Heb 10:34 & the Russian Situation

by doubtfull1799 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • doubtfull1799
    doubtfull1799

    As would be expected we've seen a lot of the "persecution" scriptures bandied about recently in connection with the likely imminent ban on the org in Russia. They like to claim that being targets of persecution they are seeing the fulfilment of those verses. But they conveniently ignore what the Bible teaches about how Christians should respond to said prophesied persecution...

    For example, no one is referencing the above verse which talks of the apostles "joyfully accepting the plundering of their belongings." If the brothers were to follow that apostolic example they wouldn't be writing protest letters, right? They wouldn't care about the liquidation of their branch office or kingdom hall assets, knowing they have a more valuable "spiritual" asset in their relationship with Jehovah, something the Govt can't liquidate! They would accept those physical losses happily, like the apostles did. No doubt when the apostles had their assets plundered that was done illegally or unjustly too, but they did not protest it.


    They like to quote Paul because he "appealed to Caesar," yet Paul is not supposed to be the model for Christians, Christ is. Did Christ "appeal to caesar" when under trial, when he was being persecuted? No. It was in that circumstance he made his famous statement of neutrality that "his kingdom was no part of the world," and he would not recognise or appeal to the authority of human governments to appease his suffering. He told Peter to put away his sword when Peter tried to defend Jesus from the injustice of his arrest, would he have endorsed Peter writing letters instead? No, of course not, because this was all happening under God's plan, it had to happen for God's will to be done, so it was not to be opposed by the pen or the sword.

  • lusitano o tuga
    lusitano o tuga

    no, they can write letters!

  • lusitano o tuga
    lusitano o tuga

    but , you can create a campaign to write letters to WATCH TOWER SOCIETY!

  • LevelThePlayingField
    LevelThePlayingField

    very good point doubtfull1799. I think the government will read the first few letters that come their way, and pitch all the others. They aren't fooled by this.

  • venus
    venus

    doubtful1799,

    Excellent thoughts!

    "If the brothers were to follow that apostolic example they wouldn't be writing protest letters, right?"

    Good question, and answer is a big NO.

    It seems GB should take lesson from apostate as God can share His thoughts through any channel (He has used even animals in the past)

  • venus
    venus

    Those who were abused by the leadership would remember the scriptures such as this:

    “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverb 21:1)

    “I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned”. (Ezekiel 7:24)

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    Nothing says "high control cult-like group" better than a prescribed direction by the leaders to write these letters!

    Sure, all witnesses will say they are doing it "of their own free will". BUT would they have decided to do this if the GB had not directed them to do so??

    Hmmm..think not!

    In fact, they would be fearful of being seen to be trying to be involved with political affairs!

  • Bobcat
    Bobcat

    Thanks doubtful, I was trying to remember where that verse was.

    Another one that comes to mind, that directly impacts this case, is 1Tim 2:1, 2 -

    First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made concerning all sorts of men, concerning kings and all those who are in high positions, so that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with complete godly devotion and seriousness (rNWT)

    The counsel is to appeal to God. I think they also forgot that Hitler reacted badly when he was appealed to via letter writing.

  • venus
    venus

    Russia is likely to go ahead with ban because move is deeply premeditated and has a history of two decades: “For almost two decades, however, Russian prosecutors in various localities have periodically sought to outlaw or curb the group, charging it is a cult that destroys families, fosters hatred and threatens lives. …In February, investigators inspected the headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg, the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported. More than 70,000 pages of documents were confiscated for the General Prosecutor's Office, according to Russia's Sova Center of Information and Analysis, which monitors hate crimes and the enforcement of anti-extremist laws………..In 2009, the Supreme Court of Russia upheld a lower court ruling that declared 34 pieces of Jehovah's Witness literature as "extremist," including their magazine The Watchtower in Russian ……..Jehovah’s Witnesses have been officially banned from the port city of Taganrog since 2009, after a local court ruled the organization guilty of inciting religious hatred by “propagating the exclusivity and supremacy” of their religion, according to the British newspaper The Independent.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/16/russia-moves-declare-jehovahs-witnesses-extremist/99257116/

  • sir82
    sir82

    Of course the letter-writing campaign will be completely meaningless, the Russian court decision (likely a ban) will not be influenced one way or the other by a few thousand letters sent to government offices by foreigners.

    I just wonder how the WTS will spin it when it becomes apparent the effort has failed.

    My guess: "Oh, but what a wonderful witness was given!!! !!! !!! !!!"

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