Lloyd
Lying? No sweety you wouldn't be lying to tell them what they want to hear.
It is called "Theocratic Warfare"
Rutherford states in the book "RICHES" by J F Rutherford ( you can view it on google books limited preview but page 177 is available. Here is what he good Judge tells us:
"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. (Rutherford, 1936, p. 177)"
and again
"Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth ... 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." (Aid to Bible Understanding Book, 1971 Edition, Pages 1060-1061)
So the question for you is are the Elders "ENTITLED" to hear and know the truth? So would you be telling them a false statement for the purpose of deceiving AND working injury? Is there something to gain over them by a false statement. NOT, you just wanna keep your life together until you decide (not them) to change it. So this would be self preservation.
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 ... At times [a Jehovah's Witness who takes the witness stand in court] may prefer to refuse to speak and suffer the consequences rather than betray his brothers or the interests of God's work. ... hiding the truth, which he is not entitled to know, from an enemy does not harm him ... 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 kingdo m c ommitted 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." (Quotes from The Watchtower, May 1st 1957 Issue, Page 285)
Finally you can look at it this way. Satan has infiltrated the WTBS and you are merely trying to preserve yourself for future use by Jehovah!
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