by passwordprotected 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
New Freeminds blog (with the ability to leave comments!).
I examine how Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to prove their faith and what that shows about where their faith is actually placed.
I'd really appreciate your comments, either here or on the blog itself.
I feel it is submission and loyalty to the borg.
Quirky1, I feel the same way, just do what mother says to do, even if it is 180 degrees different than you were told to do just last year......must obey org.....without question.
Hi Mark,
The JWs I know have faith in their "religion" and their "works", knocking on doors, following the WT rules and such.
Completely different from our faith
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
All the best,
Stephen
By only listening to the faithful and descreet slave. No questions asked, period. We all walked as rank and file under the slave. Friggin mind controlled cult.
To prove faith one must:
1. Turn in a time slip every month (at least 10 hrs a month if you want priveleges)
2. Make it to all meetings, assemblies and functions. Comment. Underline answers. (I was taken off reproof once and that was part of the reason because an elder noticed I was underlining answers, which shows "seriousness".
3. Keep your publisher card blemish free. (if you want to move up in the JW world or get married in a KH or anything, that's the first thing they look at)
4. Ask no questions regarding the teachings of the WT and use WT approved "lingo". (get a hobby if you start to have doubts)
5. Hate Apostates
6. Make the Organization look good in all instances and carry a no blood card.
7. Avoid independant thinking
8. Dress, talk, look and act like everybody else. (total whitewashing)(great crowd of howdy doody clones)
9. Lovebomb all newcomers and have all out of context scriptures memorized, in case they ask questions.
10. Parrot WT articles in public prayer. i.e. "thank you Jehovah God for teaching us that the faithful slave is giving us the food at the proper time"
You will only survive Armageddon if you sell place Watchtowers. Doesn't it say that in the bible somewhere???
It is easy enough to defend the faith to oneself, if one only associates with those with like faith and only listens to the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger. That is actually the easy part.
The hard part is to defend it against people that see through it. You are supposed to go out in the territory and preach to people that are other Christian denominations, equally certain that their religion is the only true one. There are atheists that believe that the Bible is a scam, as well as people that are Islam (how are you going to defend the authority of the Bible if the householder believes that the Quran is the only inspired book?). And there are people that believe that, even if the Bible is true, that it only illustrates how cruel and wicked Almighty Lowlife Scumbag Jehovah actually is. They all have reasoning, often more sound than the witlesses that take scriptures out of context to "prove" their own viewpoint. All it takes is for the householder to put the scripture back in context, or to take a different scripture (even if it is also out of context) that proves the opposite of what the witlesses are trying to sell, and you are not going to be able to defend the "faith".
Also, if the faith is so easy to defend against outsiders, why not allow people to associate with apostates (especially within the family)? After all, if it is the truth, then for sure the apostates are using arguments that can easily be found full of holes and won against. So why not use reasoning to win back the apostates?
OK, here's what I wrote on the blog;
Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the good news; it is, in fact, God’s power for salvation to everyone having faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek; 17 for in it God’s righteousness is being revealed by reason of faith and toward faith, just as it is written: “But the righteous one—by means of faith he will live.” The way we prove our faith depends on what our faith is in. For example, if a tightrope walker has faith in the high wire, he'll prove it by walking across it. If a football manager has faith in his star striker, he proves it by playing the striker in his starting 11. Christians place their faith in Christ, in his name, in his sacrifice and in his being raised from the dead (Romans 3:22). It is their faith in Jesus that will result in their salvation and because their faith is in Jesus, a Christian enjoys the peace of God that excels understanding. So, how does a Jehovah's Witness prove their faith? The answer to this will demonstrate where a Jehovah's Witnesses faith is actually placed. The Watchtower of January 15 2008, page 26 provides us with the answer; "The other sheep companions of the congregation of anointed Christians prove their faith in various ways. First they support the anointed in proclaiming the good news of God's Kingdom. Second, they willingly submit themselves to the direction provided by the Governing Body. Third, they support their anointed brothers by living in harmony with Jehovah's righteous principles."We'll sidestep the obvious problem with the first four words of this paragraph; "the other sheep companions" is a term that is central to the doctrines, belief and teachings of the Watch Tower Society, as expounded in their publications. However, "the other sheep companions", while a central teaching, is not found anywhere in Scripture. Yes, Jesus did refer to "other sheep", but the concept of them being secondary class companions to anyone is missing from the Bible. This will be discussed in a future article. The thrust of the above quoted paragraph is to teach Jehovah's Witnesses how they should, not just demonstrate, but prove their faith. Their faith is therefore placed on, and held fast by, what follows; - the anointed ChristiansIt should be noted that the order in which their faith has to be proved places Jehovah's righteous principles in a lesserposition to obeying the Governing Body. Therefore, one may conclude that submitting themselves to the Governing Body takes precedence over what Jehovah has recorded in his inspired Word. Why should that be? The question that any Christian would ask when reviewing this Watch Tower teaching is, where is Jesus? Jehovah's Witnesses do not place Jesus anywhere in the top 3 list of ways that they prove their faith. Should this be surprising? Probably not, considering that Jesus said Christians were to be witnesses of him, not of Jehovah (Acts 1:8). Jehovah's righteous principles are recorded in the Bible and the Bible alone is inspired. The Bible contains the teachings and sayings of life. The Bible also warns against placing our trust in 'the son of earthling man' because no salvation belongs to him (Ps 146:3). Only Jesus has the authority to demand our trust, our obedience and our submission. He is the 'chief agent and perfecter of our faith'. Close examination of Hebrews 12:1,2 reveals the following; " So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that YOU may not get tired and give out in YOUR souls."Jesus is the one that should be followed, submitted to, obeyed, imitated and the one on whom our faith should be placed. If our faith is placed in Jesus, the one who perfects faith, then that will be demonstrated by looking to him alone, bearing his name and listening to him as he speaks from the Bible. Jesus said we are to follow him. At no time did he mention the need for Christians to follow anyone else, let alone imperfect, un-inspired men on earth. Jesus also has not deferred his power to anyone else. Yes, the Governing Body claim to have been chosen to be God's mouthpiece on earth, but how well are they able to back that claim up with evidence? Yes, the Governing Body put themselves above even Jehovah's righteous principles (principles that are embodied in Jesus Christ alone), but does that mean they have Divine providence to do so? Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to willingly submit to the Governing Body, but do you, as a Jehovah's Witness, temper your submission with John's counsel in 1 John 4:1? Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Please, carefully examine your faith and weigh up where it's placed. The Governing Body want you to put your faith in them, but do they have the sayings of life? The Governing Body claims that Jehovah and Jesus trust them, but how well are they able to prove - not by pointing to their earthly possessions, but from the Bible - that this is the case? Jesus said in John 10:7 that he is the gate for the sheep. He goes on to explain that those who came before him, the religious leaders, where thieves and robbers. In verse 10 he says that thieves only come to steal and kill and destroy, but that he came to give life, life to the full. Can an organisation made up of admittedly imperfect and uninspired men give life, life to the full? Did a group of imperfect and uninspired men give their life for you? If the answer to either question is no, then please carefully examine where your faith is place and how you go about proving it. |
Great article as usual Mark,
I like the measured tone you always use,no JW reading it would feel that you were motivated by rage or hate,which is what they subconsciously look for to dismiss anything that opposes their belief system.
Could I be a pedant and just say that in the last sentence I think you meant to write "placed" and not place ?
Great stuff,keep up the good work,the fine fight for The Faith,and don't forget to report your time!
God Bless,
Wobble
