The Witnesses and Psychosomatic Healing (Worship Book chapter 21)

by ozziepost 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ozziepost

  According to the Dubs? basic teaching book, "Worship the Only True God", people in their promised "New System" will be brought to perfection, but gradually.

  The book teaches that an individual?s progress to perfection will be dependent on his/her "obedience".

  "All obedient ones will get "sin?s law" nullified so that their thoughts and actions will be pleasing, both to themselves and to God. By the end of the Millenium,

  they will have been brought to human perfection , in the ?image and likeness? of the only true God." (page 189, para 12)

  One can well imagine that during the Millenium, according to this teaching there would develop two classes, the ?haves? and the ?have-nots?, i.e. those who have perfection and those who don?t.

  All of this would depend on how "obedient" people were, to determine which "class" they would belong to.

  Someone not being fully obedient would not be fully healed to perfection etc,

  This somewhat minimises the exciting prospect of the new system as used by the dubs to seduce unwitting householders.

  The idealistic illustrations that are found in the publications never show that there are "partially perfect" (???) people, do they? The happy prospect of the resurrected children running to the arms of joyful parents cannot be a true reflection. Or are only "perfected" parents going to greet resurrected children?

  The teaching that the mind controls the body?s healing is known as psychosomatic healing and was previously taught in the old "Life Everlasting" (red) book.

  In the new system, you'd clearly see who was being naughty!!!!
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  Euphemism

  Interesting idea, ozziepost!

  I can't find my Worship book at the moment, but I would guess, based on the context, that "obedient ones" refers to the ones who passed through the Great Tribulation. After all, the teaching, as I remember it, is that any disobedience in the new world would be punishable by death.

  If you have the book handy, would you mind posting the context?
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  worldlygirl

  I think I'll pass on the New System thing... any disobedience punishable by death???.... waaaaaaaayyyyyy too much stress.
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  ozziepost

  If you have the book handy, would you mind posting the context?

  Happy to, Euphemism! Here is the paragraph which is found in chapter 21 entitled "Jehovah's Purpose Attains Glorious Success". There are three main sections: "Israel Loses Favored Position", "Gathering the Things in the Heavens", and "Gathering the Things on the Earth" . In the paragraph I?ve highlighted my previous quote in red:

  As "the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world," Jesus will apply the value of his sacrifice to cancel out the sins of mankind. (John 1:29) When Jesus was on earth and forgave a person?s sins, he healed the forgiven one as proof of it. (Matthew 9:1-7; 15:30, 31) In like manner, Christ Jesus, as heavenly King of God?s Kingdom, will miraculously heal the blind, the speechless, the deaf, the physically maimed, the mentally afflicted, and those with any other sickness. (Revelation 21: 3,4) All obedient ones will get "sin?s law" nullified so that their thoughts and actions will be pleasing, both to themselves and to God. (Romans 7:21-23) By the end of the Millenium, they will have been brought to human perfection, in the ?image and likeness? of the only true God. ? Genesis 1:26.

  Some points to note:

  1. According to this, Jesus? "miraculous healing" will be dependant on the person?s obedience to "new world order". Of course, if he wanted to, what would stop Jesus from miraculously healing on the spot, just like the examples referred to at Matthew 9 and 15? But the WTS? teaching is that people are "brought to perfection" at a rate that reflects their growing obedience.
  2. This is not a new teaching by the current heirarchy. As I mentioned in my post, the "Life Everlasting" book expressly described the psychosomatic healing that would take place "after Armageddon".
  3. I repeat: bringing people to perfection could be done "overnight", so why don?t the WTS allow for it? Because of the underlying teaching of psychosomatic healing.
  4. We nowhere see in the publications an illustration of people with infirmities in the "new system", nor do we see such people welcoming back the dead. A serious oversight. Or is it intentional?

  Cheers, Ozzie
• 

  Big Tex

  The book teaches that an individual?s progress to perfection will be dependent on his/her "obedience".

  One can't help but wonder if this also applies to physical imperfections, i.e. hearing aids, eyeglasses and the like. Would wearing glasses, or having a bald spot be the new "mark of Cain"? Would complaining of stiffness in the morning or feelings twinges of arthritis be a sign that one is weak in the faith, or perhaps even "murmuring against Jehovah"? And what of mental imperfections? Depression, post-traumatic stress, bipolar, autism, even one born in this old system with birth defect such as Down's Syndrome would be a sign that one is not as obedient as another, and therefore not deserving of healing.

  Jehovah's Witnesses are really stuck on the idea that one can not only earn the grace of God, but one must work to please a constantly demanding God who keeps track of every flaw, every mistake.

  This god is nothing like the one Jesus taught about, eh?
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  blondie

  I always ask what about the ones that die and go to heaven. Do they have a 1,000 years to come to perfection. No, they are made perfect instantly. Same imperfect humans, but a different scenario. It is a case of "The Bible doesn't say" but we will add our opinions to it as if inspired of God.

  Blondie
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  OICU8it2

  I am so sick of the idea of testing one's fitness for eternal life. Test, test, test! Exert yourself. It's as if one is totally centered on survival. God gives you instincts and then chastises you for acting on them.
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  gumby

  And then there?s the rest of the story that the society doesn?t dwell on to much.

  Sphere, makes a good point.

  Orthodox Christians believe that those "in christ" will be made whole uopn their heavenly reward to spend eternity with Jesus. A dub has to not only stay faithful until armaggedon, but they must stay faithful through the 1000 year reign, then after they pass that test......they are tested AGAIN at the end of that thousand years, and the odds are against them even then. Think not?

  Go to the "revelation climax" book and look at the chapter dealing with the 1000 year rule and what happens at the end of that rule. The picture denotes at Satans release.... by FAR....the majority following satan at this point. The picture shows a handfull of loyal faithful christians in the center......surrounded by a rebel vicious group with mean evil looks on their faces, wanting to pounce on those faithful in the center

  What a wonderful hope they have eh? Stay faithful till armaggedon, stay faithful for a 1000 years, then after all that, you will no doubt succumb to Satan and die in the end.

  Gumby
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  Euphemism

  Ozzie... thanks for responding! I'm sorry I didn't reply before... I meant to, but got sidetracked.

  I think it's interesting that other publications depict (both in images and in word pictures) people getting up out of wheel-chairs, throwing away eyeglasses and medications, etc. The image projected is definitely one of a sudden cure.

  So I would guess that there is no uniform WT line on this topic.
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  shamus

  You can see how presumptuous and haughty they are... foretelling things that they have no idea about, spreading lies.

  When they find the "new light" on this subject, many others will change.

  What a terrific example of a cult!