COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THE 3-16-03 WT STUDY
February 1, 2003
"HAVE LOVE AMONG YOURSELVES"
John 13:35
John 13 (MSG)
35 This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other."
Quotes from WT publications will be in
red. Comments of reviewer will be in black or in parentheses within quoted material.Introduction
Anyone who has read anything I have posted will remember the reason I left the WTS organization, the lack of love shown. This article illustrates that the WTS knows what to do, but is not doing it. During the supplementary elder school last year, the elders where instructed to call on all the inactive people in the congregations during January, February, and March. Many of you who read my reviews might already have been contacted. Ask yourself, if the elders and other members of the congregation truly show the love Jesus described, why would the WTS have to pressure them to contact the inactive?
Where’s the love?
START OF ARTICLE
In the Bible, Jesus lived a life of love. Everything he did was to show love for his fellow human or his Father.
"Being a follower of Christ goes hand in hand with showing brotherly love. True Christians are identified, not by a peculiar form of dress or by some unusual customs, but by the warm and tender love they show to one another."
So the WTS doesn’t teach that we are identified by our dress?! What about the following comment?
"Your Youth"
p. 53 Your Clothes and Appearance Talk—About You *** IDENTIFIED BY DRESSThe way you dress tells something about you in another way. It can identify you with a certain group or class. This was true even thousands of years ago, when the Bible was being written. For example, in the book of Second Kings we read of messengers reporting back to King Ahaziah and telling of meeting a man who gave them a certain message. The king asked: "What was the appearance of the man?" When they described his garments, the king said immediately: "It was Elijah." How did he know? Because Elijah wore the distinctive garment of a prophet.—2 Kings 1:2, 5-8.
Today, just as back then, the way we dress can link us up with certain classes of persons, even though we may not practice what they practice or believe what they believe. People assume that we at least sympathize with the class of persons who dress that way. Can we blame them? Today, just as back then, the way we dress can link us up with certain classes of persons, even though we may not practice what they practice or believe what they believe. People assume that we at least sympathize with the class of persons who dress that way. Can we blame them? "DOING IT IN FULLER MEASURE"The WTS never wants to admit that some of its members are not fulfilling this requirement of Jesus. That is why they imply they are doing it but need to do it in "fuller measure."
Yes, they dogmatically say:
This outstanding love is observed today among Christ’s genuine disciples.Observed by whom, themselves?
2 Corinthians 10 (NIV)12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
They trot out 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NWT).
14 On the other hand, we exhort YOU, brothers, admonish the disorderly, speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward allJust recently, the WTS said depression was caused by improper diet, lack of sleep and dwelling too much on personal problems. No acknowledgement was made of the real medical basis for most depression and the need to seek out doctors not just the elders for "support." The WTS calls them "emotional challenges," "emotional issues" or "emotional distress" disregarding the real physical illness.
God’s Word directs us to extend our love to those who are spiritually weak and who have lost contact with the Christian congregation.Is that what you have experienced? Or have people treated you like you have spiritual leprosy, like you are a spiritual danger, like you are already disfellowshipped?
Consider these comments by the WTS, and you might see why people in the congregation avoid the spiritually weak.
10/1/01 WT pp. 17-18 How Can You Help a "Prodigal" Child? In one congregation, well-meaning adults who wanted to help some youths who had become spiritually weak invited them to gatherings to play popular music together. Though the youths readily complied and enjoyed such sessions, their influence on one another eventually led them to cut their ties with the congregation. 8/1/99 WT pp. 23-24 Peer Pressure—Can It Be to Your Advantage? Even within the Christian congregation, we can come under the influence of unwholesome peer pressure if we choose spiritually weak individuals as our close associates. 1/15/95 WT p. 23 Have You Encouraged Anyone Lately? Single parents, widows, teenagers, the elderly, and the infirm are among those who may feel depressed or spiritually weak from time to time. A LOST SHEEP AND A LOST COINLuke 15 (MSG)4 "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? 5 When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, 6 and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, "Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' 7 Count on it--there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.Luke 15 (MSG)
The Story of the Lost Coin
8 "Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: "Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' 10 Count on it--that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."
Does the WTS get the point at least intellectually?
The shepherd and the woman valued their lost possession and searched until they found it. How much searching have the elders or others in the congregation done? Why the need for the WTS to pointedly direct the elders to look for the inactive when there are already many, many articles directing them to do so in addition to the Bible? Where is the love?
Just as the items were precious to the shepherd and the woman,
So those who have drifted away and lost contact with God’s people remain precious in Jehovah’s eyes. Such individuals may be spiritually weak, yet they are not necessarily rebellious. Despite their weakened state, to some extent they may still be keeping Jehovah’s requirements.Then why do the elders so often come unannounced? One older elder told a newer elder that it was to catch the person being visited doing something wrong, such as smoking, living with a person they aren’t married to, celebrating the holidays.
This next paragraph can only be understood if everything is understood in reverse.
Like Jehovah and Jesus, we too are deeply concerned about those who are weak and missing from the Christian congregation.That is why they haven’t called them or sent a card for 10 months. That’s why when their name does come up in the conversation it is with disgust and fear of coming in contact with them letting the elders be responsible.
We do not reason: "Why worry about a weak one. The congregation is getting along just fine without him.In fact, the congregation might be infected by their presence, so it is better this way. We always knew that they were "weak."
How, though, can we express our feelings of concern?- by taking the initiative,
- by being gentle, and
- by being earnest.
Last year, the WTS gave an illustration of a lost lamb, wandering away and falling onto a ledge on a cliff. The mother followed and fell on the same ledge. Now the sheep were admonished that they were required to bleat loudly to get the attention of the shepherd, that they could not expect the shepherd to find them.
How does this harmonize with,
The shepherd takes the initiative and makes a deliberate effort to find the missing sheep.Does that sound like he sits back for the sheep to "bleat"?
Reaching out to a person in need of encouragement often requires that the stronger one take the initiative.How many of you readers when explaining to the elders about the lack of love were told that YOU had to take the initiative?
Like the shepherd in the illustration, each Christian (not just the elders) should be moved to "go for the lost one."Don’t hold your breath.
BE GENTLE"He puts it upon his shoulders."
No doubt the sheep is weakened by a lack of food---too frail—gently lifts up the sheep and carries it across all obstacles.Do the elders and others see too it that you have companionship, heal the wounds delivered by those unkind in the congregation and help you daily to make the way back? Or do they avoid you until you are "strong" and once again considered good association?
When visiting a spiritually weak Christian, reassure him that he is valuable in Jehovah’s eyes and dearly missed by his fellow Witnesses.Don’t let him know that when he comes, no one will greet him not sure if he is disfellowshipped or not, newer ones won’t know who he is so leave it up to the elders to greet him, "dearly missed" by his old friends who while having his phone number and address have not contacted him in over 10 months.
BE EARNEST The scriptural obligation to help a weak Christian is not beyond our abilities—requires effort—purposeful.Maybe if they let people count time on the report slip, more would help the inactive and put for the effort. If assigned to study with an inactive person, that time can be counted. Would that person study with the inactive person if that were not the case? Where is the love?
Today we have tools that help us accomplish our God-given responsibility to assist those who are weak.What are those? Prayer, love, brotherly affection, the Bible? No!
They are the books Worship the Only True God and Draw Close to Jehovah.Here we see that the WTS publications once again take precedence over the Bible.
ConclusionWe see that the WTS talks a good line, but has few actions to back it up. Think back on your own experience. Where has the love been? Has it been shown to you by the "strong" or the "weak"? Are JWs the only ones that have shown you love or have others outside the organization shown love to you? So ask yourself, if showing love to those who love you a sign of being Christ’s followers?
Matthew 5 (NLT)46 If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, [ 1] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. Pictures on pages 16,17
Two black brothers in suits drop by another black brother
Suitcoats off, 2 brothers are being served refreshment by brother at home
2 brothers talking to brother in living room using Bible (no evidence of WTS publications or photocopied articles)
Brother now at KH being warmly greeted by one of original 2 brothers with his wife and a white couple.
I visited a congregation in another area over a period of 3 months visiting the area for business reasons.
1 st visit—no one approached me
2 nd visit—a mentally challenged man approached me and disappeared when I said I was baptized
3 rd visit—a sister approached me and disappeared after finding out I was already baptized
4 th visit—no one talked to me
5 th visit—another sister with daughter approached and asked if this was the 1 st time I had visited. I told her this was the 5 th time and the 1 st time anyone had a conversation with me. She looked embarrassed and said they were working on that.
I would like to say this was an exception but in 80% of the congregations I visited while on business or vacation, I had the same experience. Maybe the US is a cold group, but I think it is that JWs are suspicious of strangers not welcoming.