Watchtower Governing Body leadership directly impacts 7 million members earth wide.
If the GB’s policies, doctrines, and interpreted “truths” led to death, injury or damage to others because of deliberate malfeasance on the part of the GB, how would we prove it?
Any religious directive is authoritatively imposed and agreed to by members—it is usually considered a voluntary submission, rather than coercion.
But wait! Watchtower teachings are never passed off as the ideas of imperfect men. The policies, interpretations, and doctrines are directly spoken of as channeled TRUTH from Jehovah God.
QUESTIONS: Would Jehovah give a False Teaching to be taught? Would he change a true teaching? Would Jehovah change back to a False teaching?
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CASE IN POINT:
Romans 13:1 King James Version (KJV)
13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Historically, within the framework of Christianity, submission to the “higher powers” set in place by God is interpreted to mean governments, magistrates, secular authorities.
For the Bible Students under the teaching authority of Pastor C.T. Russell, we find the traditional understanding of Romans 13.
LET’S READ WHAT PASTOR RUSSELL TAUGHT:
In The Watch Tower, July 15, 1916, three months before he died, Charles T. Russell wrote the following in the article, "Militarism and Conscience":
“While Christians are enjoined to be subject to the "Powers that be"—the kings, governors, magistrates, etc. - nevertheless this is not to be understood as meaning the renouncement of our fidelity to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our Over-Lord. Our allegiance to earthly lords and powers and their commands is merely to the extent that they do not conflict with the commands of our Over-Lord. The Jews in renouncing Jesus cried, "We have no king but Caesar"! The Christian's position is, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's but unto God the things that are God's. Whenever Caesar and his laws conflict with the divine requirements, all true soldiers of the cross are left no alternative.”
The above is clear enough.
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We now move on to the second part.
Russell died in 1916. Authority passed to Judge J.F.Rutherford. Rutherford sought absolute power over direct leadership of all congregations. Obedience to his directives was imposed and enforced.
In 1929, Rutherford as Governing Body, President of the Watchtower, changed the interpretation of Romans 13: 1, 2. This was a summary act of unbridled authority made in the name of Jehovah.
NEW LIGHT! "Superior Authorities" was NOT secular at all--now it was Heavenly!
Because of Rutherford’s drastic change, all during WWII and the Korean War Jehovah’s Witnesses were required upon pain of excommunication to regard Rutherford’s CHANGED interpretation as correct. This set off dramatic impact on members worldwide resulting in acts of defiance of secular authority. The backlash by the secular authorities led to prosecution, imprisonment, executions, fines, riots, litigation, pressure on children to defy teachers, etc.
Here is the trumped up ‘explanation’ for such dramatic change in doctrine.
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The Watchtower, November 1, 1972. p. 644 sought to argue a reasonable explanation for the changes of 1929 from what Russell taught.
Read their words and pay particular attention to the lies told about what USE TO BE taught. It is deliberately misrepresented.
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"Romans 13:1 had been construed to mean that the governments of the world must be given unqualified obedience, the witnesses interpreted the "higher powers" or "superior authorities" there mentioned as applying to Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. However, a closer examination of the context revealed that Romans 13:: does indeed refer to political governments of this world But by comparing this scripture with others, such as Acts 5:29, which states, "We must obey God as ruler rather than men," it was seen that the "subjection" mentioned at Romans 13:1 must be a relative subjection, not an unqualified one. That is, Christians are to be in subjection to the governments of this world so long as these do not ask Christians to go contrary to God's laws."
Now let us stop!
QUESTION: Is it true that Russell taught ‘unqualified obedience’ to secular governments?
ANSWER: No! Russell did not teach what the Watchtower tries to say he taught.
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Charles Russell taught the meaning of Romans 13:1, 2 as relative subjection of Christians to worldly governments.
J.F. Rutherford, (Watchtower President) reinterpreted ‘worldly governments’ identity to that of Jehovah and Jesus rather than secular powers. The obligation to obey world leaders disappeared. Even relative subjection ceased to be a command of God from 1929 forward. (REFERENCE: "The Higher Powers," The Watch Tower, June 1, 1929, pp. 163-69. "The Higher Powers" (Part 2), The Watch Tower, June 15, 1929, pp. 179-85.)
Nathan H. Knorr (Watchtower President) changed BACK AGAIN to view #1, misrepresenting honest reasons for either change.
Another attempt at a LYING explanation for changing in 1929 and yet—BACK to previous interpretation appeared in December 1, 1981 issue of the Watchtower.
“Happily, in the year 1962, Jehovah led his people to an understanding of the principle of relative subjection. It was seen that dedicated Christians must obey secular rulers as the "superior authorities," gladly recognizing these as "god's ministers," or servant for their good. ((Rom. 13:4) However, if these "authorities" ask them to violate God's laws, what then? Up to that point Christians have obeyed the command at Romans 13:1: "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities." But this is qualified by Jesus' words, as recorded at Matthew 22:21: "Pay back, therefore, Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God." So whenever "Caesar" asks Christians to do things contrary to God's will, they must place Jehovah's law ahead of "Caesar's."
Does the above support the 1962 change by ‘explanation ‘honestly?
The understanding of Bible Students guided by Pastor Russell was quite adequate and needed no change. The real reasons for the un-called-for change in 1929 have never been explained by the Society.
SCRIPTURE STUDIES, Vol VI., The Watch Tower 1915, reprints p. 5755
“We reflect that to become a member of the army and to put on a military uniform implies the duties and obligations of a soldier as recognized and accepted. A protest made to an officer would be insignificant - the public in general would not know of it. Would not the Christian be really out of his place under such conditions?
"But," someone replies, "If one were to refuse the uniform and the military service he would be shot."
We reply that if the presentation were properly made there might be some sort of exoneration; but if not, would it be any worse to be shot because of loyalty to the Prince of Peace and refusal to disobey his order than to be shot while under the banner of these earthly kings and apparently giving them support and, in appearance at least, compromising the teachings of our heavenly King? Of the two deaths we would prefer the former - prefer to die because of faithfulness to our heavenly King.”
The understanding of Bible Students guided by Pastor Russell was quite adequate and needed no change. The real reasons for the un-called-for change in 1929 have never been explained HONESTLY, FACTUALLY by the Society.
CONCLUSION:
LOGICALLY, the Watchtower Tower leadership did not channel NEW LIGHT of understanding directed by Jehovah.
1. If Jehovah authorized the change to Russell’s teaching, it would have remained changed because it indicated Russell was wrong.
2. By changing back to what Russell originally taught, the spotlight shines on Rutherford’s deliberate malfeasance. Knorr and Fred Franz, by LYING TWICE, tried to cover up. This shows consciousness of wrongdoing and a pattern of deception.
3. The pattern of deception by the Governing Body indicates willful personal reasons disguised as Truth. As leaders change, new ideas push out old teachings willy-nilly simply because it can all be done under a smokescreen of NEW LIGHT.
4. True teaching cannot become Old Light if it becomes New Light again afterward.