www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Tablet article on JW problems

This week's _Tablet_ (a major Catholic newspaper in England) has a very
interesting article on scandal to hit the Jehovah's Witnesses re: their
leadership's secret affiliation with the United Nations (which is contrary to
their professed non-political stance and their understanding of the UN as one
of the demonic beasts of the Apocalypse.) Since some of the strongest growth
of the JWs these days is in Eastern Europe affecting both Orthodox and
Catholics there I thought some might find the link to the _Tablet_ article of
interest:

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/archive_db.cgi?tablet-00577

Many JW watchers feel this is the greatest scandal to hit the Watchtower
leadership. As far as I know, there has not been any press coverage in the
USA on this matter yet.

Dave Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com
_______________________________________________

Dear Dave,

Yes, and one other problem they've gotten themselves into is their compromise on blood transfusions in Bulgaria.

One of the best "refuters" of the Jehovah's Witnesses is a convert to Orthodoxy who produces excellent pamphlets on this "non-prophet" organization.

Alex

Dave,

Quite interesting article on the Jehovah's Witnesses. Thank you very much for posting it.

I'm glad the "Byzantine Forum" is up and running again. I missed it while the server was down.

A good presentation on Jehovah's Witnesses from a Catholic perspective is at:

http://www.webshowplace.com/question/home.htm

There are a lot of questions for JWs and a section entitled "Especially for Catholics."

Dave Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

Dave,

Thank you very much for the link on the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is very informative!

Just came across this book. It looks like it would be a good resource for evngelizing Jehovah Witnesses. http://churchbulletin.catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=1752

Rose

I have some personal stories in regard to the JW's that I don't actually feel like going over now, it's too painful and depressing.

But I like to say that while most church or religious groups have publishing arms attached to them the Jehovah Witnesses are like a printing/publishing company that owns a church.

If one keeps that perspective it becomes easier to understand some of their corporate behavior.

I still have a small collection of their books, I just picked up one last week from a library sale for 25 cents. The librarian gave me some strange looks (too bad, she was kind of cute!).

Maybe some day I'll build a bonfire.

In Christ Jesus Our Lord
Michael, that sinner

Another thing about the Watchtower is that they are extrememly inconsistant about their approach to government.

The teachings are very clear that the "members" are not to hold public office, vote, pledge their allegiance or salute a national flag. They are also to refrain from holding a job in the public sector or in the military. They are not pacifists.

The reasoning for this is quite clear. Satan is god of the earth. All governments are in power as part of Satan's institutional framework. The governments sustain Satan's rule and Satan sustains the governments. JW's are to completely disassociate themselves from the public sector and new members that may be working as police, fire department etc. are expected to quit their jobs. They are not to acknowledge the legitimacy of any government standing before Christ's return, when the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is to be Christ's government.

However the Watchtower organization routinely resorts to the courts when it is in their best interest. They also take active particiption in child custody cases when member families are split up and one parent is not a JW or is leaving. The UN affiliation of the Watchtower is not "new" news, but wasn't generally known. In recent years they have taken to imitating the Christian church in some external, symbolic ways, like renaming some of their organizational units as orders.

Sadly, the actual members of the watchtower are least likely to know the comings and goings of the company. While they will place their publications in the local public library their own members are not to make general use of the public library in peril of their own souls! If these news items seem like a revelation to most of us, your neighbors in the watchtower will remain oblivious to most of it, until some obtuse reference is made in the official publications, properly spun out.

Michael

Why do you think the Witnesses were associated with the UN to begin with? What was thei motive, and what did they have to gain from it?

Also, how long ago did they revoke their membership?

Hi Pax!

I wish I could answer that question, but I cannot.

My guess would be that it opened doors for some of their international work. Many countries do not welcome missionaries and it helps to have political allies to help manipulate a situation. I remember that France sued the watchtower about the time I was in the throes of a dispute over someone I love dearly and they were ordered to pay a whole pile of money. If I remember correctly the watchtower's money pump wasn't protected like it would be under our (USA) separation of church and state concept and they owed taxes and fines or something like that. The United States government complained on behalf of the Watchtower!

The work with the UN per se is not necessarily a bad thing. It's their duplicity that really gets me.

I finally found a link I used to use (I thought I had deleted it from my bookmarks) from an organization that was a lot of help to me then. It is basically a small group of former JW's (basically a guy named Watters and some others) and their focus is evangelical, not Catholic. But they are a world of help to many people. I don't know if there are any Catholic sites like it of former JW's but I hope that there are or will be.

http://www.freeminds.org/

If you fish around the site you will link up to many good articles and other websites.

God Almighty Bless you!
Michael, that sinner

Michael,

Thanks for sharing your story. I spent my teenage years among the JWs...sounds like a grade B movie ("I was a Teenage Jehovah's Witness") It is nothing short of a miracle (and it really was one since I attribute it to the Holy Spirit) that my wife and I who were married in that faith are now united in Christ in the Catholic Church. (I was a former Bethelite and my wife a full-time pioneer.) People who have never been involved with groups like the JWs don't understand the psychological trauma of leaving such a group. I have a page on my website that has some helpful links with some articles on JWs (in the section entitled "Various Links"):

http://www.catholic-forum.com/members/popestleo/index.html

In Christ,

David Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

These are some good articles. I have encountered the JW on a number of instances. Good theoligical questions are always the best way to keep them at bay. Their cult just does not stand up to the Truth of Jesus Christ.

Dear Friends,

It is best not to accept any literature from them as they will immediately peg you for a return visit etc.

They are having a major conference in Kyiv this year, I believe . . .

I had to leave my school where I taught religion classes over an issue involving a teacher from Ukraine whose sister was being beset by Jehovah's Witnesses and who had asked me to speak with her.

The principal heard of this and went after me, saying that I could not "proselytize" on school grounds.

I didn't understand her anger. I later found out she had a sister-in-law who belonged to this group.

Although I could not be certain as to the outcome of a possible meeting with the teacher's sister, I backed off and didn't see her because of the pressure being exerted on me by the principal.

Afterwards, I realized what I consider to be my sin.

A person had come to me asking for whatever assistance I could give.

I refused because of my fear of losing my position.

I then resigned voluntarily and haven't been back since.

I still feel terrible about the whole matter.

Alex

Dear David,

A Bethelite? Incredible!
You must feel like Jonah, out from the belly of the big fish!

And your wife a pioneer? Patrick Madrid should write you two up!

I am so happy to hear of your journey to truth. I know what a difficult transition it must have been for you and your wife. I am in awe.

You truly are witnesses to hope.

God bless you and yours!

Michael, that sinner