Fossils Planted by the Devil

[consiglieri]

I studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses briefly back in the 1970's, and distinctly remember their teaching that the fossils dating back millions of years were placed there by the devil in an effort to draw people away from Jehovah God.

Last weekend, I approached my brother (a long-time Jehovah's Witness) about this, and he not only denied this teaching, but denied it had ever been taught.

My memory isn't perfect, but I think the Jehovah's Witnesses have changed this teaching and are hiding not only the past, but the fact it was changed at all.

(Kind of like Mormons and the Adam-God Theory, maybe.)

Anyway, the point of this thread is to ask whether anybody on the board has ever encountered this teaching from the Jehovah's Witnesses and whether they know of any documentation that this was once taught.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[BCSpace]

I studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses briefly back in the 1970's, and distinctly remember their teaching that the fossils dating back millions of years were placed there by the devil in an effort to draw people away from Jehovah God.

Did the devil place them there millions of years ago?

My memory isn't perfect, but I think the Jehovah's Witnesses have changed this teaching and are hiding not only the past, but the fact it was changed at all.

(Kind of like Mormons and the Adam-God Theory, maybe.)

Just a simple misunderstanding of the Adam Sr. Adam Jr. theory. Plus it was never doctrine.

Anyway, the point of this thread is to ask whether anybody on the board has ever encountered this teaching from the Jehovah's Witnesses and whether they know of any documentation that this was once taught.

No and no. Sorry.

[Jason]

I have one of their books where it says the star that appeared at Jesus' birth was the Devil's doing, but I don't recall anything about fossils.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Did the devil place them there millions of years ago?

Yes before the earth was even here. He is sneaky little devil.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

I have never heard this from a JW or any of their literature. Not that I am the resident JW expert but I would take your bro's word for it. I am willing to bet that some JW might hold to that but I doubt it is widely taught.

[nicolasconnault]

I have heard fellow LDS use that argument before, I think it is just popular pseudo-doctrine amongst anti-evolutionists, not something specific to Jehovah's witnesses.

[Nathair/|\]

Loki did it.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

I have heard fellow LDS use that argument before, I think it is just popular pseudo-doctrine amongst anti-evolutionists, not something specific to Jehovah's witnesses.

The version I heard (In seminary, which seems to be the place were I learn most folk doctrine) was that this earth was created from parts from other worlds being combined and that those other worlds contained the fossils. So these animals never actually lived on this earth, but they did live on another earth before this one.

So that would explain why these fossils are so old and why science thinks they are so old. I also heard that this earth phsyically moved when the fall occoured and this current orbit around this sun is not the original place for the earth and it will return when the earth is Celestalised.

Any way folk doctrine is fun as long as we realise it is folk doctrine.

[sjdawg]

Is it any different than the argument I have heard LDS members use that God removed physical evidence related to the Book of Mormon's authenticity so that people would be forced to rely on faith?

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Is it any different than the argument I have heard LDS members use that God removed physical evidence related to the Book of Mormon's authenticity so that people would be forced to rely on faith?

Never heard that one. Oh well.

[sjdawg]

Never heard that one. Oh well.

I have spent enough time on some of these discussions boards to hear a lot of crazy things from both sides.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

I have spent enough time on some of these discussions boards to hear a lot of crazy things from both sides.

Yeah, now I have heard it. It is no biggie, it is not like I have heard every bit of folk doctrine out there.

[zerinus]

I studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses briefly back in the 1970's, and distinctly remember their teaching that the fossils dating back millions of years were placed there by the devil in an effort to draw people away from Jehovah God.

Last weekend, I approached my brother (a long-time Jehovah's Witness) about this, and he not only denied this teaching, but denied it had ever been taught.

My memory isn't perfect, but I think the Jehovah's Witnesses have changed this teaching and are hiding not only the past, but the fact it was changed at all.

(Kind of like Mormons and the Adam-God Theory, maybe.)

Anyway, the point of this thread is to ask whether anybody on the board has ever encountered this teaching from the Jehovah's Witnesses and whether they know of any documentation that this was once taught.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

You are asking your question at the wrong forum. Try this forum instead:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/

And your question may already have been answered in these threads:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/200060/1/How-do-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Explain-This-Fossil-Record

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/205777/1/Did-you-blame-things-on-the-devil

[BookofMormonLuvr]

The version I heard (In seminary, which seems to be the place were I learn most folk doctrine) was that this earth was created from parts from other worlds being combined and that those other worlds contained the fossils. So these animals never actually lived on this earth, but they did live on another earth before this one.

So that would explain why these fossils are so old and why science thinks they are so old. I also heard that this earth phsyically moved when the fall occoured and this current orbit around this sun is not the original place for the earth and it will return when the earth is Celestalised.

Any way folk doctrine is fun as long as we realise it is folk doctrine.

That is what I was told growing up also.

[nicolasconnault]

The version I heard (In seminary, which seems to be the place were I learn most folk doctrine) was that this earth was created from parts from other worlds being combined and that those other worlds contained the fossils. So these animals never actually lived on this earth, but they did live on another earth before this one.

So that would explain why these fossils are so old and why science thinks they are so old. I also heard that this earth phsyically moved when the fall occoured and this current orbit around this sun is not the original place for the earth and it will return when the earth is Celestalised.

Any way folk doctrine is fun as long as we realise it is folk doctrine.

Actually, W. Cleon Skousen in his book "The first 2000 years" uses that "hypothesis" by quoting Brigham Young...

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Actually, W. Cleon Skousen in his book "The first 2000 years" uses that "hypothesis" by quoting Brigham Young...

I knew it had it roots in something BY had said. I also know that it is not offical doctrine.

[mfbukowski]

So these animals never actually lived on this earth, but they did live on another earth before this one.

I think there is actually some truth to this, but see it in more of a philosophical light.

All we can know is what it is like for human beings to know things because we are human.

For me, the earth as humans "know" it could not exist until there was a human context. You can't have human knowledge without humans. You can't have the concept or the word "world" or "earth" until there is language to frame the idea.

So for me there is a very real sense in which animals live (even today) in their own "worlds" and we live in ours, right along side each other on the same planet.

So saying that they lived "on another earth before this one" is not that far from the mark!

And I also believe that when the human context changes again after the resurrection- when we are different beings- there will be a "new heaven and new earth" right here on this planet- because we define it that way.

That part is actually scriptural- I just apply it to the past as well.

[facie ad faciem]

[Calm]

I have one of their books where it says the star that appeared at Jesus' birth was the Devil's doing, but I don't recall anything about fossils.

Never mind, looked it up; apparently the magi were astrologers and Satan was hoping they'd tell Herod where Christ was so Herod would kill him.

[Calm]

You are asking your question at the wrong forum. Try this forum instead:

Always best to go to the source.

[Walden]

The version I heard (In seminary, which seems to be the place were I learn most folk doctrine) was that this earth was created from parts from other worlds being combined and that those other worlds contained the fossils. So these animals never actually lived on this earth, but they did live on another earth before this one.

So that would explain why these fossils are so old and why science thinks they are so old. I also heard that this earth phsyically moved when the fall occoured and this current orbit around this sun is not the original place for the earth and it will return when the earth is Celestalised.

Any way folk doctrine is fun as long as we realise it is folk doctrine.

Yes, this is the version that I heard in seminary as well. I also heard it from my parents, particulalry my father.

[caudicus]

I was told that Dinosaurs were a trick of the devil by an older member of my ward when I was younger. He was not the only one who shared this opinion. Certainly, this isn't solely the providence of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later, I was taught they were from pieces of other planets.

Of course, both of these explanations are totally bogus.

[kolipoki09]

I studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses briefly back in the 1970's, and distinctly remember their teaching that the fossils dating back millions of years were placed there by the devil in an effort to draw people away from Jehovah God.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

In something I find entirely ironic, JW's have actually relied on Mormon scholar (and FARMS Reviewer) Frank Salisbury to promote a quasi-ID/Creationist ideology, something Salisbury would undoubtedly reject.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040622/article_02.htm

[WalkerW]

Brilliant.

[ebeddoulos]

Always best to go to the source.

jehovahs-witness.net is an anti-JW site. It is not a "good" source for the JW point of view. To be honest though, other than watchtower.org I am not aware of a site from which one can extract quasi-official JW doctrine. Perhaps if there is a JW member reading this s/he can point us to a site with a forum with a Q&A format.