Brooklyn regularly turns out Window dressing articles in order to appear mainstream, reasonable and tolerant. Usually Awake! Magazine is the vehicle for such propaganda. The January 22, 1997 issue of the Awake addressed the subject of tolerance. Among other things it stated:
*** g97 1/22 3 Tolerance-From One Extreme to the Other ***
What does it mean to be tolerant? According to the Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary, “if you are tolerant, you allow other people to have their own attitudes or beliefs, or to behave in a particular way, even if you do not agree or approve.” What a fine quality to display! Surely we feel at ease with people who respect our beliefs and attitudes, even when these differ from their own.
Yes indeed, what a fine quality it is to behold when people “who respect our beliefs and attitudes, even when these differ from their own.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Watchtower Society would teach the rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses to display such a wonderful quality? Wouldn’t it be even nicer if the Watchtower Society leaders could display such a wonderful quality? Unfortunately they display the very opposite quality, they display extreme intolerance towards people who dare disagree with them:
“From the very outset of his rebellion Satan called into question God’s way of doing things. He promoted independent thinking. ‘You can decide for yourself what is good and bad,’ Satan told Eve. ‘You don’t have to listen to God. He is not really telling you the truth.’ (Genesis 3:1-5) To this day, it has been Satan’s subtle design to infect God’s people with this type of thinking. — 2 Timothy 3:1, 13. How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God’s visible organization.” The Watchtower. January 15. 1983, page 22.“Fight Against Independent Thinking
As we study the Bible we learn that Jehovah has always guided his servants in an organized way. And just as in the first century there was only one true Christian organization, so today Jehovah is using only one organization. (Ephesians 4:4, 5; Matthew 24:45-47) Yet there are some who point out that the organization has had to make adjustments before, and so they argue: “This shows that we have to make up our own mind on what to believe.” This is independent thinking. Why is it so dangerous? Such thinking is an evidence of pride.” The Watchtower. January 15. 1983, page 27.“Beware of those who try to put forward their own contrary opinions”
Watchtower March 15. 1986, page 17.
As these 3 quotes show us, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to “feel at ease” among Jehovah's Witnesses, as their leaders has banned all other opinions than the officially approved from Brooklyn. One wonders how it is possible for Brooklyn to think they can actually get away with such obvious dishonesty. The Watchtower Society lip service to tolerance must indeed be embarrassing for those Jehovah's Witnesses who have retained a little thinking ability. It is indeed revolting to see an organization where tolerance is simply completely banned, trying to create such a façade, such a false “Window display”.
There also seem to be great confusion in the Watchtower Society headquarters in Brooklyn as to what the above-mentioned concepts like tolerance and fanaticism in reality includes. It is a well known fact that the Watchtower Society consider their particular brand of Bible twisting the only true religion on earth, and that all other religions are false. On top of this the Watchtower Society even go so far as to condemn everyone who doesn’t accept the Watchtower religion to death. This simple fact tells us that we are dealing with a religion that is simply FOUNDED on intolerance and fanaticism! One cannot but stare in disbelief when reading quotes like the next one from Awake!:
“By works and example, Christianity's Founder, Jesus Christ, encouraged love of God and love of neighbor, not intolerance and fanaticism.”
Awake! February 22. 1999, page 4.
A sect, who has dedicated its very existence on spreading intolerance and fanaticism, has of course no clue whatsoever about what love is. Totally incapable of loving anything or anyone who doesn’t show the same blind obedience to Brooklyn as they do, has no idea about what love really is.
Take a look at the next quote from the Watchtower as notice how “love” and “tolerance” is radiating from every word:
“Shortly, the great tribulation will suddenly break out, moving quickly to a climax in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) It will reach a crescendo as Jehovah destroys this system of things and the figurative table at which the world’s nations have been feeding. Jehovah will also overthrow the entire invisible organization of Satan the Devil with its hordes of demons. Those who have continued to feed at Satan’s spiritual table, the table of demons, will be forced to attend a literal meal, no, not as partakers, but as the main course—to their destruction! — See Ezekiel 39:4; Revelation 19:17, 18.”
Watchtower July 1. 1994, page 13.
Another incredible statement in this Awake is this one:
"Does it strike you as odd that something as potentially elevating and ennobling as the teachings of the Bible should be misused to promote intolerance, bigotry, and hatred? Actually, it is not those teachings of the Bible that make religion unpalatable to many. Rather, it is a corruption of them.” Awake! February 22. 1999, page 4.
Incredible! Have these idiots ever read the Bible? Read this passage from the Bible and really think about what you read:
*** Rbi8 Numbers 31:7-9 ***
And they went waging war against Mid'i•an, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses, and they proceeded to kill every male. 8 And they killed the kings of Mid'i•an along with the others slain, namely, E'vi and Re'kem and Zur and Hur and Re'ba, the five kings of Mid'i•an; and they killed Ba'laam the son of Be'or with the sword. 9 But the sons of Israel carried off the women of Mid'i•an and their little ones captive;*** Rbi8 Numbers 31:14-18 ***
And Moses grew indignant at the appointed men of the combat forces, the chiefs of the thousands and the chiefs of the hundreds who were coming in from the military expedition. 15 So Moses said to them: “Have YOU preserved alive every female? 16 Look! They are the ones who, by Ba'laam’s word, served to induce the sons of Israel to commit unfaithfulness toward Jehovah over the affair of Pe'or, so that the scourge came upon the assembly of Jehovah. 17 And now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had intercourse with man by lying with a male. 18 And preserve alive for yourselves all the little ones among the women who have not known the act of lying with a male.
Could any of you faithful Jehovah's Witnesses and other fundies please explain what in this Bible text you find particularly “elevating and ennobling”? Or isn’t this really a story of “intolerance, bigotry, and hatred”? Well, I know you will never even attempt to deal with this, but I ask these questions for the benefit of those who are able to think. I can only say that this is one of the many passages which render “those teachings of the Bible” and religion very “unpalatable” to me.
The complete inability of Brooklyn to understand the concept of fanaticism is clearly demonstrated here in this quote:
"Similarly, misunderstandings today often result in estrangement and even prejudice. For example, a few people have viewed Jehovah's Witnesses as religious fanatics because of reports about their refusal to take blood transfusions. Yet those who have personally inquired of the Witnesses about this matter have often been pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a Biblical basis for their position and that there are safe, effective alternative treatments.”
Awake! February 22. 1999, page 5.
In remains a simple fact that when you are willing to die, or let your children die on the basis of some insane farfetched reasoning carried out by a bunch of losers in Brooklyn, which claim that the insanity is “Bible based”, you are overqualified as a fanatic. Based on the Bible people make the most horrendous claims. When your own family and loved ones lives become irrelevant and less important then some “cause” you have become for all intent and purpose a fanatic!
It is quite interesting to note that even in this “window dressing” article where they try to portray the Watchtower Society as tolerant and reasonable, they slip up and show us the very material fanaticism is made of:
"So this is no time to take our beliefs for granted, for everlasting life will be given only to those who know God and who "worship [him] with spirit and truth." -John 4:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9"
Awake! February 22. 1999, page 6.
Knowing the Watchtower Society claim of being the “only true religion” this quote is understandable. Would you say that people who actually claim to have THE ONLY TRUTH, and that everyone else is wrong, is humble? Particularly if you engage in debate with such people and find them horribly ignorant about almost any conceivable subject regarding the issue? In light of this consider this quote from the Awake!
"Since at most one faith can be true, it follows that human beings are extremely liable to believe firmly and honestly in something untrue in the field of revealed religion. One would have expected this obvious fact to lead to some humility, to some thought that however deep one's faith, one may conceivably be mistaken." Awake! February 22. 1999, page 6.
Yes, one is really searching in vain when looking for any trace of humility in Brooklyn. Only the arrogance of the true bigot is to be found there.
But this Awake! Have more astonishing quotes. Look at this:
"And an early U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson said: "Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error. . . .They are the natural enemies of error." So if we are genuinely searching for truth, we will "weigh and consider" and pursue "reason and free inquiry." Awake! February 22. 1999, page 6.
Wow! Imagine that! REASON AND FREE INQUIRY??? There’s your cue all of you anonymous Jehovah's Witnesses out there. Write to Brooklyn and inquire freely, and see what happens? Quote Thomas Jefferson and this Awake! And see where it gets you?
I must say that some times the Watchtower literature is really entertaining in all it’s astonishing weasel worded dishonesty.
Norm.