Comments You Will Not Hear at the 11-16-03 WT Study
Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()
WT quotes will be in red and quotes ""
Quotes from other sources will be in blue ENDURANCE UNDER TRIALSBRINGS PRAISE TO JEHOVAH
"If when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it,this is a thing agreeable with God"-1 PETER 2:20. (NWT)
(Complete scripture:
For what merit is there in it if, when YOU are sinning and being slapped, YOU endure it? But
if, when YOU are doing good and YOU suffer, YOU endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God.)
Besides the WTS predilection for snippets of scriptures (see above), the WTS rarely discusses scriptures in context. Except for the second talk in the ministry school, JWs rarely hear more than a few verses read consecutively. Have you read this week?s scripture in context? Was Peter addressing persecution as a Christian or something else such as relations with your employer? What follows in chapter 3, admonition to wives?
1 Peter 2:18-20 (NWT)
Let house servants be in subjection to [their] owners
with all [due] fear, not only to the good and reasonable, but also to those hard to please. 19 For if someone, because of conscience toward God, bears up under grievous things and suffers unjustly, this is an agreeable thing. 20 For what merit is there in it if, when YOU are sinning and being slapped, YOU endure it? But if, when YOU are doing good and YOU suffer, YOU endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God.
1 Peter 3:1,2
In like manner, YOU wives, be in subjection to YOUR own husbands,in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of [their] wives, 2 because of having been eyewitnesses of YOUR chaste conduct together with deep respect.
Is this the kind of persecution the WTS is addressing, from employers and spouses???
How has the WTS applied this scripture? You might find it interesting in light of how the reporting of child abuse is handled by the WTS and its representatives. (see also www.silentlambs.org )
WT 11/1/90 p 19 The Role of the Superior AuthoritiesJehovah?s Witnesses have a good reputation for not opposing human authorities. If it happens that an individual in the congregation does break the law, the congregation will not help him evade lawful punishment. If anyone steals, murders, libels, cheats on his taxes, rapes, defrauds, uses illegal drugs, or in any other way opposes lawful authority, he will face severe discipline from the congregation?and he should not feel persecuted when he is punished by the secular authority.?1 Corinthians 5:12, 13; 1 Peter 2:13-17, 20.
START OF ARTICLEWhen people are baptized as JWs, they are asked to answer 2 questions in the affirmative. Question #2 says:
WT 6/1/85 p 30 Subjecting Ourselves to Jehovah by Dedication
At the close of the convention baptism talk, the baptism candidates will be in position to answer with depth of understanding and heartfelt appreciation two simple questions that serve to confirm that they recognize the implications of following Christ?s example.
But only Jesus' footsteps as explained by his appointed channel the WTS as they explain in the following:
WT 7/1/95 p 19
Today, the remnant of anointed Christians as a body are "the faithful and discreet slave," the channel for the distribution of spiritual food. (Matthew 24:45-47) As was the case in ancient Israel, any who wish to worship Jehovah have to do so in association with these anointed Christians. WT 10/1/94 p 8
All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah?s channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave.?John 6:68.
We should follow the instructions that the Head of the Christian congregation, Jesus Christ, gives through "the faithful and discreet slave
," the appointed channel of God?s organization here on earth. (Matthew 24:45-47; Ephesians 5:23)
"As Christians, we are exhorted to be faithful until death," seems to mean that the WTS is expecting the great crowd to die????!!! This confusion comes about because all Christians had to die to go to heaven to rule with Jesus. But the WTS does hold out that hope to the great crowd. Aren?t they the millions who will never die? Are they alluding to the fact that many JWs today are realizing that death from old age in this system is a real possibility.
Notice how the WTS acts as if they want to diminish the fearful prospect of persecution, "while we are willing to suffer--and, if necessary to die--for our faith, we do not RELISH the thought?take no DELIGHT?derive NO PLEASURE from PAIN or HUMILIATION?" yet "trials and persecution are to be EXPECTED."
Faithful Under Test
In the Bible, we find numerous accounts that show how servants of God in the past reacted when they faced situations that were life threatening.
For once the WTS is bright and only chooses examples from the New Testament. This is important since we are discussing persecution of Christians.
The different ways in which they responded provide guidance for Christians today if ever these have to face similar challenges. Consider the accounts in the box "How They Dealt With Persecution," and see what you can learn from them. How They Dealt with Persecution · Before Herod's soldiers arrived in Bethlehem to kill all male infants two years of age and under, by angelic direction Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus and fled to Egypt-Matthew 2:13-16. Does this mean that Christians today can expect an angel to appear to them telling them how to avoid persecution? · Numerous times during Jesus' ministry, his enemies sought to kill him because of his powerful witness. Jesus eluded them on each occasion.-Matthew 21:45, 46; Luke 4:2&30; John 8:57-59. So fleeing is okay? · When soldiers and officers came to the garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, he openly identified himself twice telling them: "I am he." He even stopped his followers from pulling up any resistance and let the mob take him away-John 18:3-12. So you can?t protect yourself; must sisters fight against persecutors attempting to rape them? · In Jerusalem, Peter and others were arrested, flogged, and ordered to stop speaking about Jesus. Yet, upon being released they "went their way., and every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus."-Acts 5:41,42. So when persecuted, we should go back to a public place and start preaching again? Or should we be cautious as a serpent? · When Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, learned of the plot by the Jews in Damascus to do away with him, the brothers put him in a basket and lowered him through an opening in the city wall by night, and he escaped.-Acts 9:22-25. So fleeing is okay?. · Years later, Paul chose to appeal to Caesar, even though both Governor Festus and King Agrippa found "nothing deserving death or bonds" in him.-Acts 25:1~l2, 2~24 26:3~32. So rather than "waiting on Jehovah," Paul sought redress in the worldly court systems. Although Jesus and other faithful servants of God reacted to persecution differently, depending on circumstances, it is clear that they did not needlessly jeopardize their life.When they found themselves in dangerous situations, they were courageous yet cautious. (Matthew 10:16, 23)
Their objective was to advance the preaching work and to maintain their integrity to Jehovah . Their reactions in various situations provide examples for those Christians who today are faced with trials and persecution.In modern times, Jehovah's people have often found themselves under conditions of extreme hardship and deprivation because of wars, bans, or outright persecution. For example, in the 1960's, Jehovah's Witnesses in Malawi were bitterly persecuted. Their Kingdom Halls, homes, food supplies, and businesses - practically all that they owned - were destroyed. They were subjected to beatings and other harrowing experiences (pregnant women were raped and men were made to run with nails in their feet).
Did the JWs in Malawi "needlessly jeopardize" their lives compared to what the Mexican JWs did at the same time? http://www.jwfiles.com/malawi.htm(See the chapter titled "Double Standards" in the book Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz, Commentary Press, Atlanta, 1992 edition.)
How did the brothers (and sisters) react? Thousands had to flee their villages. Many found refuge in the bush, while others went into temporary exile (more than 10 years for some) in neighboring Mozambique. Though many faithful ones lost their life, others chose to flee from the danger zone, which was apparently a reasonable course under such circumstances. In so doing, the brothers (and sisters) followed the precedent set by Jesus and Paul. So fleeing is good?is it? They "chose" to flee, "apparently" a reasonable course. Even though the Malawian brothers (and sisters) had to move away or go into hiding, they sought and followed theocratic direction and carried on their Christian activities underground as best they could . The result? A peak of 18,519 Kingdom publishers had been reached just before the ban in 1967.Yes, persecution makes the numbers go up because Armageddon is near here.
Though the ban was still in force
and many had fled to Mozambique, by 1972 a new peak of 23,398 publishers was reported.They averaged more than 16 hours in the ministry each month
.Still keeping track of time and numbers of people while people are fleeing and losing their lives!!!
Without a doubt, their actions brought praise to Jehovah, and Jehovah's blessing was upon those faithful brothers
(and sisters) through that most difficult time.*What "actions" would that be--staying alive under persecution or turning their time slips under persecution.
On the other hand, in countries where opposition is causing problems, some brothers (and sisters) may decide not to leave, even though they are able to do so.
So fleeing is good?is it? Some "may decide not to leave."
Moving away may solve certain problems, but it would probably create other challenges. For instance, would they be able to maintain contact with the Christian brotherhood and not be isolated spiritually? Would they be able to keep up their spiritual routine
as they struggle to reestablish themselves, perhaps in a more affluent country or in one that provides more opportunities for material advancement ?-1 Timothy 6:9.Yes, fleeing for material reasons is baaaad. Fleeing to stay alive is bad too.
Others choose not to move away because they are concerned about the spiritual welfare of their brothers (and sisters)
. They choose to stay and face the situation in order to keep preaching in their home territory and to be a source of encouragement to fellow worshipers. (Philippians 1:14)Yes, "others CHOOSE not to move away because ?they are concerned about the spiritual welfare of their brothers (and sisters)."
So those who flee are materialistic, selfish cowards.
By making such a choice
, some have even been able to contribute to legal victories in their land.Yes, fleeing is bad?.
To stay or to move - that certainly is a personal decision
.A personal decision, but whose the person?
Such decisions, of course, should be made only after we prayerfully seek Jehovah's the WTS direction
Now that is an ominous scripture. Yes, you can choose but if it's not approved by the WTS, bad things will happen.
As we noted earlier, what Jehovah requires is that each of his servants remain faithful under any and all circumstances. Some of his servants are facing trials and persecution today; others may do so later.
All will be tested
in one way or another, and no one should expect to be exempt. (John 15:19, 20) As dedicated servants of Jehovah, we cannot sidestep the universal issue involving the sanctification of Jehovah's name and the vindication of his sovereignty.-Ezekiel 38:23; Matthew 6:9, 10."Return Evil for Evil to No One"
Another important principle that we can learn from the way Jesus and the apostles reacted under pressure is never to retaliate against our persecutors.
Does that mean we can't flee? Or defend ourselves? Do we just stand there and let them kill us? What if it were a burglar instead of a "persecutor"? What if they try to rape us?
Nowhere
in the Bible do we find any suggestion that Jesus or his followers organized themselves into some kind of resistance movement or resorted to force in order to fight against their persecutors. On the contrary, "return evil for evil to no one," the apostle Paul counseled Christians.And the WTS hasn't organized themselves to resist their persecutors, i.e., in France?
The early Christians took that counsel to heart. In his book The Early Church and the World, historian Cecil J. Cadoux describes the Christians' attitude toward the State during the period of 30-70 C.E. He writes: "We have no direct evidence that an effort was ever made on the part of the Christians of this period to withstand persecution by force. The furthest they go in this direction is to lash their rulers with spirited censure or to baffle them by flight. The normal Christian response to persecution, however, did not go beyond a temperate but firm refusal to obey such orders of the government as were felt to conflict with obedience to Christ."
Oh, that is what the WTS does, "lash their rulers with spirited censure" and "baffle them with flight."
w82
8/15 p. 12 Endurance by Faith in Jehovah ***There were times when angry mobs tried to break up our peaceful conventions. For example, I was present at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, June 25, 1939, when Catholic Action groups tried to prevent the public lecture "Government and Peace" by J. F. Rutherford. But we were ready.
Note today the Nazis and Fascists would like to break up this meeting, but by God?s grace they cannot do it,? declared Brother Rutherford from the platform. We burst into applause, giving him our support. Then the ushers expelled the intruders.
Proclaimers Book
p. 659 "Objects of Hatred by All the Nations"They used all manner of vile language and threats and assaulted many of the ushers who took action to quell the disturbance.
Yes, do not resist or retaliate against persecutors. Is fleeing all right?
Is such a seemingly passive course really practical? Would not any who react that way be easy prey for those bent on stamping them out? Would it not be prudent to defend oneself? From a human point of view, that may appear to be the case. As servants of Jehovah, however, we are confident that following Jehovah's direction in all matters is the best course. We keep in mind Peter's words: "It when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God." (1 Peter 2:20)
Yes, the rank and file should expect persecution but don't protect yourself. Of course, the WTS is already in a more stable country, the USA, and they are moving to an even more secure place.
Is fleeing all right?
We are confident that Jehovah is well aware of the situation and will not allow matters to go on indefinitely.
How can we be sure of that? To his captive people in Babylon, Jehovah declared: "He that is touching you is touching my eyeball." (Zechariah 2:8) How long will anyone permit his eyeball to be touched? Jehovah will provide relief at the proper time . Of that, there is no doubt whatsoever.-2 Thessalonians 1:5-8.And now is the proper time for the WTS to move out of Brooklyn to a safer place. Yes, God has told them this. Perhaps they had angelic direction like Mary and Joseph.
In this regard, we can look to Jesus as our model. When he allowed his enemies to arrest him in the garden of Gethsemane, it was not because he could not defend himself. In fact, he told his disciples: "Do you think that l cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than twelve legions of angels? In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must take place this way?" (Matthew 26:53, 54)
Does that mean the angels are protecting Bethel?
The accomplishment of Jehovah's will was of paramount importance to Jesus, even if it meant that he had to suffer.
But are you suffering for God's will or the WTS' will?
The Joy of Sanctifying Jehovah's Name
What was the joy that sustained Jesus through the severest test imaginable? Of all of Jehovah's servants, Jesus, God's beloved Son, was surely the foremost target of Satan. So Jesus' maintaining his integrity under test would be the ultimate reply to Satan's taunt against Jehovah. (Proverbs 27:11) Can you imagine the joy and satisfaction that Jesus must have felt upon his being resurrected? How happy he must have been, realizing that he had fulfilled the role he had been given to play as a perfect man in the vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty and the sanctification of His name!
w95 5/15 p. 25 Flashes of Light?Great and Small (Part 2) Similarly, for a long time, Witnesses spoke of the vindication of Jehovah?s name. But had Satan called Jehovah?s name into question? For that matter, had any of Satan?s agents done so, as if Jehovah did not have a right to that name? No, not at all. It was not the name of Jehovah that was challenged and that needed to be vindicated. That is why the Watch Tower Society?s recent publications do not speak of Jehovah?s name as being vindicated. They speak of Jehovah?s sovereignty as being vindicated and of his name as being sanctified. Around 1971 the WTS changed this, but never had a study article to explain. This meant almost 100 years of wrong understanding. There was no explanation, just a change in terms. This technique is also used in regard to the change in the understanding of the 7,000 year creative day.Additionally, being seated "at the right hand of the throne of God" is unquestionably a wonderful honor and the greatest source of joy for Jesus.-Psalm 110:1, 2; 1 Timothy 6:15, 16. I would think that the greatest joy for Jesus was clearing God?s reputation of the stain Satan had put on it. Can you imagine Jesus? having such a selfish motive? For Christians, it is likewise a joy to have a share in sanctifying Jehovah's name by enduring trials and persecution, following the example of Jesus. Now if they are going to follow the statement above, JWs joy should be in receiving everlasting life in heaven or on earth. A case in point was the experience of the Witnesses who suffered in the infamous Sachsenhausen concentration camp and survived their grueling death march at the end of World War II. During the march, thousands of prisoners died from exposure, disease, or hunger or were brutally executed right alongside the road by 55 guards. The Witnesses, all 230 of them, survived by sticking closely together and helping one another at the risk of their own life.I might as well kiss my rear end goodbye if had had to depend on the same people at the KH who whine when they have to pick someone up for the meeting.
What gave these Witnesses the strength to endure such fiendish persecution? As soon as they reached safety, they expressed their joy and gratitude to Jehovah in a document entitled "The resolution of 230 of Jehovah's witnesses from six nationalities, gathered in a forest near Schwerin in Meckienburg." In it, they stated: "A long hard period of testing lies behind us and those who have been preserved, snatched as it were from the fiery furnace, do not even have the smell of fire on them. (See Daniel 3:27.) To the contrary, they are full of strength and power from Jehovah and are eagerly awaiting new commands from theAccording to the WTS, it is. Good Christians stay and suffer. In recent years many "qualified" brothers have left war-torn countries taking their families with them. It has left congregations, circuits, branches without the men to run the WT administrative end of things and make sure local JWs adhere to the WT policies.
Yet 3 of the examples to imitate, were those of fleeing, Jesus? family when he was a baby, Jesus later as an adult evaded the Pharisees, Paul leaving Damascus.
This is an example of doublespeak, how the WTS talks out of both sides of their mouth.
Specific Attributes of Doublespeak
Lutz provides several defining attributes of doublespeak:- misleads
- distorts reality
- pretends to communicate
- makes the bad seem good
- avoids or shifts responsibility
- makes the negative appear positive
- creates a false verbal map of the world
- limits, conceals, corrupts, and prevents thought
- makes the unpleasant appear attractive or tolerable
- creates incongruity between reality and what is said or not said
History of the Word "Doublespeak"
As these attributes indicate, doublespeak can be seen as analogous to doublethink and Newspeak, concepts created by George Orwell in 1984. Using doublethink, a person could hold two opposing ideas in his or her mind at the same time, fully believing in both ideas. "Newspeak" was the official language used to express the ideas of doublethink.http://www.damronplanet.com/doublespeak/whatisdoublespeak.htm
If you are interested in more on this I suggest this site:
http://www.caic.org.au/jws/control/newspeak.htm
A Glossary of Orwellian Terms in JW-Speak
- e.g. goodthinker
Blondie"The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth."