Apostates are to be "HATED"!

by gumby 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

gumby

For some....this is old news. Since so many new ones have came here, then perhaps they might enjoy something the Organisation has taught they might not be aware of.
Watchtower 1961 July 15 p.420 A Time and Place for Everything
Jesus encouraged his followers to love their enemies, but God's Word also says to "hate what is bad." When a person persists in a way of badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of his make-up, then in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked. Indicating that Jesus did not mean for us to love the hardened enemies of Jehovah, David expressed this God-approved attitude: "Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies."-Matt. 5:44; Amos 5:15; Ps. 139:21, 22.
Watchtower 1980 June 15 p.8 What It Takes to Keep Separate from the World ***
................More than that, we want to hate those who willfully show themselves haters of Jehovah, haters of what is good. We hate them [ed: former members], not in the sense of wanting to do them harm or wishing them harm but in the sense of avoiding them as we would poison or a poisonous snake, for they can poison us spiritually.
These two articles might help you appreciate the mentality of this organisation. Apostates(those who no longer feel this is the truth and express it), are considered the most VILE of Jehovahs enemies. Worse than a murderer.
Perhaps this will explain why so many are eager to see this group go bye bye.
Gumby
Pleasuredome

a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked.
weren't the samaritans viewed by the jews as apostates? who is your neighbour, WTS? but of course, the WTS knows better than jesus.
minimus

Good sources, Gumby! JWs HATE anything and everyone that are not connected to the "truth". If someone enjoys something that is not Watchtower approved, they are "marked", avoided, shunned, hated. It's sad. Really.
Sunnygal41

I had an interesting conversation with my mom about this today. She is still in the Dubs, but, she has always done what she wanted to do when it came to the "truth". Sad to say, my sister and I used to label her as a weak witness, but now, I realize she's just open minded and won't let them tell her how to control her in every aspect of her life. So, she called this a.m. and I guess for "shock value" I brought the subject up of being an apostate.........but, I also wanted the opportunity to reason with her that it's just a label that is slapped on people who don't go along 100% with the Borg. At first, she was shocked, and said not to say that about myself, but, I told her, "mom, it's just a label. It doesn't mean it's true, even if they say it." Then I shared the fact that I am part of this site, and that we have a big get together coming up in May in Texas! I want her to realize that I am happy and that life goes on after the Borg. I am going to visit her in Texas at some point in the future when things settle down for me financially, and, I was thinking if I am down there when the Apostafest is on, then I'll go to that while I'm there! I also wanted her to know that people outside the Borg are more open and unthreatened by things than the JDubs are, so I told her that I had thought her request over to attend a meeting with her and changed my mind. At first, I had told her that I would NOT go, that the Dubs had nothing to offer me any further, but, then I got to thinking about it and I decided that I wanted to go, just to show her I was flexible. I told her that I was going for her, and that nothing they had was of any interest to me any further. Besides, I thought it would be a good chance to see how I react emotionally when I walk into a KH after 5 years. And, it will give me a chance to see how I view things that are said mentally.........sort of a test as to my healing, so to speak. Then, just before we ended the conversation, she said "well, the only reason they DF'd you was to keep the congregation clean..........whatever that meant in her mind. I don't know if she was making excuses for them or for me or what, but, I bit my tongue, since I'd already aired a few of the more touchy views for a Dub at this point. She has no problem with me staying with her while I'm there, but, I'm wondering how my sister will feel about all of this................but, at least I'm covering my mom's butt for her as far as the elders are concerned, if they see me at the KH it shouldn't be an issue that I'm staying at her home for the visit. I'm trying to be careful for her sake, I don't give a good shit what they think or say to me. It ought to be interesting to say the least........
Terri
shotgun

Gumby one of the latest WT deal with apostates as well, how they twist scriptures and tell lies and half truths, this from the leaders or misinformation.
If Jehovah is so concerned with opposing views and keeping his organization clean why did he allow all of his heavely children to associate with Satan even allowing him into his private dwelling place right up to 1914?
(((((Terri)))))
And, it will give me a chance to see how I view things that are said mentally.........sort of a test as to my healing, so to speak. Then, just before we ended the conversation, she said "well, the only reason they DF'd you was to keep the congregation clean
Terri it's up to you but for me would you repeat this sentence to your mom and ask her if your more or less dirty than a child molestor? Silentlambs...etc
A parent should never speak to a child that way no matter what your age...25 wasn't it?
garybuss

Good post, Here is a page I put together a while back. It's got some of the same links you posted. GaryB
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?THE GODLY QUALITY OF HATE?
(The Watchtower, July 15, 1974, p. 442)
· ?You have seen the benefit of godly love, but do you know how to hate? ? These very strong words are an expression of godly hate, (small ?g? god theirs) and you too must have this quality to be pleasing to God. Hate causes a feeling of disgust to well up inside you. You loathe, abhor, despise the object of your hatred. Godly hatred never has as its object our Christian brothers, no matter how imperfect?
· (The Watchtower; July 15, 1974 p.442)
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· ?Apostasy is, in reality, a rebellion against Jehovah. Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah?s organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah?s feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they ?feel a loathing? toward those who have made themselves God?s enemies,??
· (The Watchtower October 1, 1993 p.19)
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· ?Jehovah?s Witnesses Make Hate A Religion? (Saturday Evening Post Sept. 14, 1940 p.18)
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· ?WILL HATRED EVER END? ?And even though it may be unreasonable, or ?crazy,? the hatred is often directed against a whole group? (The Watchtower June 15, 1995 p.3)
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· ?The doctrines of the Roman Catholic ?Hierarchy of Jurisdiction? and the pratices in which that organization indulges show that she is the chief servant of the Devil and the arch enemy of God.???From all the evidence the conclusion is irresistible that the Roman Catholic Hierarchy organization serves the Devil and is therefore the enemy of God, the enemy of man, and the very personification of unrighteousness.? (Enemies WTB&TS 1937 J.F. Rutherford p.286)
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· ?CATHOLIC RELIGION DEMONISM? (Religion, WTB&TS 1940, J.F. Rutherford, p.55)
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· ?Martyred by martyrs, Dennis Ryan?s head was bashed by Witnesses? canes in a riot at their (Witnesses?) anti-Catholic rally.? (Caption under photo of battered Ryan with bandaged head)
· (Saturday Evening Post Sept. 14, 1940)
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· ?There is a difference, however between hating the wrong and hating the person who commits the wrong.?
· (The Watchtower, June 15, 1995, p.7)
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· ??in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked?.Jesus did not mean for us to love the hardened enemies of Jehovah,?
· (The Watchtower July, 15, 1961, p.420)
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· ?We must hate in the truest sense, which is to regard with extreme and active aversion, to consider as lothsome, odious, filthy, to detest. Surely any haters of God are not fit to live on his beautiful earth.?
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· 12 ?What do you do with anything loathsome or repugnant that you detest and abhor? The answer is simple. You get away from it or remove it from your presence. You do not want to have anything at all to do with it. This must be exactly our attitude toward the haters of Jehovah.?
· (The Watchtower October 1, 1952, p.599)
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· ?Yes, the international society of Jehovah?s Witnesses is living proof that hatred can be abolished.? ?It is a foreglimpse of a worldwide program to eliminate hatred and it?s causes.?
· (The Watchtower, June 15, 1995, p.8)
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· ?More than that, we want to hate those who willfully show themselves haters of Jehovah, haters of what is good.?
· (The Watchtower June 15, 1980, p.8)
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· ?Obviously God hates evil things, and his servants rightly hate them too.?
· (Awake June 22, 1984, p.5)
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· ?15 Everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer, and you know that no manslayer has everlasting life remaining in him.?
(1 JOHN 3:15 The New World Translation by WTB&TS)
Corvin

Garybus, good stuff!
Here is some stuff that contradicts the WT's view on hate:
*** it-1 p. 726 Enemy ***What is to be the Christian?s attitude toward fellow humans who make themselves his enemies? Jesus counseled: "Continue to love your enemies, to do good to those hating you." (Lu 6:27, 28) He explained: "You heard that it was said [not in the Bible, but in tradition], ?You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.? However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you." (Mt 5:43, 44)

*** w53 8/1 p. 479 Questions from Readers ***
? Where do we find the command to "hate thine enemy", as expressed at Matthew 5:43??A. H., England.It was in the sermon on the mount that Jesus stated: "You heard that it was said: ?You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.? However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous."?Matt. 5:43-45, NW.
Jesus said the Jews had heard, "You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy," but he did not say they had heard all that from the Law of Moses. The first part, about loving your neighbor, was a part of the Law. (Lev. 19:18) But the second part, about hating your enemy, was not. It really was contrary to the Law, which said: "If you chance upon your enemy?s ox or ass going astray, you must be sure to take it home to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying prostrate under its load, you must refrain from deserting him; you must be sure to help him get it up." (Ex. 23:4, 5, AT) The Hebrew Scriptures forbade any feeling of malicious joy when an enemy met with disaster, and even commanded that he be assisted when in trouble: "If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink."?Job 31:29; Prov. 24:17; 25:21, AT.
The part about hating your enemy was something added by the teachers of tradition, and it was this addition that made void God?s Word that Jesus condemned. Since they were told to love their neighbors, the Jewish teachers inferred that in contrast they were to hate their enemies. To them "friend" or "neighbor" meant one of the Jewish race, and all others they considered natural enemies. To rout this false idea from one of the learned scribes or lawyers of his day Jesus used an illustration. He told of a man that had been robbed, stripped, beaten and left half-dead. Both a Jewish priest and a Levite by-passed this sufferer, but a despised Samaritan came along, felt pity, tended to his wounds, and took him to an inn and paid for his further care. This non-Jewish Samaritan was then identified as the real neighbor of the injured man, and not the Jewish priest and Levite. (Luke 10:25-37, NW) But in view of the traditional understanding of "neighbor" as being limited to a fellow Jew and in view of their known hatred and enmity relative to Gentiles, it is not difficult to see why they were led to add "and hate your enemy" to the divine law "You must love your neighbor".
So Jesus corrected them and showed that they were to love not only their neighbors but also their enemies. The word "love" (Greek, agape) here used means a moral or social love, a love based on the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety. It is a matter of doing what is right, as reasoned from the head, rather than the love (Greek, philéo) that means a sentimental, personal attachment and affection, as is usually thought of as coming from the heart. As a matter of following right principles we will show this moral love to all men, even to those who may persecute us personally. We will allow no personal enmities to make us abandon love or conduct based on right principles, but will follow such with all men. We will even pray that those who persecute us in ignorance may have their eyes opened to see the truth concerning Jehovah?s new world.

*** w58 7/15 p. 425 Hate Evil, Not People ***If Jehovah is long-suffering toward these enemies of his, why should not we be?
The "hating people who disagree with WT doctrine" thing is not Scriptural and the WTBTS admits it in their publications. Yes, they flip flop with regards to the love-hate thing and contradict themselves constantly.
The enemies of God are those who "hate" God. Those who are against Him. I am not, and neither are most of the folks I know on this board, against God himself . . . just against the lies and deception of a man-made organization claiming to be of God. That disqualifies most of us from being hated by those who call themselves "God's Chosen".
Corvin
Oxnard Hamster

................More than that, we want to hate those who willfully show themselves haters of Jehovah, haters of what is good. We hate them [ed: former members], not in the sense of wanting to do them harm or wishing them harm but in the sense of avoiding them as we would poison or a poisonous snake, for they can poison us spiritually.

If they sincerely mean hate as in to avoid, then I think they have good intentions. After all, even as an "apostate" there are certain people I would rather not hang around, either because they put a damper on my day or because I don't feel like listening to their garbage.
However, hate has the connotation of wanting to do bodily harm. Even though the organization makes it clear that's not what they mean, I think they should've chosen a better word than hate. This is an example of poor word choice, one of the six traits of writing.
Corvin

If they sincerely mean hate as in to avoid, then I think they have good intentions
The thing is; the poor choice of words, as in this case, are chosen deliberately to create a chasm between present and former believers, obviously to stop those still in the org from hearing some interesting "truth" and "new Light" from those who left the org or were cast out.
gumby

the poor choice of words, as in this case, are chosen deliberately to create a chasm between present and former believers, obviously to stop those still in the org from hearing some interesting "truth" and "new Light" from those who left the org or were cast out.

Do you suppose they do it to follow scripture.....or to protect themselves?
Little Freddie Franz wrote the precedent for these things being discussed. I doubt he did it for protection. I believe he was following scripture. That's the kind of guy he seemed for the most part.
Gumby

Apostates are to be "HATED"!

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