Kingdom News No. 17
Has Religion Betrayed God and Man?
To be faithful to God and to man—
? Religion should be a real force for peace on earth.
Witnesses a FORCE for peace on earth or merely declaring Good News of a force for peace to come at an unknown time in the near future?
? It should truly aid people to live clean lives.
Are there any groups besides Jehovah’s Witnesses that are as zealous on this topic?
? It should set the example in being free from greed.
How does the Watchtower Society disclose it’s financial information? Is enough information given to the public to prove that they are not greedy, hoarding money?
Most religions claim to do this. But have they proved true to their claim?
Instead, what if there has been betrayal? Then you owe it to yourself to learn the facts.
Agreed.
DO THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS SHARE BLAME FOR BLOODSHED?
The Bible says: “If anyone makes the statement: ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar.—1 John 4:20.
Compare that scripture with this statement by noted Protestant clergyman Harry Emerson Fosdick: “With one corner of our mouth we have praised the Prince of Peace and with the other we have glorified war.”
Does Harry Emerson speak for the World’s Religions?
Typical (<-- derogatory and bias terminology here) is what happened in World War I:
Roman Catholic Cardinal Amette of Paris told soldiers fighting in the French army: “The Almighty God is on our side. . . . God will give us the victory.”
Many war heroes in the Old Testament spoke the same message. Can you blame someone who believes, in their heart, that God is on their side to make such a claim during wartime?
On the opposite side, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Cologne told German soldiers: “God is with us in this fight . . . and he will give us the victory.”
It is not shocking or surprising in any way that these statements were made during a time of war.
(Quoted in the Belgian newspaper “La Dernière Heure.”)
In more recent times we see news headlines like those at the right.
Catholic Poll Finds Clergy Pro-Viet War
NEW YORK, POST, SEPT. 7, 1967
CHURCHES INVEST IN MILITARY FIRMS
DAILY TELEGRAPH (Australia), Jan. 7, 1972
Lutherans Promise Support, Even to War, Of U.S. Steps in Crisis
STAR, 1950
Wednesday, March 2, 1949
Baptist World Leader Warns U.S. to Keep Arms Strength
Rev. Johnson Says ‘Physical Force Is Only Thing Russia Understands’
SAN FRANCISCO NEWS, March 2, 1949
Nazi Army Praised
German Catholic Bishops Loyal
NEW YORK POST Aug. 27, 1940
Were there not any religious groups besides Jehovah’s Witnesses that did not support the war?
Is the record of non-Christian religions better? No. They too have supported bloodspilling on a major scale. Their members often kill one another over political issues.
Source for this statement?
HAVE THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS UPHELD HIGH MORALS?
The Bible says: “Make no mistake: no fornicator . . . none who are guilty either of adultery or of homosexual perversion, no thieves . . . or swindlers, will possess the kingdom of God.”—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, NE.
Are the world’s religions free from guilt? (what religion organization is not free from some guilt from some past mistake? Including Jehovah’s Witnesses)among religious people those practices have increased at a shocking rate. – Figure and source?
Ask yourself: ‘Suppose everyone lived like members of my religion? Would that eliminate crime, dishonest business practices and immorality?’
– Is it even humanly possible to eradicate these traits in any way shape or form?
When, in fact, did you last hear of a religion removing members who insist on practicing such things? Instead, what is happening is shown in the news clippings at the left.
SEPTEMBER 25, 1964
Pre-marital sex can be O.K.
OTAWA, CANADAZ
Is Homosexuality Wicked? Episcopal Priests Say No
NEWS, NOV. 29 1967
Bishop wants sex made legal at 14
AUCKLAND STAR (New Zealand), July 11, 1972
Archbishop: Many of our clergy are homosexual
THE ADVERTISER (Australia), April 19, 1973
What are the reasons behind these statements? These headlines are the start of an article, and headlines are designed to be provocative and eye-catching. Headlines make the most ineffective out of context quote because of this fact.
ARE THEY FREE FROM THE LOVE OF MONEY?
The Bible says: “Its priests teach for hire, its prophets divine for money; yet they lean upon the Lord and say, ‘Is not the Lord in the midst of us?’” But Jesus Christ told his disciples: “You received free, give free.”—Micah 3:11, RS; Matthew 10:8.
What do you see today? Think: ‘How often has a religious leader come to my home to discuss God and his purposes? On the other hand, how many times have they asked me for money, perhaps even refusing religious services unless money was paid?
You are ignoring the reasons behind career clergymen. You make them out to be bums with a tin change can. There is a reason why this arrangement is in place, of which you wholly ignore.
The truth is that religious organizations are often among the greatest holders of wealth. Costly religious buildings tower over areas where their members live in stark poverty and hunger.
The same could be said about the Watchtower Organization. The NY Branch office offers complete room and board for all it’s members while the WT members are consistently asked to simplify their life in order to preach the Good News more often, but forgoing any formal education or anything that might take years to learn. All in the name of the preaching work.
What Does All This Mean?
The facts show that the world’s religions have proved hypocritical, false to God, grossly misrepresenting him. They have also betrayed mankind’s interests. To what will this lead?
The Watchtower Society has been accused of the same thing. Where can we find their response to heavy scrutiny over promoting emotional blackmail as well as pedophilia scandals? Where are these official rebuttals open to the public?
God Will Destroy All False Religion Soon
God has given the world’s religions a long time to prove what they are. Today we see their rotten fruitage all over the earth.
With the addition of new technology a whole new theology is sprouting up. A hybrid of Organized Religion based in logic and reason and free information exchange. It would be foolish to destroy it all now when they are just starting to develop the technology to communicate on a global basis so that ideas can be hashed and rehashed to their purist form. They need more time, who is God to destroy the movements in their time of exponential growth and possibility? If he destroys them now, the world for eternity will never know what they might have accomplished.
The Bible shows that God’s day for accounting is now at hand. For the honor of His own name; which has long been slandered, and for the eternal good of all persons who love righteousness, God must and will act. What will he do?
God’s name has been slandered by a select power hungry humans who have found ways to position themselves into influential roles in our society. We, as a people, understand the significance of not allowing to much power to any single entity. It will take time to get a system working that disallows tyrants from taking over and wreaking havoc. We are making progress in this regard, slow progress, but progress nonetheless.
His inspired Word compares the world empire of false religion to a grossly immoral woman named “Babylon the Great.” She is “richly adorned,” living in “shameless luxury.” In her is found the ‘blood of all earth’s slaughtered.’ God sentences her to be “burned with fire,” completely destroyed. (See Revelation chapters 17 and 18.) This destruction will come from the very political powers that she has dominated for so long. What does this mean for you?
The Harlot you refer to, allegorically, can only be attributed to the high ups. The ones that have become drunk with power. Their loyal subjects are just misguided by manipulation. Once these totalitarians can be naturalized a new era of peace can follow with time, hard work and complete devotion to the cause.
Time Now to Seek Safety
God’s warning call is: ‘Get out of Babylon the Great if you do not want to receive her plagues.’ (Revelation 18:1-4) We are now in the “last days” of this present world system. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) To escape the fate that awaits hypocritical false religion, you need to cut all ties with it. But that is not all. You must practice true worship. Where can it be found?
Where is the justice in this finite timeline given for humans to prove themselves. We are not in ruin, we have serious issues yes, but nothing that cannot be mended over a long period of time. If you are going to give us a fair trial to see if we can do it, do not give us an arbitrary deadline.
True Worship Honors God, Upholds His Word
In over 200 lands there is a society of persons who detest the hypocrisy and deception practiced by false religion. They courageously uphold God’s Word the Bible, practice it and work for the lasting good of their fellowman. In honor of God’s name, they are known as Jehovah’s witnesses. But are they really different from other religions?
True Worship Is Free
Jehovah’s witnesses believe Jesus’ words, “You received free, give free.” They freely give their time to aid others to learn the truth from God’s Word the Bible. You can receive such help at home through a personal Bible study, free of cost. You are welcome at their Kingdom Hall meetings; no collection plate is ever passed.
Your worship is not free. In order for you organization to exist is to take in donations. Yes they are voluntary for each individual, but as a collective donations are required for organizational existence.
Second, you must employ members of your Organization to donate considerable amounts of time to maintain your printing facilities to distribute your life-saving message. This is not free by any means. Money and resources are required for your Organization to operate at all. The fact that is it donations-based does not enable you to use the word “free” in the context you used.
True Religion Changes People
Hundreds of thousands of persons world wide have been helped to bring their lives into harmony with God’s Word. Though from all races, nationalities and backgrounds, Jehovah’s witnesses are united. They no longer hate and kill; instead, they really love one another. They have learned how to put away immoral practices and to lead clean and happy lives. They have not betrayed either God or their fellowman; they would rather die than do that. They have a sure hope for the future: life in a clean, peaceful, parklike earth under God’s Kingdom government.
Would these members change their lives if they did not have the vast reward on the other end? And who are you to day that there are no other organizations that are from all races and backgrounds? That there are no groups of people that rebuke immorality and lead clean happy lives? Do you have the patent on that lifestyle? Does one require Jehovah to do the right thing? Can a normal every day person want to do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do?
What Will You Do?
Do you sincerely want to know the truth about your Creator? Do you want life in peace and righteousness for yourself and those you love?
This is a manipulate statement since there are no people here that do not want the conditions stated above. It is a question designed only to set up a scene or an idea.
Only persons who practice true worship will survive the fast-approaching destruction of this wicked system with its religion that betrays God and man.
True worship is one of the most debated subjects in human history. You are saying you have it, but so do thousands of other groups. This pamphlet has not stood out in any way from other messages, why would I spend my precious time and effort and resources to look further into your cliché arguments and pictures of the world and religion?
Avail yourself now of the opportunity to get the knowledge that leads to survival and gain life in God’s righteous new order.
Contact Jehovah’s witnesses in your area. And, to obtain the helpful book here illustrated, “True Peace and Security—From What Source?”, mail this coupon.
[ ] Please send me, postpaid, the 192-page book “True Peace and Security—From What Source?” Hard bound; easy-to-read type. I am enclosing 25 cents.
You had a whole paragraph stating that true worship is free. But yet I have send you 25 cents to learn more about “knowledge that leads to survival”? Like I said before everything your produce has only overhead of wholesale materials, you spend absolutely nothing on labor since all work for creation distribution is voluntary.
So 25 cents, seems to me, like you will be making a profit on this book since you have a large commercial printing facility while paying zilch for labor.
[ ] Please arrange for a qualified person to visit me, free of charge, to aid me to get better acquainted with the Bible.
This is a massive step for me. I’m having a hard time justifying allowing a stranger from a Religion who sent me this odd, bias and sometimes derogatory pamphlet.
The way I see it, is the only readers of this pamphlet that would consider moving forward would be people that have some sort of dire straits going on in their life. This would be a desperate last ditch move to try to find relief.
I have a hard time believing that someone living a content lifestyle would feel like pulling the rug out from their life to join a religion based on the information stated in this pamphlet.
-Sab
Kingdom News 17 - 1973 - Commentary in RED
by sabastious 4 Replies latest watchtower bible
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sabastious
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cult classic
Hey Sab - those campaigns really sucked in a lot of people. uuuuggghh! How many were there total. Good coverage on it too. Especially about the lead in to paying 25cents for the tract.
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WTWizard
This sure reminds me of that NR37, released in 2006.
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sabastious
@cult classic
Sadly this fear mongering tactic has been effective for eons! But with the information revolution at full bore, fear can be stifled and groups like these will have to change their message to be have actual convincing arguments and rely less on the crutch of shock and fear.
@wtwizard
Interesting point. 33 years later they are spelling the same exact doom and gloom message about Religion.
-Sab
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blondie
They paid 25 cents for a tract, a Kingdom News? I was alive and an adult back then. While magazines, books, booklets, and brochures were charged for, tracts were free. Tracts were sometimes featured with 25 cent brochures, but the charge was only for the brochure.
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km12/73p.1"WalkintheNameofJehovah"***Kingdom News No. 17 to Be DistributedAs its front page indicates, the tract answers the question "Has Religion Betrayed God and Man?"
A short presentation will be sufficient, such as, "I have volunteered to share in a worldwide distribution of this tract. It is free. We are leaving one in every home. Please read it." Or, "The reason I am here is to give you a brief printed message. It is free. Please read it.