Mr. Gerrit Lösch, Member of the Governing Body
Jehovah’s Witnesses
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn, New York
USA 11201-2483
Dear Mr. Lösch:
“Wer einmal lügt, dem glaubt man nicht, und wenn er auch die Wahrheit spricht." (Who lies once is not believed even if he later says the truth.)
I believe that is the German proverb that you mentioned in your talk in the November 2016 edition of the monthly program on JW Broadcasting.
In that talk of yours you also made the following statement:
"So we need to speak openly and honestly with each other, not withholding bits of information that could change the perception in the listener, or mislead him."
On the same day as I watched your talk on JW Broadcasting, I also read the Watchtower (Study Edition) of February 2017, as found on JW.org.
That edition of the Watchtower contained the article "Who Is Leading God’s People Today?" That article contained the following passage:
"8 In the late 19th century, Charles Taze Russell and some of his associates endeavored to reestablish true Christian worship. To help them disseminate Bible truth in various languages, Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was legally incorporated in 1884, with Brother Russell as president. * He was an outstanding student of the Bible, and he fearlessly exposed as false such doctrines as the Trinity and the immortality of the soul. He discerned that Christ would return invisibly and that “the appointed times of the nations” would end in 1914. (Luke 21:24) Brother Russell devoted his time, energy, and money unsparingly to share these truths with others. Clearly, at that pivotal time, Brother Russell was used by Jehovah and the head of the congregation."
The sentence in the above passage that particularly caught my attention was:
"He discerned that Christ would return invisibly and that 'the appointed times of the nations' would end in 1914."
That statement above from the Watchtower fails to mention the historical fact that Pastor Russell believed and taught, from 1876 to this death in 1916, that the Christ had already returned invisibly in 1874. At no time did Pastor Russell discern that Christ "would return" invisibly in the future that was ahead for him and his readers. In his view, it was something that had already occurred in the past, in 1874, two years before Pastor Russell came to believe that Christ had returned in that year. Pastor Russell never in his lifetime looked forward to the invisible return of Christ as a future event.
And so I was reminded of your statement from the November 2016 edition of JW Broadcasting:
"So we need to speak openly and honestly with each other, not withholding bits of information that could change the perception in the listener, or mislead him."
Sir, do you not agree that the statement above from the February 2016 Watchtower (Study Edition) withholds a key bit of information and that this withholding has the effect of misleading readers?
The statement from the Watchtower mentions the 1914 date in that sentence in a way that leads readers to think that Pastor Russell thought "that Christ would return invisibly...in 1914."
Here again is the entire sentence, with emphasis added:
"He discerned that Christ would return invisibly and that 'the appointed times of the nations' would end in 1914."
Sir, please notice the parallelism in the two verb phrases in the sentence, "would return" and "world end," both apparently referring to the date 1914 at the end of the sentence.
It certainly appears to me that the writer meant to suggest that Pastor Russell taught the Bible Students to look forward to 1914 as the date of the invisible return of Christ. But that is historically not true.
Here is the same sentence from the German edition of the February 2017 Watchtower (Study Edition) as found on JW.org:
Er erkannte, dass Christi Wiederkunft unsichtbar wäre und die „bestimmten Zeiten der Nationen“ 1914 enden würden.
A clear, correct, accurate statement would have been worded in a manner something like the following:
"He discerned that Christ HAD RETURNED invisibly IN 1874 and that “the appointed times of the nations” would end in 1914."
Sir, in your JW Broadcast talk, you also said:
"Lying involves saying something incorrect to a person who is entitled to know the truth about a matter. But there is also something that is called a half-truth."
It is understandable that any person or organization would be tempted to sometimes omit information about a significant past failing or error. (I myself have done that; my Jehovah have mercy on me.)
But sir, you yourself said in your November 2016 talk on JW Broadcasting:
"It is necessary to defend the truth because in today's world truth is being attacked and distorted. We are surrounded by a sea of lies and misrepresentation."
You also said:
"The faithful and discreet slave is not inspired, although it champions the truth."
But was the faithful and discreet slave acting as a champion of truth when it published in the Watchtower a sentence that misleads readers into believing that Pastor Russell taught that Christ "would return" invisibly in 1914?
Sir, you also said in your November 2016 talk on JW Broadcasting:
"Lies and half-truth undermine trust."
If people can't trust the faithful and discrete slave, who are they going to trust? Politicians? Business leaders? The leaders of Babylon?
I respectfully request that you consider this matter, and if you agree that the sentence in question is misleading Watchtower readers, that you act in accordance with what you said in your November 2016 talk on JW Broadcasting:
"Third, we know we have the truth because our conduct adheres to the high moral standards of truth."
"This magazine (Watchtower) will never shrink in fear from championing the truth."
"Some say 'truth is relative.' It is like saying 'This is truth for you' and 'This is truth for me.' But this is not logical when it comes to religious truth."
Sir, now is the hour. Now is the hour of truth. Today is the day to adhere to the high moral standards of truth. Now is the time to not shrink in fear from championing the truth. You and I must show in deeds that the same truth applies to and governs all, regardless of whether he is a mighty one or a lowly one. You and I must be "doers of the word" (James 1:22) not merely speakers of it, or else "all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
Perhaps I am wrong in this, but I do not believe it is reasonable to conclude that the misleading sentence from the February 2017 Watchtower (Study Edition) was simply the result of carelessness on the part of the writer. I come to this conclusion because I know that the Witnesses who write, edit and pre-examine the articles for Watchtower magazine are very diligent, very well-informed, and are very careful about what is printed and published in the Watchtower magazine.
Thank you for considering this matter. If you can see fit to reply to me personally, I would welcome and appreciate that.
If I have made any incorrect, distorted, or misleading statements in this letter, I hope someone will correct me.
I wrote this letter for the purpose of defending and exalting the name of Jehovah (Psalm 99:5).
Thank you very much.
