Can anyone forward me an actual quote from the Borg...with the words "Theocratic Warfare" in the text?
No heresay or that's what they meant stuff...I need to have the words "Theocratic Warfare" and a point of reference...has to be genuine...thanks
"Theocratic Warfare" - Quote needed
by Gizmo 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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jgnat
I don't have access to the CD at the moment, but here is a quickie off Quotes' website;
*** Watchtower 1960 June 1 p.351 Questions from Readers ***
From time to time letters are received asking whether a certain circumstance would justify making an exception to the Christian's obligation to tell the truth. In reply to these the following is given:
God's Word commands: "Speak truth each of you with his neighbor." (Eph. 4:25) This command, however, does not mean that we should tell everyone who asks us all he wants to know. We must tell the truth to one who is entitled to know, but if one is not so entitled we may be evasive ... As a soldier of Christ he is in theocratic warfare and he must exercise added caution when dealing with God's foes. Thus the Scriptures show that for the purpose of protecting the interests of God's cause, it is proper to hide the truth from God's enemies.
[Emphasis Added]
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Gizmo
Thanks JG
Spot on...I verified the quote...excellent thanks
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Nathan Natas
WATCHTOWER 5/1/1957 "USE THEOCRATIC WAR STRATEGY"
Use Theocratic War Strategy
A WITNESS of Jehovah was going from house to house in Eastern Germany when she met a violent opposer. Knowing at once what to expect she changed her red blouse for a green one in the very next hallway. No sooner had she appeared on the street than a Communist officer asked her if she had seen a woman with a red blouse. No, she replied, and went on her way. Did she tell a lie? No, she did not. SHE WAS NOT A LIAR. RATHER, SHE WAS USING THEOCRATIC WAR STRATEGY, HIDING THE TRUTH BY ACTION AND WORD FOR THE SAKE OF THE MINISTRY.
In this she had good Scriptural precedent. Did not Rahab hide the Israelite spies by both action and word? Did not Abraham, Isaac, David and others likewise hide the truth at times when faced with a hostile enemy? They certainly did, and never do we read a word of censure for their doing so. Rather, we read of their being termed exemplary servants of Jehovah. Their actions were in line with Jesus' wise counsel: "Look! I am sending you forth as sheep amidst wolves; therefore prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves."-Matt. 10:16, NW.
Perhaps some will wonder as to where the line is to be drawn between use of theocratic war strategy in hiding the truth and the telling of lies. First of all, let it be noted that whenever one takes an oath to tell the truth he is obligated to do so. By dedicating himself to do God's will each Christian has taken a vow or made an oath to do God's will and to be faithful to him. To this oath he certainly must be true. Likewise, when a Christian is placed on a witness stand he is obligated to speak the truth if he speaks at all. At times he may prefer to refuse to speak and suffer the consequences rather than betray his brothers or the interests of God's work. And, of course, there is no occasion for use of war strategy when dealing with our Christian brothers. In dealing with them we tell the truth or tactfully remind them that what they seek to know does not concern them.
Lies are untruths told for selfish reasons and which work injury to others. Satan told a lie to Eve that worked great harm to her and all the human race. Ananias and Sapphira told lies for selfish reasons. But HIDING THE TRUTH, WHICH HE IS NOT ENTITLED TO KNOW, FROM AN ENEMY DOES NOT HARM HIM, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WOULD USE SUCH INFORMATION TO HARM OTHERS WHO ARE INNOCENT.
A great work is being done by the witnesses even in lands where their activity is banned. The only way they can fulfill the command to preach the good news of God's kingdom is by use of theocratic war strategy. By underground methods the literature is brought into the country and distributed. Would it make sense to hide this literature by one's actions and then reveal its whereabouts by one's words when queried? Of course not! SO IN TIME OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE IT IS PROPER TO MISDIRECT THE ENEMY BY HIDING THE TRUTH. IT IS DONE UNSELFISHLY; IT DOES NOT HARM ANYONE; ON THE CONTRARY, IT DOES MUCH GOOD.
TODAY GOD'S SERVANTS ARE ENGAGED IN A WARFARE, A SPIRITUAL, THEOCRATIC WARFARE, A WARFARE ORDERED BY GOD AGAINST WICKED SPIRIT FORCES AND AGAINST FALSE TEACHINGS. God's servants are sent forth as sheep among wolves and therefore need to exercise the extreme caution of serpents so as to protect properly the interests of God's kingdom committed to them. At all times they must be very careful not to divulge any information to the enemy that he could use to hamper the preaching work.
[Footnotes]
For details see The Watchtower, February 1, 1956.- - -
WATCHTOWER 4/15/1957 "ANNOUNCEMENTS"
Announcements
THE USE OF THEOCRATIC WAR STRATEGY
IN TIME OF WAR GREAT EFFORT IS MADE TO KEEP ONE'S MOVEMENTS OR PLANS FROM THE ENEMY. TO KEEP THE ENEMY IN THE DARK AND DIVERT HIM FROM GAINING KNOWLEDGE, WAR STRATEGY IS USED. SOLDIERS FOR CHRIST IN DEALING WITH ENEMIES OF GOD, WHO HATE TRUTH AND WANT TO STOP OTHERS FROM LEARNING IT, WISELY USE THEOCRATIC WAR STRATEGY, NOT TO HURT OR HARM, BUT TO KEEP THE "WOLVES" FROM HINDERING EFFORTS TO AID SHEEPLIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGERING FOR KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. On meeting "wolves" Christians will use strategy, being wise as serpents yet innocent as doves, in accord with Jesus' direction at Matthew 10:16. Throughout May, just as in April, Jehovah's witnesses will continue to seek sheeplike persons by calling from house to house. The May offer will be two Bible study aid books and two booklets on a contribution of $1. All participating in the work during April will want to continue in May and the coming months, honoring Jehovah and aiding other sheep while time permits.
READ "THE WATCHTOWER" REGULARLY
Have you enjoyed this magazine that is in your hand? Ask yourself, Have you not learned at least one important fact about the Most High God or his Word, the Holy Bible? Is that not worthwhile gain? Another thing. Turn to the inside front cover. Note the forty-five languages into which this information is being translated. Note the astounding circulation of this same information. What does this indicate? It means that people all over the world are interested in the announcement of Jehovah's kingdom that is featured in The Watchtower. It shows that their hope is centered in the provisions of Jehovah God rather than in the continually failing schemes of man. You can join regularly with these hundreds of thousands in the most profitable study that is now available. Send only one dollar today and receive The Watchtower twice a month through the mail for one year. You will also be sent the 96-page booklet What Do the Scriptures Say About "Survival After Death"?
"WATCHTOWER" STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS
May 26: When All Men Again Worship One God, 1-24. Page 228.
June 2: When All Men Again Worship One God, 25-45. Page 234.Edited by - Nathan Natas on 10 December 2002 7:14:50
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UnDisfellowshipped
Great Quotes Nathan Natas!
Here are more Watchtower Quotes about Theocratic Warfare (they may not all include that phrase though):
Riches Book, 1936, Page 177:
"A lie is a false statement made by one to another one who is entitled to hear and to know the truth, and which false statement tends to work injury to the other. A false statement made for the purpose of deceiving and working injury to another is a deliberate and malicious lie."
------------------------------------The Watchtower February 1st 1956 Issue, Pages 88-89:
"Rahab of Jericho was under no oath in Jehovah's name to tell the facts to the king's officers and hence was not a false swearer or a false witness."
------------------------------------The Watchtower March 15th 1968 Issue, Page 170:
"In warding off the immediate threat, Hezekiah agreed to pay tribute to Sennacherib, and he even cut off the overlaid doors and doorposts from Jehovahs temple, in order to make this payment (2 Ki. 18: 13-16). No doubt this was part of Hezekiahs theocratic war strategy, a move to gain time, and to put him in a better position to grapple with the enemy. Likewise, today, there are occasions when Jehovahs Witnesses have to move cautiously in preserving their God-given right to true worship"
-------------------------------------Aid to Bible Understanding Book, 1971 Edition, Pages 1060-1061:
"Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive or to injure him or another person"
"While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it."
------------------------------------Insight on the Scriptures Book Volume 2, 1988, Pages 244-245:
"LIE"
"The opposite of truth. Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive or to injure him or another person."
"While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open." (Mt 7:6) That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Mt 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Joh 7:3-10) Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light. -Ge 12:10-19; chap 20; 26:1-10; Jos 2:1-6; Jas 2:25; 2Ki 6:11-23."
------------------------------------The Watchtower June 15th 1991 Issue, Page 31:
"If a Christian is asked to submit to something that would be a violation of Gods higher law, the divine law comes first; it takes precedence [and if a court] ... authorized the forcing of a blood transfusion on a Christian ... Christians must take the same stand that the apostle Peter did; we must obey God as ruler rather than men--Acts 5:29 ... [and must be] absolutely determined to obey God even if a government directed them otherwise"
"[A twelve year old Jehovah's Witness] would fight any court-authorized transfusion with all the strength she could muster, that she would scream and struggle, that she would pull the injecting device out of her arm and would attempt to destroy the blood in the bag over her bed. She was firmly resolved to obey the divine law."
-------------------------------------Awake! February 8th 2000 Issue, Page 21:
"Of course, being truthful does not mean that we are obligated to divulge all information to anyone who asks it of us. Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never ... turn around and rip you open, warned Jesus, at Matthew 7:6. For example, individuals with wicked intent may have no right to know certain things. Christians understand that they are living in a hostile world. Thus, Jesus advised his disciples to be cautious as serpents while remaining innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16; John 15:19) Jesus did not always disclose the full truth, especially when revealing all the facts could have brought unnecessary harm to himself or his disciples. Still, even at such times, he did not lie. Instead, he chose either to say nothing or to divert the conversation in another direction.Matthew 15:1-6; 21:23-27; John 7:3-10"
------------------------------------The Watchtower August 15th 2001 Issue:
"Sarai could say that she was Abram's sister because she really was his half sister. (Genesis 20:12) Furthermore, he was not under obligation to divulge information to people who were not entitled to it. (Matthew 7:6) Faithful servants of God in modern times heed the Bible's command to be honest. (Hebrews 13:18) They would never, for instance, lie under oath in a court of law. When the physical or spiritual lives of their brothers are at stake, such as in times of persecution or civil distress, however, they heed Jesus' counsel to be "cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves." -Matthew 10:16; see The Watchtower, November 1, 1996, page 18, paragraph 19."
------------------------------------A Reporter's Comment from the Australian Sunday Program Television Show (September 22nd 2002):
"Officially, the [Jehovah's Witness] church denies all knowledge of the concept of theocratic warfare"
Edited by - UnDisfellowshipped on 10 December 2002 3:15:37