Is the Organization an "Engraved Image"?

M.J.

Isaiah 42:8

I am Yahweh, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to engraved images.

Hello M.J., I would say yes they are because they are incorporated into the State. And as a corporation their authority comes not from God, but the State Attorney General. Excerpt fron article, " Attorney General Heads Incorporated Churches"

It is a basic principle of law that what one creates, one controls. Any church that is incorporated, gets its life from the State and must obey the State or lose its corporate status. "Corporate" means shaped into a body. State incorporated churches are part of the body of the State. We are to be the body of Christ and receive our life from Jesus Christ, not the State. When a church incorporates under the State, the church comes under the jurisdiction of the State and therefore surrenders its headship to the State. The church's chief officers become official representatives of the State by virtue of their corporate charter. Those who incorporate transform their churches into fictitious entities created by the State and ruled by State laws. Such institutions are State churches and they can prove it. They have corporate charters that bear the name of their sovereign the State. According to Black's Law Dictionary, a "corporation" is an "artificial person" or "legal entity" created by or under the authority of the laws of a state or nation. To incorporate means to join with something already formed, to become part of another body. When a church incorporates under the laws of the State, it becomes part of the State's body. A maxim of law says, "What one creates, one controls." State incorporated churches are under the control of their creator, the State. They have taken the body of Christ and joined it to a harlot (1 Corinthians 6:15). A State incorporated church has the State attorney general as its head. The attorney general has the final rule over his corporation. When the pastor conducts his responsibilities, he does them as an agent of the State. During the wedding ceremony, for instance, the pastor says, "Under the authority vested in me by the State of Oregon." He is conducting State business.
The State incorporated church is no different from any other State agency. In fact, it is the State. What the church has done is surrender most of the functions of the church to the State. For example, in the old days, births were recorded in the family Bible. Today the church records them with a State agency such as Vital Statistics. Marriage records are also turned over to the State. Charitable work such as helping the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the orphaned, the homeless and widows is done with State funding and under State control.
The pastor for the State incorporated church promotes compliance with all State requirements. He preaches that Romans 13 means to "obey the law of the land." And he makes sure everyone in the congregation renders unto Caesar. After all, the church does not want to offend its master and lose its tax exempt status.

http://secular.embassyofheaven.com/churchstate/agheadschurch.htm I feel the issue of incorporation of a church would be a interesting topic to pursue. Peace
Acadian

JamesThomas

I am Yahweh, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to engraved images.

What is any named deity, other than an image engraved within the mind?
j

Forscher

It is.
It demands the same devotion as God. It claims it by authority of its supposed position of the "ark of salvation."
Forscher

Flash

I'm willing to bet it didn't start out that way, but after Russell past on became that way. Now I'm not an expert on Russell, I read some bad things about him too. If he started out good in heart but didn't stay that way, like King Solomon, I don't know. I do know this though, the Arrogant Men who have been leading the congregation since, have made the Organization, the Society, Mother, the Faithful Slave an image of worship. Demanding absolute, unquestioning obediance and reverence. ...Or else!

Arthur

It is.

It demands the same devotion as God. It claims it by authority of its supposed position of the "ark of salvation."

I couldn't agree more. It is stunning how the conventions always stress the need to give absolute allegiance to the organization. The baptismal questions are a glaring example of this. The concept of gaining salvation through organizational membership appears nowhere in the New Testament.

The JW religion has metamorphosed into something very similar to the Communist Party under Chariman Mao. Allegiance and conformity to the "mother organization" has been put above the person's true heart condition and personal relationship with God.

If this doesn't constitute idolatry, then I don't know what does.

LongHairGal

I also agree that it is. It represents that god speaks or communicates with it. They try to get around this in a funny sort of way by saying they are not inspired but spirit directed. Well, prove it. They really can't.

I long ago felt they spoke presumptuously and I never entirely swallowed the whole thing.

LHG