Two APPAULING articles in one Watchtower - June 15, 2003 - SHAME ON YOU!

by Confucious 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Confucious

  Dear Anyone who might be reading this from Bethel:

  First of all, I am a "brother" in the congregation. I'm not going to meetings, nor am I following your unwritten rules - but I am not DF or DA.

  There are two articles in the June 15, 2003 Watchtower that you should be ASHAMED OF.

  The first article is on Pope Alexander VI.

  Here, the article bashes the Pope (whom by the way, I don't think deserves anything less).

  However, the article talks about everything from him living in luxury, affairs and other bad stuff he's done.

  And then the article brings out, (paraphrasing) "Well, if this guy is so bad, what does it tell about the religion."

  Shame on you, Bethel.

  How dare you write an article bashing another religious leader?

  Any mention of Judge Rutherford, and his alcoholism, his living in luxury, Beth Sarim, never going out in field service, his luxury cars PAID FOR by hard working followers - and what answer do we get???

  He's an imperfect man and Jehovah is using imperfect people and it is UNFAIR to speak about someone like that.

  Does not the same rule apply to the Catholic Church?

  Believe me, I am no fan of the Catholic Chuch, but you can't have it both ways.

  Next time, someone says something about Rutherford, HOW DARE YOU say ANYTHING in defense except for, he is a man who was bad and we should be ASHAMED of him for what he has done.

  Is this not the same that you ask of the Catholic Church?

  ARTICLE TWO is the one on the back cover.

  It was titled "Simply a Custom or Bribery."

  Without going into detail, the Watchtower is binding up Heavy Loads on their followers.

  The article tries to tie in a giving of a gift with bribery.

  The point is, Jesus did not make a law on bribery. But he did cover it with one principle - that we should love our neighbor.

  A person who is a Christian can determine for themselves what is appopriate or note. How DARE you impose on "Jesus the Living Christs" ability to show each of his followers what is and is not appropriate.

  The hypocrisy in this is that NOW, the Watchtower imposes this "NEW UNWRITTEN RULE" about determining what exactly IS and IS NOT a bribe - even though Jesus NEVER condemned giving a bride. It's just that neither HE OR HIS FATHER WOULD ACCEPT ONE.

  I'm not defending BRIBES - I'm just saying it's NOT A RULE.

  But hypocrisy here is that - what did the Society do when it signed up for the UN's NGO???

  Even if it was for a "Library Card," is this not compromising principles and "offering a bride" to get something in return?

  I find these two articles APPAULING and indefensible from your standpoint.

  As a BROTHER in the congregation - I am TEACHING the Society that you are WRONG to have published this article.

  By the way, if you CAN'T defend the actions of writing this article, you will probably attack me - a "BROTHER" since I'm not going to meetings and field service, etc. etc. etc.

  But just so you know, the points are vaild and if you attack me personally - it would be no different that when the Pharasee's attacted the blind man - "YOU WERE ALL TOGETHER BORN IN SIN AND YET YOU ARE TEACHING US???"

  Confucious
• 

  waiting

  Hello Confucious,

  Welcome to our forum -even if I didn't do this the first 23 posts.

  Enjoyed your comments. My old mil brings us a set of mags every two weeks faithfully. And we reimburse her, as she faithfully pays for them at the KH.....and we're nearly the only ones on her mag route that do help her. Makes one wonder who actually pays for all those mags, eh?

  I'll make sure to look up those articles. I remember reading the bribery one - and it was weak. In other words, "be careful" lest we give too much to people we give gifts too." Perhaps the jw's are getting into anniversaries and weddings too much? The newest Awake has an article on "Should a Christian use Wedding Gift Registeries?" (paraphrasing)......combining, should the giver's name be annouced with the opening of the gift.? So maye bribes, gifts, and announcing the giver is setting a pattern for What Mature Christians With Bible Trained Consciences Should Do.

  But the Catholic one is interesting.....will look that one up for sure.

  Btw, in the Sept 1 Awake, there is a life experience by a 80+ Malawian Sister. She recalls the years of terror put on the JW's because they refused to by a "political card." What the woman fails to bring out (or it was edited out) - is that the political card only cost $.25. For that, she was nearly beaten to death, her husband trampled, hunted like animals, driven from their country, put in jail......

  I doubt is this sincere old woman realizes that the Mexican elder brothers were writing the Society at the same time (after reading the WT articles on the Malawian Brothers Slaughter) asking for spiritual advice on how they handle military involvement in Mexico.

  The JW men enter into the Mexican military service, then bribe the officials so that they don't have to do active service. Basically, the WTBTS - "God's Only Channel to Mankind" responded "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." They also noted that if the Mexicans got caught....the WTBTS wouldn't come to their defense.

  Scanned copies of the Mexican & WTBTS letters are in Crisis of Conscience. I doubt the old Malawi sister will have the chance to read how she was nearly beaten to death.....while the WT said it was ok for the Mexicans to use bribery to save their asses.

  waiting
• 

  Nathan Natas

  It would be nice if those articles could be on display...
• 

  Confucious

  I wish I had a scanner that could do that for you.

  If anyone has one, it's the issue with Jesus - Did he walk to earth cover.

  Thanks
• 

  waiting

  lol - Con - wish I had a scanner too!

  Back to you, Nathan.............

  waiting
• 

  Nathan Natas

  I cried because I had no scanner, until I met a man who didn't have the latest Watchtower...
• 

  waiting

  Well, hey good-lookin'

  I've got the copies (at least the one I was referring to - and I can get the other ones) ....and I've got a copier, envelopes & stamps.........

  you thinkin' what ah'm thinkin'?

  lol - or somebody with both will read this thread!
• 

  Gozz

  Of course, the WTS will give bribes when it is convenient. I remember clearly the case of the shipping of printing equipment to one country. Because the WTS would pay some heavy price if the equipment followed the normal order of things to be cleared at the port, they didn't think it was wrong to take the back door, 'facilitating' the clearing of their stuff. The Bethel people, along with some elders involved would later talk about "helping the preaching cause" by following the rules of the nation or some nonsense like that.
• 

  run dont walk

  I hope someone is lurking around from bethel.

  Not much to add confucious, you said it perfectly !!!!!!!!!!

  well done and by the way, welcome, glad you are here !!!!!!!!!
• 

  Stephanus

  

  Notice that it isn't really a bribe at all? I.e., she doesn't fail any classes for not participating. IOW, what is going on here is standard Watchtower induced guilt over donating money to anything not to do with the "worldwide work". She's labelled the practice of simply honouring your teacher for their hard work by giving them an end of year gift a bribe, in order to justify her Tower-induced selfishness.