It is said, “People in glass houses should not throw stones.” The Watchtower itself highlights every current and past mistake made by every other denomination. It is very critical of other religions. Are the people of these denominations not humans just like us, prone to mistakes?
When the Watchtower has set a date in the past, 1914, 1925, 1975—afterwards they have said that “some” had “misplaced expectations”. But using a double standard, they do not give the same courtesy to others.
For instance, the February 2012 public Watchtower said, “Some believed that the earth would end on October 21, 2011. It did not. Thus, the prophesy of U.S. Radio broadcaster Harold Camping rang hollow.” Therefore, when another group made a prediction based on their interpretation of the Bible, it was called a prophesy. But when they said it, they claim they were not uttering prophesy.
I believe it somewhat unfair to say “Mistakes and Errors by Jehovah's Witnesses”, because millions of these folks are only following what they are told by a small body of men, currently eight. And they have no other choice but to accept mistakes and errors, because failure to accept these is grounds for losing their friends and family. Nor are these millions allowed any other information source, but what the Governing Body allows.
James 3:1 says, “Become not many teachers, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive.”
People have built their lives around the teachings of the Society. In many cases people were told to forego organ transplants or blood fractions and lost their lives, or alternative service instead of the military and lost their freedom. The alternative would have been excommunication and shunning. Years later, the Governing Body changed their minds about these things and decided to allow them.
But here is the thing: a Faithful and Discreet Slave is… Faithful and Discreet. It is not discreet to set dates for the end, nor make faulty life-and-death decisions on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people, or construct a legalistic system of rules like the Pharisees of old did, sitting themselves in the seat of Moses.
To fault their teachings or rulings is said to be the same of going against Jehovah, to be like Korah who stood against Moses. However, Moses clearly had credentials. His teachings and rulings came literally from Jehovah. It was not a case of saying, “Do not steal”, then, “Steal a little”, and then “Some have said it is okay to steal a little, however further clarification on the matter has shown that we should not steal.” Besides, Moses did not prefigure the Watchtower Society.
The Greater Moses, for Christians, is not a Governing Body, but their Mediator Jesus Christ, whom has the saying of everlasting life. Christians are also promised the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said “will teach you all things”. Christians also have the Scriptures, so that “the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Nowhere does it say a Governing Body or Watchtower Society was needed to make up the difference. The “head of the man is Christ”, not an elder, circuit or district overseer, Governing Body, Society or an Organization. The Spiritual Org chart goes Jehovah -> Jesus -> the individual Christian.
For those in the New Covenant, it is written: “ And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” It is that relationship through Christ in which a person can know the character and person of God. We will never know everything there is to know about the Infinite God, but we can know Him, in terms of that relationship. The rest are details.
... OUTLAW