A Critical Look at Jehovah's Witnesses
They do state that there is something called Christendom and that they are not a part of it. According to Websters, Christendom is Christianity or the part of the world in which Christianity prevails. This is just from looking the word up. According to the Jehovah's Witness' definition, this remains true but the Witnesses conclude that is is a false Christianity. Their biggest proof of this is the Roman Catholic Church. In one article they criticize the Catholic Church for incorporating pagan practices into Christian worship. I'm not saying the criticism is unfounded. I'm saying to be fair in regards to the criticism. If someone criticizes, they should not be offended in anyway if they are then picked apart. Thus...
This is a critical world so the notion of the Jehovah's Witnesses being criticized is not a new concept. I want to go deeper. The members of this organization are advised to be critical of the associations they come into contact with. They are given guidelines to allow for a certain level of contact with the outside world under the auspice of maintaining a clean standing in front of God. This is to be so even among themselves. Do the brethren allow criticism on all levels of the organization? Can the rank and file members effect change upon their leadership or does leadership prohibit critical thinking by enforcing hierarchal rules of engagement? This is where it gets interesting. The elders are the local leaders, above them are traveling overseers, above them are district overseers, and above them are New York Bethel committees and the real cream at the top. It is a hierarchal arrangement which many outsiders are unaware of. If it is put to members of a church to not criticize the elder arrangement under the guise of scriptural adherence, how much less will members question what goes on above that level? I would say a lot less. Middle management will always be considered a buffer between the people and the elite.
As a human with free will, I would say that all people have a God given right to question the motives and goals of those who have authority over us. Be critical. Don't let doubts go unanswered. If you expect an answer as to why your check was short 1 hour of pay, why expect any less from a religion that tells you to wait when you have doubts. To say you will wait on the organization means you are following them. Are you sure they are not blindly leading and you blindly following? If any Jehovah's Witness reads this you will probably just chalk this up to another lost worldly person who has a bone to pick. I will tell you that I do care what happens to you and want you to never be led unknowingly anywhere you will regret. If I took the same stand of someone above the elder level, I would tell you not to question what I tell you and that I have this on greater authority than anyone on this earth, and that means you. That's not me. The fact is I am here with you and I will do what I can to lift you over me and support you. That my friend is true Christianity at work. Seek that out and you will find those who really have the TRUTH.
Published by Chris Cerebral
I like to write about religious subjects that deal with spiritual abuse and prophecy. I am a song writer that has made 3 personal albums and mixes. I am Christian. I have Asperger's Syndrome and I am an INTP. View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentMany in the organization know very little of what the organization does except what is told to them. In turn the governing body continues without any checks to their actions. This is why a ten year relationship was established with the UN without notice. This is why over 23000 names of molesters within the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses has been collected and handled in secret without notice. The organization is supposed to be our protector in this world... So why is its billion dollar corporate structure and goals so much like the world. It is a business. It is hard to see from the inside because if you are looking from the context of being within the congregation of JW then everything outside is not worthy of consideration... including all that I have just finished writing.
Thanks Noojra. Actually the faith is not fastest growing in the US. Its growing faster in third world countries and due to the way numbers are counted now versus a year ago they continue to show increase. Check your kingdom ministries. Flattening is not necessarily a bad thing if efficiency is the only reason for it; especially in the case of a religious organization like the witnesses who own a lot of property and act as mortgagers for many of the kingdom halls around the country. Not to mention the exposure to lawsuits by the families that may have been touched by the recent molestation cases. The majority of corporations in the US are "flattening" for just financial reasons. The watchtower may have more to protect themselves from. The legal, corporate, financial, and social decisions of this organization are left to the governing body to make. In essence that effects each one of the members of the organization.
There is no rank in the organization just different positions. We a all equal in gods eyes. and if some one has a question they can ask the elders, or any one else for answers.
BTW: the organization is not flattening, it's just being made more efficient.
In fact it is the fastest growing christian faith in the US
The book study is not being eliminated. is just being held at a different time!
Thanks for all of the comments from everyone. The criticism continues as their structure changes. You could say the organization is flattening to a certain extent. It could be that they are restructuring for more control or to allay legal exposure. The changes are profound and unprecedented. The provision of the household book study is being eliminated. The book study is a small subset of the congregation as a whole that meets for about an hour to discuss a particular publication. This is a weekly meeting and as of 2009 will be eliminated. 52 meetings will be eliminated in 2009.
1874,1914,1918,1925,1975.....Hmmmm.ALL the Watchtower dates are LIES!The REAL DEAL
Jehovah's Witnesses Millerite/Adventist sect spin-off American war of 1812 army captain William Miller is ground zero for Jehovah's Witnesses.
There is nothing that made me gasp in horror of all WT/JW falsehoods more then this finding that it all came from the Millerite movement.
Yes,the "great disappointment"of Oct 22 1844 has never died out... it lives on in the Seventh day Adventist (who admit it) and the Jehovah's Witnesses who deny it. The central CORE doctrine of the Watchtower,yes the reason the Watchtower came into existence was to declare Jesus second coming in 1914.When the prophecy (derived from William Miller of 1842) failed they said that he came "invisibly".
Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection and sealing of the 'anointed' so the entire Watchtower Bible and Tract Society doctrinal superstructure comes crashing down like a house of cardsWILLIAM MILLER http://www.jehovahs
Jehovah's Witnesses once fighters for free speech are now totalitarian because they try to cut you off from others who do not have the same beliefs, including family.
They will extol and preach "God's Kingdom" and this sounds attractive,what they hide from you is their Watchtower sect version that Jesus has already had his second coming in 1914 and is working "invisibly" through them.
An informative, importand and welcome article! Thanks.
This is extremely well reasoned! Within the realm of spirituality in general and Christianity in particularly, I have always found it most telling how a faith community handles criticism from within and without. Quicker than anything it exposes hypocrisy (do it because I say so) versus leadership based in humility. Again, great article!
I will say their criticisms of the Catholic Church, the Church that they and all other Protestant Churches, IS unfounded. Great article, and again, welcome to AC!