispense God’s progressive revelations in these last days ... How thankful we should be for the provision God has made of this slave class, the modern spiritual remnant, as they faithfully dispense the revealed truths of Jehovah! ... Jehovah’s faithful witnesses have been progressively brought to an understanding of Jehovah’s purposes, which are clearer now than ever before in history."〕 to the faithful and discreet slave.〔"Seek God's guidance in all things", ''The Watchtower'', April 15, 2008, page 11.〕〔"How the Governing Body Is Organized", ''The Watchtower'', May 15, 2008, page 29.〕 These teachings are disseminated through ''The Watchtower'', and at conventions and congregation meetings. Most members of the religion outside the Governing Body play no role in the development of doctrines and are expected to adhere to all those decided at the Brooklyn headquarters.〔"The Godly Qualities of Love and Hate". ''The Watchtower,'' 15 July 1974, "Christians have implicit trust in their heavenly Father; they do not question what he tells them through his written Word and organization."〕〔"Jehovah’s Theocratic Organization Today", ''The Watchtower'', February 1, 1952, page 79, "Are we assigned as individuals to bring forth the food for the spiritual table? No? Then let us not try to take over the slave’s duties. We should eat and digest and assimilate what is set before us, without shying away from parts of the food because it may not suit the fancy of our mental taste. The truths we are to publish are the ones provided through the discreet-slave organization, not some personal opinions contrary to what the slave has provided as timely food. Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals. If we do not see a point at first we should keep trying to grasp it, rather than opposing and rejecting it and presumptuously taking the position that we are more likely to be right than the discreet slave. We should meekly go along with the Lord’s theocratic organization and wait for further clarification ... Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord’s visible organization and not be so foolish as to pit against Jehovah’s channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings."〕 Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to welcome changes to their religion's doctrine, regarding such "adjustments" as "new light" or "new understanding" from God and proving that they are on the "path of the righteous".〔(Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses, part 1", ''Journal of Medical Ethics'', August 1998, Vol 24, Issue 4, page 223-230. )〕〔"The Path of the Righteous Does Keep Getting Brighter", ''The Watchtower'', December 1, 1981, pages 26-31.〕
==Method of doctrinal development==
Some core beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses have remained unchanged throughout the religion's history. Certain doctrines, particularly relating to biblical chronology, were based on what Russell called a "venerable tradition" that he conceded was not directly confirmed by facts or scripture, but "based on faith".〔(''The Time is At Hand'', By C. T. Russell, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1891, page B39, ) "And though the Bible contains no direct statement that the seventh thousand will be the epoch of Christ's reign, the great Sabbath Day of restitution to the world, yet the venerable tradition is not without a reasonable foundation.".〕〔(''Zion's Watch Tower & Herald of Christ's Presence'', October 1, 1907, R4067: page 294, ) "Can we feel absolutely sure that the Chronology set forth in the DAWN-STUDIES is correct? ...we have never claimed our calculations to be infallibly correct; we have never claimed that they were knowledge, nor based upon indisputable evidence, facts, knowledge; our claim has always been that they are based on faith. We have set forth the evidences as plainly as possible and stated the conclusions of faith we draw from them, and have invited others to accept as much or as little of them as their hearts and heads could endorse. ...Possibly some who have read the DAWNS have presented our conclusions more strongly than we; but if so that is their own responsibility."〕 Watch Tower publications claim that doctrinal changes and refinements result from a process of progressive revelation, in which God gradually reveals his will and purpose.〔"Impart God’s Progressive Revelation to Mankind", ''The Watchtower'', March 1, 1965, p. 158-159〕〔"Flashes of Light—Great and Small", ''The Watchtower'', May 15, 1995, page 15.〕 Watch Tower literature has suggested such enlightenment results from the application of reason and study, the guidance of holy spirit, and direction from Jesus Christ and angels.〔J. F. Rutherford, ''Preparation'', Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1933, page 64, 67, "Enlightenment proceeds from Jehovah by and through Christ Jesus and is given to the faithful anointed on earth at the temple, and brings great peace and consolation to them. Again Zechariah talked with the angel of the Lord, which shows that the remnant are instructed by the angels of the Lord. The remnant do not hear audible sounds, because such is not necessary. Jehovah has provided his own good way to convey thoughts to the minds of his anointed ones ... Those of the remnant, being honest and true, must say, We do not know; and the Lord enlightens them, sending his angels for that very purpose."〕 Rutherford spoke of spiritual "lightning flashes in the temple",〔''Watchtower'' 1933, pages 53, 62, as cited by M. James Penton, ''Apocalypse Delayed'', University of Toronto Press, page 165.〕 the Society claims its doctrine of the "great crowd" and "other sheep" were "revealed" to "God’s earthly servants" in 1935,〔''Life Everlasting in Freedom in the Sons of God'' Watchtower Society, 1966, page 149, as cited by M. James Penton, ''Apocalypse Delayed'', University of Toronto Press, page 165.〕〔"The Things Revealed Belong to Us", ''The Watchtower'', May 15, 1986, pages 10-15, "In 1925 God’s earthly servants became possessors of an accurate understanding... In 1932 their understanding was deepened still further. Jehovah revealed that the prophecies related ...to spiritual Israel, the Christian congregation. (Romans 2:28, 29) Then, in 1935 a corrected understanding of John’s vision of the “great crowd” in Revelation chapter 7 opened the eyes of anointed ones to the huge gathering work that still lay ahead of them.".〕 and Witness literature has also described sudden changes in doctrines as "flashes of light" given by God through his holy spirit.〔"Flashes of Light - Great and Small", ''Watchtower'', May 15, 1995, page 17, 18.〕 A 1930 publication claimed God used "invisible deputies" and "invisible angels" to pass his "messages" to ''The Watchtower'', although ''The Watchtower'' told Witnesses it was not necessary for them to understand how this took place.〔''Watchtower'', December 1, 1933, page 364, "Without doubt these angels are delegated by the Lord to convey his instructions to the members of his organization on earth. Just how this is done is not necessary for us to understand."〕 A 1973 policy change to disfellowship tobacco users was explained as a decision that "Jehovah has brought to the attention of his 'holy' people".〔"You Must Be Holy Because Jehovah Is Holy", ''Watchtower'', February 15, 1976, page 123〕
Watch Tower publications often cite Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established" (''NWT'') when explaining the need to change doctrines.〔"Keep in Step With Jehovah’s Organization", ''Watchtower'', January 15, 2001, page 18.〕 The organization's earlier literature has included claims that its predictions about dates such as 1925 were "indisputable",〔''Watch Tower'', November 1, 1922, as cited by Raymond Franz, ''Crisis of Conscience'', page 228.〕 "absolutely and unqualifiedly correct"〔''Watch Tower'', July 15, 1922, as cited by Raymond Franz, ''Crisis of Conscience'', page 226.〕 and bearing "the stamp of approval of Almighty God",〔 but the Governing Body which was established later says its teachings are neither infallibile nor divinely inspired.〔"To Whom Shall We Go but Jesus Christ?", ''The Watchtower'', March 1, 1979, pages 23-24.〕〔"Questions From Readers", ''The Watchtower'', October 15, 1954, page 638.〕〔"Name and Purpose of The Watchtower", ''The Watchtower'', August 15, 1950, page 263.〕
Robert Crompton, author of a book on Watch Tower eschatology, has noted that it is difficult to trace the development of doctrines because explicit changes are often not identified in Jehovah's Witness literature, leaving readers to assume which details have been superseded. Edmund C. Gruss, a critic of the religion, found that a 1943 Watch Tower Society publication that established a new creation chronology, changing the date of Adam's creation by 100 years, made no mention of the old time reckoning, which had previously been said to be "correct beyond a doubt".〔Edmund C. Gruss, ''The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation'', Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, page 64. Gruss based his comments on ''The Truth Shall Make You Free'', 1943, pages 141-52.〕
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