Dear Friends:
We were reminiscing about how we were so easily duped into joining the Org in the first place, and decided to review the baptismal questions from the Organized To Accomplish Our Ministry book. Remember those 40+ questions in the back of the book?
Well, in the section entitled Elevated Christian Morals, appears Question 12 (pg. 197), which reads:
"In addition to confessing one's own sins, what personal responsibility rests upon each Christian with regard to reporting serious wrongdoing by others that could threaten the spiritual or moral cleanness of the congregation?"
The main reference cited as the no-brainer answer to this query designed to turn all future JWs into "Narcs for Jehovah" is this verse from Leviticus 5:1:
"Now in case a soul sins in that he has heard public cursing and he is a witness, or he has seen it or has come to know it, if he does not report it, then he must answer for his error."
This scripture from the NWT clearly is designed to leave no doubt in the fledgling JW wanna-be's mind that if he hears any cursing, or sees or comes to know about any bad or immoral things happening, that he is to run to the elders immediately and narc on whomever he saw or heard doing these bad things.
As all of you know, this creates a huge climate of mistrust and fear within the organization between brothers and sisters, even if they are members of the same household. No one can be trusted - anyone can report you. No one can be confided in, as they can run and tell all at any time. Just like in a strict Communist dictatorship.
But, here's the clincher, friends. What does this verse (Lev. 5:1) really say and mean? Has it been twisted by Fred Franz and Friends to have a different meaning than our Creator intended? Is it being used to manipulate the rank-and-file to become informants and maintain control?
The answer can be found by reviewing almost any other Bible translation. You can find many of them on the Web site: www.biblegateway.com, if you do not own a Bible translation besides the NWT version.
Look at this translation of that same verse, Leviticus 5:1 from the New International Version:
If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.Or, how about this one, from my favorite alternative translation, The Jerusalem Bible Readers Edition:
"If anyone sins in any of these following cases:Or, the Amplified Bible Translation, which states this verse like this:
'A man should have come forward to give evidence when he heard the formal adjuration, having seen the incident or known the facts; but he has not spoken out, and so bears the consequence of his fault;"
IF ANYONE sins in that he is sworn to testify and has knowledge of the matter, either by seeing or hearing of it, but fails to report it, then he shall bear his iniquity and willfulness.Finally, and perhaps the clearest of all, is the New Living Translation, which states:
"If any of the people are called to testify about something they have witnessed, but they refuse to testify, they will be held responsible and be subject to punishment.
Nowhere in these other translations do we get the sense or meaning that the WTS tries to convey by their mistranslation of Lev. 5:1. Reading their translation from the NWT, one gets the impression that if one hears someone using swear words (cussing) in public, or some similar activity, one should go and report it immediately to the elders or be held responsible for it. But, this is clearly NOT the meaning as indicated by the translations seen in these and other Bibles. You can see that it means something altogether different.
And, I would be remiss if I did not point out that those who use a translation other than the NWT when they attend a Kingdom Hall, are viewed as semi-apostate for having done so.
It's time to expose some of the twisted scriptures foisted on an unsuspecting and trusting membership for what they really are- yet another Lie of the Watchtower Cult.