Apstates and the WT magazine...part two

by Aussie Oz 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Aussie Oz

  Sorry but the first post seems to have no comment feature so i have started a new thread for the next part...

  1986 was a big article. To avoid putting up a lengthy poat i have edited it somewhat.

  WT 3/15 1986

  ‘Do NotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’

  Yes, on learning the truth and dedicating our lives to Jehovah, we found ourselves in a spiritual paradise. What a blessing!

  3 But being in Jehovah’s spiritual paradise is not something we can take for granted. We came into this paradise voluntarily; we can walk right out (or be put out) if we go into unbelief or willfully violate Jehovah’s righteous laws...But the Devil and other opposers of true worship are skilled in deception. We should never forget that they stand ever ready to break our integrity if they can. Their propaganda is designed to weaken our faith, to cool our love for God, to sow doubts in our minds—yes, to make the spiritual paradise appear to be no paradise at all.

  If drastic steps are not taken to reverse any such spiritual deterioration, soon God’s loving requirements seem to be oppressive. The wholesome spiritual food from “the faithful and discreet slave” may seem to be something contemptible, and the brotherhood of loving servants of Jehovah may appear to be a household of enemies. Then the only satisfaction, of a perverted kind, may come in beginning to beat one’s fellow slaves with slander and half-truths.—Matthew 24:45-51.

  While Adam was not deceived, he let the force of circumstances, including the strong influence of his wife, cause him to sin also. Therefore, they were put out of Paradise, to live a miserable life until their death. They lost the prospect of everlasting life for themselves and brought an inheritance of sin and death upon their offspring. (Genesis 3:1-7, 14-19, 24; 1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12) What a terrible price to pay for their so-called independence!

  Have NoDealingsWithApostates

  7 Now, what will you do if you are confronted with apostate teaching—subtle reasonings—claiming that what you believe as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the truth? For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: ‘It won’t affect me; I’m too strong in the truth. And, besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.’ In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt. (Compare James 1:5-8.) So remember the warning at 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.”

  8 With loving help from caring brothers, some having doubts sown by apostates have recovered after a period of spiritual turmoil and trauma. But this pain could have been avoided. At Proverbs 11:9 we are told: “By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge are the righteous rescued.” Jude told fellow Christians to “continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 22, 23) Paul advised the overseer Timothy to instruct “with mildness those not favorably disposed; as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth, and they may come back to their proper senses out from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that one.”—2 Timothy 2:25, 26.

  9 Tragically, others have gone into complete darkness, even going back to Christendom’s erroneous teachings. The apostle Peter wrote about the tragic outcome for some who first walked in the truth but then turned aside. He said: “Certainly if, after having escaped from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these very things and are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first.” Peter said they are like the dog that returns to its vomit and the bathed sow that turns back to wallowing in the mire.—2 Peter 2:20-22.

  11 Let us illustrate matters in this way: Suppose your teenage son received some pornographic material in the mail. What would you do? If he was inclined to read it out of curiosity, would you say: ‘Yes, son, go ahead and read it. It won’t hurt you. From infancy we’ve taught you that immorality is bad. Besides, you need to know what’s going on in the world in order to see that it’s truly bad’? Would you reason that way? Absolutely not! Rather, you would surely point out the dangers of reading pornographic literature and would require that it be destroyed. Why? Because no matter how strong a person may be in the truth, if he feeds his mind on the perverted ideas found in such literature, his mind and heart will be affected. A lingering wrong desire planted in the recesses of the heart can eventually create a perverted sexual appetite. The result? James says that when wrong desire becomes fertile, it gives birth to sin, and sin leads to death. (James 1:15) So why start the chain reaction?

  12 Well, if we would act so decisively to protect our children from exposure to pornography, should we not expect that our loving heavenly Father would similarly warn us and protect us from spiritual fornication, including apostasy? He says, Keepawayfromit!

  13 But suppose we are preaching the good news and people raise questions or objections similar to those raised by opposers? Of course, if a person is not sincere and merely wishes to argue, usually it is best to excuse ourselves and go to the next door. But if someone sincerely asks about certain claims of apostates, what can be done? First, we can ask what, exactly, has caused the concern. It may be only one or two points. Then we can stick to these and answer from the Scriptures, from the Society’s publications, and from what we truthfully know about the subject. We need not conclude that we have to read a book or a pamphlet that is filled with slander and half-truths in order to refute the false claims and teachings of opposers.

  Confidence inJehovah

  Something counterfeit is designed to look or sound genuine. At 2 Timothy 2:14-19, Paul stressed the importance of using Jehovah’s Word to set matters straight but warned of the need to avoid apostates, whose ‘empty speeches violate what is holy,’ for, said he, “their word will spread like gangrene.”

  17 A fitting analogy indeed! Like gangrene, apostate reasoning is nothing but quick-spreading spiritual death. And since the members of the congregation are like one body, there is a danger that others may be infected. If the one spreading apostate teachings cannot be restored to spiritual health by loving but firm application of the balm of God’s Word, amputation of this member (disfellowshipping) may be the only alternative for the protection of other members of the body. (Compare Titus 1:10, 11.) Do not be infected by deadly gangrene of a spiritual kind! Keep in good spiritual health by avoiding the contamination of apostate thinking

  next post up to last year...
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  Aussie Oz

  WT 4/15 2009 Satan was the first creature to turn apostate. Modern-day apostates display characteristics similar to those of the Devil. Their mind may be poisoned by a critical attitude toward individuals in the congregations, Christian elders, or the Governing Body. Some apostates oppose the use of the divine name, Jehovah. They are not interested in learning about Jehovah or in serving him. Like their father, Satan, apostates target people of integrity. (John 8:44) No wonder servants of Jehovah avoid all contact with them!—2 John 10, 11.

  WT 8/15 2008 14 Like the faithful Levites back in the tenth century B.C.E., God’s loyal ones today are not deceived by apostate ideas. Anointed ones and their Christian associates are quick to avoid and reject apostate ideas. (ReadRomans16:17.) While we gladly submit to governmental authorities in secular matters and remain neutral in worldly conflicts, our loyalty goes to God’s Kingdom. (John 18:36; Rom. 13:1-8) We reject the false claims of those who profess to be serving God and at the same time dishonor him by their conduct.—Titus 1:16.

  WT 9/1 2004 Therefore, when confronted with those who voice apostate ideas, we want to do what God’s Word states: “Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoidthem.” (Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10) Likewise, Christian youths facing the dangers of harmful associates want to apply Paul’s counsel given to young Timothy: “Flee from the desires incidental to youth.” And when confronted with false accusations in the media, we will remember Paul’s further advice to Timothy: “They [those who listen to the voice of strangers] will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keepyoursenses in all things.” (2 Timothy 2:22; 4:3-5) No matter how smooth the voice of strangers may seem, we flee from all that would subvert our faith.—Psalm 26:5; Proverbs 7:5, 21; Revelation 18:2, 4.

  WT 9/1 2000 A waiting attitude also helps us to avoid presumptuousness. Some who have become apostate were unwilling to wait. They may have felt that there was a need for adjustments, either in Bible understanding or in organizational matters. Yet, they failed to acknowledge that Jehovah’s spirit moves the faithful and discreet slave to make adjustments in His due time, not when we may feel that this is needed. And any adjustments must be in harmony with Jehovah’s will, not our personal ideas. Apostates allow a presumptuous attitude to warp their thinking and stumble them. But if they had adopted the mental attitude of Christ, they could have retained their joy and remained among Jehovah’s people.

  WT 1/15 1997 ) Regrettably, the tongues of false teachers turned some early Christians away from God. So let us never allow ourselves to be overcome by venomous apostate expressions, whether spoken or written.—1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2 Peter 2:1-3.

  It seems to me that the use of every bogey man word they can use has been used. since 1967. All fear and no explanations of just what an apostate may actually say or be on about. The flavour of the lastest watchtower is no different from those i posted, in fact the 1967 used the expression 'mentaly deseased' as well. What is new is the reference to the internet and particularly, blogs.

  oz
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  nugget

  It is very enlightening they start from the premise that nothing said by an apostate is true that they are always right. They are reinforcing the idea that you must not critercise the society because such an attitude is the first step to apostacy. It is very clever since it places members in a bind. If they see something wrong they can do nothing about it without endangering their position and appearing to be a murmerer.

  This protects the society since people do not want to find flaws and would rather believe that they have made the right decision about faith than that the society demanding such loyalty is steeped in corruption.
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  wobble

  I think the evolution of their propaganda on Apostasy over the years, that you have clearly shown dear Aussie, is indicative of their fear of losing more members.

  They have always had a huge hole in the bottom of their membership bucket, which over the years they have struggled to understand the reasons for, and therefore struggled to plug it at all.

  In the fifties and early sixties they demonised "materialism", as they continue to do of course, but this was what they identified as the main reason people left.

  From the mid-sixties on it was fornication and adultery they concentrated on, they are still mentioning that of course.

  From the eighties on they have steadily come to realise that a good proportion of those leaving are doing so because they have "seen behind the curtain", and so they demonise apostasy and indeed any dissent, you must keep quiet and "wait on Jehovah" or you are being disloyal to Him.

  They are now getting very shrill about this, and I see them getting more and more hardline about it, they will take Judicial action at the drop of a hat over any sign of dissent soon, they have to up the fear factor or lose the battle.

  Communist Cold War regimes will look like a picnic in comparison.
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  AnnOMaly

  The same ad hominem tactics have been used since practically the beginning - particularly when the WTS felt under threat.

  E.g. the May 1, 1922 WT which retrenched the WTS' teachings on the Gentile Times did the same. Those who dissented and criticized the Finished Mystery book or questioned the teachings on the Vow or consecration had "bitterness of heart," were "blind of vision," were likened to Lucifer. Those who dismiss Russell's chronology use arguments that are only superficially plausible, are turning to "agnosticism or positive opposition," "takes himself too seriously, thinking more highly of his own importance than he should think," and by abandoning or repudiating God's chosen instrument (Russell), they are abandoning and repudiating the Lord himself.

  You get the drift. We can almost lip-sync it, can't we?
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  steve2

  Aussie Oz,

  Many thanks for collating the more recent decades of the Watchtower's language on apostates. No overview of the Watchtower's evolving take on apostates is complete without reviewing Rutherford's vicious outpourings on apostates - he even mentioned some of them by name, I believe. Equally interesting, is the more subtle putdowns of those who questioned the Watchtower about it's teachings on 1975.
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  Black Sheep

  That backs up what I have realised a while ago.

  Don't tell them anything for the above reasons.

  Don't do anything that will ID you as an apostate.

  Don't show them anything.

  Just ask questions in a way that makes them want to give you an honest answer. It's the only tactic that isn't covered.
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  Pahpa

  The denial of the organization as God's channel seems to be the basis

  of "apostasy." But in Scripture it is the denial of Christ and God that

  constitutes true apostasy. When an organization of imperect men

  usurps the role of Christ by proclaiming itself as the source of salvation

  then it is idolatry....the worst form of apostasy. So, whether it is the

  Catholic church claiming no salvation outside the church or the Watchtower

  professing that survival/salvation at Armageddon comes only by loyalty to the

  organization one has to wonder who are the real apostates!
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  Terry

  I think this Watchtower article is highly indicative of FEAR of exposure.

  Perhaps somebody should read this to those GB fearmongers:

  Proverbs 18:13 (Young's Literal Translation)

  13 Whoso is answering a matter before he heareth, Folly it is to him and shame.
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  rebel8

  My favorite one is still this one. Some people think the org just went through one anti-apostate fad in the 80s. Obviously they have been pretty consistent about this throughout their history.

  Watch Tower of October 1, 1909:
  
  "All who cut loose from the Society and its work, instead of prospering themselves or upbuilding others in the faith and in the graces of the spirit, seemingly do the reverse—attempt injury to the Cause they once served, and, with more or less noise, gradually sink into oblivion, harming only themselves and others possessed of a similarly contentious spirit. . . . If some think that they can get as good or better provender at other tables, or that they can produce as good or better themselves—let these take their course. . . . But while we are willing that others should go anywhere and everywhere to find food and light to their satisfaction, strange to say, those who become our opponents take a very different course. Instead of saying in the manly fashion of the world, ‘I have found something which I prefer; goodbye!’ these manifest anger, malice, hatred, strife, ‘works of the flesh and of the devil’ such as we have never known worldly people to exhibit. They seem inoculated with madness, Satanic hydrophobia [rabies]. Some of them smite us and then claim that we did the smiting. They are ready to say and write contemptible falsities and to stoop to do meanness.”