How To Deal With Troubles And Lack Of Faith

This sort of thing happens to most of us a few times during the course of our lives. I have lost homes and jobs and felt like I was at my rope's end and all I could do was tie that rope's end into a noose and slip it over my head. But my faith kept me going. I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Then one day my faith was gone when I saw the Watchtower as it truly is. An unfeeling cult and an evil publishing corporation. I was devastated. All the years my folks had put into learning the so-called truth and raising me in the organization had been a complete and total waste of time and an utter loss to me.

I was ashamed of being so totally fooled and for having hurt members of my family who had been shunned by the organization because they simply questioned the teachings of this group of men. Besides that I didn't know where to go because I felt like there must be no God and I sank into an ever deepening depression.

Finally I decided to open up the Bible alone and not use any of the watchtower Society's Bible filtering literature and pray to God for the Holy Spirit to open my eyes so I could understand what HIS WORD was trying to do with me.

I abandoned the Watchtower's false Jesus who they claim is Archangel Michael and their false Gospel and I accepted the Jesus of the Bible into my heart and gave myself totally over to Him as His slave. My eyes have been opened and I am now saved by the Grace of God through the shed Blood of our Lord Jesus.

My ministry as a jw was always hit and miss and I never felt like I was ever doing enough due to the hounding of the elders. I also never felt like I could wholeheartedly teach anyone without holding back some of the truths about their truth that were never to be disclosed before the person was already in so deep that they had nowhere else to go.

Today after about 8 months as a Christian minister I am happy in my service to my Lord and my community. I help spread the Word of GOD and I also share anti-cult information and minister to Jehovah's Witnesses to expose the false teachings of the Watchtower Society so they might have their eyes opened by Christ Jesus and come to our Lord for sayings of everlasting life.

So, in a nutshell, when I feel like my faith is gone I reach way down and find a way to kneel and approach my loving Father in heaven and tell HIM that I NEED HIM. I NEED HIS help, His hand on my shoulder, and His Spirit to keep me strong and to be able to endure the ugly things and distractions of this old and dying world.

The Truth About 1975

When someone trumps the Bible with something men write they define their organization as a cult. When that organization makes false predictions for the end of times they become a false prophet. When an organization claims that God cleansed His house in 1918 and that house still reeks of hypocrisy,lies, and sexual abuses 91 years later, then that house was either not cleansed or was never God's house to begin with.

In the past their leadership has lied to the jw's. Sadly some things never
change. In 1975 they lied to them and now they are lying to them again at their district conventions this summer about the generation who saw 1914 and the 1975 Armageddon scare at their district conventions. Here is something the Watchtower Society does not want them to hear.

"...So you see, we don't have much left to this year nineteen hundred and seventy-five, It's gonna end at sundown on September the fifth, and that immediately after September the fifth why the Millennial Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ MUST begin in order to fulfill the final thousand years of God's great seventh creative day. And they're expecting the Great Tribulation to occur, and the destruction of Babylon the Great, and the annihilation of the political systems of this world, and then the binding of Satan and his demons, and their abyssing to occur before this year is ended, this year nineteen hundred and seventy-five. And immediately thereafter the thousand - year Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ to begin."

Don't believe me? That's ok, because I located an audio recording of these words taken from the public discourse February 10th, 1975 at a convention in Los Angeles, CA. Listen to it and decide for yourself....





Thanks and credit go to JW Media Films for this video!
http://www.youtube.com/user/JWMediaFilms

Jehovah's Witnesses Misquote Their Cited Sources

The latest example I have uncovered has to do with misquoting the historian Tacitus regarding the Crucifixion of Christians.

"The historian Tacitus reports: “They [Christians] died by methods of mockery; some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and then torn by dogs, some were [impaled]* " (Revelation Its Grand Climax at Hand Page 101).

* footnote
"Compare New World Translation Reference Bible, page 1577, appendix 5C, “Torture Stake.” "------

Here is what Tacitus actually wrote:
They died by methods of mockery; some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and then torn by dogs, some were CRUCIFIED, [Emphasis Mine] (Tacitus, Annals xv.44).

Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Misquote From Cited Sources? Could it be in hopes that people won't actually look up the citation and just accept their false word on the matter and be more easily converted into a cult member?

More Watchtower Double Standards And Hypocrisy

Page 29 of the July 2009 Awake! Magazine has an article dealing with freedom to choose your own religion and asks if it’s wrong to change your religion. It even makes this strong statement:
"No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family" This new article exposes a glaring double standard. They print up this sort of thing to make themselves seem like they are decent just like Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. The problem is that they do not allow their own members such freedoms.

They demand strict loyalty and anyone who chooses another path is excommunicated and shunned even by close family. They do not allow for anyone to leave the group in good standing. If you leave you are demonized as an apostate or immoral or some other unsavory label is attached to you.

"But the disfellowshipped relative should be made to appreciate that his status has changed, that he is no longer welcome in the home nor is he a preferred companion." (Watchtower 6/1/1970 Questions from the readers section on page 352)

Now you jw's are gonna say this is an old article. But it's on your 2008 CD ROM and if it served one of your purposes it would not be an old article.....---

"After hearing a talk at a circuit assembly, a brother and his fleshly sister realized that they needed to make adjustments in the way they treated their mother, who lived elsewhere and who had been disfellowshipped for six years. Immediately after the assembly, the man called his mother, and after assuring her of their love, he explained that they could no longer talk to her unless there were important family matters requiring contact. Shortly thereafter, his mother began attending meetings and was eventually reinstated. Also, her unbelieving husband began studying and in time was baptized." (Our Kingdom Ministry August 2002 Page 3)---

Notice how the mother was PRESSURED by the loss of her children to return? This is a form of abuse and is very evident in most cults.

As usual, the Watchtower Society printing sweetness and smiles while enforcing harsh rules and mind control techniques. How hypocritical! Do not be misled by the syrupy droolings coming of the Society's lips. They are like the Pharisees of Jesus Day. Whitewashed graves full of vile things and dead men's bones.....

NO! I Have To Touch It! (My memorial rant)

I think I posted on here that I went to the memorial last week. My wife's dad has been a jw for over 50 years and has never missed a memorial before. He has been getting sicker and sicker and his wife the star pioneer still does nothing for him. So, he asks me to take him to the memorial. I love him like my own dad and will do anything within reason for him, so I agreed. Well, my wife was too sick to go again this year and I told my son he didn't have to go.

My father in law needs a cane to walk and is in such pain that he can hardly even move. All of his cervical bones are fused together with only the atlas left as a free moving structure. He also has terrible bone spurs in his neck and cluster headaches to boot. So we go inside the rented hall and sit in the back. My FIL is so sick he can barely lift his hand to shake hands with folks. As the talk progresses he is doubled over in pain and trying to keep quiet instead of moaning as he typically does at home. It breaks my heart to see this once strong and good man reduced to this.

So they pass the bread and he takes it from his wife and passes it to me. His arm was shaking but he managed ok. Then he got a bad wave of pain and he almost fell out of the chair. I asked him if he needed anything or if he wanted to go and he said that he had to stay because Jehovah wants him to be there. I thought to myself that a God of mercy wouldn't mind him being more comfortable in his bed and just being there in spirit...He was gonna stay...period.

So, here comes the wine. He is still doubled over and his wife tries to pass it to him and he can't move. So she asks him if he wants to try and pass it. He can't answer her so she tries to pass it to me. He said in a pained and rather loud voice, "NO! Tengo que tocarlo!" In English that is, "NO! I have to touch it!" So he struggled until he got hold of it and passed the wine-glass to me. After he went through all that the glass just went on and on and on. No one really making an effort or even seeming to want to drink any of the wine. And it hit me. These people are truly controlled by the Watchtower. They fear missing a memorial of a covenant they are not even part of. They fear not getting to touch a plate or a glass. If this isn't idolatry I don't know what else is.

When I got home I almost cried because of how much pain my FIL is in and how much he exerted himself to touch a glass of wine. It was as if his very life emanated from touching that damned glass. And I remembered a scene in an old classic horror film where The Mummy was trying to get this elixir to keep on living. Well one of the protagonists of the film either dropped the vile or threw it on the ground shattering the container and letting the elixir drip into the cracks of the floor. There goes the Mummy, on his belly sucking the floor trying to get any drop of it. He didn't get any and he died. That is what my FIL reminded me of, a person desperate for a life giving elixir, or perhaps a man gasping for air. I have been wanting to talk to him about this because he is very proud of himself for having made it to yet another one of these ridiculous events. I happened to be recording the event for my wife's benefit as well as for my blog, and I captured his face and voice as he said how he had to touch it. When I played the video for my wife she cried. She saw her dad suffering and then felt like she is going to be punished by Jehovah for missing it when her dad went as sick as he was.

I am really at my wits end with this cult. I am sick of seeing how it chews up people, destroys their lives and then just craps them out. I am sorry. I just had to vent and share what's going on inside me.....

Armageddon Clean Up

The Watchtower used to teach that the animals would feast on the cadavers and the survivors would only bury bones. Then they say that the animals won't be able to do what the Bible says they will do. Apparently they have no idea what is going to happen.

Here is what their publications say:

"With such a glorious feast of victory concluded, only the bones, bones from one end of the earth to the other, will be left for burial. What a task that will be for the survivors, to cleanse the earth of every remaining evidence of Gog’s forces! Even with the work well organized it will take seven months, Jehovah says, just to bury the bones. Scouting corps will be sent out on a full-time basis to search the land thoroughly and, when bones are found, markers will be set up for those with the spades and shovels who follow." (Watchtower 8/1/1956 page 465 paragraph 17)---

"Soon the war of Armageddon will finish off the wicked old world. The surviving New World society will remove the debris of war and bury the bones of the wicked." (Watchtower 2/15/1957 page 112)---

"The air will not be polluted by the smell nor the water contaminated by these dead corpses. Those who survive, being unable to bury such great numbers, will not be in danger of decimation by disease epidemic. Jesus, when on earth, told his disciples: “Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” "
(Watchtower 7/1/1967 page 408)

Then, more recently they have taught with speculation and guesses that despite what the Bible says, the animals will not be up to the task of eating the dead bodies. So Jehovah may have to use antimatter to dissolve the bodies.

Antimatter
Who are they to dispute the Bible's description?

Also listen to the talk by Watchtower Representative Ciro Aulicino - You Will Be With Me in Paradise

Audio Link


This guy is a real kook that makes some far-fetched claims! (A snake may have a pretty face?) LOL

Why Do The JW'S Give The Governing Body So Much Authority?

"In every organization, there must be some who exercise authority or provide direction. Jehovah’s Witnesses are no exception, and they observe the authority structure outlined by the apostle Paul: “The head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3) In harmony with this, only qualified men serve as elders in the congregations. And although Jesus—“the head of every man”—is in heaven, there are still on earth “the remaining ones” of his anointed brothers, who have the hope of ruling with him in the heavens. (Revelation 12:17; 20:6) These make up the composite “faithful and discreet slave.” Christians show their submission to Jesus, and therefore to Jesus’ head, Jehovah, by accepting the oversight of that “slave.” " (Watchtower 9/1/1998 page 15 paragraph 7)[Emphasis mine]

Did you catch how they twisted the scripture at 1 Corinthians 11:3? Instead of leaving "the head of the man is Christ", they added in how, Christ's brothers are still here and are supposed to exercise Christ-like authority. It's disgusting to me how these brothers of Christ are not to rule until they get to heaven, but they are usurping Christ's headship over every man by assuming His role while they are still sinful humans.

By adding to the scriptures they manipulate their followers and condemn themselves to everlasting cutting off. While waiting until God's judgment is ideal, it does nothing to help those who are being misled in the here and now. We need to pray for these people and help them to search their Bibles for truth before it's too late.

Only 144,000 In The New Covenant?

You may or not be aware that the Watchtower teaches that Jesus is not the Mediator between God and men. They teach that Jesus Mediates between God and their remnant of the 144,000 anointed Christians. They have gone to great lengths to spread this doctrine and make sure that millions understand that they have no hope for eternity in heaven. But is this Biblical?

How can they teach this when Galatians 4:22-31 makes a strong case for Millions of people being in the New Covenant? Let's read what their own New World translation says.

Galatians 4:22-31
22 For example, it is written that Abraham acquired two sons, one by the servant girl and one by the free woman; 23 but the one by the servant girl was actually born in the manner of flesh, the other by the free woman through a promise. 24 These things stand as a symbolic drama; for these [women] mean two covenants, the one from Mount Si′nai, which brings forth children for slavery, and which is Ha′gar. 25 Now this Ha′gar means Si′nai, a mountain in Arabia, and she corresponds with the Jerusalem today, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written: “Be glad, you barren woman who does not give birth; break out and cry aloud, you woman who does not have childbirth pains; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than [those] of her who has the husband.” 28 Now we, brothers, are children belonging to the promise the same as Isaac was. 29 But just as then the one born in the manner of flesh began persecuting the one born in the manner of spirit, so also now. 30 Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the servant girl and her son, for by no means shall the son of the servant girl be an heir with the son of the free woman.” 31 Wherefore, brothers, we are children, not of a servant girl, but of the free woman.

One Flock One Shepherd

The Watchtower Society teaches a two class Christianity because they misinterpret the Bible. They confuse the Little Flock of Jesus' disciples (Luke 12:32) with the 144,000 of Revelation chapters 7 and 14, while applying the term other sheep (John 10:16) Jesus referred to as the Great Crowd of Revelation.

If read in context from Luke 12:22-32 it becomes plain that Jesus was speaking of the little flock made up of his disciples. If we consider what John wrote about the other sheep, since Jesus came primarily to the Jews, the other sheep clearly applies to the Gentiles. It's also interesting that Jesus said there would be ONE flock one Shepherd, not two flocks or two classes of Christians like the Watchtower claims, but instead ONE Faith, ONE Hope, and ONE group of people following the ONE Shepherd.

The Book of Acts in Chapters 10 and 11 we see how Peter was to bring in the other sheep, the Gentiles into the flock. By allowing salvation to extend beyond Israel's borders, Jesus brought together sheep from two folds into one flock.

Basically the Watchtower reads WAAAAY too much into the Scriptures in order to manipulate the minds of people and to lead Jesus sheep away from His care and into the mouths of the wolves who run the Watchtower Society.

Racism In The Watchtower

Racism in the Jehovah Witness Watchtower
The Jehovah Witness Watchtower organization has a long history of denigrating the ethnicities of its members. Just as the slave master kept slaves in enforced ignorance, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society keeps its members in ignorance.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/79332/racism_in_the_jehovah_witness_watchtower.html

Are The JW's Modern Day Alexandrian Cultists?

I was doing some research on Bible manuscripts this evening and I found something very interesting. When the Bible was first being translated into English that scrolls and books were gathered together from all over the world and with only some spelling differences in some names of people and cities like Peter / Pedro, they were all the same. They were exact copies of one another.

The one exception was the Alexandrian Bible. It was written by some folks called the Alexandrians. The scholar mentioned that they were sort of like Jehovah's Witnesses because they called themselves Christians but they believed a lot of strange things. Apparently they didn't like some verses in the good copy of the Bible they had so they took them out and added in others to fit their beliefs and created a new version of the Bible.

This altered version it is claimed to be the basis for the Catholic Douay Bible, Westcott & Hort's Translation and the New World Translation which is used by the jw's.

I am going to be doing more research on this, because I feel it deserves my time. If I find anything out I will be sure to share it here with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0emSheXRY

Will I Make It Through Armageddon?

I think I can say that yes I will. Now that Jesus has brought me close to Him.

It is certainly a relief after being in the Jehovah's Witnesses all my life. Always worrying if I put in enough hours in field service to get myself through the door at Armageddon. Or wondering if missing the first song at the circuit assembly might be enough to have Jehovah throw me into everlasting cutting off. Or watching an R rated movie and enjoying it, then bumping into a brother from the hall in the bathroom and fretting over whether or not he saw me enter or leave the R rated movie....Would he tell on me? Should I go to the elders right away and beat him to the punch and CONFESS my sin of watching a movie? Or should I chance it that he didn't see me or have him tell them whatever he wants, get dragged into a judicial committee, not cry and whimper over seeing a movie and getting disfellowshipped for having the wrong "attitude". What if Armageddon comes while I'm disfellowshipped? Will my underaged kids perish with me because I was still disfellowshipped when I was killed at Armageddon?

Yea, having faith in Jesus, whose load is light is better than having faith in the Watchtower who burdens people with so much that they can't even think straight.

What If Jehovah's Witnesses Are Wrong?

If they are wrong they will all be lost. If I am wrong I am lost. What makes this so sad is that many of them will never have the chance to find out before it's too late if they could have it all wrong. They are not allowed to delve into the past of their organization. They are not allowed to share any unfavorable facts about the organization that they discover without facing severe repercussions. They are not even allowed to do any Bible reading or any research without the "Aids" provided with the Watchtower.

In fact, discussing Bible topics here in this or any other online forum is "Not Authorized" by their governing body (September 2007 Our Kingdom Ministry Question Box). When they make a statement like that, it is the same as making a law against discussing the Bible online. No one is allowed to question or go against any teaching of the governing body because in a jw's mind, the teaching is coming from Almighty Jehovah God.

They are in essence told that no research is necessary on their part because there are brothers at Bethel (HQ) that are assigned to do it for them (Watchtower 6/1/1967 page 338 paragraph 12). RED FLAG! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! This is a dangerous thing, the idea of simply allowing the thoughts and ideas of others to be fed into your mind without the benefit of comparing the information against another source. These are strong indicators that a high control group or even a cult is at work, controlling the information its members/worshipers receive in order to better control their thoughts and actions.

The Watchtower Society is fond of referring to itself as the earthly Mother of God's children. They consider the organization to be the earthly representation of the Woman of Revelation 12:13-14. They also claim to be the faithful and discreet slave who is to feed Jehovah's people their spiritual food at its proper time.

As Christian people, each of us will render an account to the Lord before His throne on Judgment Day. He will demand to know what we were thinking when we did this or that or when we didn't do something. What are the jw's going to say? That they did all the research they could and to the best of their knowledge they were serving Christ Jesus? Or will they in one united voice respond as Adam did to Jehovah when it was found out that he had eaten of the forbidden fruit? “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me [fruit] from the tree and so I ate. (Genesis 3:12). That answer didn't fly then and it won't fly on Judgment Day either.

When I was attending the meetings as an active jw, one of my favorites of all the Kingdom Melodies was number 191, Make The Truth Your Own. It finally dawned on this fat old cowboy that in order to make the truth my own I had to really delve deeply into God's Word and do a lot of praying and research and compare what I was being fed by the Watchtower to what the Bible teaches. I found that the Watchtower diet was not spiritually nourishing at all. I found out they are wrong and made sure that I am right, so when I face Jesus on Judgment day I can answer with full confidence that my efforts were strong in digging for His truth. I left the Watchtower cult, and I recommend that any jw's that have doubts or questions should dig for the truth and make it their own.

The Kingdom Is Here?

How can the jw's insist that God's Kingdom is a literal government, that it has arrived, and can be pointed to as they say, 'Look here, it's physically represented by the Watchtower Organization!' (Watchtower 3/15/1995 page 30), especially in light of what Jesus said about the Kingdom?

"Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." " (Luke 17:20-21).

The 3/15/1995 Watctower page 30 says, "Evidently, the psalmist raised his eyes to the mountains of Jerusalem where Jehovah’s temple and the earthly seat of the theocratic government were situated. From this we can rightly conclude that help needed to praise God and declare the Kingdom message comes only from Jehovah and his organization.—Psalm 3:4; Daniel 6:10.Today, those who desire to praise Jehovah can expect loving assistance from his earthly organization."---

I researched the Kingdom Interlinear Translation and the Greek text says this, "neither will they say Look! here or There; look! for kingdom of the God inside of YOU . is."

A scan I have of Luke 17:20-21 in the KIT: http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/Watchtower_Facts/Luke_17_21_kit.jpg

So, how do they reconcile that they are pointing to God's Kingdom being here and represented by their Watchtower Society when Jesus said plainly that the Kingdom is inside us (and is borne out by the Greek text), and not something that you can point at and say, Look here it is...?

A Problem With The WT's Kingdom Interlinear Translation

In the 1969 KIT the society used a book by Bible scholar Justus Lipsius as source material for their upright stake "Stauros" doctrine of the death of Christ. They used an image of a man hung on an upright stake with no crossbeam attached to it. Then they placed a caption under it saying that the illustration came from Lipsius. This implies that Lipsius actually backed their teaching. The thing is that Lipsius had included in his book many, many illustrations of various methods and implements of crucifixion. They didn't show all of them, just that one. Also, if you read his writings, Lipsius taught that Jesus was actually crucified on a cross. So, they were using dishonest means to get people to believe that Justus Lipsius supported an anti-cross teaching.

Well, Christian groups fell on the society like a thousand of brick. They called them on their lie and so the society had to change things. But how do they make a change to keep from being sued while still maintaining a false teaching? Easy, they make an updated KIT in 1985 and remove ALL references to Lipsius' work. All they really use is that same image of a man impaled on an upright stake with no reference to its source. They also never made the information about their shenanigans available to the rank and file jw's. They never counted on people actually ignoring their command to not delve into their past I guess.

So, here I have to share with you all is some scans I have from BOTH KITs and several of Lipsius' illustrations. They are graphic so if you are squeamish I advise against looking at them.
Enjoy!

Lorenzo

http://s429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/Watchtower_Facts/Justus%20Lipsius/

What Is An Apostate To A JW?

Here is their official description:

Apostasy.

Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defection,rebellion, abandonment; it involves teaching falsedoctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and itsholidays or interfaith activities.

Apostasy includes action taken against true worship ofJehovah or his established order among his dedicatedpeople.

Persons who deliberately spread (stubbornly hold to andspeak about) teachings contrary to Bible truth as taughtby Jehovah's Witnesses are apostates.

If it is learned that a person has taken up association withanother religious organization, the matter should be investigated, and if verified, a committee should be formed.If it is clearly established that the person has joined another religion and intends to remain with it, the 94 "Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock" elders would make a brief announcement to the congregation that such- one has disassociated himself. (w86 10/15 p. 31 )

Working secularly for a false religious organization couldput one in a position similar to that of one preaching falsedoctrine.

Celebrating a false religious holiday would be similar toperforming any other act of false worship. (Jer. 7:16-19)

The Bible condemns the following:
Causing divisions and promoting sects. This would be deliberate action disrupting the unity of the congregation or undermining the confidence of the brothers in Jehovah's arrangement. It may involve or lead to apostasy.

The practice of spiritism.

Idolatry.

Idolatry includes the possession and use of images and pictures that are employed in false religion (Pay Attention to Yourselves and All The Flock). ---

The dictionary defines an apostate as one who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause. To abandon ones faith in God is what I believe is the most common rendition of what the word means. Jehovah's Witnesses call an apostate anyone who disgrees with, questions, or speaks against their almighty governing body. I think a key statement they make is this one, "Persons who deliberately spread (stubbornly hold to and speak about) teachings contrary to Bible truth as taught by Jehovah's Witnesses are apostates."---

In their view a Bible truth is only a truth as they teach it. They keep on changing what they believe and teach so there is nothing you can pin them down with since their truth changes, unlike Jehovah, The Rock who never changes.

For instance, I never lost my faith in God YAHWEH, I AM, YHWH, JEHOVAH. I simply found out the truth about the lies that make up the Watchtower organization and left. Now I am an apostate to them.

Romans 10:9 Proves That Jesus IS Jehovah

In the jw's Kingdom Interlinear translation of the Greek Scriptures they went to great effort to show that the Tetragrammaton was SUPPOSED to be in the Greek texts. So, every time the Name Jehovah appears they show a footnote directing the reader to see how Ky'ri*os applies always to JEHOVAH in one or more of their J Documents.

While it is never acceptable to add or delete words from God's Word, it would be more understandable if they were at least consistent with this misuse of the Divine Name. However they don't. There is a double standard at work here.

If the jw's would check out Romans 10:9 in their Kingdom Interlinear Bible they will see how there is a footnote on LORD. The text reads, "For if you publicly declare that ‘word in your own mouth,’ that Jesus is Lord*,..." This shows how they use Ky'ri*os in Greek and Ha' a*dhohn in Hebrew to show how the Tetragrammaton should go there. But at the end of the footnote they just add in, "Not Jehovah" WHAT!! They use this formula to insert YHWH into the Greek text where it does not go, but when it shows us that Jesus IS Jehovah they say the formula should not be used?

How is anything they say supposed to mean anything?

Let's see how long it will be before the Watchtower Society yanks those Interlinears off the shelves!

Scans from the NWT Bible and the Kingdom Interlinear.
Ha Adon in the 1961 NWT pg 1453http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/Watchtower_Facts/haadon.jpg
Roman 10:9 in the KIThttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/Watchtower_Facts/romans109.jpg

Who Is In The New Covenant?

The Bible plainly states that the New Covenant applies to all men.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all" (Timothy 2:5,6)---

Not surprisingly the Watchtower Society has an opposite view from the Scriptures.Regarding those who are not of their 144,000 anointed "Class" of people they say: "Christ does not act as Mediator of the new covenant toward them..." (Watchtower of 2/15/1991 p.18).---
Their second president, Judge rutherford speaking for the Watchtower taught that only 144,000 people make up the New Covenant, and that Jesus is mediator for them and them alone. Of the billions and billions of people that have ever lived, the New Covenant is only open to that special class of 144,000 people, of which 50,000 lived in the first half on the 1900's.

By saying that the jw's can only have a relationship with their Savior if they are united with the Slave Class, Rutherford usurped tremendous power from Jesus onto himseelf and the following leaders of the Watchtower Organization, effectively creating the structure necessary for and indicative of a cult. If Jesus is the Intermediary between God and the 144,000, then the Watchtower Society is set up as the intermediary between Christ and Men (Watchtower 11/15/1981 Page 21 Paragraph 18).

Biblically speaking however, there is no intermediary between humanity and Christ; Jesus is both our Mediator and High Priest. "But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:3). So if they believe that the New Covenant is not applicable to all, then they are following a false teaching that betrays the truth of God's Word the Bible.

JW's Discussing Sex In Front Of Children. Is This Right?

Wow, I would have to say no. I feel that anything to do with sex should be left up to the parents to explain. I would imagine that if taken before a sympathetic school counselor that quite a bit of trouble could be made for the elders of any congregation who took it upon themselves to read what could be considered abusive language to a child or where a child could hear it.

I am referring to the Watchtower Article that was studied on February 15, 2009, paragraph 10 in particular. Here is an excerpt:

"We also need to be obedient when dealing with members of the opposite sex. We know that God's Word forbids fornication. However, it is easy to let an obedient spirit lapse into a permissive one. For instance, some youths have engaged in oral or anal sex or mutual masturbation, rationalizing that these acts are not so bad because they think they are technically not "having sex." Such youths forget-or may choose to ignore-that the Bible word for fornication includes all those practices, wrong conduct for which one might be disfellowshipped."

As far as the excerpt, I find fault with some of the material it covers. I feel the wbts has gone beyond what is written when discussing mutual masturbation . Nowhere in the Bible is masturbation condemned, mutual or otherwise. In fact applying it to fit the porneia definition is just plain silly. Porneia / fornication have a varying range of applications, but I could find no concordance outside of the wbts that mentions masturbation as linked with porneia. The society is dictating its own rules and laws here and has clearly gone beyond what is in the Bible with that application at least.

If I was still attending their meetings and had a young child I would consider running this by child services to see if they broke any decency laws by presenting this information in front of the kids.

References:

American Heritage Dictionary defines Fornication as Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other.

Strong's G4202 - porneia:

1) Illicit sexual intercourse
a) Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
b) Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
c) Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11, 12
2) metaph. the worship of idols
a) Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

The New Testament Greek Lexicon Definition:

• Illicit sexual intercourse
• Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
• Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
• Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,
• Metaph. the worship of idols
• Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

Is God Using The Watchtower Society?

One of the most highly promulgated of the Watchtower Society's teachings is that in order to be acceptable to God Jehovah you MUST be baptized into His organization.

Here are some quotes from their literature:

"PUT FAITH in a VICTORIOUS ORGANIZATION" - The Watchtower, March 1, 1979 p. 1


"Any person who wants to survive into God's righteous new order urgently needs to come into a right relationship with Jehovah and His earthly organization now." - The Watchtower, November 15, 1981 pp. 16, 17

"... come to Jehovah's organization for salvation ..." - The Watchtower, November 15, 1981 p. 21

"A third requirement is that we be associated with God's channel, his organization. God has always used an organization. ... To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." - The Watchtower, February 15, 1983 p. 12

"identifying themselves with Jehovah's organization is essential to their salvation." - Our kingdom Ministry, November. 1990 p. 1

They claim that Jehovah has ALWAYS used an organization and that they are the modern day incarnation of that organization. But is this claim true? Is the WBTS really God's Organization?

In short there is no evidence of any kind. Especially lacking is any Biblical evidence that the Watchtower is any sort of organization being used by God. The time-line of the Watchtower Society goes back to the mid 19th century and no further back.

While they claim apostolic succession dating back to the First Century, there are no names to be found of anyone who passed the proverbial torch to C.T. Russell, the WBTS founder and first president. In fact, if God Jehovah were actually using an age-old organization to direct His works here on Earth, C.T. Russell either abandoned it or completely disregarded it in favor of starting his own organization.