by besty 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Thought it would be a useful exercise to create a thread with a list of as many as possible official 'in print' quotes about avoiding the internet.
Not 'well a CO said at our assembly last week we shouldn't be on Facebook'
This will be a great resource for anti-witnessing anytime we come across JW's online - by their own words we condemn them....
Any takers to get us started.....<I don't have a CD-ROM otherwise I would get going.....>
7/07 KM:
Question Box
What are the dangers of using the Internet to associate with someone we do not know?
A number of Web sites have been designed for people to meet and correspond over the Internet. Many of these sites allow individuals to create and post their own profile, which may include pictures and other personal information. People who view the profile can then make contact. Such Web sites are very popular among young people, and some youths in the congregation have used them to interact with others who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses.
It is easy for a person whom we meet over the Internet to be deceptive about his identity, his spirituality, or his motives. (Ps. 26:4) An individual claiming to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses may actually be an unbeliever, a disfellowshipped person, or even an active apostate. (Gal. 2:4) Reportedly, many pedophiles use such Web sites to find their victims.
Even if we are convinced that those with whom we are corresponding are in good standing in the congregation, conversations in such a setting can easily drift toward unwholesome material. This is because people tend to be less inhibited with individuals they have not met personally. They may also view online communication as private and feel that whatever they say will not come to the attention of others, such as their parents or the elders. Sadly, a number of youths from Christian households have been ensnared and have become involved in obscene speech. (Eph. 5:3, 4; Col. 3:8) Others have included sexually provocative pictures of themselves, suggestive nicknames, or links to sexually explicit music videos in their computer profile.
In view of the foregoing, parents should monitor their children’s activity on the computer. (Prov. 29:15) It would be dangerous to invite a stranger into our home or to allow him to be alone with our children. Similarly, it is dangerous for us or our children to make friends with strangers over the Internet, even if they claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses.—Prov. 22:3.
I got 797 results by searching 'Internet' on the 2008 Watchtower Library program. I'd say roughly 90% of those entries were warnings against what the Watchtower perceives as "the dangers of the Internet" - Mostly pornography, time wasting, chat rooms, false information and apostate material.Here are a select few of those:Watchtower '04 - 15th Feb"How can we guard against being deceived by apostates? By heeding the advice from God’s Word, which says: “Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17) We “avoid them” by steering clear of their reasonings—whether in person, in printed form, or on the Internet."Watchtower '04 - 15th Sept"Seeds of doubt can be sown by the media, through the Internet, and by modern-day apostates."Watchtower '06 - 15th Jan
"Because of listening to the Devil and not rejecting his lies, the first human pair apostatized. So, then, should we listen to apostates, read their literature, or examine their Web sites on the Internet? If we love God and the truth, we will not do so. We should not allow apostates into our homes or even greet them, for such actions would make us ‘sharers in their wicked works.’ (2 John 9-11) May we never succumb to the Devil’s wiles by abandoning the Christian “path of truth” to follow false teachers who seek to “introduce ruinous ideologies” and try to ‘exploit us with well-turned phrases.’—2 Peter 2:1-3."Watchtower '06 - 15th Sept"We ought to keep far away from all immoral influences, whether they come through music, entertainment, the Internet, or books and magazines."
Watchtower '08 - 15th Feb
"...snares still claim victims among God’s people. For example, the click of a mouse at a computer in the privacy of one’s own home may be all that a curious or unwary person needs to ruin his good conscience. How sad it would be if a Christian were to be enticed by Internet pornography!"
Watchtower '08- 15th Dec
"At Psalm 101:3, we find David’s words: “I shall not set in front of my eyes any good-for-nothing thing.” There are many opportunities today to set in front of our eyes good-for-nothing things, particularly when we are alone. Access to the Internet has presented many with a challenge in this regard. It is easy to be lured into looking at suggestive, even pornographic, material. But is doing so an act of obedience to the God who inspired David to pen those words? Pornography is harmful, for it inflames wrong and greedy desires, damages the conscience, erodes marriages, and degrades everyone involved."
'GOD'S LOVE' book'08
"You can also absorb that evil spirit through objectionable literature, pornographic or apostate Internet sites, unwholesome entertainment, and highly competitive sports—really, through anyone or anything that conveys the thinking of Satan or his system."
'TEACHER' book '03
"Where do people learn a lot about violence and improper sex and spirits and ghosts?— Isn’t it from watching certain television shows and movies, playing computer and video games, going on the Internet, and reading comic books? Does doing these things bring us closer to God or closer to the Devil and his demons?"
Kingdom Ministry Sept '02
"Bear in mind that our heavenly Father has an appointed channel of communication, “the faithful and discreet slave.” That “slave” has the responsibility to determine what information is made available to the household of faith, as well as “the proper time” for it to be dispensed. This spiritual food is available only through the theocratic organization. We should always look to God’s appointed channel for reliable information, not to a network of Internet users.—Matt. 24:45."
Kingdom Ministry Jan '03
"Being surrounded by Satan’s world, we must exercise self-discipline, avoiding anything that could contaminate our mind or corrupt our heart. (Prov. 4:23; Matt. 5:29, 30) Christians are admonished that they “cannot be partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons.” (1 Cor. 10:21) This requires that we guard against unwholesome entertainment, bad associations, and dangers on the Internet. It also calls for our shunning apostate material."
thanks Pixie - plenty of good FaceBook fodder there.....
Y'welcome. :)
Also, for a couple of quotes advising Witnesses to avoid the Internet (or parts of it) in general (which was probably more what you were after, to use as 'debate ammo' when talking to active Witnesses, right?):
Watchtower '08 - 1st Sept
? You are invited to a party where alcohol and possibly drugs will be freely available.
? “Why don’t you post your profile on the Internet?” someone suggests.? A friend invites you to watch a movie that features violence or immorality.
If you are ever confronted with any of such situations, what will you do? Will you simply give in, or will you carefully consider what the “end afterward” could be? You would be wise to ask yourself: “Can a man rake together fire into his bosom and yet his very garments not be burned? Or can a man walk upon the coals and his feet themselves not be scorched?”—Proverbs 6:27, 28.
Watchtower '02 - 15th Sept
There is another type of false story that we need to be on guard against. A great many sensational tales circulate, often by means of E-mail. It is wise to be cautious about such tales, especially if we do not know the original source of the information. Even if an experience or story was sent by a reputable Christian, that individual may not have firsthand knowledge of the facts. That is why it is important to be cautious about repeating or forwarding unverified accounts. We surely would not want to repeat “godless myths,” or “false stories which violate what is holy.” (1 Timothy 4:7; New International Version) Since we also have an obligation to speak truthfully to one another, we are acting wisely by avoiding anything that would cause us even unwittingly to spread untruths.—Ephesians 4:25.
It is unwise to circulate unverified reports.
*sticky note*
Watchtower '06 - 15th Jan
"Because of listening to the Devil and not rejecting his lies, the first human pair apostatized. So, then, should we listen to apostates, read their literature, or examine their Web sites on the Internet ? If we love God and the truth, we will not do so. We should not allow apostates into our homes or even greet them, for such actions would make us ‘sharers in their wicked works.’ (2 John 9-11) May we never succumb to the Devil’s wiles by abandoning the Christian “path of truth” to follow false teachers who seek to “introduce ruinous ideologies” and try to ‘exploit us with well-turned phrases.’—2 Peter 2:1-3."
Please can someone with a CD-ROM properly reference this quote please (ie article title, page and paragraph number)
bump
marking
*** w06 1/15 p. 23 par. 13 Do Not Allow Place for the Devil ***
(Lifted it from a discussion on another site but it looks like it's a WT CD-ROM c&p)
