“Your strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust.” Isaiah 30:15
[Study 1 from ws 1/21 p.2, March 1 – March 7, 2021]
The thrust of this week's Watchtower study article is similar to last week's about fighting discouragement. The basic message is “Keep calm and carry on”[i], ignoring the realities that are staring the brothers and sisters in the face.
The sub-text is that the Organization is effectively saying “We may be suffering something of an exodus of brothers and sisters at the moment, but that is no reason to start acting sensibly and join them. We may feel misled and disillusioned, but that is no reason to start using your critical thinking and realize that what Jehovah and Jesus have said through the pages of the Bible are not the same as what the Organization keeps on telling you”.
Paragraph 3 under the heading “What may cause us to feel anxious?” suggests the following reasons (split into bullet points by us):
- “We may have little or no control over some things that could cause us to feel anxious.
- For example, we cannot regulate how much the cost of food, clothing, and shelter will rise each year;
- nor can we control how frequently our workmates or schoolmates will try to tempt us to be dishonest or immoral.
- And we cannot stop the crime that happens in our neighborhood.
- We face these challenges because we live in a world where most people’s thinking is not based on Bible principles.”
So, let us examine these points one by one.
- We may not have a lot of control over things that cause us to feel anxious, but as we will see, both we and the Organization, perhaps have more control over this situation than is immediately apparent. How so?
- True, we cannot control rising prices. But we can control to a much bigger extent the ability to have sufficient income to cover these rising prices. The Organization also tries to control your ability to have sufficient income. How so? Its official policy is that children of Witnesses should not get a higher education, especially university education. Typically, higher-paying jobs that will keep pace with inflation require university degrees or professional qualifications. Witnesses are expected to take menial jobs that are low paying, such as window cleaning, home, and office cleaning, laboring, shop work, and the like. This leaves little headroom for savings for the future or inflation. In the current CoVid 19 pandemic, these have been the first jobs to go, or be put on hold, whereas those better paid office jobs have continued for many. Solution: Ignore the Organization’s policy on higher education, in a sensible way, getting your children qualified for jobs they will enjoy, and will likely give the ability for a comfortable standard of living, (though not making you rich). Then the chances of worrying about inflation will certainly be lessened.
- Why would one be anxious about how frequently our workmates or schoolmates try to tempt us to be dishonest or immoral? This is just scaremongering. In reality, how many really do that? The author has worked with hundreds of non-Witness workmates over the years, not one has tried to tempt me to be dishonest or immoral. On the other hand, I know of many Witnesses with whom I have associated with over the years until I realized what kind of people they really were, who have been dishonest or immoral. Solution: Is it not simply just to ignore their suggestions?
- True, unless we are a policeman, we may be unable to stop crime in our neighborhood. But what about closer to home, in the congregation? Here, when a crime is reported to the elders, perhaps the sexual abuse of a child by an adult, the official policy is to contact the countries Bethel headquarters legal desk. The advice given back is almost never to report the allegation of the crime to the local law enforcement authorities. Why? This results in more crime as the criminal rarely has two witnesses to their crime. Romans 13:1-10 makes it clear that if we love our neighbor we would obey the superior authorities, one of whose requirements is that we report a crime, otherwise, we become an accessory to the crime. If you saw a murder and did not report it, you can be charged with being an accessory to murder, even if you had nothing to do with it and disagreed with it. Likewise, you may see or be told first-hand by the victim of a crime. Do you not have a civic and moral and scriptural duty to report it to the authorities, regardless of what the Organization’s legal desk tell you? If someone had sexually abused my son or daughter, I can assure you I would report it to the authorities, to protect others, and to protect my offspring from further harm, and to hopefully see justice done by the authorities meting out punishment to the offender. Solution: Report crime within the congregation to the civil authorities first, then the congregation. If you report it first to the congregation, likely the civil authorities will never get to hear of it.
- It is true that we face challenges because most people are not guided by Bible principles. But this is not just in the world as the study article would want us to believe. Are we truly guided by Bible principles or just what we are taught in the Watchtower, and sometimes not even that? The author knows, just as you the reader likely does, of Witnesses, (including elders) who have defrauded their own brothers and sisters by not paying them for work done, who have ignored the paedophilic grooming antics of their adult Witness son, or the adultery with their best friend’s spouse. Where were the Bible principles when these Witnesses perpetrated these actions? Solution: Just maybe, the number of Witnesses committing these acts would be lessened if the Watchtower concentrated more on Bible principles that make us better Christians, and the benefits of these principles instead of always pushing the preaching work, or telling us to be obedient to the elders.
The Study article then goes on to examine briefly 6 things that could help us to keep calm.
The first suggestion is “Pray often”.
Now as the article suggests “Christians who are under pressure can find relief when they turn to Jehovah in earnest prayer. (1 Pet. 5:7) In answer to your prayers, you can receive “the peace of God that surpasses all [human] understanding.” (Read Philippians 4:6, 7.) Jehovah calms our anxious thoughts by means of his powerful holy spirit.—Gal. 5:22.”
However, do not be misled, except in rare instances to ensure the outworking of God’s purpose (such as in protecting the infant Jesus), there is no evidence that God intervenes personally on our behalf, whether to help us get a job, to get better health, to get a Bible study, or anything else, despite frequent suggestions to the contrary in the Watchtower study articles and JW Broadcasting broadcasts. It is coincidence, time and unforeseen circumstances. None of those things just mentioned require the personal intervention of God to ensure his purpose is not thwarted. Nor is there ever any explanation of the mechanism of how God intervened. This false teaching is akin to the teaching in Christendom derived from pagan religions that we individually have a guardian angel, or that things happen by magic. But, you may say, what about those experiences of someone praying to God that they find the true religion, and answers to their questions, only for Jehovah’s Witnesses to knock on the door, either that day or a day or two later. Given the regularity of Witnesses calling, there is bound to a coincidence with some people’s prayers. Other religions also recount these types of experiences as proof that God is backing them. It is not unique to the Organization, though they would like us to believe that. [ii]
The second suggestion is “Rely on Jehovah’s wisdom, not your own”.
Please do not make the mistake that the Organization wishes you to make and think that the teachings of the Organization reflect Jehovah’s wisdom. They do not. The Apostle Paul was educated at the feet of one of the most renowned Pharisees of his age, Gamaliel, (Acts 22:3) and that along with other attributes made him ideal for the special assignment Jesus gave him to be apostle to the nations. Yet today, Witnesses are frowned upon by the Organization for having anything but the minimum legally required education. Always be Beroean like with any of the Organization’s teachings (Acts 17:11).
The third suggestion is “Learn from good examples and bad ones”.
Provided we learn directly from the Bible rather than the Organization’s publications which usually contain a slanted application as shown so many times in the Watchtower Study article reviews, we will actually benefit from this advice.
The other 3 suggestions only have a few brief sentences each.
In summary, the Organization has within its power the opportunity to reduce the anxiety felt by many of the brotherhood. The question is, will they take this opportunity? Based on their past performance the chances are slim to none. Besides, regardless of what they do or do not do, we individually have both the responsibility and ability to drastically lessen the level of anxiety we may feel, at least in the areas discussed by the Watchtower Study article. Do not be misled.
[i] The phrase originated as a slogan in the spring before World War II. Anticipating the dark days ahead, the British government designed a poster to hang in areas being targeted by German bombers.
[ii] As an example, the Mormon founder Joseph Smith related that “According to the account Smith told in 1838, he went to the woods to pray about which church to join but fell into the grip of an evil power that nearly overcame him. At the last moment, he was rescued by two shining "Personages" (implied to be God the Father and Jesus) who hovered above him. One of the beings told Smith not to join any existing churches because all taught incorrect doctrines.”. This does not mean that God appeared to him and told him to start a new religion. We only have his word for it.
Archived Comments
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Comment by Zacheus on 2021-02-28 19:44:11
re finances.
You missed out on the obvious that the WTS is frequently asking for money which must come from people as you say of poor means.
Comment by Dissident Fairy on 2021-02-28 21:26:14
We've obviously all had different experiences in life. I was offered drugs in high school by non-Witnesses friends. Of course, I declined their offers but did not see it as a temptation. I wasn't tempted at all. In the workplace, I was sexually harassed by multiple sales managers in various jobs, (all non-Witnesses) and there certainly was no temptation there either, and no one has ever tried to get me to do something dishonest in the workplace.
Personally, I've never had any bad experiences with Witnesses in the congregation with the exception of one. It was a young brother who was a pioneer and he gave a public talk at our Kingdom Hall. He spotted me and became smitten and asked me out. I'd never been on a date before but my parents thought maybe I should go out with him since he was so "theocratic". He was an excellent public speaker as smooth as silk. He was nice looking but not really my type, but I went on a date with him anyway. Every girl at the Kingdom Hall seemed to like him wishing it was them instead of me. I wished it was them too. lol He took me out on 2-3 dates and before I knew it, I was sitting in front of his father who was giving me the third degree regarding how I planned to support myself if something should happen to my husband. Huh? My parents had never prepared me for this line of questioning:-)
My husband? I was two months shy of my 18th birthday and I wasn't even thinking about a husband. I remember sitting there feeling intimidated trying to answer his questions that were being fired at me in rapid succession. He had an entire list of them. Did he really think I wanted to marry his son? I barely knew him. It felt like an arranged marriage meeting. His family was wealthy. They had a large estate with lots of avocado trees and had to use a golf cart just to get around on the property, and they also had a beach house they said would be a wedding gift to us if I married their son. Their son was 23 and a court reporter working his way up the corporate ladder. My parents were upper income too, and both our fathers were elders so on the surface it seemed like a match made in heaven.
I was never one to be swayed by money but I must admit that beach house was my dream home. It really was. I fell in love with it at first sight. (Is this where temptation comes in?:-) It was quaint and charming and the waves practically crashed on the porch. The only problem was I wasn't in love with their son. He had the maturity of a man 45 even though he was only 23, and at 17, I felt slightly intimidated by him too.
All good things come to an end:-)
I finally had to tell my mother that I didn't wish to date him anymore when he said our next date would be at the beach and we could wear our bathing suits. It sent a shiver down my spine to even think of being that exposed around him. He was already a little too pushy for my liking, including a rushed marriage proposal. My mother felt bad for him so she met with him to "Let him down easy" to say that I wouldn't be dating him anymore. It still didn't stop him from dropping off a pricy necklace (that his mother later retrieved) and a graduation gift from his mother, an engraved bracelet with my name on it.
I know what you are thinking. Poor guy! He sounds like prince charming right? He was intelligent, sophisticated, and refined, and had a great future ahead of him. On the surface, he seemed to have it all, but let's just say I'm glad I broke it off when I did, even happier I didn't develop feelings for him and fall in love.
Why? It turned out he was living a double life. While he was dating me he was having an affair with a 45-year-old married sister with whom he was pioneering, not only that, but he got her pregnant as well. Her husband was a non-believer but from what I was told stuck by her. The guy I dated ended up disfellowshiped but worked his way back and got reinstated, and eventually, he married a pretty girl who had a crush on him who he had rejected, someone he knew before he met me.
So it's been my experience that things are not always as they seem.
I'd also like to say that there is high pressure to marry young in the organization. Often people choose someone out of desperation. I saw one beautiful "sister" age 22, marry way beneath her because she felt as though she was being looked upon as an old maid in the congregation, and because the selection was so poor. So she agreed to marry him. He was recently baptized and came into the organization on his own merit prior to meeting her, but eventually, after the marriage, he went back to his prior lifestyle of debauchery and sexual immorality and it caused her tremendous grief. People in the organization often rush into marriages way too young and in some cases are very mismatched. I even went to a Witness wedding of a 20-year-old sister and a 90-year-old brother. He was senile and she was mentally challenged. Sad but true.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-03-01 08:30:02
There are so many witnesses living a double life. Pioneers who appear wholesome before the congregation but are sexually immoral in their private life. It's not hard to understand however. The spirit of the organization up to the highest levels is like that of the Pharisees of Jesus' day. The practice hypocrisy, and so the flock follows their example. Dissident Fairy, seems like you really dodged a bullet.
Reply by Dissident Fairy on 2021-03-01 10:22:42
I'm shocked to hear it. I thought he was an exception to the rule. The one in a million. I can't even fathom why any JW would want to live a double life. Who do they think they are fooling? What good is it doing them? You would think they would just leave the organization and live life the way they want without any pretense. It makes no sense to me for anyone to fake it. Are they under some kind of delusion? Do they think they are so "special" with God that He will overlook their sins? The rules apply to everyone else but not to them? To be honest, it baffles me.
I suspect he was involved with the older woman before he even met me. I thought maybe he fell into a trap and didn't know how to get out of it. When his mother came to retrieve the necklace, she told my mother that he "had no business giving it to me" because he already knew that he was going to be disfellowshipped when he handed it to my mother to give to me.
Reply by Ad_Lang on 2021-03-01 14:44:20
I can imagine why. Every private interaction between opposite sexes is seen as having either a romantic or a sexual motive. I remember even having seen a claim that texting each other regularly is seen as dating.
While I grew up in a church, got out of that and later joined in my early 30s, it was just alien to me and it upset me, quite frankly. It breeds an environment of distrust. Youngsters don't learn healthy relationships this way, rather the opposite. To be fair, I am also looking outside for friends, because inside there aren't many to be had. Since I'm quite straightforward, I'm not making a secret of this, neither would I if I were to start getting more intimate with an non-Witness lady.
I had quite a sad disappointment some years ago. There was this lovely young lady from a nearby congregation here in Wales. I sent a letter, suggesting we might share some time in the ministry. I had hoped to start out easy with a meaningful friendship (she was very attractive, but that doesn't keep a marriage healthy by itself). Perhaps it was a big mistake to ask my group overseer (secretary) and have it sent via via. The reply I got was a rejection, as if I had sent a marriage proposal. Reason given was that she wanted to focus on Jehovah. I sent another short letter, reminding her that she should always be focussed on Jehovah. Within a year, I saw her at a circuit assembly with some guy I hadn't seen before. I think they got married within the next year. I'm just beating myself up now that I didn't ask for her number when we were chatting while she was around (she came with her dad, the visiting speaker, one Sunday). I was shy -still am- and poor.. also still, somewhat. I've kept this feeling that something wasn't quite right. The feeling you might get when someone hasn't been entirely honest, but you can't get your finger on it.
That feeling is one of the reasons why I've expanded outside the congregation. It'll probably give me a (minor) advantage once I get kicked out for speaking my mind. I don't like living a double life. It's hard work and I'm too lazy.Reply by Dissident Fairy on 2021-03-01 20:53:41
I do agree with you that it's difficult in the organization if one desires to marry and fall in love. In my congregation, there were a lot of beautiful girls but no eligible guys at all. There might have been one but no one was interested in him. He wasn't attractive on any level. He didn't have looks, personality, intelligence, or even zeal for the "truth." He spent his time talking about the latest rock 'n roll bands and music after the meetings. It didn't leave the girls much to choose from:-)
It's also awkward for single couples in the congregation. Once a couple starts to date it's expected or anticipated that it will lead to marriage. If it doesn't work out for whatever reason then there are whispers as to what went wrong? Who's fault was it? Usually, it does lead to marriage but then you have to wonder if they felt pressured or obligated to do so. It's almost as if you have to be certain "this is the one" to even take the courtship risk. JW's don't really date. They usually marry the first one they see.
I wouldn't spend too much time in regret. You let her know that you were interested without actually saying it, and if she didn't take the opportunity to get to know you then she either wasn't ready at that time, or you weren't the one for her. I don't feel that asking her out would have changed things. I've passed up guys I was attracted to and turned them down either out of fear or maybe the timing wasn't right. So you shouldn't feel bad or rejected. For all you know her heart was already invested in the guy that she later married before you made contact with her. You might even be better looking than him but when people get attached to someone they usually stay focused on that person and cannot be swayed. I'm sure you have a lot to offer the right person. Be happy and move on. The right one is still waiting for you. I hope this helps:-)
Reply by Leonardo Josephus on 2021-03-02 03:59:51
I must admit that I have not personally run into many witnesses living a "double life", despite the odd warning from the Organisation .
I may be wrong, but I feel the R & F witness is trying hard to follow the scriptures, because the basic moral standards are not hard to comprehend.
What does seem to happen is that some appointed men fail to live up to Bible standards, for whatever reason.. Sadly, they are the ones who should be carefully considering what God's word says, but instead are bogged down with seriously living up the Organisation's requirements (meetings, building projects, field ministry etc) rather than those of Jesus Christ, and so that is what gets emphasised at those meetings.
Comment by dananicole on 2021-03-03 00:17:22
Hello:
can you provide sources and or teachings for the response under "pray often"
there is no evidence that God intervenes personally on our behalf.
It is coincidence, time and unforeseen circumstances. None of those things just mentioned require the personal intervention of God to ensure his purpose is not thwarted. Nor is there ever any explanation of the mechanism of how God intervened. This false teaching is akin to the teaching in Christendom derived from pagan religions that we individually have a guardian angel, or that things happen by magic.
I struggle with grasping the personal relationship with God , prayers and purpose. Any articles you can point to that help with these concerns would be much appreciated.