Hot on the heels of its promotional video about the Philippines typhoon, JW.org has released a short film aimed at promoting the preaching work among young people.
The film is the latest in the “What Your Peers Say” series. Ironically, Watchtower has written numerous articles dissuading young ones from succumbing to so-called “peer pressure,” but peer pressure is evidently not such a bad thing if Watchtower gets to choose which peers you should listen to.
We start with a sister named Cameron setting off in a kayak with her friend. The impression is given that Witness youths are free to lavish their time on recreational pursuits.
“When we’re growing up, we all have to make decisions. We all have to choose which path we will take,” says Cameron. No hint is given that the penalties for going back on the ‘choice’ of becoming a Witness include estrangement from loved ones and stigmatization as being “mentally diseased.”
“Our ministry, teaching others about the bible, has always been an important part of my life,” reflects Cameron after telling us that she was raised a Witness.
If the sole purpose of the ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses was “teaching others about the bible,” likely this website would not exist – or we would at least have very little worth writing about.
The more ugly reality, ignored in Cameron’s monologue, is that you can be a believer in the bible, Jesus AND Jehovah – but still be deemed worthy of a gruesome death if you fail to bend your knee to the self-proclaimed authority of seven men in New York.
Cameron’s video goes on to reveal how she was inspired by her local friends as well as accounts in the Yearbook to plan a preaching trip to Malawi. She relates experiences that she enjoyed, such as “sharing a seat with poor people” on the bus, and preaching in a home where she was invited to give a presentation in front of the household.
The video concludes by showing Cameron again enjoying recreational activities back home in America – hiking with friends, joining a picnic, and playing with a ball.
The viewer is left with the impression that the Witness faith is entirely benign, that Witnesses teach people about the bible in poor countries, and that they have the “best life ever” – including fun recreational activities.
Apart from the video’s strong coercive aspect, the timing of its release is also intriguing. Why?
JW.org has recently released the program for the upcoming regional conventions (formerly known as district conventions). When you turn to Friday afternoon, you notice a symposium entitled “What Must Be Kept in Second Place?”
As you can see, “recreation,” which was used as a major selling point in Cameron’s video, is top of the list of things that Witnesses are to keep in “second place.”
Eating and drinking, concerns about health, and even family ties are similarly to be knocked down the pecking order by Witnesses wherever seeking first the kingdom is concerned.
Getting away with it
The devaluing of family ties that Witnesses can look forward to at this year’s convention follows the pattern set last year, when convention audiences were reminded to shun disfellowshipped loved ones as an act of loyalty.
Regrettably, JW.org’s slick charm offensive will always whitewash over niggling doctrinal details such as the above, leaving countless young Witnesses enthralled by the glossy spin and PR.
Back in the late nineties I was one of the many Witness teenagers hoodwinked into believing that higher education should be spurned, and that by surrendering your youth to serving Watchtower you will attain the “best life ever.”
I now find it amazing that Watchtower can misrepresent its own teachings with such impunity. And it seems to have the media precisely where it wants them, at least for now.
Every year we see newspapers and TV stations emphasizing the financial gains to local communities from hosting Witness conventions, whilst turning a blind eye to the more sinister connotations of what is actually taught at these events. I believe 2014 will be no different, despite Watchtower brazenly putting its cards on the table in the above program.
That’s why it is so crucial that we expose such blatant hypocrisy and propaganda at every opportunity, especially with the future happiness and prosperity of so many young ones at stake.
With the media seemingly in Watchtower’s pocket right now, you can be sure that if we don’t speak out, nobody else will.
Related video…
AAWA, the Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses, is focused this year on alerting the media in every Convention town and city, about the malign effects of the JW cult. Hitherto the local press has been happy to publish, without scrutiny, the press released drivel created by the Watchtower HQ; all the stuff about well behaved, neatly dressed and smiling religious enthusiasts boosting the local hotel trade.
A great article, Cedars!
Another nauseating spin-filled video from the WTBTS, bearing no relation to the reality faced by young people in their religion.
I have been pondering the lack of scrutiny by the media of this damaging cult.
Sadly, modern 24 hour HD news is obsessed with it’s fortnightly news cycle, and little else.
Maybe it’s time for all of us to contact our local and national newspapers and petition them with a unified message.
Pick one issue, and really apply pressure to all media outlets. I am sure that any editor worth their salt would be interested in such an organised and sustained approach. How about grouping together with other faiths that have shunning as a tool? There was an interesting interview on Newsnight (a news programme on the BBC in the UK) about Muslims suffering shunning as JWs do.
I think it is time for us to lobby governments strongly on targeted issues. I would suggest that all governments be asked to make the reporting of child abuse accusations to the police mandatory. That way, when the WTBTS try their dirty little tricks of covering it up, they can be prosecuted.
The fact that the WTBTS feels compelled to create these repulsive videos shows that they are concerned about the progress of protest against their religion.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Best life, indeed! :(
I pray that my niece and nephew do not get baptized, and some day manage to escape this high-control organization.
Symposium details say it all …
I think there is overwhelming material lately in the publications targeting the young ones (or was it always so intensive ?) to engage, also by moving to different countries, learning languages, etc.
I personally notice one detail about how this all is presented. Quite often, it’s quite exotic places you get to see, places to which you’d dream spending your holidays almost … I have to check the video but I’m not sure if it makes it clear that these volunteers will have to take care of themselves financially with no support. At least that’s what I heard during one of the meetings. It was a speech using a video by a Governing Body member (G. Jackson ?) about his experience in Tahiti. I haven’t yet one telling about their experiences in Siberia yet. Maybe it exists and I missed such a publication, with an overly joyful brother explaining his siberian experience. I only get to see nice exotic places with a lot of smiling people, almost saying “I’ve been waiting so long for you to come and preach me” … Who would resist ?
I’m personally quite in favor for doing such an experience, I’m sure young people can find MANY great opportunities to take them around the world, and grow in experience and knowledge while busy in very constructive activities. As I’m not in agreement with the WT agenda, I don’t think this kind of service is a good choice.
Oh, and what’s the big deal about sitting on the same bus with poor people ? Tell me about this as a great experience if you return there and sit on the same bus with averagely wealthy people and you have a part in that. That, I’m willing to listen about …
You may have more experience in and knowledge Watchtower relations with the media than I do, Cedars. So I might be wrong when I say that I don’t think it’s so much that the WTS has the media in its pocket as that the media just isn’t interested.
Growing up a JW, I think I took for granted that the “good news” had been spread across the globe. We were told that when God destroyed the wicked, they would have no excuse for not having converted. It wasn’t until I disassociated myself that I really saw how little people know, or even care, about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I’ve even met a few people who weren’t aware that JW’s don’t celebrate holidays or birthdays and some who didn’t know that JW’s don’t believe in the Trinity or hellfire. To most people, JW’s are just a pesky branch of Christianity that actively engages in door-to-door Bible sales.
The Watchtower Society does not have the size, historic scope, or long cultural traditions of an institution like the Catholic Church. And it doesn’t have the celebrity endorsements like Mormonsim or Scientology. Yes, there are rumors that people like Michael Jackson, the Williams Sisters and Prince are JWs (or at least associated). But none of these celebrities have endorsed the JWs publicly to the extent people like Tom Cruise or Mitt Romney have for their respective religious beliefs.
In other words, I think the reason the media doesn’t cover WTS activites often is, well, because it isn’t considered newsworthy! The activities of such a small, marginal institution can easily get lost in the noise of topics that are guaranteed to give news outlets bigger ratings. It’s sad, but I feel this is just the way it is.
Hi John,
Jw’s are news in Italy because of a reportage of Le Iene ( tv programm ).
It is about shunning and blood transfusion. There are a lots of comments on their facebook page.
What is amazing me mostly, is that a lot of people is defending them despite they declare themselves as non JW’s.
I know there are a lot of children of the Jw.s that didn’t choose this ” religion ” and feel guilty for that, as the disfellowshipped who would like to return, however..
I am also commenting and would like to thank you for
all the news you give us.
Can you immagine that they don’t know about children’s abuse and other stuff like that?
rgds
Sometimes, Roberto, JWs pretend to be non JWs. It’s all part of their PR tactics to try and promote their outfit as all round respectable and loveable.
Of course the notion of non JWs respecting JWs is absurd as JWs believe that all who are not of their little sect deserve an imminent Armageddon death penalty.
There is, however, still an aura that surrounds and protects the religious and makes many fearful of condemnation.
Freedom of religion and tolerance were rights that took some fighting for; hence the tiptoeing around religious notions, no matter how disgusting, in the name of a misplaced understanding of democracy and freedom of conscience.
Yes they do. They really do, at least in Bethel. But remember it’s the Italians who invented the “omertà “.
(Total silence, no matter what)
Hey all, want some media coverage? here ya go http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/jw-media.html
What Your Peers Say — “best life ever”. Work everyday for free, all gas expenses come out of your own pocket, all assembly expenses come out of your own pocket. Be kept poor until you get to retirement age and can’t get
hired. Then you’ll realize you certainly had the best life ever! Hope you like beans. I do.
Yeahh… wooo… Bestest life ever!!!
Where do i sign up? Can i get a free bible study please?
A preaching trip to Malawi? it makes me sick!!
*** yb99 pp. 172-173 Malawi ***
They were then taken to a public place, threatened with rape, and beaten for refusing to buy party cards. The sisters stood firm […] Again they were beaten, and this time stripped naked in front of the crowd. Still, the sisters would not compromise.
[…] The sisters answered: “We serve only Jehovah God. So if the brothers at the branch office have bought cards, that does not make any difference to us. We will not compromise, even if you kill us!” (Compare Romans 14:12.) Finally, the two sisters were allowed to go free.
These two humble, faithful sisters were not able to read or write, but they had deep love for Jehovah and his law
*** yb99 p. 189 Malawi ***
Sisters also suffered terribly. Following their refusal to buy party cards, many were repeatedly raped by party officials. In Lilongwe, Sister Magola, along with many others, tried to flee the trouble. However, she was pregnant and could not run very fast. A mob, acting like a pack of wild dogs, caught up with her and beat her to death.
At the campus of Bunda College of Agriculture, just outside of Lilongwe, six brothers and one sister were murdered and their bodies were horribly mutilated. The principal, Theodore Pinney, protested the atrocities in person to Dr. Banda. The result? He was deported!
*** yb96 p. 129 Mozambique ***
Savage persecution broke out against them. Throughout the country, their property was destroyed, they were beaten, some were killed, over a thousand Christian women were raped.
*** yb70 p. 259 Country Reports (Part Two) ***
The 1969 service year was marked by intermittent periods of persecution for Jehovah’s people in Malawi. A number of the sisters were again physically abused and raped.
*** km 12/75 p. 1 Branch Letter ***
So upward of 30,000 are now back in Malawi. They have been harassed and brutally persecuted. Hundreds have been stripped naked, severely beaten and have had itching beans rubbed into their wounds. Our sisters have been fiendishly raped. What atrocities!
And What about GERMANY
*** yb74 p. 178 Part 2—Germany ***
“Now that you have denied your God, Jehovah, what God will you serve?” The two sisters were soon released, but when the Russians invaded the country both were rearrested for some reason or another and taken to prison by the Russians where they actually did starve to death. In another case a sister who signed was raped by the Russians during the last few days of the war and then murdered by them.
JOIN ME AND CRY FOR THESE BRAIN WASHED PEOPLE!!!
Interesting JW video, it almost seems like a commercial…seems that they are trying to “sell” the best life ever to young people they even have a catchy jingle in as back round music. The girl in the video says that at the end of preaching all day she seems as if she accomplished something, doing the best work she can. Funny cause I teach 13 year olds and everyday I feel like I accomplish something and I’m doing the best work I can. You don’t need to convert others to a cult to feel like you are accomplishing something. I myself have pioneered for 11 years…I rarely felt accomplished, rather usually exhausted. I even worked at bethel and quit after they told me I didn’t seem to work hard enough! I enjoy what I do as a career and I am glad I never followed the society rule of not going to college. (Despite the fact the elders tried to tell me that my job was depressing me)
Those who do not weep, do not see. Victor Hugo. Les Miserables It’s our responsibility to help them see.We can all do our part.Thanks to Cedars we have much ammunition to use.
JB – agreed – In the US there is the Peace Corps.
Sorry, that was for Roberto.
you’re right!
Cheer up ole chum, the Watchtower has always been on the radar of the Roman Catholic Church which has it in its own category at Catholic Answers. Also, several Christian apologists have targeted the Watchtower, as well as other non-standard groups, over the years–Ankerberg (classic video program with the first wave of dissenters–Cetnars who were generational JW’s reaching back to the early days of Rutherford and Knorr), Martin’s Kingdom of the Cults, and other orthodox Christian DOF. Doctrinal refutation of this group (and its Adventism “cousins”) has existed for years, but the first wave dissenter’s approach of analyzing Watchtower literature from the past to the present and identifying the Watchtower’s own flawed history and interpretation of it has proven the most savvy fopr raising the ire of paranoid Watchtower cronies. At one point, the GB became so paranoid of this approach it threatened to dismiss anyone who dabbled in reading old publications.
Also, reviewing the material of the first-wave dissenters can let you know how little of TTATT you think you know.
Is this captured in the Video? I haven’t watched it yet!
“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.” (http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=w08+12%2F15+p.+9+par.+10)
Whose youths are those? JWs’s? Imagine having oral or anal sex TO ESCAPE Jehovah (elders) thinking they are technically not “having sex.”!! These youths are mental prisoners!!!
Does the video capture this?
“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.” (http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=w08+12%2F15+p.+9+par.+10)
It is terrible!! Whose youths Escape Jehovah’s law engaging in oral or anal sex or mutual masturbation… thinking they are technically not “having sex.”??? These poor JWs Youths are “mental prisoners”!!!
I just looked at the whole program. Above is for Friday not Saturday, which I’m thankful b/c we never go on Friday! LOL!
Thanks for picking me up on that Anastasia, I’ve fixed it! :)
Well, this begs the question, what were you in it for? the quick return on investment–a few contributions and sacrifices to shortcut way to eternal life, or were you considering yourself making a tithe of your life to God?
I think most Christians would see this remark and think it wreaked of self-focus with a lack of informative on making service to God by giving back, or giving up, to Him. After all, there are old gospel tunes with the lyrics, “I gave up everything” for Him.
However, because this comes with a iron fist inside a velvet glove approach and is enforced by community social norms, it carries the weight of being a compulsory service charge. What is of note, is that the Watchtower doesn’t use the standard disclaimer of “if environment permits” and “for one to examine their calling to this service”. But, also in this list, the Watchtower doesn’t rule out having any of these items included in their lives, but it outlines them as secondary pursuits. So, if you can swing [no pun intended] a global golf career AND meet your time requirement duties, go for it. After all, dropping the name “Jehovah” for 1 minute on a camera with millions watching–hours; turning in time with thousands of hours for the month–priceless.
But, in realistic terms, it means some JW’s will find ways to keep full time career/jobs and also squeeze in “full time” ministry time goals. Stressed out, much?
Obedience = Death.
Pioneering is not the best life ever for a youth. My daughter pioneered and was totally isolated in her youth whilst on the ministry. She struggled to get partners in the cong to support her and most of her friends were in full time work.
She hated it, so she stopped and got a great job and left the WT and has never looked back. It was a seriously bad time of her life, and sadly I encouraged her to do it as I was pioneering too.
She has left and has the best life ever.
Kate xx
No problema Cedars!
Es mucho dinero to go to these things all 3 days!
Is it just me or does this sound like Joel Osteen’s “Best Life Now”…what rip off artists they are!!
But does anyone know where I can download that groovy song “Best Life Ever?” Maybe the governing body will capitalize on music publishing next. Who needs Lennon/McCartney when you can have….
“Best Life Ever” – Lett/Morris
Did anyone hear $640,000 contributions/donations went missing from Sunday offerings at Lakewood a few weeks back? Missing–doesn’t cover amounts safely tucked away each week. Currency-stack-envy? Golf course for the Warwick/Tuxedo Park compound, perhaps?
Wow that’s some related video John.
Thanks for this information Cedar’s and all the hard work you put into bringing this to us. I start child custody proceedings on the 16 April and the information you have presented on this site has saved me a lot of time and trouble while building my case. Keep up the good work!!
I have just watched the JW video and I feel totally sick!
It reminds me of when I saw a clip on a BBC programme called “The One Show” about JWs. (This was the first time I had seen anything about the Witnesses on the BBC since the extremely enlightening Panorama programme about Child Abuse within the JW Org.)
It featured an obviously very wealthy JW family in Devon called the Montgomery-Swanns. (Details of whom are available on Wikipedia). Although I am sure the M-Swanns are lovely people, I was shocked at the way the sickly sweet way the JWs were portrayed by the media – completely unrealistic and worryingly unlike any former media coverage I had ever seen about the Org! I immediately wrote to the “One Show” to enlighten them as to the reality behind the WTBTS. Funnily enough I did not even receive an acknowledgment. When I searched for the clip again, I found it archived in JW.Org with the caption stating what a wonderfully unbiased witness it was.
Another BBC Sunday religious show appeared soon after that and featured another JW couple whom I know, (and yes they are a very lovely couple) – but perhaps again not what I would classify as a typical everyday JW. Once more the couple the media had selected to interview were of millionaire status. This video also is archived in JW.org.
It made me wonder whether either the WTBTS were putting forward these elite couples to portray the Watchtower in a golden light, or if there is actually a JW working high up in the BBC who has been instrumental in promoting the JW propaganda? I have incidentally seen M-Swann interviewed on other occasions on the BBC for items not relating to religion.
Unfortunately this does not make me feel very positive about the media exposing the truth behind the WTBTS; but we must keep trying regardless.
Cedars this post highlights several pertinent issues, all of which are worthy of further discussion. Thank you.
“Shared the bus with poor people.”
That’s more than a little condescending. How about ‘I shared the bus with local travelers?’
I’ve had the good fortune to have traveled to various countries, and very often have used public transit, including very over crowded buses. It is great to immerse yourself in another world and learn about other peoples. Throughout all my travels, I have NEVER once felt compelled to misguide the locals with fanciful stories from a book of myths.
So apparently, my life is better than the “Best Life Ever!!”
I had a look to the video “Best Life Ever”.
It’s quite interesting, the first thought that comes to my mind is that it looks like it’s made for people asking “what’s in it for me ?”. So is the main purpose offering young people a good life ? Or using them as pioneers to serve the organization by investing all they have – their time, money, and plans ? I think the latter is the truth, so why presenting this as if it was conceived in the interest of allowing young people “best life ever” ? As if they’re being offered a career …
This clip is so full of unrealistic setup, it’s ridiculous. It actually looks like the movie version of Watchtower illustrations. I’ve never been to Malawi in my life, but I’ve been to even “easier-to-live” places in Africa. Quite some parts are extremely unsafe, really far from the happy smiling people you would see on these videos.
This video make it blatantly obvious, to me anyway, what i already suspected…that they are totally starting to copy the Mormons. The Lds figured it out that to keep this generation of members they better start trying to appear “cool” and make commercials etc.. What a total lie this is, acting like this is just one other totally normal common way to live your life.. Like you said skipping right over the facts. “Hey everyone seriously, this is the best life ever! You should do it! But by the way if you don’t we will never speak to you again.” What a bunch of crap this is, anyone who’s gone to some undeveloped country to preach knows A. It’s insanely hard and B. of course they’re going to listen to you!!! They are America in the early 1900s before they figured our what a bunch of liars you are! They unfortunately have really hard lives and would love to hang out with a bunch of friendly Americans once, twice, three times a week!! You’re just taking advantage of their poverty and ignorance. And what the heck is this Christian rock song playing in the background? We were never allowed to do that when I was in! Ughhhhhh…
This made me laugh really hard..
The above was in reply to the comment by Wednesday Thursday.
I have to say something really bad. If the people are already smiling and happy in the video. Why do they need “the truth” :-)? I am just asking.
She forgot about the malaria, schistosomiasis, chagas, dysentery, dengue, and guinea-worm infections she contracted.
Well, I have to admit that the video is pretty slick. This is a professional production right down to the subliminal propaganda in the music. I’m actually fairly impressed. It uses textbook ad agency techniques to give the soft sale and prey upon the emotions and naivete of the young and impressionable. The motion matching, transitions (both visual and audio) have an almost Disneyesque quality.
Don Draper would be proud to run an ad like this.
So, this seems to reinforce some of the assertions that the Society is moving “mainstream”.
As to content, I think there is a lot of deception. When I was a kid, we had Congregation picnics and gatherings. I don’t think anyone in my area does anything, socially.
Hi Cedars,
I admire your zeal for exposing the flaws of the WTS…perhaps we need to see this other side as well. But have you considered that all these flaws could be evidence of the gross imperfection of God’s servants. The Israelites made horrendous mistakes, although they were God’s chosen people…..but it took a lot for them to be rejected as recorded at Matt. 23:37-39.
The ‘evidence’ for the divine election of the Jews is a tad more impressive than anything that might suggest that God has chosen the JWs. Has Jehovah parted the oceans for JWs to cross? Has he distributed manna from Heaven? Has he spoken direct to the JW bosses via a burning bush? Has any JW spent 3 days in a whale’s belly and survived? Which JW has been whisked straight to Heaven, Elijah style? When did God hold the sun still in the sky so that a mass of armed JWs could complete their slaughter?
For a ‘chosen people’, the JWs have a fairly lame story to tell compared with the Jews of old.
Hi ImperfectMagu, thanks for visiting JWsurvey.
When you think about it, your argument that Watchtower was once chosen by God but has since erred and will soon be reprimanded and cleansed could be made of pretty much ANY Christian denomination. To successfully make that argument, you need to go back in history and prove conclusively that Watchtower, and NO OTHER organization, was divinely approved and mandated. If you do this, you will find that NOT ONLY is there no evidence of this – there is even evidence, based on publications that were being printed and/or circulated in 1919, that Christ could not possibly have chosen the organization when Watchtower claims he did.
For more information, please check out this article…
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/under-the-microscope-the-watch-tower-societys-claims-to-divine-direction-part-4
And I hope you find the following video helpful…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iebx5Oa0Xmo
It would have been great if the ability to perform miracles were still a reliable yardstick today for identifying who are legit…but obviously there is no present religious group that has that ability. This clearly has made it difficult to identify who are the true christians today. It is interesting that you cite Jonah’s example in your comment… but remember that “hypocritical” Jonah was ducking his assignment when all that happened. There will be outcries of hypocrisy if the GB did anything similar to that…. Speaking of the pre-christian jews, note that there were periods where essentially the whole nation had become unfaithful, but God stuck with them. Many of the prophets had to preach to a very hostile audience, and yet these were Jehovah’s people. My point is…you cannot disown the faith because of imperfections of the WTS
Couldn’t you say the say thing about the International Bible Students as well they are still very active. You are not really answering the question. Couldn’t you say the same thing about all Christian religions then? There was true evidence God was using the Israelite as he spoke with them through his Prophets and eventually Jesus came through the Israelite nation and they were cast off, because they did not serve God.
Imperfectmagu
It is true that you cannot disown the faith bc of imperfect men. Can you disown the faith bc of the “faith” being wrong and proven wrong by decades of false predictions and flip flopping teachings? Not one thing the WT has predicted has come true over 150 years? Not one. Recently the entire “WEIRD” nonsense explanation of what a generation is and the whole 1914 scenario and overlapping bla, bla, bla non sense is enough to make anyone see they have no clue anymore.The King of the North? The king of the South? The United Nations etc? Let’s not get into all the other things that never happened or the Change in Blood fractions are OK thing? The Shunning, the DFing, The total control? So if you leave based on the facts of non performace and non truths is that leaving the Faith? How many times does the boy have to Cry Wolf?
To Scrubmaster:
No other christian group comes close to what the WTS has; name one that is as determined as the WTS is, in defending the scriptures…..Many other so-called christian groups support war, have political affiliations, support installing homosexuals as priests, etc…It comes down to whether you guys still believe the bible or not…Most of the problems present in the WTS were present among the first century christians…and that was when the apostles were still around!!!! For me it is easy:
1. I still believe the bible is God’s word, so there MUST be some true christian organization to fellowship with, though they may be imperfect.
2. Of all the so-called christian groups, the JWs are the closest to what was practiced in the first century.
3. I realize The WTS has many weaknesses, but so were the first century christians, and ANY other group of people who were determined to serve God.
The International Bible Students and Seventh Day Adventist……but you Like you said nation of Isreal scarifce their kids false gods, Constantly disobeyed God and yet they were his people. But yet other religions do bad things and they can not be Gods people. Maybe they are still waiting for new light….hum
Short of an actual devolution into the adoption of the autochthones idolatrous customs, can you point to a similar/comparative number doctrinal with either the Israelites or First Century Christians in the vein of the GB’s “increasing light”? That is, an evolution that is analogous to the changes that we’ve seen since even 1914 or 1919?
Can you show us evidence of the same level of vacillation (switching back and forth on interpretations)?
I think we will all buy that the Israelites imperfectly observed the Mosaic Law. First Century Christians had to be counseled.
However, if you told me in 1974 that the changes we’ve seen over the last 40 years were coming, I would say that the “truth” would have been foreseen as something comparatively unrecognizable.