The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

Abaddon
First they taught - Abaddon in Revelation 9:11 is the Devil Whose name in the
Hebrew tongue is AbaddonThat is, Destroyer. But in plain English his name is Satan,
the Devil. The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 159
And now - Abaddon in Revelation 9:11 is Jesus In the Hebrew his name is
AbaddonAll this plainly identifies the angel as picturing Jesus Christ, the Son of
Jehovah God. Then Is Finished The Mystery of God, 1969, p. 232
Alcyone (A star in the Pleiades cluster)
First they taught - God lived there. Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic
starsfrom which the Almighty governs his universe. Studies in the Scriptures, p. 327
Then they taught - it would be unwise for us to try to fix Gods throne as being at a
particular spot in the universe. The Watchtower, 11/15/1953, p. 703
And now they teach - God being an individual, a Person with a spirit body, has a place
where he resides, and so he could not be at any other place at the same time. The
Watchtower, 2/15/1981, p. 6
Christs Death on a Cross
First - Up until the 1920s, Watchtower publications commonly referred to Jesus death
on a cross, for example, 1927 Book Creation, p. 209 in early editions and p. 265 in later
editions.
And Now - They teach He died on a torture stake No Biblical evidence even intimates
that Jesus died on a cross. - Awake!, 11/8/1972, p. 28
So, the evidence indicates that Jesus did not die on a traditional cross. Awake!,
9/22/1974, p. 28
Christs Return
First they taught - The second coming of the Lord therefore began in 1874.
Creation, 1927, p. 310 in earlier editions, p. 289 in later editions.
Then they taught - If it is true that Jesus has been present since the year 1914, then
it must be admitted that nobody has seen Him with his natural eyes. Golden Age,
1930, p. 503 and also Golden Age, 1934 p. 379-380
But then they taught - 1874 again was His appearance - The Harp of God, 5,736,190
Edition Printed March 1937, p. 235
But then they taught - Abandoned 1874 altogether - Gods Kingdom of a Thousand
Years Has Approached, 1973, p. 209-210
Christmas
First you could Christmas Day, in celebration of our dear Redeemers birthit cannot
be improper, in harmony with general usage, for us to remember in a social way our
dear Redeemers birth at this time. Zions Watch Tower, 12/15/1898, p. 370
1

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

It matters not particularly that December 25 is not the anniversary of our Lords birth
One day, as well as another, will serve us to commemorate our Saviors birth in the
flesh, as a gift of Gods love Zions Watch Tower, 12/15/1908, p. 379
And Now - those who celebrate Christmas do not honor God or Christ, but honor
pagan celebrations and pagan gods. Awake! 12/8/1988, p. 19
College Education
First you cant - Many schools now have student counselors who encourage one to
pursue higher education after high school, to pursue a career with a future in this
system of things. Do not be influenced by them. Do not let them brainwash you with
the Devils propaganda to get ahead, to make something of yourself in this world. The
Watchtower, 3/15/1969, p. 171
And Now - If Christian parents responsibility decide to provide their children with
further education after high school, that is there prerogative. The Watchtower,
11/1/1992. p. 18-20
Flags
First you could - Since the Bethel Home was established, in one end of the Drawing
Room there has been kept a small bust of Abraham Lincoln with two American flags
displayed about the bust. This is deemed entirely proper The Watch Tower,
5/15/1917, p. 150
And Now - According to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, a flag representing a
country is viewed as an idolatrous symbol. Awake! 9/8/1971, p. 12
Higher Powers (Romans 13:1-7)
First they taught - the higher powers were human rulers or secular governments.
Jehovahs Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p. 91
Then they taught - the higher powers were Jehovah God and Jesus Christ.
Jehovahs Witnesses Proclaimers of Gods Kingdom, 1993, p. 146-147
And now the Flip Flop - the higher powers are again human rulers or secular
governments. Jehovahs Witnesses Proclaimers of Gods Kingdom, 1993, p. 146-147
Holy Spirit
First Charles Russell Taught - the Holy Spirit was a person and rebuked the
Christadelphians for not believing this. Three Worlds, or Plan of Redemption, Coauthored with Nelson H. Barbour, 1877, p. 57-58
And now - is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from
himself to accomplish his holy will. - Reasoning From the Scriptures, 1989, p. 381
Minister(s)
First they taught - All Jehovahs Witnesses were ministers. Kingdom Ministry 1956

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

Then they taught - Only appointed elders, servants and so on were called ministers.
Our Kingdom Service, 1976
And then back again - All Jehovahs Witnesses were ministers since 1982 after the
expulsion of Raymond Franz from the Governing Body.
Organ Transplants
First you cant Taught to refuse organ transplants because they were a form of
cannibalism. Awake!, 6/8/1968, p. 21
And Now The Watchtower now teaches that organ transplants are a matter of
personal decision The Watchtower, 3/15/1980, p. 31 and that people have been
helped by them. Awake!, 8/22/1989, p. 6
Pyramidology
First they taught - That the Great Pyramids in Egypt were The Testimony of Gods
Stone Witness and that Jehovah God designed the Pyramid.
In the passages of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh the agreement of one or two
measurements with the present-truth chronology might be accidental, but the
correspondency of dozens of measurements proves that the same God designed both
pyramid and plan The Watch Tower, 06/15/1922, p. 187
The great Pyramid of Egypt, standing as a silent and inanimate witness to the Lord, is a
messenger; and its testimony speaks with great eloquence concerning the divine plan.
The Watch Tower, 05/15/1925, p. 148
Then they taught - The pyramids were Satans Bible. The Watch Tower,
11/15/1928, p. 344
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. The Watch Tower,
11/15/1928, p. 341
Resurrection of the men of Sodom
Would be resurrected - The Watchtower, July 1879, p. 8
Would NOT be resurrected - The Watchtower, June 1, 1952, p. 338
Would be resurrected - The Watchtower, August 1, 1965, p. 479
Would NOT be resurrected - The Watchtower, June 1, 1988, p. 31
Vaccinations
First you cant Taught to refuse vaccinations because they were a direct violation of
Gods law. The Golden Age 2/4/1931, p. 293
And Now The matter of vaccination is one for the individual that has to face it to
decide for himself - The Watchtower, 12/15/1952, p. 764

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

Who is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?
First it was - the faithful and discreet slave as that servant (the whole body of
Christ). The Watch Tower, 11/1881, p. 291
Then it was - Charles Taze Russell The Watch Tower unhesitatingly proclaims
brother Russell as that faithful and wise servant. The Watch Tower, 3/1/1917, p.
6049
And then it was - In February 1927 this erroneous thought that Russell himself was
the faithful and wise servant was cleared up. 1975 Yearbook of Jehovahs Witnesses,
p. 88. So, they taught it was the living anointed class claiming to be among the
remaining living 144,000.
And now - today the faithful and discreet slave is associated with the Jehovahs
Witnesses and represented by the Governing Body of these Witnesses The
Watchtower, 2/1/1993, p. 16
Worship of Jesus
First they taught - You could worship Jesus since early editions of the New World
Translation rendered Hebrews 1:6 as And let all Gods angels worship him. Make
Sure of All Things, 1953 edition, p 85
And now - They have changed the New World Translation to read, And let all Gods
angels do obeisance to him.

Conclusion
The bottom line is that The Watchtower organization claims to be Gods sole channel for
communicating truth to humankind today. - The Watchtower, 07/15/1963, p.443-444

Jehovahs theocratically controlled organization under the immediate direction of

Jehovah God Himself. - The Watchtower, 6/1/1965, p. 352

Is not the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society the one and only channel which
the Lord has used in dispensing his truth continually since the beginning of the
harvest period. - The Watchtower, 4/1/1919, p. 6414

Jehovahs organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by Gods holy spirit or
active force. - The Watchtower, 7/1/1973, p. 402

We must not lose sight of the fact that God is directing his organization. - The
Watchtower, 7/1/1973, p. 402

Jehovahs organization has a visible part on the earth which represents the Lord
and is under his direct supervision. - The Watchtower, 5/1/1938, p. 169

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

And The Watchtower claims to be a prophet of God. - The Watchtower, 4/1/1972, p. 197
So, the question arises, why so many doctrinal flip-flops?
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society will blame their doctrinal flip-flops on new light.
In other words, as they learn from the past mistakes, the light gets brighter.
Even Charles Taze Russell denounced the new light excuse:

If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us;

undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one
or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now; But with God there is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or
light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can
contradict a former truth. New light never extinguishes older light, but adds to it.
Zions Watch Tower, February, 1881, p. 3

In other words, New Light can never contradict Old Light, it can only add to it.
If God was the source of New Light, it would be said that His channel for communicating
was a false channel if they kept reverting back to or reversing teachings that had formerly
taught:

It is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our
understanding of the major teachings and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures
was in error, and then after that, to go back to the very doctrines that, by years of
study, we had thoroughly determined to be in error. Christians cannot be vacillating
wishy-washy about such fundamental teachings. What confidence can one put in
the sincerity or judgment of such persons? The Watchtower, 5/15/1796, p.298

Indeed, the Watchtower has been wishy-washy and performed doctrinal flip-flops and
then went back to the very doctrines that [were] determined to be in error.
Example of flip-flops, not just changing their story, but going back to original teachings:

Christs Return
Higher Powers
Who is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?
Resurrection of the men of Sodom

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society -- Doctrinal Flip-Flops

Ron Rhodes has one final thought and question for the Jehovahs Witness:
What if what you believed today was contradicted by New Light after you
died?
That means that you died having believed the wrong thing and you are now
lost forever merely because the organization decided to flip-flop on
doctrine.

Recommended Reading and Resources Used

1. Answering Jehovahs Witnesses Subject by Subject, David A. Reed, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1996), ISBN: 080105317X (The majority of this paper was gleaned from
this excellent book!)
2. Jehovahs Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse, David A. Reed, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 1986), ISBN: 0801077397
3. Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovahs Witness, Ron Rhodes, (Eugene, OR:
Harvest House Publishers, 1993), ISBN: 1565071069