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WHAT ABOUT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES?
Almost every person with a front door has been
greeted with a knock on it by a Jehovah's Witness.
They claim to bring the good news and offer a Bible
study to anyone who will listen. Yet most people
reject their offers, and rightly so. For while they
claim to be Christians, they are not, and in fact
they deny the teachings of the Scriptures. Many
people seeking the Lord fall prey to this
organization, and become entrapped by it. Instead of
bringing one to salvation and eternal life with God,
they block the victims from this joy. In addition,
they separate members from families and friends.
Most people are aware that Jehovah's Witnesses are
not allowed to have blood transfusions, salute the
American flag, celebrate holidays, including
Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day. Even celebrating
birthdays of their family are barred. Many people
are not aware that this organization also teaches
their children not to associate with non-JW
children, or take part in extra-curricular
recreational activities such as school sports,
little league, cheerleading, joining a hobby club,
or playing chess. Voting in any election from school
to country elections, joining any military
organization, Rotary, Lions, Chamber of Commerce, or
any civic organization is totally forbidden. These
rules they claim come directly from God, as they
claim do all their teachings. Yet when examined
closely, the rules really come from a couple of men
running the organization from an office in Brooklyn,
New York. To best demonstrate these statements, let
us compare some of the differences between
Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Watchtower organization, was started in 1879, by
Charles Taze Russell. However, we will concern
ourselves only with statements made after 1914. The
logic of using this date to prove the Watchtower
organization is wrong based on their own teachings.
This date is important since they predicted that the
world would end in 1914. When it did not, they
changed the date to the date the time when Jesus was
enthroned.
Webster's Dictionary defines Christian as a religion
based on the teachings of Jesus. Jehovah's Witnesses
proudly announce that they are witnesses of Jehovah,
not Jesus. Even though Jesus tells us in Acts 1:8
that we should be his (Jesus') witnesses. The fact
that they claim that Jesus sat idle in heaven until
he was enthroned in 1914 is against Scriptural
teachings. Ephesians 1:20-21 clearly says that Jesus
was seated on the throne when he was raised from the
dead and entered heaven. All power and authority was
given to him then. He did not have to wait until
1914.
To demonstrate the Watchtower beliefs about Jesus,
one simply has to open the Jehovah's Witnesses bible
(New World Translation). The governing body of the
organization rewrote the bible for their members to
follow. They took great pains with this
organizational version to try to eliminate any
indication of the deity of Jesus from their bible.
They declare that only Jehovah is to be worshipped.
His son, Jesus, who they claim is really Michael,
the archangel, should not be worshipped. To justify
this teaching they claim that while Jesus is "a
god," he is not the God. Only Jehovah is God. Jesus
is simply the son of God, a god. Here they not only
denounce Jesus, but turn Jehovah into a liar or
deceiver as well. Since they teach Jesus is a god,
created by Jehovah, the question arises as to
whether he is a true god or a false god. If he is a
true god, Jehovah is a liar, for he said there will
be no other. If Jesus is a false god, than Jehovah
is a deceiver for creating a false god. Even their
New World Translation of the bible states that, IN
THE BEGINNING THE WORD WAS. They admit that in John
1:1 the word is Jesus. The verse states that He was
there in the beginning. If He was there in the
beginning, He could not have been created.
When Jesus died and was buried, the Jehovah's
Witnesses teach that Jehovah hid or vaporized His
body. Once again this makes Jehovah a deceiver even
through they claim to follow Him. Were not the
priests and Pharisees afraid that the disciples
would hide or remove the body? (Matt. 27:62-66)
When Jesus was resurrected, they teach that He was a
spirit who took on different bodies as needed. Yet
the Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus identified
the BODY as His. Jesus specifically points out to
the disciples in Luke 24:37-42 that He was NOT a
spirit. They go on to teach that Jesus ascended into
heaven in spirit form not in his body. There He sat
idle until 1914 when He was enthroned to lead their
organization.
In terms of salvation they teach that one can only
be saved through works to be done in their
organization. This claim is made although their own
rewritten bible states that salvation is a gift
given by God to those who believe in Jesus. (John
3:16)
Each time the Watchtower changes a previous belief,
they state it is new light. The members are told
simply to forget the old teachings and accept the
new, even if one is completely opposite the other.
Thus to accept their teachings, one must also accept
a God of confusion or one who cannot decide. Some of
the changes in their teachings are worth pointing
out. Would God have made the following statements
and changes?
"Vaccination is a direct violation of the
everlasting covenant that God made with Noah after
the flood." (Golden Age 2/4/1931, p.293). THEN WE
FIND: "Vaccinations appear to have caused a marked
decrease in diseases" (Awake 8/22/1965, p.20). HOW
MANY PEOPLE DIED OF SMALLPOX BEFORE THE RULES
CHANGED?
"Organ transplants are cannibalism, hence
inappropriate for Christians" (WT 11//15/1967/pp.
702-4). "Jehovah's Witnesses consider all organ
transplants to be cannibalism, hence unacceptable"
(Awake 6/8/1968 p. 21). THEN WE FIND: "Organ
transplants are not necessarily cannibalistic." (WT
3/15/1980, p.31). HOW MANY PEOPLE WENT BLIND OR DIED
WHILE FOLLOWING THE WRONG BELIEF?
WHEN BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS WERE NEW WE FOUND: "In a
great emergency a physician gave a quart of his own
blood; today the woman lives and smiles"
(Consolation 12/25/1940, p 19).
THEN WE FIND "They know that if they violate God's
law on blood and the child dies in the process, they
have endangered that child's opportunity for
everlasting life in God's new world" (Blood,
Medicine and the Law of God, p 54). "A pet should
not be given a blood transfusion" (WT 2/15/1964, p.
127). (Were animals ever under this law? editor's
note.) HOW MANY PEOPLE MUST DIE BEFORE THEY CHANGE
THIS RULE?
The above are rules made and changed by the
organization. While thousands of people died or
suffered as a result of these rules, millions are
effected by their Scriptural teachings.
"It is through the columns of the Watchtower that
Jehovah provides direct and constant Scriptural
counsel to his people" (WT 5/1/1964, p277)
"Avoid independent thinking ... questioning the
counsel that is provided by God's visible
organization" (WT 1/15/1983, p22).
"Fight against independent thinking" (WT 1/15/1983,
p27).
"When Jesus came to God's spiritual temple in 1918
for the purpose of judging men, Christendom was
rejected." (WT 8/1/1960, p.462)
Read only the Bible? Christendom does this and look
at the misunderstanding of the true message of God's
Word" (WT 3/1/1983, p. 25).
"Sometimes a member of a class will refuse to engage
in canvassing for the books because there are some
mistakes in the booksAs everyone knows, there are
mistakes in the Bible"(WT 4/15/1928, p.126).
"... from among the ranks of Jehovah's people ...
haughty ones... say that it is sufficient to read
the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small
groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible
reading,' they have reverted right back to the
apostate doctrines that commentaries by
Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago"
(WT 8/15/1981, pp. 28-29). (THANK GOD)
THE CROSS
"'... he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross.' (Phil. 2:7,8)"
(Creation, 1927, p.161). THEN WE FIND: "So, the
evidence indicates that Jesus did not die on the
traditional cross" (A. 9/22/1974, p. 28).
Do not pursue higher education. There is very little
time left! Make pioneer service, the full time
ministry with the possibility of Bethel or
missionary service, your goal" (WT 3/15/1969, p. 171
These are only a few of the hundreds of changes of
Scriptures and rules made by the Watchtower
organization since they started. As Christians, it
is our God-given commission to share the Gospel with
Jehovah's Witnesses. They come with a false gospel
and a false hope. 1 Peter 3:15 tells of Christ's
promise to help us give an effective answer if He
has the central place in out lives. That testimony
(seed) you give may help free a poor soul trapped in
the Watchtower organization. Romans 10:4 clearly
states: "For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth." Help
free these souls from laws, not even of the old
covenant, but from some old men in Brooklyn.
For Additional Information Contact
True Light Educational Ministry
P.O. Box 310
Shirley, NY 11967
Telephone (631) 395-4646
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TLEM