Several commonly repeated citations are inexact: the 'filthy pus' vaccination line is in The Golden Age of 13 November 1929 (p. 107), not 1 May 1929 p. 502; the 'tacking' article is in The Watchtower of 1 December 1981; and the 1952 Sodom paragraphs fall on pp. 335-336 by the library's page markers.
Claim ID claim-doctrine-citation-correctionsConcerns 19 September 2026Independent finding
13 November 1929 · pp.106-107 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Golden Age Publishing)
“Avoid serum inoculations and vaccinations, as they pollute the blood stream with their filthy pus.”
One of a list of health tips in a dietetics article; the OCR shows the 'NOVEMBER 13, 1929' running head before the sentence and 'GOLDEN AGE 107' after it.
1 May 1929 · pp.502-503 · H. R. Rickards (reprint) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Golden Age Publishing)
“Thinking people would rather have smallpox than vaccination, because the latter sows the seed of syphilis, cancers, eczema, erysipelas, scrofula, consumption, even leprosy and many other loathsome affections. Hence the practice of vaccination is a crime, an outrage and a delusion.”
A reprinted anti-vaccination article appearing in the 1 May 1929 issue (issue contents list 'VACCINATION'); the page-502 marker precedes it and the 'May 1, 1929' running head follows within the article.
Provenance and verification note for The Golden Age, Vaccination (by Dr. H. R. Rickards, reprinted from The Quest)
Confidence note. Scan OCR opened; wording, issue date and page position confirmed from page markers in the OCR.
Scan provenance. Internet Archive item 'golden-age-1929' (bound volume of The Golden Age 1929; uploader-contributed scan; OCR text file 'Golden Age 1929_djvu.txt' downloaded and searched).
Notes. This is what actually appears at g 1929 5/1 p. 502. The 'filthy pus' sentence widely attributed to this page is in the 13 Nov 1929 issue (see the 13 November 1929 record).
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-g-1929-0501-vaccination-crime
1 December 1981 · pp.26-31 · par. 2 (p. 27); par. 19 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“At times explanations given by Jehovah's visible organization have shown adjustments, seemingly to previous points of view. But this has not actually been the case. This might be compared to what is known in navigational circles as “tacking.” By maneuvering the sails the sailors can cause a ship to go from right to left, back and forth, but all the time making progress toward their destination in spite of contrary winds.”
Par. 19: 'such development of understanding, involving “tacking” as it were, has often served as a test of loyalty for those associated with the “faithful and discreet slave.”'
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, The Path of the Righteous Does Keep Getting Brighter
Confidence note. Opened on wol.jw.org; wording confirmed; p. 27 from page marker. NOTE: the brief cited w1981 12/15 pp. 27-31; the article is in the 1 Dec 1981 issue.
1 June 1952 · pp.333-340 · pars. 8-9 (pp. 335-336) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“those destroyed by God at Sodom and Gomorrah are eternally “cut off”. … By no wresting of scripture can this be made to mean a future resurrection for slain of the Lord. … If those slain by the Lord at Sodom have no resurrection, then those slain by him at Armageddon will have none, for the former pictures the latter.”
Argues from Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2 that Sodom's destruction was final and that it pictures Armageddon.
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, “Get Out of Her, My People”
Confidence note. Opened on wol.jw.org; wording confirmed; the page markers place pars. 8-9 on p. 336 (the brief's 'p. 338' is not what the markers show).
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-doctrine-citation-corrections/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.