Here’s the scenario. Let’s say you have a Bible study with, say, a Catholic. You show him from Scripture that the Trinity, hellfire, and the immortality of the human soul are false teachings. (Yes, I believe the Trinity, hellfire, and the immortal soul are all false teachings. Some of you will disagree with me on that, but bear with me. We’ll get into those topics on another occasion. ) So you ask your Catholic student if it makes sense to remain in a religion that teaches false doctrine, and he answers, “Maybe the Church is wrong about some Bible teachings, but it’s not for me to interpret Scripture. Christ appointed the Pope as his Faithful and Discreet Slave, so if he’s wrong, it’s up to Jesus to correct him.”
Later in your study, you come to the question of neutrality—that Christians are to be no part of the world. Maybe you even discuss the United Nations Organization as the wicked wild beast of Revelation, pointing out that the Catholic Church is a member of the organization.
Your Bible student agrees, but states that it is important to wait on God, to give him time to fix the Church.
In a final effort, you talk about the scandal of child sexual abuse within the church, and how the the leadership of the Church covered up these crimes and did not report them to the authorities.
That should do it, you think. Yet, he remains unmoved. He dismisses these claims as exaggerations and attacks on the Church by haters and opposers. Pedophiles are everywhere he counters, but the church’s mishandling is not due to wickedness, but just the imperfection of men.
When you push him a bit more to reason on these things, he says, “Remember, God has chosen the Catholic Church as his earthly organization. It is the oldest Church. The first Church. If the Church hadn’t been preaching the good news around the world, we would not now have a third of the world declaring itself as Christian. Surely this could not have been accomplished without God’s blessing!”
Do you think the false teachings of the Church of Rome are merely a question of good-hearted men who, through imperfection, have made some mistakes? When a true lover of Christ makes a mistake that results in teaching some falsehood, or in conduct that is unbecoming of a follower of Christ, how does he react when another Christian points out his error? Does he correct his teaching, and/or apologize for his misconduct? Does he takes steps to correct himself and undo the damage caused? Or does he lash out against the one who lovingly corrected him, calling him names to discredit him? Does he persecute that one trying to set him straight?
If the latter, then it is not imperfection at work, but wickedness.
Witnesses condemn all other religions as forming part of Babylon the Great, because they teach false doctrines, engage in sinful conduct, and persecute true worshippers. (Jeremiah 51:45; Revelation 18:4)
But what happens when we put the shoe on the other foot? What response do we get when we apply the exact same reasoning—every last point of it—to the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
I got an email recently from a reader detailing his discussion—it went on for 45 pages—with a long-time friend who is an elder. When confronted with Scriptural reasoning and hard evidence that the Organization teaches false doctrine , has violated Christian neutrality by a 10-year affiliation in the UN, and has failed to report thousands of suspected and confirmed pedophiles to the authorities, this elder’s response was almost verbatim to what I’ve heard personally in my discussions with friends.
Here are a few excerpts.
“Why are you not with Jehovah's spirit-led organized people for his name anymore.”
“I will continue to feed from the Faithful Slave.”
“Yes, I have many questions like you, but I patiently endeavour to wait for the answers as they come from the right channel, the Faithful Slave. It's all about obedience to God-given authority and the headship arrangement.”
“I've come across many apostates that spent so much time researching our material so as to strike the hand that fed them like serpents.”
“Try and see that this is a fast-moving organization as it must gather all righteously disposed for everlasting life.”
“Suppose I abandon the worldwide Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses today, what would I become?”
“Back in the times of Israel, if I left Jehovah, I would be termed apostate just as were the Jews each time they abandoned Jehovah.”
“So, who are Jehovah's witnesses today? Tell me that there's a religion out there who bear God's name and who a re not Trinitarian. Who do not believe in Hell, eternal torment, or immortality of the soul? Do you know of any followers of Jesus who do not believe in the trinity? Who believe that Jesus actually is the Son of Jehovah and that Jesus is obedient to the Father and does only what the Father wills.”
“What is the point of quoting stuff from the WT or scripture to prove that the only instrumentality used on earth to further God's will is untrustworthy.”
“Do you think that God is pleased with Babylon the great. Why the warning to get out of her?”
In the mind of most Jehovah’s Witnesses it boils down to this: We can’t be wrong, because we are the chosen of God, and because we are the chosen of God, we must be right.
And round and round we go.
This reminds me of the scene from a classic Walter Matthau film, A New Leaf.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are trying to cash a cheque on an empty bank account. They fail every criterion that they themselves have laid down to evaluate whether a religion is true or false, approved by God or condemned by Him. Yet they still believe that God will cash their cheque.
If you are watching this video, you have probably come to the realization that the Organization’s spiritual bank account is empty and their cheque is NSF.
We might compare ourselves to an animal that has just freed himself from a trap, a snare.
Hmm…
“Religion Is a Snare and a Racket.”
Back in 1938, the third president of the Watchtower Bible & Track Society (WBTS), J.F. Rutherford, launched a preaching campaign with the slogan, “Religion Is a Snare and a Racket. You may find fault with much of what Rutherford taught and did, but on this one item, I think we can find agreement. Well, almost…
Rutherford didn’t apply this aphorism to the organization he had just created. In a classic example of projection, he accused all others of the very thing he was guilty of. But everyone could see that Jehovah’s Witnesses were just as much a religion as was any other denomination; so after he died, the publications made the following distinction:
The Triumph of Clean, Undefiled Worship (w51 11/1 p. 658 par. 9)
“The reproach now falling on the religion of both Christendom and heathendom is therefore not without cause; it is deserved. It was with this religion in mind that the slogan was first raised in London, England, in 1938, “Religion is a snare and a racket. Serve God and Christ the King.”
So now Witnesses speak of true religion and false religion. I do believe that there is true worship and false worship. However, I do not believe that the true vs. false distinction applies to religion. I believe all religion is false and opposed to God. I’ll attempt to explain why I take that view, and see if you agree or not. But first, let’s break down Rutherford’s campaign slogan.
The Snare of Religion
A snare is “a trap for catching birds or animals, typically one having a noose of wire or cord.” What does a snare do? It deprives a creature of its freedom. Jesus told us that if we ‘remain in his word…we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.’ Religion does not set us free, but binds us within a system of rules imposed by men.
In Israel, the Governing Body of the day, the religious leaders—priests, scribes, Pharisees—imposed many rules of men. Jesus said of them, “They bind up heavy loads and put them on the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger.” (Mt 23:4)
You have to bait a snare to get the animal to put its head or foot in the noose. There has to be something appealing about any religion you join, some bait to get you in. It is usually based on Bible truth. The best lies are based on truth. The promise of everlasting life is very alluring. The snare is the belief that you have to obey the rules of men and remain in the religion to gain that life.
Religion Is a Racket
The work “racket” has a good number of diverse meanings. You use a racket to play tennis. It can also refer to a “confused, clattering noise or a social whirl or excitement”. However, the definition that most fits our discussion is:
- A fraudulent scheme, enterprise, or activity
- A usually illegitimate enterprise made workable by bribery or intimidation
- An easy and lucrative means of livelihood.
We’ve all heard the term ‘racketeering’ used to describe the protection racket which the Mob and criminal gangs are known for, but are we suggesting that religions are guilty of this?
The Catholic church accepted money called “indulgences” to “save” souls trapped in purgatory. Some televangelists enrich themselves through the con of “seed money”. I could go on and on describing the many ways religions have enhanced their power and lined their pocketbooks with fraudulent and illegitimate rackets, but I’ll confine myself to two methods currently in use within the organization I’m most familiar with.
This week’s Watchtower Study is titled, “Buy Truth and Never Sell It”. The message is, ‘You are in the truth if you remain in the Organization. If you leave the Organization, you will die.’ You may say, “That sounds more like a snare than a racket.” True, but here’s where it migrates over the line to become a racket. What you don’t know when you join the Organization is that if you leave, they will see to it that you are cut off from all your family and friends. There is no Scriptural basis for that, but it clearly fits the definition of an “illegitimate enterprise made workable by…intimidation”.
Lately, another racket has been spawned. In 2012, the organization seized control of all locally owned Kingdom hall properties and since 2016 has been selling off thousands of them. Halls that were fully paid for and conveniently located were sold out from under the legitimate owners, the local publishers, and these were then required to relocate, often to distant meeting places. Their approval was not sought, nor were they consulted; and they never saw a penny from the sale of the property.
Is All Religion Bad?
Let’s start by looking at the meaning of the word, “religion”. Like so many common words in English, this one has a variety of meanings and nuances. I do not want us to get lost in a fog of blurred definitions, so for purposes of this discussion, I would like to focus on the meaning that comes to mind most readily when we hear someone use the term. To illustrate, if a person says “I’m spiritual but I’m not religious”, we take that to mean he or she does not belong to any particular religion but still believes in God, at least in some vague sense. To say, “I am religious”, immediately begs the question, “What religion do you belong to?”
Merriam-Webster gives as a simple definition of ‘religion’
“An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.”
The key word there is “system”. Another way of putting it is , ‘a framework of rules by which a person worships some God’.
A system of worship. A framework of rules, rituals, rites, or procedures, all to worship God supposedly in a manner God finds acceptable.
But…whose rules? Whose framework? The leaders of Christendom’s churches would say, “God’s rules as laid down in the Bible.” But if that is the case, why are there so many different Christian religions? So much division, often resulting in hatred, violence, even war.
Jesus said:
“It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”” (Mt 15:9)
According to this, any system of worship crafted on the basis of the rules of men, leads to God’s disapproval. Since all religions are based on the rules and interpretations of men, we can simplify this statement to say, “All religion is condemned by God.” Why? Because it replaces the rule of God with the rule of men, and we know from Ecclesiastes 8:9 that ‘Man dominates Man to his injury.’
Do you know who agrees with me on this? (If you’re a Jehovah’s Witnesses, you’re going to be shocked by this.) Charles Taze Russell!
Russell Gets It Right
This here is volume 3 in the series Studies in the Scriptures.
This volume is titled Thy Kingdom Come. It was published in 1907. At that time there was no organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In the decades leading up to that year, independent groups of Bible students in various countries had gathered together to study the Bible free from the doctrinal constraints of mainstream religions. Many used Russell’s writings as the basis for their Bible study, though they were not restricted to those publications. Russell didn’t rule over them. He ran a publishing company and many individuals in those congregations bought shares in that company. The beauty of this arrangement was that, while taking the benefit of Russell’s research, any group could accept what they wanted and reject what they didn’t. For example, Russell believed that the great pyramid of Giza had some prophetic significance, but not everyone agreed with him. Still you could disagree with him and still gather together and study the Bible in your particular congregation of Bible students.
It was Rutherford who succeeded in putting an end to that. Reportedly, by the 1930s, 75% of all the Bible Student groups that had been affiliated with Russell through the WBTS left Rutherford, but with the remaining 25% he centralized authority and created the organization we know of today
That makes what I’m about to read, while not prophetic, certainly prescient. Let’s turn to page 181:
Let such consider that we are now in the harvest time of separation, and remember our Lord’s expressed reason for calling us out of Babylon, namely, “that ye be not partakers of her sins.” Consider, again, why Babylon is so named. Evidently, because of her many errors of doctrine, which, mixed with a few elements of divine truth, make great confusion, and because of the mixed company brought together by the mixed truths and errors. And since they will hold the errors at a sacrifice of truth, the latter is made void, and often worse than meaningless. This sin, of holding and teaching error at the sacrifice of truth is one of which every sect of the Church nominal is guilty, without exception. Where is the sect which will assist you in diligently searching the Scriptures, to grow thereby in grace and in the knowledge of the truth? Where is the sect which will not hinder your growth, both by its doctrines and its usages? Where is the sect in which you can obey the Master’s words and let your light shine? We know of none.
I find it so sad that the organization to which I have devoted almost the entirety of my life fits precisely with this 100-year-old description. And now more so than ever before. You do not even have to promote teachings that are contrary to those found in the publications. Indeed, simply asking questions is now enough to get you invited into the back room of the Kingdom Hall to be questioned as to your loyalty to the Governing Body.
Back to the book:
If any of God’s children in these organizations do not realize their bondage, it is because they do not attempt to use their liberty, because they are asleep at their posts of duty, when they should be active stewards and faithful watchmen. (1 Thess. 5:5,6) Let them wake up and attempt to use the liberty they think they possess; let them show to their fellow-worshippers wherein their creeds fall short of the divine plan, wherein they diverge from it and run in direct opposition to it; let them show how Jesus Christ by the favor of God tasted death for every man; how this fact, and the blessings flowing from it, shall “in due time” be testified to every man; how in “the times of refreshing” the blessings of restitution shall flow to the whole human race. Let them show further the high calling of the Gospel Church, the rigid conditions of membership in that body, and the special mission of the Gospel age to take out this peculiar “people for his name,” which in due time is to be exalted and to reign with Christ. Those who will thus attempt to use their liberty to preach the good tidings in the synagogues of today will succeed either in converting whole congregations, or else in awakening a storm of opposition. They will surely cast you out of their synagogues, and separate you from their company, and say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for Christ’s sake. And, in so doing, doubtless, many will feel that they are doing God service.
My, oh, my, but what far-sighted reasoning! Replace “synagogues” with “Kingdom halls” and you have an accurate description of what the awakening Children of God are experiencing in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses today. Continuing…
Surely all know that whenever they join any of these human organizations, accepting its Confession of Faith as theirs, they bind themselves to believe neither more nor less than that creed expresses on the subject. If, in spite of the bondage thus voluntarily yielded to, they should think for themselves, and receive light from other sources, in advance of the light enjoyed by the sect they have joined, they must either prove untrue to the sect and to their covenant with it, to believe nothing contrary to its Confession, or else they must honestly cast aside and repudiate the Confession which they have outgrown, and come out of such a sect. To do this requires grace and costs some effort, disrupting, as it often does, pleasant associations, and exposing the honest truth-seeker to the silly charges of being a “traitor” to his sect, a “turncoat,” one “not established,” etc. When one joins a sect, his mind is supposed to be given up entirely to that sect, and henceforth not his own. The sect undertakes to decide for him what is truth and what is error; and he, to be a true, staunch, faithful member, must accept the decisions of his sect, future as well as past, on all religious matters, ignoring his own individual thought, and avoiding personal investigation, lest he grow in knowledge, and be lost as a member of such sect. This slavery of conscience to a sect and creed is often stated in so many words, when such a one declares that he “belongs” to such a sect.
If this not an accurate description of the current situation within the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, then I don’t know what is.
Rutherford was right—though not in the way he meant—“Religion is a snare and a racket.” But he was also right about the next part of that preaching campaign slogan: “Serve God and Christ the King.”
The Weeds and the Wheat
Many Jehovah’s Witnesses who wake up continue associating with the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They do this because of the Organization’s racket to punish dissenters by cutting them off from family and friends. So, they remain quiet and suffer in silence.
Others leave the organization but long for the fellowship they had within the community of JWs. Some seek to find that by associating with other religious groups.
However, bear in mind that Russell’s words still apply.
What many now seek are groups of worshipers that do not impose a system of rules. There are small nondenominational groups springing up these days just as there were toward the end of the 19th century. As long as these groups follow the lead of Jesus and not the doctrines of men, they are not classifiable as religions. That is good, because Hebrews 10:24, 25 commands us to gather together, and so we should, if at all possible. But caution must always be exercised. Eventually—almost inevitably—small groups grow and someone sees the opportunity to become a leader. The moment you start to see the interpretation and rule of men rear its ugly head, know that the snare has been laid. Soon the racketeering will begin. Let us be guided by these words of our Lord:
“But you, do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers. Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One. Neither be called leaders, for your Leader is one, the Christ. But the greatest one among you must be your minister. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Mt 23:8-12)
I was asked recently, “Where do we find true religion?” The answer in my humble opinion is, “You can’t. True religion is a contradiction in terms. Religion is ultimately, the rule of men, not God.”
However, if you’re trying to find true worship, look no further than yourself.
Jesus said:
“Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”” (Mt 7:24-27)
You will notice that he does not speak of churches, congregations, organizations. He says “everyone”. This rule applies to individuals. You do not need a group to worship God. You only need Jesus.
Russell had this wisdom to impart on that subject:
But no earthly organization can grant a passport to heavenly glory. The most bigoted sectarian (aside from the Romanist) will not claim, even, that membership in his sect will secure heavenly glory. [Author's note: I might add that nevertheless, Witnesses preach that membership in and obedience to the Organization will secure earthly glory.] All are forced to admit that the true Church is the one whose record is kept in heaven, and not on earth. They deceive the people by claiming that it is needful to come to Christ through them—needful to become members of some sectarian body in order to become members of “the body of Christ,” the true Church. On the contrary, the Lord, while he has not refused any who came to him through sectarianism, and has turned no true seeker away empty, tells us that we need no such hindrances, but could much better have come to him direct. He cries, “Come unto me”; “take my yoke upon you, and learn of me”; “my yoke is easy and my burden is light, and ye shall find rest to your souls.” Would that we had given heed to his voice sooner. We would have avoided many of the heavy burdens of sectism, many of its bogs of despair, many of its doubting castles, its vanity fairs, its lions of worldly-mindedness, etc.
He speaks further, though unwittingly, on the awakening we are now experiencing in the Organization.
Many, however, born in the various sects, or transplanted in infancy or childhood, without questioning the systems, have grown free in heart, and unconsciously beyond the limits and bounds of the creeds they acknowledge by their profession and support with their means and influence. Few of these have recognized the advantages of full liberty, or the drawbacks of sectarian bondage. Nor was the full, complete separation enjoined until now, in the harvest time.
In other words, many like myself who have been raised in the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses are only now coming to know the true freedom of the Christ.
However, some are still unsatisfied and want a more definitive answer. They ask, “Where must I go to find the truth.” Such ones are not unlike the Israelites of old who came to the prophet Samuel and insisted, “No, we are determined to have a king over us.” (1 Sa 8:19) They are uncomfortable making their own determination of things and want someone to lead them—someone visible, not Jesus.
To them I say, you do not find the truth. It finds you.
In Spirit and In Truth
Jesus once met a woman who, like the Jews, thought that true worship was connected with a place. He told her:
“Believe Me, woman,…a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem….But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. (John 4:21, 23)
Notice, not “with truth”, as if one has to have that to delight the Father, but “in truth”. The first refers to a possession, but the latter to a state of mind. No one has all the truth. Indeed, the purpose of everlasting life is the ongoing acquiring of truth about the Father and the Son.
“Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” (John 17:3 Contemporary English Version)
Worshiping in spirit and in truth means loving truth and yearning for more while humbly acknowledging our own ignorance. The Father is searching for those with such an attitude. So, in that sense, if we are seeking truth, the truth through holy spirit will find us.
Notice that those who are condemned by God in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 are not condemned for lacking truth but for refusing to love truth.
You may be associating with a group of fellow believers. That is good and in keeping with Hebrews 10:24, 25. However, you must never belong to that or any other group, organization, or religion. Why? Because you, individually, already belong to someone. You belong to the Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
If you choose to continue associating with JW.org as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, or if you choose to associate with those of another mainstream Christian denomination, that is your choice. Just be mindful that there will likely come a time when your allegiance to the Christ will be tested.
Jesus said:
“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32, 33)
Coming Soon…
Many who break free from the snare of religion are so disenchanted by the experience that they lose faith in God and Christ. They are “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”? The Bible shows that there can be no true freedom without the Christ. However, many do not believe that to be so. As a consequence, they look elsewhere for freedom. Some become agnostic, while others become full-on atheists. They turn to scientists who promote evolution and scholars who teach that the Bible is just a book written by men.
Paul warned the Colossians:
“Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” (Col 2:8)
I love freedom and I no longer want to become a slave to others, be they religionists, scientists, philosophers, conspiracy theorists or what Paul calls “the spiritual powers of this world”. Having developed the ability for critical thinking, let us continue to exercise this power to protect ourselves from the many snares that lie hidden out there in the world.
In my next video, we’ll take a critical look at evolution.
Archived Comments
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Comment by messenger on 2019-01-03 15:19:03
Good article. In my opinion the most accurate I have read on this website. I have come to realize that the apostasy Christ foresaw occurred by the setting up of church hierarchies inside his church and was not the misinterpreted scriptures WT taught us it was. That we all do.
When I first came to this site someone challenged me, because of my comment, that if I came to teach the trinity (which was not my intention) then here I would find no following. Then later when I commented under another article that Christ's church is resurrected to the spiritual realm of heaven you stated it was only okay for me to post that comment if I state it as my opinion and not as a Biblical truth, which I refused to do.
I have come to believe that those things we call doctrines like hell fire, trinity, immortal soul are not the issues Christ judges us on. So I don't argue those anymore like WT taught me to. I view those as church members' interpreting Christ's words literally or figuratively. And I don't see him killing anyone or abandoning them for getting that wrong. e. g. How much TRUTH did the thief on the cross next to him know? Enough to get to heaven. He believed Christ.
Russell understood this apparently. It appears that way from his words you quote. And for his sake let him be correct, since his teachings about the pyramid are the most obvious teachings of apostasy I have ever read.
Comment by PoetryofProvidence on 2019-01-03 17:43:53
Another lucid example of how the profane reaches into what should be holy and chokes it's growth , nice usage of Russell's insights many of us still appreciate his aim to get others to pursue their freedom in loving truth and seeking their pearls .
Comment by Andrew on 2019-01-03 18:26:56
Speaking of Russell's farsightedness, here is another Russell quote from the January 1889 Watchtower. It almost perfectly describes the current Witness mentality concerning obedience to the Governing Body. To put the partial quote in context, he was talking about early Church reformers such as Luther, Knox, Zwingli and others.
"But the course of the reformers was not a wholly uncompromising one. They soon saw that the masses of the people who so steeped in ignorance that they could not appreciate the Scriptural teaching that God is no respecter of persons; and that in his sight all men are free, and that king, peasant and slave are on a common footing before God. So long had the people been taught the pope and church dignities represented God, and must be obeyed as God, that to deny or oppose such pope-sanctioned authority, was to deny and oppose God and his Kingdom …"
Re-read that excerpt and substitute "Governing Body" for "pope-sanctioned authority."
It perfectly describes the pressure and guilt most Witnesses labor under today.
Andrew
Comment by Dan Adams on 2019-01-03 19:32:46
I can't remember the context, but in my recent JW bible study I was asked to read Psalm 127, "Unless Jehovah builds the house, it is in vain that it's builders work hard on it. Unless Jehovah guards the city, it is in vain that the guard stays awake."
Because we'd been talking so much lately about what or where the "true" church was, as I read the verse in Psalm I immediately thought of the verse Meleti mentioned above, about building your house on the rock, and Jesus' words to Peter that he would build his church on the rock. Forget about whether that "rock" is Peter or the faith Peter just confessed, the connection I made from Psalm was that is it Christ, not man, who would build his church, and he'd build it on rock, not sand, and hence it would not be overcome.
I regret not asking my study leader about this, but we'd already talked about the topic too much I think. I feel I am mentally in the state of some awakening JW's, in that if I were to lose faith in the Catholic Church as being the church founded by Christ, I might very likely become an agnostic or an atheist. With that realization, I can't decide if this post encourages me or depresses me. Probably more on the depressing side, but no ill thoughts towards Meleti for sure!Reply by messenger on 2019-01-04 01:27:10
The Catholic church as I understand history was a continuation of the church Christ started before it broke into sects. But remember Christ said wolves in sheep's covering would arise and hurt his sheep. He also stated weeds and wheat Christians would worship together or rather specifically he only implied it telling angels not to separate them until he came to do it.
Now wolves in sheep's covering could not do too much damage unless they had power to do so. Attaining to leadership positions inside religious organizations is what gave them that power. And it is obvious in the Catholic Church that men attained to positions of CONTROL over other men. Hurting men in those positions of authority we read about in that church's history.
Christ's church consists of individuals who want to follow him above anyone else. That is why the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it. Nothing in our nature is more powerful than our will. And our will was given by God to bring about this purpose, that we might follow Christ.
If you come to believe your church is not properly teaching you to follow God that should not be a reason to become an agnostic or atheist. If you believed all of us are pulling some hoax on you and others that might be a good reason. But is that your belief? Do you believe all the people who claim some supernatural contact with God, including Christ, have passed on false information as a hoax?
I don't know the percentage of Witnesses who lost faith in WT and became atheists. I do know not all have as you see evidenced by commenters on this website. I also know God. I know that God will bring you to know what I do if you really want to, and you want to follow him. I know for a fact he exists.Reply by Dan Adams on 2019-01-04 14:02:31
Hi Messenger,
No, I don’t believe anyone’s pulling a hoax on me. Certainly there are some awful people out there with terrible motives, but for the most part I think the teachers in various Christian denominations (and probably in most religions) are genuinely trying to lead people into truth. I think it’s my own previous journey from various churches, into the Catholic church, that would leave me feeling duped - by my own heart and intellect - and at risk of concluding truth is unknowable and becoming agnostic if I were to lose faith in the claims of the Catholic church.
Aside from Meleti’s point that there’s no one true “religion”, I think many of us have come to see that listing our top 5 marks of true religion, and then finding a church that agrees with them, isn’t the way to go. That’s like painting a target around your arrow. So for me, I had to start at the beginning and ask, Did Christ establish a church? Was that church visible? Did the apostles pass on their teaching authority so as to preserve the true faith?
I’ll be honest. The weeds & the wheat parable, along with the foretold apostasy, has been talked about more than once in my JW bible study. I’d say it’s the one thing I can’t seem to grasp from a JW perspective. I agree, the Catholic church is full of wolves, and full of weeds. I don’t exactly see the church as breaking into sects, as you put it. I see it more like the wolves coming in, and even into positions of authority as you say, and breaking off from the church, forming their own unauthorized sects, and leading many people astray with them. To me, those would be examples of foretold apostasy. The current abuse crisis in the church is another obvious example of the wolves. And I agree with Meleti; the abuse and it’s cover-up is wickedness. I believe it’s the duty of Catholics to call their leaders to repentance and to pray that Christ purify his body. When I say I don’t understand the weeds & the wheat parable from a JW perspective, it’s because my leader so clearly sees this parable as negating the claims of the church, while I see it as assuring us that Jesus is not surprised by the many things faced throughout the centuries.
There are a couple articles I found on the JW website while researching the idea of apostolic succession. I would LOVE it if Meleti were to write a post answering them. When I read them, it's like hearing the Catholic idea (though not exactly) of apostolic succession and a governing body, so to speak, applied to the Watchtower, without an explanation of why or when the earliest congregations were permitted to quit following this advice. The links are https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007286 and https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1961163 .
Reply by Yehorakam on 2019-01-05 21:22:29
You're not far off the mark Dan. The house referred to is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 7:11-13 and the reference is to Jesus.
See also Heb 3 and 1 Pet 2Reply by Dan Adams on 2019-01-07 10:52:36
Good verses. Thank you. Esp the one in 2 Samuel which I'd not read in a while.
Comment by Alithia on 2019-01-03 21:50:15
Hello all, I enjoyed the analogy of a conversation with a Catholic and his responses to the questions being asked. I think I can use this as a tool to help others awake and having to take personal responsibility for their beliefs and actions before God and Christ. Events as they have unfolded highlight Jesus's words at Matthew 7:1-5 where Jesus said you will be judged by the measure you measure out and of the need to remove the rafter from one's own eye before you can clearly see to remove the splinter from your brothers eyes.
JWs have for decades "measured out" what has now become the standard by which they are easily and clearly discredited as being the one true religion and Gods only spokesman on earth.
Comment by lightbrighter on 2019-01-03 23:42:09
Once again a nice a edition to your collection of videos.
You quoted some responses a JW elder made which "if he could only see" are the responses we might expect from hard core Catholics.(Matt 13:15)In one of his responses he was basically asking, "is there any other place to go?"
One of the scriptures you use later on is John 4 regarding the woman at the well and is one of the best to answer JWs who ask where shall we go. You could say the Samaritan woman was asking the same question, where do we go ?"..... into the mountain or into Jerusalem?"to worship God. Jesus did not suggest soon you will need to be part of new faith directed by his apostles. And the more accurate translating of vs 24 reads "in truth" helps us to see that a person may not necessarily have "the truth" as such to be a true worshiper but had a disposition toward truth, or love of truth. Powerful scripture, but through the lenses of the WT org it clouded our vision to it's true meaning. Thanks Eric.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2019-01-04 09:18:25
I am sure I have left this comment already, but it does not seem to show, so here it is again.
Hi Eric. Thanks for raising the subject.
On this matter, readers might well benefit if they examine a website (google jwdivorces. bravehost.com) where they will find an article headed :
"The Internet's best financial biography of Charles Taze Russell"
You will find all sorts of information not available elsewhere, including many links to his publishing companies, all sorts of different companies formed. It does raise questions as to exactly what his underlying motives were, what really were the early Colporteurs. Much information that I have never read before shows up in this and related articles.
Love to all hereReply by Warp Speed on 2019-01-05 12:55:55
Hi LJ,
I have read that information as well. I think it erroneous to believe that C.T. Russell ever had the market cornered on distributing Bible Truth. Most, if not all of what he preached was "borrowed" from other cults of his era.
I believe it is a misnomer to think that the Org used to teach truth but got corrupted as time went on.
They never were the "Truth".......
Comment by lazarus on 2019-01-05 04:55:46
Thanks Eric,
Excellent! I agree that there is no true Religion but true and false worship. The Original Green patch of Grass that Jesus started and grew in the first Century , well the growth of the weeds with the wheat makes any claim by J.W. Org to a new lawn being laid by Christ back in 1919, and the beginning of a Spiritual Paradise is a contradiction to Jesus’s own teaching of the wheat and weeds and his return . The evidences even in the Ninteen Twenties from (Beth-Sarim) and until today, and what you have presented shows that no spiritual Paradise is evident.
When one is awake and then Sits on the fence - it is not a comfortable position to be in. I’m reminded of this verse.
1 kings 18: 21Then E·liʹjah approached all the people and said: “How long will YOU be limping upon two different opinions? If Jehovah is the [true] God, go following him; but if Baʹal is, go following him.” And the people did not say a word in answer to him.”
Today we would say if Jesus is our true leader, then Go follow him.
I recently got off that fence- it comes at a price- but after the ordeal- the healing begins. You do feel free. It’s Like the past chains that kept you captive, are broken and your no longer a prisoner to men’s dictates or directions. Your truly free. I digress a little.
Thanks Eric - well balanced article.Reply by Warp Speed on 2019-01-05 12:47:39
Well put Lazarus. I have done the same myself. Yes, there is a price to pay, but worth it.
Comment by Warp Speed on 2019-01-05 13:13:05
C.T. Russell was a mixed-up camper to be sure. Just one of many claiming he was God's Mouthpiece.
JW.Org never was the "Truth".
To think that when he was running the show it was closer to the "truth" is missing the point.......Reply by MarthaMartha on 2019-01-07 15:51:34
I do agree with you WS, even a broken clock is right twice a day. ?
Comment by Yehorakam on 2019-01-05 20:18:40
Nice article Eric. I enjoyed your quotes from Jesus own words and you've pointed out some correct conclusions that hopefully others should draw themselves. But, I am personally not inclined to consider any 'words of wisdom' from Russell, as his actions proved he was not a wise or discreet man. To spend his life, and life savings to publish and teach material, of which so much was incorrect and misleading, serves to demonstrate he lacked Godly wisdom and discretion. Although he did not 'assasinate' those that disagreed with him, he would not have let someone who disagreed with him write articles or have a privilege within his B&T society. Just look when he separated from Barbour(?) on a disagreement over the ransom. And yet Barbour may have been a little more correct in his position. And yes, it was a movement like a religion. It was his initiative to unite Christians through the study of HIS weekly articles. That was primarily what brought them together, the studying of Zion's Watchtower. If it had been the Bible uniting them, then they would have been together already before he started publishing the WT, and there would have been no need for his articles. He might have had a 'nice' initiative, but Christ said the spirit, his teachings and those of the apostles would unite true Christians, not articles written by men. Our Father made sure that the teachings of Christ and the apostles was 'published' for us. I feel that unless the holy spirit has directly revealed something specific to us, we should avoid teaching others. When people write articles, books and the like to 'teach' others, it only serves to add human opinions and ideas to a subject, and Christ did not ask for those things to be written. Much better it would be for people to just consider what God's word says and pray for spirit to reveal the correct understanding. Then, as they learn from pure waters of truth, they will in time discover others that have been taught the same way and enjoy sharing their feelings on matters.
Personally in matters of spirituality, I don't think it's a good idea to quote human wisdom. The WT has quoted theologians, commentaries, Bible scholars when they wished to give more weight to a point they were trying to teach. But those same scholars and commentaries by theologians have also said things in contrary to the truth. How does it add any weight to a Bible teaching to quote an imperfect human with misconceptions? People give weight to the words because the quote is prefaced with: he is a 'world renowned scholar' (who just wrote a book a lot of people use that's all). The Bible's teachings and the weight of Christ's and apostles words carry all the weight necessary to those that highly esteem them. I feel it is only those that give weight to men's words that need to hear quotes from famous men.
This is not a jab at you Eric for quoting Russell, but just a reminder to all that men's words, no matter what form they come in are only men's words...and have more often than not proven to be misleading in matters of spirituality. What's in scripture isn't. I'm sure you quoted him because you found his writings curious. I believe the Bible and the holy spirit are all that are needed to understand scripture. And, as Russel wrote his weekly or monthly articles thinking he was providing 'spiritual food,' sadly it was contaminated. Much better it would have been for him to enjoy whatever he 'felt' he was learning from the scriptures privately, than to write an abundance of books and articles, supposing to teach others what he thought was 'truth.' Christ didn't ask him to do that, although Russel felt it was his 'calling.' Just goes to show that someone can be misled into doing something that the master Christ has not asked for. And in the abundance of his words, there was no lack of mistakes. Being discreet means not taking upon yourself to do or write things when Christ has not instructed you to do it. The 11 apostles appointed a 12th, when the master had not asked for it. Christ appoints apostles, not men. Essentially they narrowed it down to who they thought had 'earned' the privilege and drew lots on 2 asking God to bless their decision. Jesus gave them one instruction: stay in Jerusalem until you receive of the holy spirit. They got itchy and decided to replace an apostle...and without having received holy spirit to boot! That was a serious error that we can all learn from so as to be discreet.
Just my thoughts anyways...
Much love as alwaysReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2019-01-06 10:33:13
Actually, the reason I cited Russell was because the majority of new visitors to this site come from a background that esteems Russell as the founder of the community now known as Jehovah's Witnesses, so they would put more weight to his words then if I had written the same myself.
For me, when citing someone else to make a point, it is not the messenger--be he Russell, or anyone else--that matters, but the message. Jehovah even used enemies on occasion to prophecy.
You state, "Just goes to show that someone can be misled into doing something that the master Christ has not asked for."
But Jesus didn't ask, but commanded, us to preach the good news. He didn't restrict us as to what means we use. Paul stood in the public square and market place, as well as in the synagogues to speak. Today we have the printed word and electronic media. The problem surely isn't with the medium, but with the message.
The beauty of today's technology is that it allows for the teacher to be cross-examined. That is why I enable commenting, because when I err--and of course, I do--I can be corrected by others. The spirit flows thorough all members of the congregation, not just one.
For example, you cite an opinion which you believe the holy spirit has revealed to you. If it is from the spirit, then it is inspired, but there are other sources of inspiration, which is why we are told to "test the inspired expression". (1 John 4:1)
For example, we know Judas was removed from his office, leaving 11 apostles. So if the 12th was chosen by a method that was not from God, then who is the 12th, for Rev 21:14 clearly states that their names are inscribed on the New Jerusalem?
Comment by messenger on 2019-01-06 03:48:47
Hello Dan Adams. I think you misunderstood me when I asked if you believe we're pulling a hoax on you after you stated you might become an atheist or agnostic if you lose faith in the Catholic Church.
I wasn't referring to Bible teachers as the persons you might think are pulling a hoax. I meant the millions of people who God revealed his self to. To name some: all the Jews with Moses, all first century Christians, Christ, and all Bible writers. You see there is no reason not to believe in God if he exists unless you don't wish to follow him. And there is no reason to believe he doesn't exist if you accept the honesty of those he's revealed himself to.
We can only speak from personal experiences or from what we hear from others, correct? And interpreting the words and experiences from others is where most Christians engage controversy. That's why I didn't ask in my previous question what you thought I did. What I meant was, do you believe that the millions who claim to have seen God's revelations themselves are pulling a hoax? Or perhaps that all those people do have or have had mental delusions? Because if that is not the case, if you want to follow Christ why hang your hat on what any teacher or religion teaches? Why go down with the ship so to speak just because you think the captains in your religious group are flawed?
Here is the one truth:CHRIST! His church are the people who know that and accept it because we want to. He picks us because that's what we do. And that's the only reason his church cannot be defeated.Reply by Dan Adams on 2019-01-07 10:51:11
Thanks Messenger. I see what you're saying now and it is indeed helpful.
Reply by messenger on 2019-01-07 12:11:15
Wishing you the best!
Comment by jamesbrown on 2019-01-07 22:41:42
Hi Eric,
A paragraph in your article puzzled me which you said:
You may be associating with a group of fellow believers. That is good and in keeping with Hebrews 10:24, 25. However, you must never belong to that or any other group, organization, or religion. Why? Because you, individually, already belong to someone. You belong to the Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Matthew 16:18 Also, I say to you: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my congregation, and the gates of the Grave will not overpower it.
Biblehub.com describes congregation / church as: ekklēsía – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.
Eric can you please explain the above were Jesus says I have to belong to a congregation/a group of people that Jesus approves of.
Many thanks Eric looking forward to your next article as an ex JW said he used to an elder but now he is an atheist.
Looking forward to your answer.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2019-01-08 08:59:56
Let me put it this way: If you are part of the "universal body of believers whom God calls out from the world", do you belong to that body or do you belong to Jesus? If you are a Jehovah's Witness or a Catholic, can you belong to Jesus as well as belong to your individual church?
Reply by Psalmbee on 2019-01-08 09:55:23
I'll back that up for you Meleti with (Eph 4:14). I hope you are doing well my friend!
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2019-01-08 10:45:45
I am, thank you. I should be in your neck of the woods sometime mid-March if you're still up for that coffee.
Reply by Psalmbee on 2019-01-08 15:49:57
Absolutely! I am looking forward to it.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2019-01-09 03:57:42
I found it interesting to research the Quakers, of whom there are considerably fewer numbers worldwide than JWs. The followers of George Fox are said to have considered themselves the restoration of the true Christian Church, using terms such as "true Christianity, Friends of the truth, Children of the light". Many were persecuted. They seem fairly tolerant to opinions, but plenty of their basic beliefs find parallels with JW beliefs (where these are scripturally supportable).
I found their history worth an examination, as they survived over the years, produced many intelligent business founders, and do not act like dictators.
Just my research. I am not take this further, although I would probably enjoy a conversation with one. Anyone done this ?