Thought Control
- Leaders of these groups repress questions by conditioning their members to employ "thought-stopping" statements to drown out doubt, questions, anxiety or uncertainty, such as "I can't think about that." "How can you question (the leaders) after all they have done?" etc. The intention is to stop questions regarding the system or leaders.
- Watchtower 2002 8/1 pp 9-14 Loyally Submit To Godly Authority20 Rather than challenge their authority, we truly appreciate our hardworking elders! Their record of faithful service, often over many decades, inspires our trust. They faithfully prepare for and conduct congregation meetings, work side by side with us in preaching the “good news of the Kingdom,” and provide Scriptural advice when we need it.They visit us when we are sick and comfort us when we mourn. They loyally and unselfishly support Kingdom interests. Jehovah’s spirit is upon them; they have his approval. (In other words, “Look at all they have done for us!”)
- Watchtower 1986 March 15 pp.15-20 Allow No Place for the Devil!
If you are counseled or even reproved for some wrong practice or attitude, this, too, may prove to be an ideal time for the Devil to prompt you to ask yourself if you are in the right organization. So keep humble.
- Watchtower 1983 January 15 p.27
Fight Against Independent Thinking
If we get to thinking that we know better than the organization, we should ask ourselves: "Where did we learn Bible truth in the first place? Would we know the way of the truth if it had not been for guidance from the organization? Really, can we get along without the direction of God's organization?" No, we cannot!-
- Watchtower 1983 January 15 p.22 Exposing the Devil's Subtle Designs
Avoid Independent ThinkingHow is such independent thinking manifested?
A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization.
- The cult has it’s own language which further regulates how a person thinks. Different words make the members feel special and separate from outsiders.
- Watchtower 2002 9/1 pp19-24 Imitate The Great Teacher
Our understanding of God’s Word has given us a unique vocabulary. If we use such expressions as “the faithful and discreet slave,” “other sheep,” and “
- More words to make us feel special.
Publisher, District Overseer, Circuit Overseer, Kingdom Hall, the Truth, the Society, Service Department, Field Service, turning in your Time, Return Visit, Placement, Magazine route, Territory Card, perfection / imperfection, Paradise earth, anointed, little flock, other sheep, bethel home, bethel elder, Bethelite, monthly average, national average, inactive, Field service report, conversation stopper, elder meeting, theocratic ministry school, talk assignment, spirit-directed Organization, whole-souled service, Pioneer, Need-Greater, Ministerial Servants w/ specific titles (e.g. Literature, Accounts), Shepherding Call, Reinstate, Disfellowship, Disassociate, Private Reproof, marked, Judicial Committee, Appeal Committee, Governing Body, Faithful and Discreet Slave, Spiritual Virgins, Channel (also Channel of Holy Spirit), Envoys (underlings of the Ambassadors of Christ), worldling, sticktoitiveness, Wait on Jehovah!, Opposer, Foregleam, Divided Household, NEW LIGHT, Mother organization, Honest hearted-one, Old system of things, divine education, Jehovah’s Administration
- The change in definitions of significant words and doctrines keeps even the members from understanding their own beliefs.
- Will the Sodomites be resurrected?
Watchtower of 7/1879 p 8 “the Sodomites will be resurrected.”
Watchtower of 6/1/52 p 338 “the men of will not be resurrected.”
Watchtower of 8/1/65 p 479 “the men of will be resurrected.”
Watchtower of 6/1/1988 p 31 “men of will not be resurrected.”
Live Forever 1982 edition page 179 “men of will be resurrected.”
Live Forever 1989 version page 179 “Men of Sodom will not be resurrected.”
Insight Vol. 2 page 985 “men of will be resurrected.”
Revelation book page 273 “men of will not be resurrected.”
- If a woman does not scream when she is raped, is this an act of fornication and therefore a sin?
FORNICATIONWT 1/15/64 p.63;
WT 1/15/64 p.64;
WT 6/1/68 p.347
NOT FORNICATION (implied) 1969, 1971 Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1371+, 601
FORNICATION
Awake! 3/8/74 p.14
NOT FORNICATION (implied)
Awake! 7/8/80 p.5,6
FORNICATION
WT 10/15/80 p.7
NOT FORNICATION
WT 3/15/83 p.30
FORNICATION
Awake! 2/22/84 p.2
Awake! 2/22/84 p.25
NOT FORNICATION
Awake! 6/8/84 p.28
FORNICATION Awake! 5/22/86 p.23
NOT FORNICATION (?) (not sure really … a vague response)
Awake! 9/22/86 p.28
NOT FORNICATION
Awake! 3/8/93 p.5
- Are the increases in numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses evidence that they have God’s divine favor and blessing?
NO -
Examining the Scriptures Daily, May 19th, 2002Of course, the number of those associated with Jehovah's Witnesses is not a criterion for determining if they enjoy divine favor.
YES - Watchtower July 1, 2002, p.13, paragraph 17-19Now is the time for Jehovah to express mercy to his anointed servants and their other sheep companions. The evidence that this is so is the extraordinary increase with which he has blessed them…
18. Each year, hundreds of thousands of additional "foreigners" associate with Jehovah's organisation, and the way will remain open for many more to follow them. Jehovah says to Zion: "Your gates will actually be kept open constantly; they will not be closed even by day or by night, in order to bring to you the resources of the nations, and their kings will be taking the lead" (Isaiah 60:11) Some opposers try to close those 'gates,' but we know that they cannot succeed. Jehovah himself has said that one way or another, the gates will stay open. The increase will continue.19. There are still other ways that Jehovah has blessed his people, making them beautiful in these last days. - Who Is Speaking At Rev 22:12,13?“Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Watchtower 1955 July 1 p.387
It’s Jesus.
Watchtower 1967 November 15 p.680
It’s Jehovah
Awake! 1978 August 22 p.28
It’s Jehovah
Watchtower 1978 October 1 p.15
It’s Jesus.
Watchtower 1988 June 15 p.20
It’s Jehovah
Revelation Climax (1988) (switchup in the same book)
First, it’s Jehovah (p.316)
Then it’s Jesus. (p.319)
Watchtower 1999 Dec 1 p.19 (switchup in the same article)
First it’s Jesus. (paragraph 18)
Then it’s Jehovah (paragrah 19)
- Who are the superior authorites spoken of at Romans 13:1?1886 - Earthly governments (Divine Plan of the Ages, 1886, p.266) 1889 - Earthly governments (Time Is At Hand, 1889, p.81) 1932-1963: God and Christ (Vindication, Vol. 3, 1932, p.13 and The Truth Shall Make You Free, 1943, p.312) 1952 - God and Christ (Let God Be True, 1952, p.248) 1959 - God and Christ (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, p.91) 1963 - Earthly political governments (WT 1/1/63 p.31) 1975 - Earthly political governments (1975 Yearbook, p.238)
1980 - Earthly political governments (WT 5/15/80 p.4) - Society’s View of Organ TransplantsConscience matter
The Watchtower 08/01/1961 p. 480 The question of placing one's body or parts of one's body at the disposal of men of science or doctors at one's death for purposes of scientific experimentation or replacement in others is frowned upon by certain religious bodies. However, it does not seem that any Scriptural principle or law is involved. It therefore is something that each individual must decide for himself. Prohibited. It is cannibalism.Watchtower, 11/15/1967, pp.702-4 Organ transplants are cannibalism, hence inappropriate for Christians. Prohibited. It is cannibalism.Awake!, 6/19/1968, p.21 "Jehovah's Witnesses consider all organ transplants to be cannibalism, hence unacceptable". Blood is prohibited because blood is an organ and organ transplants are cannibalism.Jehovah's Witnesses and the Question of Blood, p.41 (1977) Consequently, whether having religious objections to blood transfusions or not, many a person might decline blood simply because it is essentially an organ transplant that at best is only partially compatible with his own blood.– Allowed.Watchtower, 3/15/1980, p.31 "Organ transplants are not necessarily cannibalistic".
Woman dies from refusing bone marrow transplant in 1978 – only two years before Society’s reversal on organ transplants:
Copyright 1978 NEW YORK TIMES November 26, 1978, Sunday
SECTION: Page 47, Column 4 LENGTH: 74 words
JOURNAL-CODE: NYT ABSTRACT:
Thirteen-year-old Lori Mason of (Mass) dies on same day special court session was scheduled to ensure that her rights were being fully presented after judge upheld her decision to decline bone marrow transplant from her sister. Had refused transplant on religious grounds as member of Jehovah's Witnesses and feared possibilty of endangering her sister's health. Had suffered from disease called Fanconi's aplastic anemia (S).
Reasoning From The Scriptures – False Prophets p136 par4
Matters on which corrections of viewpoint have been needed have been relatively minor when compared with the vital Bible truths that they have discerned and publicized. (needless death is relatively minor??)
- God is defined by, and eventually becomes the group.
- Watchtower June 15, 1957 p. 370It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the direction of the “slave” as we would to the voice of God, because it is his provision.
- Organized to Do Jehovah's Will, pg 171Never would we want to have a fleshly viewpoint of this channel of communication. To do so could cause us to lose sight of the fact that Jehovah is directing his organization, and we could thereby reject his efforts to draw us closer to him.
- Watchtower 1959 May 1 p.269 Attain Completeness in the Society
In the same way Christ, the Head, employs the organization that is his body to carry out his assigned work. His orders reach the whole of the organization on earth through the governing body, and on down through the Branches to the congregations.--1 Cor. 12:12-18; Matt. 24:45-47. To hold to the headship of Christ, it is therefore necessary to obey the organization that he is personally directing. Doing what the organization says is to do what he says. Resisting the organization is to resist him. - The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, p. 591We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his word and channel of communication.
- The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.
All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. - w89 9/1 p. 19 Remaining Organized for Survival Into the Millennium Only Jehovahs Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the "great crowd," as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil. (Revelation 7:9-17; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
- 1922 5/1 pg 132To be faithful means to be loyal. To be loyal to the Lord means to be obedient to the Lord. To abandon or repudiate the Lord’s chosen instrument means to abandon or repudiate the Lord himself, upon the principle that he who rejects the servant sent by the Master thereby rejects the Master.
- Watchtower 1952 June 1 p.351 Questions from Readers We must be willing to dismiss our own thoughts to make room for God's thoughts, and bend our thinking to conform to the principles of God as shown in his Word, even on this point of family and community responsibility. (Isa. 55:8, 9)
- Watchtower 1973 August 1 p.460 Cultivating Friendship with God
14 Yes, we should be deeply appreciative of all the fine spiritual food that "the faithful and discreet slave" class has been providing through The Watchtower, now for ninety-four years. - Watchtower 1981 February 15 p.19 Do We Need Help to Understand the Bible?[…] Jehovah is not pleased if we receive that food as though it might contain something harmful. We should have confidence in the channel God is using.
- Watchtower July 1, 1943 pages 204-6 "Righteous Requirements"
This Society was authorized by the Lord to bring forth things new and old for the household of faith and do the work for which the Lord had organized it. Therefore it is fully qualified and duly authorized to issue a "call to action" to all who claim to be on the Lord's side to busy themselves in doing the work of the Lord. (Note: God “speaks” to Faithful & Discreet Slave directly in this article) - Watchtower 1983 January 15 p.22 Exposing the Devil's Subtle DesignsAvoid Independent Thinking How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization.
