God's Love book - Prologue examined

by Mad Sweeney 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Mad Sweeney

  Eventually I would like to do a deconstruction on the entire book but for now, lets start with the Prologue, which claims to be written by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. If anyone feels this is useful, please let me know. Also, if anyone feels this is a waste of my time, let me know that, too.

  "Prologue

  Dear Lover of Jehovah:

  “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” said Jesus. (John 8:32) How encouraging those words are! [Appeal to Emotion.] Yes, it is possible to know the truth, even in these critical “last days” when falsehood and untruth abound. (2 Timothy 3:1) [No evidence is presented, the reader is supposed to agree without proof. This is apparently an appeal to authority of the writers in an attempt to control the reader's Thoughts about the present world. The reader's Thoughts must agree with the writer's thoughts because the writer says so.] Do you remember when you first recognized the truth as explained in God’s Word? What a thrilling experience that was! [Appeal to Emotion.]

  However, as important as it is to have an accurate knowledge of the truth and to have a regular share in telling others about it, we must also conduct ourselves in harmony with the truth.[Behavior control. Again, no evidence is presented to support any of the three claims in the sentence. In addition, the Loaded Language phrase, "the truth" is repeated, equating in the reader's mind the slavish obedience to the directives of this sentence with the freedom promised by Jesus in the opening verse John 8:32. The overlying theme of this entire book is the emphasis on Behavior control.] To do that, we [Notice that this paragraph has reverted to using "we" and "ourselves" when the writers really mean "you"] need to keep ourselves in God’s love. What does this involve? Jesus’ words on the night before his death answer this question. He told his faithful apostles: “If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.”—John 15:10.

  Notice that Jesus remained in God’s love by observing his Father’s commandments. [This isn't what Jesus said. He said if you do one, you will do the other AND Jesus goes on to explain why this is the case in the following verses. If one obeys his commandments, that one will remain in his love BECAUSE HIS COMMAND IS TO LOVE. He nowhere indicates that this applies to ANY other command but the command to show love or that God's love is conditional and based on obedience. That is the message the writers want the reader to get, though, "if you don't obey, God won't love you."] The same is true of us [Meaning "you"] today. To remain in God’s love, we need to apply the truth [Loaded phrase again.] in everyday life. That same evening, Jesus said: “If you know these things, happy you are if you do them.”—John 13:17.

  It is our sincere hope that this publication will help you [Changing back to "you", as in the first paragraph, brings the reader back to that Emotional high that was appealed to there.] to continue to apply the truth [Loaded phrase again.] in your life and thus keep yourself “in God’s love . . . with everlasting life in view.”—Jude 21.

  Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses"
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  sir82

  Good analysis.

  Just as an FYI, if you plan to formalize this:

  I / we / us / ourselves = 1st person

  You / yours = 2nd person

  He / she / him / her / it / they = 3rd person
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  Mad Sweeney

  Thank you. First, Second, Third person terms edited out.

  There must be another word/phrase, then, that describes what they've done. Anyone know it, or do I have to google?
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  yourmomma

  great idea, this is one of the most cult like books the WTS has ever come out with. good job, look forward to more.
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  The Finger

  I've not come across this book and with any luck i never will
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  Sapphy

  I've often thought the book should be called "Remain in God's Love - by Obeying Leviticus".

  Interesting project Mad Sweeny
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  maninthemiddle

  This is well written, I have one comment, and I don't mean to defend the content, but in a prolouge there shouldn't be a need to defend a statement, the entirety of the rest of the book should have done that.

  good catch on the loaded language, I am just beginning to pick up on that now. This really is a horrible book, I recently took the time to read several chapters before I had to put it down and get a Tums.

  This on really stand out to me

  That same evening, Jesus said:“If you know these things, happy you are if you do them.”—John 13:17

  Here he was also talking about love, and putting others before yourself, that was it, not some 192 page rule book.

  Thank you for your efforts in this.
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  Mad Sweeney

  Chapter One (first subheading, paragraphs 1-3). Keep the advice and comments coming.

  I'm still looking for a word or phrase to identify the changes from "you" to "us" etc.

  Sorry about the formatting...

  Chapter 1-This is What the Love of God Means

  “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.”—1 JOHN 5:3.

  DO YOU love God? If you have come into a dedicated relationship with Jehovah God, your answer surely is an emphatic yes—and rightly so! [Appeal to Emotion. Not only is the emotion of love appealing on its surface, the most common answer a reader would give, "an emphatic yes," is praised by the writers as "rightly so!" Therefore, the reader's esteem is boosted right away, for agreeing with the writers of the book. To acheive further emotional boosts, the reader will desire to continue agreeing with the writers as the book progresses.] It is only natural for us to love Jehovah. [Now that the reader is Emotionally committed by giving the correct answer to the opening question, there is a change in status. "You" are now one of "us." Before the first paragraph is finished the reader is given an Emotional boost by answering a question in an approved way and based on that approved response being accepted as a member of the group.] Our love for God is really in response to his love for us. The Bible puts it this way: “As for us, we love, because he [Jehovah] first loved us.”—1 John 4:19.

  2 Jehovah has taken the initiative to express his love for us. He provides us with a beautiful earthly home. He cares for our physical and material needs. (Matthew 5:43-48) [These verses, like John chapter 5 from the prologue, are primarily about Jesus' command to love other people, even strangers and enemies, in a way similar to that of God's love for people.] More important, he looks after our spiritual needs. He gives us his Word, the Bible. In addition, he invites us to pray to him with the assurance that he will hear us and will give us his holy spirit to help us. (Psalm 65:2; Luke 11:13) Above all, he sent his most precious Son to be our Ransomer so that we might be delivered from sin and death. What great love Jehovah has shown to us!—John 3:16; Romans 5:8. [The use of "us" in this paragraph may simply be grammatical, but it continues to link the reader to the writers as members of the same group until the writers decide the appropriate time to change to "you" or "I" later on. The scriptures referenced and the tone of the accompanying text lead the reader to another Emotional response based on a sense of gratitude and justice. "To prove that I am thankful for all these things God has done for us, I owe him obedience."]

  3 Jehovah wants us to benefit from his love forever. Whether we will or not, however, is really up to us. God’s Word admonishes us: “Keep yourselves in God’s love . . . with everlasting life in view.” (Jude 21) [Why the ". . . " instead of the removed words, "while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ"? Is it the use of "you" or the mention of "our Lord Jesus Christ" that was deemed removable by the writers?] The phrase “keep yourselves” suggests that to remain in God’s love, action on our part is required. We need to respond to his love in concrete ways.[Non sequitur. The phrase "keep yourselves" suggests maintaining a status quo and implies INaction more strongly than action. Also, "we need to respond" is dogmatic and not supported.] An important question for us to consider, then, is this, ‘How can I demonstrate my love for God?’ [This sudden change to the singular first person is powerful. The writers risk the grammatically awkward use of both "us" and "I" in the same sentence to elicit a desired Behavioral response to the previously established Emotional desire to prove one's gratitude to God, to pay the owed obedience by taking "concrete" action to "demonstrate" the reader's "love for God."] The answer is found in the inspired words of the apostle John: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) [The reader's desire for an answer to the question, "How can I demonstrate my love for God?" is immediately gratified with the answer: "observe his commandments." That the contexts of the scriptures cited and quoted so far referring to "commandments" apply to the command to show love to other people in practical ways is conspicuously not mentioned.] We do well to examine carefully the meaning of these words, for we want to show our God just how much we love him. [By using the phrase "how much" the writers now quantify love as something that can be shown in ostensibly measurable amounts. This, in addition to the phrase, "We do well to..." begins to establish the phobia of not doing enough to show God "how much we love him." Also, use of the phrase "our God" brings an air of exclusivity to the reader as a member of an elite group. Establishing an Emotional desire in the reader to Behave in a way that will prove the reader's love for God and pay him back via concrete actions sets up the writers with the perceived authority to use the rest of the book to outline exactly what actions the reader must perform.]
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  Life is now

  When this book first came out, I thought at last we may have something about real love.

  1st Chapter par 14 "He (God) would never ask us to carry such heavy burdens..." par 17 "Let us not forget that Jehovah is asking us to live in a way that will bring rich blessings now and lead to everlasting life in the future."

  And Chapter 2 on the CONSCIENCE I thought this is great, encouraged to follow our consciences. par 20 "This book is designed to help you find that joy... Furthermore do not expect simple black and white rules on matters of conscience... Jehovah thus entrusts us with extraordinary freedom."

  Then HORROR OF HORRORS Chapter 3 entitled 'LOVE THOSE WHOM GOD LOVES'. Yes it was awful and just kept getting worse chapter by chapter. I have never felt so angry and started hammering the last few nails in the coffin of my association with the so-called great GB.

  I agree with ...yourmomma and Sapphy and maninthemiddle... and I think it's turned out to be the most cruel book of all.

  I would be very interested in your deconstruction of the entire book ...Mad Sweeney... and if your Prologue is anthing to go by it will be very helpful indeed. Thank you.
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  LostGeneration

  That book makes me ill. The only way i can tolerate that book is by substituting "sky daddy" wherever I see Jehovah or God. I love that phrase sky daddy, its the only way the book makes sense. Sure JG tolerates murder, child molesters, crime, war, etc. But you better not take your blood in whole parts, FRACTIONS ONLY!

  Good work on the analysis...I couldn't do it.