There are now 14 videos in the Become Jehovah’s Friend series on jw.org. Since these are used to train our most vulnerable minds, one does well to examine what is being taught to ensure that one’s children are being taught the truth. It is important also to evaluate any subtle background message, because these can have a long-term motivational effect on young, trusting minds.
To this end, I’ve just listened to all the videos. I won’t share my opinions as that is best left to the parents. But some salient facts are that the central purpose based on the series title is to train a child to become a friend of God. Since the hope that Jesus shared with humankind was to become children of God, are we in sync with his teaching if we emphasize friendship over sonship? Do the videos even name Jehovah as our Father? Or is he only depicted as friend? I lost count of the number of times he is called “friend” in the videos, but it was easy to track the number of times our children are being taught to think of him as Father. The answer is zero.
Jesus is also held out as the central figure in Jehovah’s purpose. The only way to the Father is through him. Was Jesus presented to our young ones as the Bible depicts him? One can get an idea of the focus of a teaching program by the number of times key words or names are referenced.
Here are the stats. Make of them what you will.
Number of Occurrences across all 14 videos.
Jehovah: 51
Bethel: 13
Governing Body: 4
Jesus and/or Christ: 3 (as a teacher)
Satan: 2
Father (referencing Jehovah): 0
At least three of the four references to the GB are in the video of Anthony Morris discussing the series, and is directed to the parents. Presumably, the kids won’t be watching that one over and over.
On the other hand, in this video (as in at least one letter from the GB in the yearbook) Morris says “we love you”. This whole, ‘we the GB are one entity, and you the brothers are another’ attitude really irks me. It seems elitist, condescending and eerily evocative of “Big Brother loves you”.
A Papacy of 7 methinks they dost become!
On the general conversation on friendship vs sonship, I’ve said it before but there is only a conflict when one is taught to the exclusion of the other in my view. A good father is always going to be a friend. There is nothing wrong with teaching friendship with God, just so long as we don’t shut another door when doing so. The point that Meleti makes which I think is valid is when we teach friendship instead of sonship. It is much more difficult to move a person from viewing a long term friend to suddenly also becoming a… Read more »
Well put!
A very good way of saying it!!
Hi Meleti I have not seen them all. I watched the recently released “Visit to Bethel” video, and found it more than a little disturbing. In my view it’s most certainly a form of recruitment video. Especially considering that the kids tend to watch these things ad nauseam (in my case that just took one viewing). But returning to the primary point you are making, this same thought struck me when I watched the one about Jehovah creating all things. What a fine opportunity to explain the role of the Son in all things being created through him and for… Read more »
You were the one who first brought the “Visit Bethel” video to my attention which in turn piqued my curiosity about the rest. Good point about the tendency for kids to view videos ad nauseum. Providers of children’s TV learned long ago how cost effective it is, because a single production can be re-released over and over since young kids will watch it over and over without tiring of it. This is obviously a “teaching” method that Jehovah intended. As for the almost total omission of Jesus from the creation video, that proves the marginalization of Jesus better than anything… Read more »
There’s an element of the usual double-think here. On the one hand, ‘this may be our last memorial’, and on the other, a recruitment plan looking 15 years into the future.
Just realized Katrina said the same thing, above.
And Caleb wants to go to bethel when HE GROWS UP! but wait isn’t the end so very very close this is why all the downsizing.
Of course we can have a friendship with god and christ …….. but i think the christian message is much more than that its about attaining sonship according to the NT .2 corinthians 6v 18 i will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters says the lord almighty .. The watchtower is telling most of the brothers that they cant be gods sons and daughters just friends with god . Yet every day they use the lords prayer as a model when speaking to him . Every day every meeting we address god as… Read more »
Its crazy when they make these rules years ago the C O told me that i couldnt allow my son to have the internet in his bedroom . He was a computer programmer in his early twenties . Its his job . Wheres the common sense gone .we all have to make our own choices in life not have them made for us by some men at the helm of the organisation . Dueteronomy 28
Sorry but I have nothing good to say about the videos. In fact, ever since the statement was made, “Look at the Artwork!” (w13 7/15 p. 32) I deliberately avoid it. To me, it’s all just fluff and drama meant to distract the unwary from a slyly developed psychology to salvage by fear and threat whatever credibility the governing body thought it once had. True wisdom runs silent and deep and that’s where I see most of us veterans while the present governance maneuvers our children. To me it’s like watching the mafioso Godfather offering a deal that cannot be… Read more »
agree 100 %
…..and beware of SPARLOCK, kids!
A child can grasp the concept of a grandfather easily enough, so I don’t see a problem with training our children to view Jehovah as a father in the sense that he is both the child’s and his dad’s Father. After all, a friend doesn’t tell you how to live your life, but a father does and should. Some of the videos give good messages about manners and duty and honor. Some are insidious. The latest one on Bethel seems little more than a recruitment video.
True.. I was attempting to give them the benefit of the doubt. 🙂 I have’t seen the Bethel one though.
As much as I would like to disagree on some level I think the concept of a ” friend” is easier for a really young child to grasp. I think it might be a source of confusion, at least in the beginning, for a kid to understand having two ” fathers”. I agree that Bethel and Governing Body are mentioned too much and Jesus not nearly enough. That being said, though I am not a parent yet, if used with discerment and properly explained that can be overcome and these are good introductory teaching tools.
Ive only seen one of these videos for the kids a while back and at first i honestly thought i was a video done by someone trying to present the organisation in a bad light . It was just so full of black and white reasoning. I was shocked to find it was published by the brothers . Kev
I still dont get the “friend” concept. Doesn’t “friend” imply some sort of equal status? I can’t be “friends” with Jehovah. We are certainly not peers. How can I live in fear of my “friend”? Parent/child makes much more sense. I will give my opinion: these videos are creepy and probably stifle normal development, vilify a normal child imagination, and will make children afraid to even make even the most mundane decisions. i just realized something… I can’t be jehovahs friend, but I COULD be a governing body friend since they are human, like me. Is that what is really… Read more »
We have to be careful not to start to put our own philosophy in front of scripture.
There is at least one man who is called God’s friend: Abraham. Secondly, the Devine Jesus, who is fully like his father, says to his disciples you are my friends if you do what I ask you to do. We can apply the same pattern to the Father since they are one in thought.
But Jesus used “father”, and they are not the same, so I dont understand. Is Jesus Jehovahs friend?