In "The Truth"?

rockhound

While at assemblies we would often see friends" IN THE TRUTH", and one of the questions they would almost always ask is, are your kids still "IN THE TRUTH"? It seemed the thing to ask, with so many falling away from" THE TRUTH".

Reflecting on that expression "IN THE TRUTH" I think that most Witneses feel as I did, that the Watchtower had pretty much cornered the market on "TRUTH" from God's word, hence the feeling that if we stayed close the the Watchtower Organization, we without doubt had,or were in, or were closely associated with "THE TRUTH"

How had I come to that concluesion? I had been assured by the Watchtower Organization that they THEY were the only true source of life giving TRUTHS. Had I asked for any proof of any kind that this was true? No, but I could always check it out, right? How?, The answer was simple, go to Watchtower publications to get confirmation, and how would they prove that this is true?,by refering you to articles where the "Faithful Slave" says its so. Its true,because they say its true. How simple, all I had to do was follow the counsel from the Watchtower, June 1, 1967 p.338

" Heavy research is not necessary, the watchtower has done it all for you. The most beneficial study you can make is to read the Watchtower and Awake magazines or any new book by the organization"

Are statements from the Organization made through the Watchtower magazine to be considered pure" TRUTH" from Jehovah God? Most Witnesses truly believe it is. For years, I did to, but did that make it so? NOT!!! Abraham Lincoln asked the question: How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four ;calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. I believe that calling the Watchtower Organization " THE TRUTH" is like calling a dogs tail one of his legs. It just isn't so, no matter who says so. To be fair, I do believe that the Watchtower along with all the other religions have many things right, but calling the Watchtower "THE TRUTH" after examining their history, is to say "THE TRUTH" is a coat of many colors, and the society puts it on and off at will.

Rockhound

Markfromcali

As a side point the expression being in the truth is also externally focused, it's like the truth is to be around you - but what about the truth being in you? Sure there is making the truth your own kind of thing, but it all implies something coming from the outside in, whereas spirituality is largely agreed as something from the inside out.

Satanus

Mark

being in the truth is also externally focused, it's like the truth is to be around you - but what about the truth being in you?

So true.

spirituality is largely agreed as something from the inside out.

Not meaning to give you a hard time, but among which group is it largely agreed? During the last few yrs, i have tried this a bit myself. It's totally opposite of everything that i grew up with, and what the people that were around me seemed to think. I look back on my life, living in different parts of canada, being associated mainly w jws for most of my life. Of my nonjw relatives, some nonjws, and some church people, and some other people, i don't recall this ever being said to me by any of them. It could have been, but i missed it. But anyway, among north americans, i wasn't aware of this type of thinking being that popular at any time. Perhaps a few hippies?

S

Markfromcali

Well S I should say it is 'supposed to be' about the 'internal', but of course at a certain point it also doesn't apply. The thing is though there's enough external influence so the opposite is emphasized, so much so that even much of those that profess to be an internal path often ends up being external in actuality, because people try to fake it through certain practices and such.

heathen

That's a good point . How do we know it's the truth? obviously because we've been saying it for 100yrs in our publications . They forget all the changes that were made throughout that period of time because of the new light and somehow declaring the end of the world several times when it didn't happen was still the truth . The word gospel means the truth so I guess being in the truth is living in union with jesus christ .

MerryMagdalene

Heathen,

That must be why they said "any new book by the organization." Very important not to get the old light/past truth mixed up with the new light/present truth because then things become very confusing...or is that clear?

Crimeny!

Will Power

?In the truth? ? great post & comments

this is one of the 10 identifying marks of a dangerous high control group, (cult)

It is also what truly offends most people who haven?t a clue what a JW is or does. (offends even worse when one figures it out)

Some people say they base everything they do and say on the bible ? they even come right to your door on Sat. mornings to tell you !!

So why does it record Jesus saying ?I AM the truth? (jn14:6) This whole chapter discusses the truth being INSIDE. And chapter 16 ? the spirit of truth. ? nowhere does it even remotely suggest that a printing company in Brooklyn, New York, N.Y, USA (or anyone else) will take over this role.

After reading the whole gospel of John, unaided, then hearing the WT call themselves The Truth, then a Jehovah?s Witness say they are IN that truth, it kind of sounds like blasphemy.

I guess too, instead of only being IN the truth (as belonging to a club) ?

?if the TRUTH was INside, then some might stick around and have a dialogue about this truth instead of avoiding, suggesting we meet later, & running for re-enforcements or a magazine.

Wp: a believer of the strong foundation being on the ?inside?

pc

For those of us who still deal with family who are JW's, don't you just crack up when they use that term!! "THE COLOSSAL LIE" is what they should say.

freedom96

"In the Truth" sounds so cultish, and to me is the biggest saying I remember ever hearing from the witness crowd. Still makes my skin crawl to hear it now.

willyloman

I'm reminded of a "wordly" co-worker I had years ago when I and another co-worker, this a fellow dub, were in a conversation in which the expression "in the truth" came up. Later, this non-JW co-worker chided me about it, saying, "You think you have the truth, I think I have the truth. Who's to say?"

My lame answer: "Well, I guess we'll know for sure in the near future."

And I was right, although not in the way I imagined.

In "The Truth"?

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