Did you ever take the time to sit down and figure out why a counterfeit hundred dollar bill is a bad thing?
You might reply quickly, "Well, duh--you'll spend 20 years in the penitentiary if they catch you doing it!"
As if "getting caught" is THE problem............. It isn't.
Let's perform a quiet brain experiment.
Imagine you have a machine that can exactly duplicate paper currency in any denomination without detectible flaw! It is impossible to identify as counterfeit--and yet, that is exactly what it is.
What is the real PROBLEM with your printing as much money as you need?
Don't reply, "It is illegal."
We are really asking :What damage is wrought to society or the economy---not on yourself and your scruples.
Can you answer?
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While we are pondering this question I could ask you if you WOULD use your machine to pay bills and buy things knowing the possibility of being
caught and prosecuted because of a flaw in the counterfeit product.......I will simply assume "Yes!"
Is this a philosophical problem; one of ethics and principles? Is it an economic problem having to do with inflation? It is a practical problem of pumping a thing of NO VALUE into the economic system and drawing out things of GENUINE VALUE in exchange?
I'd like you to take a minute and think it over carefully. There is a reason for me asking you to really apply yourself to this and come up with an answer.
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Now--if you have a reason and an explanation one way or the other I want you to hold on to it for a little while longer!
Let's pull a switcheroo.
Instead of currency let's switch to something even more valuable than money.
What could be more valuable than money? Well, what is it which money cannot buy? Is it "happiness"?
What if you could counterfeit "happiness"?
Don't groan and walk away....we are getting to a very important central issue that is worth the effort. Stay with me here!
What if you could counterfeit happiness? Would you? If it felt just like genuine happiness? And, what if nobody would know it was not real?
Not even you! Can you wrap your brain around that?
Happiness might seem way too intangible for you to consider validating such a question.
You might well say something like, "Well, happy is happy--what difference does it make?"
But wait----what answer did we have for our counterfeit money question? Is money just money whether it is real or fake?
I want you to consider the source of your impatient confusion right now. It may be the most important consideration you make today!!
This situation is exactly analogous to a parable Jesus told which everybody is familiar with about Wheat and Tares (weeds.)
Matthew 13:24–30
Parable of the Wheat and Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “ The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field ; 25 but while men slept , his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way . 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop , then the tares also appeared . 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him , ‘ Sir , did you not sow good seed in your field ? How then does it have tares ?’ 28 He said to them , ‘ An enemy has done this .’ The servants said to him , ‘ Do you want us then to go and gather them up ?’ 29 But he said , ‘ No , lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them . 30 Let both grow together until the harvest , and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers , “ First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them , but gather the wheat into my barn .” ’ ”
Okay, this is the REAL ISSUE I wanted to face you with.
Religion is the currency of happiness because it offers escape from death, forgiveness for sins, the wiping out of human suffering, unifying all mankind under central loving leadership, etc. etc.
Faith and Hope and a positive outlook surmounting whatever comes your way has sustained millions of people earthwide for many many centuries.
In the parable of Jesus---the COUNTERFEIT grows side by side with the GENUINE and there was a very important question raised about the wheat and tares. Do you remember the question?
Consider: The servants said to him , ‘ Do you want us then to go and gather them up ?’
Imagine this to be the FDS faithful remnant of anointed asking their master Jesus that question.
"The Governing Body of anointed said to him, 'Do you want us to expose False Religion?'
And what is the answer?
29 But he said , ‘ No , lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them . 30 Let both grow together until the harvest , and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers , “ First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them , but gather the wheat into my barn .” ’ ”
Could this be Jesus saying to the Governing Body of anointed: "No, you will destroy honest hearted believers unnecessarily and make enemies of sheeplike ones. Let each religious group gather whom they will and I will sort it out when I'm ready."
IN OTHER WORDS: Jehovah's Witnesses have a history of "exposing" what they claim is False Religion (counterfeit) and pumping themselves up as righteous currency by pointing out hundreds of distinguishing FLAWS. They have IMPOSED their own judgement (and doctrines) as though reaping the harvest BEFORE JESUS IS READY to deal with it properly by setting FALSE DATES.
The setting of False Dates is like demanding that Jesus DEAL WITH the issue of COUNTERFEITS before he is ready.
The real damage in this premature harvest and bundling is THE DESTRUCTION OF THOSE WHOM JESUS MIGHT OTHERWISE SAVE!
Think of the religious people Rutherford offended, attacked and besmirched in his tenure as President! He split the faithful core Bible Students away
in disgust. He drove faithful people away with his drunken rants and rude behavior and false teachings. Countless Jw's have needlessly been burned by disfellowshipping, blood doctrine, child molestation policies and demands for absolute loyalty.
Does the scripture not indicate that until the Armageddon "harvest" no such distinguishing activity is desired in order to preserve the "little ones" who may be unnecessarily harmed?
It is time to answer the question in your own mind. WHAT IS THE HARM IN PASSING COUNTERFEIT HAPPINESS?