Cult of confession.

by jerome 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

jerome

Questions From Readers
In view of jehovah's willing ness to forgive sins by the merit of the ransom sacrifice, why is it necessary for Christians to confess to the older men in the congregation?
As can be seen in the case of David and Bath-sheba, Jehovah forgave David's sin, grave though it was, because of David's genuine repentance. When the prophet Nathan approached him, David openly confessed:"I have sinned against jehovah."-2 Samuel 12:13.
However, Jehovah not only accepts a sinners sincere confession and extends forgiveness but he alos makes loving provisions to help the erring one progress to spirtual recovery. In David's case, the help came through the prophet Nathan. Today, in the Christian congregation, there are spirtually mature older men, or elders. The diciple james explains:"Is there anyone [spirtually] sick among you? Let him call the older men of the congregation to him, and let them pray over him, greasing him with oil in the name of Jehovah. And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also if he has comitted sins, it will be forgiven him."-James 5:14.
Skillfull elders can do much to ease the pain of the heart that is caused by the remorsefull sinner. They strive to imitate Jehovah in their dealings with him. They never want to be harsh, even though strong disipline may be warrented. Rather, they compassiotely consider the immediate needs of the individual. Patiently they strive to readjust the erring one's thinking by using God's Word. (Galations 6:1) Even if a person does not voularintaily confess his sin he may still be moved to repentance when approached by the elders, as David was when approached by Nathan. The support thus rendered by the elders helps the erring one to avoid the danger of repeating the sin and the serious consequences of becoming a hardened praticer of sin.-Hebrews 10:26-31.

It is certainly not easy to confess to others deeds that one feels ashamed of and to seek forgiveness. It takes inner strenght. Reflect for a moment, though, on the alternative. One man who failed to reveal the serious sin to the elders in the congregation said:" I felt a pain in my heart that would not go away. I increased my efforts in the preaching work, but the sickening feeling remained." he felt that confession to God in prayer was enough, but clearly it was not because he experienced feelings similar to King David's.(Psalm 51:8'11)) How much better to accept the loving assistance that Jehovah provides through the elders!
WatchtowerJune 1, 2001
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My only comment is in relation to the example sighted above involving the man who felt a pain in his heart that would not go away.
Many people do not realize just how powerfull a personal example is in relaying a message.
The alternative could have been a statement along the lines of :
"Many brothers who have neglected to confess their grevious sins to the older men in the congregation have suffered even to the point of physicall torment Would a true Christian refuse to confess their serious sins to the more spritually mature men in the congregation and thus revealing to Jehovah lack of inner strength? Shurely not!"
Notice that the alternative is not as personal as the first example. People relate better to personal stories than statics in shuch curcumstances.
The Watchtower publications are flooded with shuch personal examples.
Beleive it or not this extremly simplistic and seemingly innocent stragety is a powerful persuasion tool.
Now you know.
jerome
The Bible is a two edged sword wield it for evil and it you may get hurt.
Yerusalyim

Jerome,
No one said they were idiots when it comes to manipulation, quite the opposite in fact. That's what makes these guys so isidious.

YERUSALYIM
"Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
[Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
out4good3

Skillfull elders can do much to ease the pain of the heart that is caused by the remorsefull sinner.
How many here would classify the *cough*cough*counsel*cough*cough given by most of the elders making up the WT as skillful? Seem to me they were professionally trained by the Society to parrot the party line. Every advice being laced with pray about it more, do more, more, more, more which is only beneficial securing the base of that big pyramid. Basically the same advice you'd get at an Amway or Primerica seminar.
refiners fire

Confession is tied to "Mind Control',whatever that actually is.
If the aim of mind control is to have control of thoughts, then confession serves a purpose in this aim.
providing access for the church heirachy, or the cult leader, into the intimate thoughts and life of the member.Once the members inner thoughts and feelings are revealed, the leader can direct them, mold and control them.Confession, the revealing of inner feelings normally unseeable, is a practise, to some degree in all cultic movements that Ive encountered.
refiners fire

Confession within the Dubs is a two edged sword.
Carrot and stick.
The sweet "carrot' of mercy,forgiveness,understanding,compassion,assistance.
The "stick' is the ever present fear of destruction at the hands of an angry, harsh God.
Example, from the
Watchtower July 15, 1972
"Abandoning the course of Independence"
..."For many who no longer share in Jehovah's service the way back may seem very difficult. Ashamed and fearing that they might not be accepted in a loving manner, they may dread the thought of having to face persons who have continued to serve Jehovah faithfully. Possibly those who have strayed have not prayed to Jehovah for a long time and, in view of what they have done, perhaps feel that they are not fit to live and could never gain God's forgiveness. Are such fears warranted? Not at all."...
Thats the CARROT I guess, the Borg well understand how the guilty feel
And emotive terms and words trigger the impulse to repent, to confess, to weep and come back into a "right state" before God and the brethren. Because the situation described in that passage fits how the penitent FEELS, he therefore expects understanding when he confesses.
Heres the STICK:
..."An individual who proves himself to be unfaithful to Jehovah God is in a very serious position, one deserving of death. If he remains in an unrepentant state, he cannot escape the execution of God's adverse judgment. Hebrew Christians were told: "If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition. Any man that has disregarded the law of Moses dies without compassion, upon the testimony of two or three. Of how much more severe a punishment, do you think, will the man be counted worthy who has trampled upon the Son of God and who has esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt? For we know him that said: 'Vengeance is mine; I will recompense'; and again: 'Jehovah will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"....
Fear is a major impulse in the compulsion to confess.
The penitent goes, in a state of apprehension and fear, to confess so he wont be destroyed, and he seeks the much talked about "love of God"
and the congregation.Forgiveness and acceptance.
Of course. These things do not exist in church reality.
Ostracism and lack of spiritual assistance follow.
The penitent then decides he is not assisted because GOD has REJECTED him. Weeded him out.
The cycle of guilt and fear then deepen rather than being allieviated.
Dutchie

"Skillfull elders can do much to ease the pain of the heart that is caused by the remorsefull sinner."
This might possibly be true, but what if the elder is not skillful, what if he is a pompous moron, a bozo, then what? Is he the one to whom you want to go and confess wrongdoing to? I don't believe so. The whole confessing to an elder scheme is never going to be really effective because so many of our older men are ineffectual and not up to biblical standards. As we are all aware, the result is that quite often more harm that good results.
refiners fire

Lets go a little deeper...
Same Watchtower, July 15, 1972
Subheading:
WORLDLY SADNESS OR GODLY SADNESS?
..."Clearly there should be sadness, remorse and regret felt by any Christian who sins."....
No problem so far.
..
And yet these feelings of themselves are not a sure measure of the genuineness of repentance. The question is: Why does the wrongdoer feel such sadness, remorse and regret? What motivates these feelings?
... it is a life-or-death matter that our motive be the right one. Worldly sadness does not stem from faith and love of God and righteousness. It is born of regret due to failure, disappointment, material or social loss, the prospect of undergoing punishment or shame. Worldly sadness mourns the unpleasant consequences wrongdoing brings. But it does not mourn over the unrighteousness itself, or the reproach it brings on God.
Theres the rub.
Its not enough to confess, now you have to confess because you want Gods name cleared. Confessing out of fear of destruction is not an acceptable motive. Surely this is tied into the Lifton Criteria of "demand for purity". Asking the impossible of church members.
I wonder how many people actually confess because they regret the "reproach theyve brought on Gods name", rather than confessing out of fear of the stick?
Satanus

James 5
15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
Confess to one another, is the simple bible command. Don't need no priest to confess to. Don't need no elder to confess to. Just another sinner will do. It's kind of like group therapy. Everyone can have their say. Others don't interupt, crossexamine, judge; they often nod their heads in understanding. They may say a group prayer at the beginning and/or end of the session. Ahh, for primitive christianity!!
SS
Bang

Some people need to seek a priest because they can't just 'find God', so they confess to God through belief that God is present by the other. Hopefully for them, He is.
I've got to say, I cringed when I read this. "greasing him with oil in the name of Jehovah". Is that a NWT thing? To grease someone around here, is to have a loan of them by paying them off somehow, generally without them knowing it.
They never want to be harsh, even though strong disipline may be warrented
Priests have been assigned to provide forgiveness.
Bang
Satanus

Bang
Greasing, yes, sad isn't it, the new world translation, courtesy of the watchtower bible and tract society. James 5:14. Shows you just how clueless they are about spirituality, and how lacking in eloquence. I can hear the comeback by a jw already, 'that's an acurate translation'. My question then, would be, is there any other translation that also uses the word 'greasing'?
SS

Cult of confession.

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