Jehovah's Witnesses, inspired by God, or not?

They will answer NO.

If they are not inspired, are inspired the disassociations they practice?

They shut up!

They may be sincere, but are they sincere and honest to answer this contradiction?

Many Jehovah's Witnesses who prove errors taught by the governing body are disfellowshipped. Does Jehovah guide such disassociations?

Out of 8 million Witnesses, only some 14,000 alive today claim to be born again and indwelt by Jehovah's spirit. This includes the 7 men who make up the Governing Body. They say they are not prophets and dismiss any claims to be inspired by God, yet they say that everything they publish (which is the responsibility of the Governing Body) comes from Jehovah God himself:

THE WATCHTOWER (STUDY EDITION) MAY 2016 article Benefit Fully from Jehovah’s Provisions: 6 Above all, each one of us should bear in mind that God is the Source of our spiritual provisions. Through the prophet Isaiah, he said: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself.” (Isa. 48:17)

Given the errors, omissions and downright false claims to be found in these publications, I can only conclude that their inspiration can not come from God because God does not lie, nor does God change. However, it is not for me to judge them. People have to make up their own minds as to where their inspiration comes from.

Edit: As for individual Witnesses being inspired by God or not, I knew a Witness who was of the "anointed remnant" who absolutely seemed to be inspired by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That was back in the 1950's. But remember that 8 million Witnesses admit they are not born again, are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit (which they say is Jehovah's inanimate energy or power) and so therefore can not be inspired by God. They appear to be inspired by their Governing Body, though, thinking that every utterance that comes from them via their literature is coming directly from Jehovah.

The words "inspired by" have been so twisted when in religion that people forget what the words actually mean.

I'm inspired by you to answer this question and to read most, if not all, of the responses. Does that mean you entered into me and gave me some sort of knowledge that I did not have before? No.

My dad inspired me to become a carpenter when I was younger. I enjoyed the work. Did my dad have to enter into me for me to be inspired? No.

So what exactly does inspired mean? If you look up the root word "inspire" on dictionary.com you will find 7 meanings to the word. But all of the 7 have one thing in common, to influence.

Can God influence us without his holy spirit? Oh yes he can. At Romans 1:20 Paul talks about how God's invisible qualities are clearly seen through creation. Different aspects of creation has inspired men to do all sorts of things.

Jet fighter engineers look at different types of birds to inspire them to come up with a new wing configuration.

Navy seals have been known to watch dolphins and other marine life to inspire them to try new techniques in swimming and diving.

Men looked to birds for inspiration on flight long before the Wright brothers got their contraption off the ground.

So then we have to ask ourselves are we "inspired by God"? If we breathe we have to be inspired by God to do so, without oxygen that he created we simply would not be.

If the Watchtower Society was inspired by God...

1) ...it would not have found it necessary to come up with its evil NEW WORLD TRANSLATION, a systematic perversion of the Bible, deliberately done so as to underpin its false dogma

2) ...it would uphold Jesus Christ AS GOD HIMSELF, GOD INCARNATE IN HUMAN FLESH

We are not inspired of God.

There isn't space here to give the in-depth answer your question deserves so let me just deal with one aspect of 'inspiration' regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm simply going to approach this on the basis of their own beliefs about inspiration and, assuming that belief to be true, work out the answers.

JWs believe that 'holy spirit' is Jehovah's means of granting inspiration to those He approves of. They say this is God's active force, or power (like electricity) which is not a person but a kind of spiritual energy. That was what enabled 40 men to write the 66 books of the Bible so that the Bible could then be said to be "inspired of God and beneficial" (2 Timothy 3:16). Those writers were inspired by receiving 'holy spirit' to do that job.

JWs believe that all of the Christians mentioned in the Bible were also given holy spirit as an anointing, or indwelling force, to convince them that they had been called to be kings and priests with Christ in Heaven, after death. They believe that all such ones are 'born again' of the spirit as in John chapter 3. They apply Romans 8:14-17 to all Christians who have 'the heavenly calling'. Let me quote from their New World Translation:

"For all who are led by God's spirit, these are God's sons. ...you received a spirit of adoption as sons by which spirit we cry out, 'Abba, Father!' The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. If, then, we are children, we are heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together."

However, JWs were told by their leaders back in 1932 that there would only ever be 144,000 of such anointed Christians (from the time of Christ till Armageddon started). A new teaching was given, that millions of Christians would never get to Heaven, but could hope to live forever on a paradise Earth. They would not need the anointing of holy spirit. Only the 144,000 class needed to be born again of the spirit. Everyone else could get a measure of holy spirit by being obedient to the anointed class on Earth - and JW leaders, especially the Governing Body, had that anointing.

Because the GB claimed to have this anointing, they claimed to be guided directly by Jesus Christ in leading the JWs. The next step was to view disobedience to the GB as disobedience to Jesus Christ, because the GB has the anointing, whilst 99.9% of all other JWs do not. The idea of 'inspiration' remains that of how holy spirit influences people to do and to say what Jehovah requires, but that only those in the 144,000 class can claim such holy spirit indwelling. Those who call themselves Christians but who agree that they don't have the heavenly calling, must do what the GB asks to 'have' holy spirit themselves (or to come 'under' the influence of holy spirit, like sheltering under an umbrella with others). Jehovah's approval of the anointed will extend to others who obey the anointed and support them. That is why millions of JWs unquestioningly accept every directive and every teaching of their GB. They view the GB as inspired of God while they are not. That is the JW understanding.

I'm giving a basic answer and have lots of JW literature on this to back my answer up, but I am not a JW myself. I sincerely believe I have given an accurate summary of this JW teaching and can elaborate if asked.

I predict that one day, someone will design and build a perfect bible-quoting robot and eliminate the need for human door-knockers.

not

inspired by a religion....not God