First, JW's are often sincere and likable people. But, the most sincere seeming people are sometimes the most insane. Long ago, when JW's would show up at my door, I never opened it. I don't know why. Perhaps even back then God had pity on me and used my own ignorance and naivete to deliver me from their clutches. Later on, after I'd gained a stronger grip on reality, I began opening my door to these odd creatures - the likable foot soldiers of a strange, new God. A new "god" that doesn't include Jesus or the Holy Spirit. They were a mystery to me then. But the mystery was resolved when I finally realized their "god" is the devil.
It would take a really long article to address all the errors of the JW's, their failed end of the world prophecies, their persecution complex, their hatred of of other churches, particularly the Catholic church, their delusions regarding the immortality of the soul... so I'll confine myself to two issues: 1. JW's don't even know their own history. 2. The JW claim that an eternal, fiery hell is nowhere found in the the Bible - the Bible they claim as their standard of belief.
I once read a quick history of the JW's. Not long afterwards a pair showed up and I began asking them questions about Charles Taze Russell - their founding figure. They hadn't a clue about who he was! Same thing with Judge Rutherford - another one-time JW "prophet". This was strange! These two guys were the big deal for the JW's back in their day. And it wasn't that long ago either; yet present day JW's couldn't pick them out of a one person line-up. Probably an omission by design....
Charles (the Prophet) Russell was a con-man. He was successfully sued for selling a quack product he called "Miracle Wheat" to some get-rich-quick gulls. He made repeated "prophecies" of Jesus' imminent return. When things didn't turn out as planned, Russell claimed that Jesus HAD returned - but had done so "invisibly". In 1916 he testified in court that he was an expert in Greek; but when handed a Greek New Testament and asked to read from it he was forced to confess he couldn't; and in fact didn't even know the Greek alphabet. When his wife divorced him - for adultery - he promptly transferred all his property - $240,000 USD - (in 1897 dollars) to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in order to avoid alimony. Once, he was said to rank, "Next after St. Paul in the gallery of fame!" But Russell has been virtually forgotten by later generations of JW's.
Judge J.F. Rutherford was a lawyer who'd thrown in his lot with the "Russellites" in the late 1800's (the name 'Jehovah's Witness' didn't come into being until 1931). Rutherford was an organizational genius with a very dynamic personality who worked his way into the leadership of the cult after Russell had died. His ascension caused a major schism in which as many as three quarters of the group left. Although the CEO of an organized religion, Rutherford was violently opposed to the idea of organized religion, saying once, "There is no Christian religion! Religion and Christianity are exactly opposite and diametrically opposed one to the other!" JW's to this day deny they are either a religion or a denomination - while at the same time complaining how they are persecuted for their religious beliefs. Rutherford is the one who came up with the once familiar JW slogan. "Millions now living will never die!" Alas, he didn't live to see the fulfillment of his prophecy, dying at his palatial villa in San Diego, CA in 1942.
With regards to their denial of the torments of hell, the JW's are very deluded. Millions now living WILL die - and find themselves in eternal misery. Not because God wants it, but because they will it.
In the June 2012 edition of The Watchtower, one of the authors makes the following claim: "The belief of eternal torment in a fiery hell finds no support in the Bible." This has been one of the JW's consistent messages throughout their shifting history. Of course, the Bible says the EXACT OPPOSITE.
Here we see the mind of Satan at work. The Watchtower contains much good information and advice in its articles. You're reading it approvingly when, like a lightning bolt from a clear blue sky, a massive lie leaps out and strikes you. The devil is speedy, he shape shifts, camouflages himself, and generally stays well out of sight; but here he reveals his game: insinuating one lie amidst a dozen truths. Gullible souls, of the sort attracted to the Jehovah's Witnesses, don't see it; or if they do their soft brains are easily conformed by piling on additional lies.
Mat 5:22 "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
Mat 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Mat 18:9 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."
Mat 23:33 "You serpents! You generation of vipers! How can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Mar 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."
Mar 9:45 "And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."
Luk 16:23-24 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
Jam 3:6 "And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
2Pet 2:4 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment...."
Rev 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Rev 20:14-15 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire...."
There is a lot, lot more on the subject but I'm assuming the reader is not a Jehovah's Witness and and can therefore see the undeniable.
Citizenfitz
Most Jehovah's Witnesses are decent folk who are trapped in an oppressive cult like organization the Watchtower society.
ReplyDeleteThe Watchtower core dogma is Jesus 'invisible' return or second coming October 1914,this is a false doctrine.
Matthew 7:15-16 "Be on the watch for the false prophets,who come to you in sheep's clothing....."
God bless-Danny Haszard FMI dannyhaszard(dot)com
I am a Christian (grew up in an Australian baptist church, but now have some different beliefs), but do not believe in an external hell fire. I still believe there will be judgment at the great white throne, but it will be corrective and restorational. See for example:*[[Act 3:20-21]] SLT* 20.And he send Jesus Christ, before proclaimed to you, 21Whom heaven must truly receive till time of restoration of all which God spake by the mouth of all his holy prophets from forever.
ReplyDeleteSee also the simple online book http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/coldfusion/booklet.cfm?PID=8 - If God Could Save Everyone - Would He?
Or for a completely thorough look at it http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/BOOKS/creations/index.cfm - Creation's Jubilee.
Charles Taze Russell was never a member of the JW organization. No such organization existed in the days of Russell; Russell himself preached against the idea that any "outward organization" can legitimately claim to be "the true church".
ReplyDeleteCharles Taze Russell was NOT a prophet and never gave any prophecies. He plainly stated that he was not a prophet, and that his expectations should be viewed as prophecy.
Charles Taze Russell was never sued for allegedly conning anyone. Russell himself did not discover, name, or sell "Miracle Wheat". It was Russell, however, who sued the Brooklyn Eagle for misrepresenting Russell concerning Stoner's "Miracle Wheat". Russell lost the suit because he was not permitted to present evidence needed to show that the Eagle had commmitted libel. Russell conned no one.
Russell never gave any prophecies at all, thus he never gave any prophecies as to any date when Christ was to return. Nor is it at all true that he promoted many different dates for Christ's return and that when it did not work out, he claimed that his return was invisible. Russell, from 1876 to 1916, proclaimed that Christ had already returned in 1874; he died in 1916 still holding to belief that Christ had returned in 1874; from 1876 onward, he never changed that in all the remaining days of his life.
Around 1872 -- about two years BEFORE 1874-- Russell came to the conclusion that Jesus would not return in the flesh, because he had sacrificed his flesh once for all time for our sins. At that time he did not hold to any of the dates of the Adventists. It was not until 1876, two years *AFTER* 1874, that Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion that Christ had ALREADY returned in 1874; once Russell accepted -- in 1876 -- that Christ had ALREADY returned in 1874, he held to that date until he died, he never presented many different dates as to when Christ was to return.
I am not sure what "court" Russell was supposed to have testified in 1916 that he was an expert in Greek; I suspect that this was actually referring the Canadian Ross trial in 1913; nevertheless, although Ross misrepresented the court records in his book by taking them out sequence and changing some of the words, the court record shows that Russell plainly stated that he had not been trained in the Bible languages; he certainly never claimed to have been an "expert" in Greek.
I evidently am not being permitted to post a link, but these matters are discussed in greater detail on the “Focus on Charles Taze Russell” website.
As best as I can determine with the documents I have available, it was thought that it would not be favorable for the WTS itself to be involved in investments and buying and selling real estate, etc., thus the United States Investment Company was formed to handle all such matters temporarily on behalf of the Watch Tower Society. This "company" was formed as a joint-venture mostly with Russell providing captial, thus most of the investments held by the company was in Russell's name. Nevertheless, practically all the monies that Russell had was used for investments that was to be held for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Mrs. Russell knew this and had approved of this. Thus, for many years long before Russell's divorce, those monies had been flowing into the WTS to provide for the free distribution of literature; it was not something new that came about as a result of the divorce, except that it was along this same time of the divorce that the it was decided that all the monies and investments being held for the Society should be transferred to the Society. This was scheduled to happen, however, even if there had been no divorce.
ReplyDeleteIt is because most the JWs know nothing or little about Russell that they may become easy prey for those who misrepresent Russell, since a lot of those arguments, if one does not actually follow-up on, sound very convincing. Those who are familiar with Russell works, however, realize immediately that Russell is being misrepresented.
Most of these matters are discussed in greater detail at the “Focus on Charles Taze Russell” website.
Indeed, none of the scriptures presented say anything about any human being eternally tormented for eternity in hell, but that is more than I get into here. The very fact that Jesus is not now being consciously tormented for eternity shows that the wages of sin is not eternal torment. Christ suffered once to pay the wages for our sins (1 Peter 3:18); he is not suffering for eternity to pay the wages for our sins. See the site: “Life Now and Hereafter” hereafter reslight net
Quote: " Indeed, none of the scriptures presented say anything about any human being eternally tormented for eternity in hell, but that is more than I get into here. The very fact that Jesus is not now being consciously tormented for eternity shows that the wages of sin is not eternal torment. Christ suffered once to pay the wages for our sins (1 Peter 3:18); he is not suffering for eternity to pay the wages for our sins." End quote.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. *[[Rom 6:23]] ISV* For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.
We all know that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, by dying, and had risen and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Yet the "church" says the penalty is eternal torment in a fiery hell. I think the church has used that as a big stick to control the sheeple for too long. By the way many of the early church fathers believed in universal salvation or restoration what ever the terminology.
Russell spoke of himself as, "the mouthpiece of the Lord." Others called him, "the Prophet" - which he was. A false prophet.
ReplyDelete