by booby 28 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Reasoning from the Scriptures page 34
Apostasy
Definition: Apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of God, actually a rebellion against Jehovah God.
Some apostates profess to know and serve God but reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word.
Others claim to believe the Bible but reject Jehovah's organization.
Watchtower 1st Oct '93 page 19
Apostasy is, in reality, a rebellion against Jehovah. Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah's organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah's feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they "feel a loathing" toward those who have made themselves God's enemies, but they leave it to Jehovah to execute vengeance
Check out Blondie's Comments from last week's Craptower study article. "Apostates" are me n' you boo......
Watchtower 15th March '75 page 167
What is an "apostasy"? Is it a mere careless falling away or dropping off from Christian faith and practice? No. The word "apostasy" has a much stronger flavor. The Greek word used is defined as "a standing off from," "a departing," "a withdrawing
As ThomasCovenant pointed out with his two parallel references, the society STARTS by defining apostasy as "a rebellion against Jehovah."
So far so good, that could be backed up scripturally. The next statement is cleverly slippery but still could be ok assuming that the accused "apostate" is actually lying. More often than not, it is character assassination by implication and innuendo:
"Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word."
And of course the "in his Word" part is problematic because that assumes the accuracy of the interpretation of whatever scriptural point is supposedly violated.
But what we REALLY need to be aware of this next statement:
"Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah's organization and actively try to hinder its work."
Ah, now they have equated "The Organization" with Jehovah! Here is the real problem with the WTBTS's definition of "apostasy". As THEY have defined it, merely disagreeing with them is tantamount to "apostasy". He who defines the terms wins the game! They of course presumptuously call it "Jehovah's organization". Notice that they even add the kicker about alleging that apostates " actively try to hinder [their] work." Whether it's true or not is unimportant. Once one is branded an apostate, facts are no longer an issue. And since no sincere--but also sincerely mis-guided--JW would ever inquire of an "apostate" to find out if the accusations are true or valid, the accusations stand unchallenged. Again, He who defines the terms wins the game/battle/debate!
Now that the ever-venerable WTBTS has branded the woeful individual as an "apostate" they issue the coup-de-grace just to be sure:
When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian [READ: Faithful JW] must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah's feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they "feel a loathing" toward those who have made themselves God's enemies, but they leave it to Jehovah to execute vengeance."
Are you feeling the love, the forgiveness or the compassion of the Christ anywhere here? I'm not.
What a sick bunch of f*cks!
thank you all for the comments
From the Insight book:
Apostates often seek to make others their followers. (Ac 20:30; 2Pe 2:1, 3) Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the "antichrist." (1Jo 2:18, 19)
So to part company with a Christian denomination is to become an Antichrist?? But reading just a touch further in the passage from 1 John they cite, one discovers that is a complete lie:
"The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ -- he is the liar, he is Antichrist." (1 John 2:22). Verses 18 and 19 refer to men who had appeared as "rivals of Christ", clearly claiming they, not Jesus were the Christ. That's what made those men "rivals". That's why they were "antichrists".
If I discern that a religious denomination is misrepresenting scriptures, claiming to represent God and Christ when it makes a pattern of overstepping scripture and making up its own rules and doctrines, then attempting to punish for life those who dare to disagree, surely I am free to exit that denomination. But in the weird world of Watchtower, exiting that religion, deciding that those self-professed representatives of God are no such thing, makes me an antichrist. Which is kind of odd, because actually, I still believe in Christ.
I am looking for instances where they clearly state that one who leaves can be called or labelled an apostate.
The WT$ seldom "clearly states" anything on this subject . . . they do it all by strong inference while maintaining deniability.
The best you can do is form a mosaic from multiple quotes as above.
Weasels always have an escape route . . . even if it's a tight fit and requires a bit of wriggling to get through.
From the new elders manual
16. Apostasy: Apostasy is a standing away
true worship! a falling awaYI defection, rebellion,
abandonment. It includes the following:
• Celebrating false religious holidays: (Ex.
4-6; Jer. 7:16·19) Not all holidays involve
religion require judidal
.. Participation in interfaith activities: (2
6:14, 151 17, 18) Apostate acts include bowing before
altars and i and sharing i religious
songs and prayers.-Rev. 1
.. Deliberately spreading teachings contrary
to Bible truth as taught by Jebovahls Wit~
nesses: (Acts 21:21, fin.; 2 John 71 9, 10) Any
with sincere doubts should be
Chapter 5 6S
loving counsel should be given. (2 Tim. 2: 16-19,
23-26; Jude 22, 23) If one obstinately is speaking
about or deliberately spreading false teachings,
this may be or may lead to apostasy. If there is
no response after a first and a second admonition,
a judidal committee should be formed.
-Titus 3:10, 11; w89 10/1 p. 19; w86 4/1 pp. 30-
31; w86 3/15 p. 15.
• Causing divisions and promoting sects: This
would be deliberate action disrupting the unity
of the congregation or undermining the confidence
of the brothers in Jehovah's arrangement.
It may involve or lead to apostasy.-Rom. 16:17,
18; Titus 3:10, 11; it-2 p. 886.
• Continuing in employment that makes one
an accomplice to or a promoter of false
worship would subiect one to disfellowshipping
after being allowed a reasonable amount of
time, perhaps up to six months, to make the
needed adjustments.-w99 4/15 pp. 28-30; km
9/76 pp. 3-6.
• The practice of spiritism.-Deut. 18:9-13; 1 Cor.
10:21/ 22; Gal. 5:20.
• Idolatry: (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 10:14) Idolatry includes
the use of images, including pictures, in
false religious worship.
