TLEM
True Light Educational Ministry
Then
you will
know the Truth and the Truth will set you free ( John
8:32)
|
|
|
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
|
|
Send mail to webmaster@tlem.net with
questions or comments about this web site.
|