Having observed the realities of the organization that control the religion known as Jehovahs Witnesses, and coming to the obvious conclusion that it is a man made and man controlled business, I had dismissed any connection with the WTBTS and the outworking of Gods purpose through them.

During a phone conversation yesterday, sidgi mentioned that he had been looking at the book of Zechariah, and an interesting portion of scripture caught his eye. Zechariah 11.

15 And Jehovah said to me “Take a shepherd’s outfit again, an in- competent one’s. 16 For here I am setting up in the country a shepherd who will not attend to what is missing nor hunt up what strays nor cure what breaks a leg nor feed what is on its feet, but eat the flesh of what is fat and tear their hoofs. 17 Woe to my sham shepherd who quits the sheep! a sword on his arm and on his right eye! his arm shall dry out and his right eye shall go dim.

Now, why would this scripture be there? After discussing the matter for a while, the conclusion was that if it did indeed refer to the organization, then the reason was simply because they claimed to be shepherds in JEHOVAHS name. No other religion does this. The quotation really does show what the Society has and is doing these days.

]]> http://futuretruth.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/do-the-wtbts-get-a-mention-in-the-bible/feed/ Admin Staff http://futuretruth.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/398/ http://futuretruth.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/398/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:23:30 +0000 Admin Staff http://futuretruth.wordpress.com/?p=398

How Many Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Concentration Camps?

Norman Hovland

How many Jehovah’s Witnesses was there in Germany before and shortly after the war? How many were arrested, and how many did die in concentration camps? The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society knows this perfectly well, but doesn’t seem to be quite satisfied with the number of casualties. Somehow 635 dead, during the Nazi years doesn’t quite satisfy Brooklyn. They have however found it convenient to use the “estimates” done by “modern scientists” — which they in all other matters will claim have “no real knowledge”.

The number of deaths however isn’t the only thing the Watchtower have great difficulties with. They can’t seem to make up their minds about how many Witnesses there actually were in Germany before the war, and seem to be equally confused about the number of Witnesses after the war too. If the Watchtower Society’s handling of this matter is any indication of the accuracy of the other so-called “truth” distributed by them, there is absolutely no need to trust them. Let us investigate some of the material printed by the Watchtower:

“But despite the hard conditions, how those who worshiped Jehovah rejoiced! They had been privileged to prove their integrity to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. During Hitler’s rule 1,687 of them had lost their jobs, 284 their businesses, 735 their homes and 457 were not allowed to carry on their trade. In 129 cases their property had been confiscated, 826 pensioners had been refused their pensions and 329 others had suffered other personal loss. There were 860 children who had been taken away from their parents. In 30 cases marriages had been dissolved due to pressure by political officials, and in 108 cases divorces had been granted when requested by mates opposed to the truth. A total of 6,019 had been arrested, several two, three or even more times, so that, all together, 8,917 arrests were registered. All together they had been sentenced to serve 13,924 years and two months in prison, two and a quarter times as long as the period since Adam’s creation. A total of 2,000 brothers and sisters had been put into concentration camps, where they had spent 8,078 years and six months, an average of four years. A total of 635 had died in prison, 253 had been sentenced to death and 203 of these had actually been executed. What a record of integrity!” [1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 212 (bold added)]

As we can see, the Watchtower did have accurate figures. The Watchtower leaders has always been “control freaks”, and “Judge” Rutherford was not less so than the later leaders. Here are the figures.

• Arrested: 6,019
• Total number of arrests (some were arrested many times): 8,917
• Total number in concentration camps: 2,000
• Died in prison: 635
• Actually executed: 203

With these numbers in mind, let us then investigate what the Watchtower has claimed elsewhere. The above figures is from 1974 and was given the year before Armageddon (that was supposed to be in the autumn [October] 1975). Let us look at other figures:

1950

• 1,000 Witnesses executed
• 1,000 died in prison and concentration camps
• The Watchtower, December 15, 1950, p. 500: “Already during the Hitler regime about 1,000 Jehovah’s witnesses were executed as traitors, because they not only refused to serve in the war but openly opposed Hitler’s authority. Another 1,000 of Jehovah’s witnesses died in prisons and concentration camps.”

1951

• 2,000 Witnesses died cruel deaths
• The Watchtower, February 15, 1951, pp. 105-106: “That is why during the Nazi regime in Germany from 1933 to 1945 Jehovah’s witnesses in that land refused to heil Hitler! as their Fuehrer or Leader, and went to concentration camps and prisons, where 2,000 died cruel deaths, and of the 8,000 that came out alive, 2,000 were invalided for the rest of their lives.”

1960

• 10,000 Witnesses were tortured
• The Watchtower, June, 1, 1960, p. 327: “Hitler failed to break them in prisons and concentration camps where he tortured10,000 of them, and the Communists are failing to do it in their frightful prisons and slave-labor camps.”

1964

• Over 4,000 Witnesses died
• 10,000 Witnesses were put in concentration camps
• The Watchtower, January 1, 1964, p. 13: “Hitler, a Roman Catholic, the arm of his church in Germany, forbade Jehovah’s witnesses to preach the kingdom of God, and these modern-day Christians had to say to Hitler’s Gestapo police: ‘Whether it is righteous in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves.’ They kept preaching even though 10,000 of them were put in concentration camps and over 4,000 died there. The rest nearly starved to death. The war’s end aided their survival.”

1976

• 203 Witnesses executed
• 635 Witnesses died in prison
• A total of 6,019 Witnesses was arrested
• The Watchtower, February 1, 1976, p. 82: “a total of 6,019 had been arrested, several of them two, three, or even more times, so that, all together, 8,917 arrests were registered; and these persons served sentences amounting to 13,924 years in prison. Many of these faithful men and women were put into concentration camps and thus collectively spent 8,078 years undergoing vicious treatment there. A total of 635 died in prison, 253 were sentenced to death, with 203 of these actually being executed.”

1979

• 203 Witnesses executed
• 635 Witnesses died in prison
• A total of 6,019 Witnesses was arrested
• The Watchtower, July 1, 1979, pp. 7-8: “By way of illustration, please consider the years 1933 to 1945, when Adolf Hitler’s “Third Reich” tried to exterminate Jehovah’s Witnesses in the German Reich. Their activities were banned and 6,019 were arrested, several of them two, three or more times. Two thousand suffered in concentration camps. A total of 635 Witnesses died in prison, 203 being executed.”

How Many Witnesses in Germany at the beginning of the Third Reich?

1971

• 14,453 Witnesses in Germany in 1932
• The Watchtower, January 1, 1971, p. 16: “³⁵ In 1932 when the last report was received from Germany and before the ban was placed on Jehovah’s witnesses, there were 14,453 sharing in the Kingdom declaration. By 1946, following the collapse of the German war machine and the opening of the gates of the concentration camps — but not the graves — there were 11,415 dedicated Christians still in the great contest for the faith. Ten years later this number grew to 50,530, and by 1970 in Western Germany there were 86,252 Christian witnesses of Jehovah.”

1975

• 19,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933
• Awake!, February 22, 1975, p. 22: “Yet among the 19,000 German Jehovah’s witnesses in 1933, “a higher proportion (97 per cent) suffered some form of persecution than any of the other churches.”"

1995

• 25,000 Witnesses in Germany at the beginning of the third rich
• 10,000 Witnesses in prison
• 2,000 Witnesses in concentration camps
• Awake!, August 22, 1995, p. 10: “Why were Jehovah’s Witnesses so well acquainted with the concentration camps? When World War II started in 1939, there were already 6,000 Witnesses confined in camps and prisons. German historian Detlef Garbe estimates that the Witnesses constituted at that time between 5 and 10 percent of the total camp population! At a seminar on the Witnesses and the Holocaust, Garbe stated: “Of the 25,000 persons who admitted to being Jehovah’s Witnesses at the beginning of the Third Reich, about 10,000 were imprisoned for any length of time. Of these, over 2,000 were admitted to concentration camps. This means that the Jehovah’s Witnesses were, with the exception of the Jews, the worst persecuted by the SS of all the religious based groups.”

How Many Witnesses Came Out of the Camps?

1950

• 8,000 Witnesses came out of the Camps
• The Watchtower, May 15, 1950, p. 153: “¹¹ The most notorious case of persecution for living up to the name is that of the witnesses in Germany. They were banned by Hitler soon after he signed the concordat with the Vatican in 1933. Their property was confiscated. Ten thousand ministers were placed in concentration camps. Only eight thousand were released after World War II; two thousand had been murdered.”

1951

• 8,000 Witnesses came out of the Camps
• The Watchtower, February 15, 1951, pp. 105-106: “That is why during the Nazi regime in Germany from 1933 to 1945 Jehovah’s witnesses in that land refused to heil Hitler! as their Fuehrer or Leader, and went to concentration camps and prisons, where 2,000 died cruel deaths, and of the 8,000 that came out alive, 2,000 were invalided for the rest of their lives.”

1971

• 11,415 Witnesses came out of the Camps?
• The Watchtower, January 1, 1971, p. 16: “³⁵ In 1932 when the last report was received from Germany and before the ban was placed on Jehovah’s witnesses, there were 14,453 sharing in the Kingdom declaration. By 1946, following the collapse of the German war machine and the opening of the gates of the concentration camps — but not the graves — there were 11,415 dedicated Christians still in the great contest for the faith.”

1987

• 9,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1946
• Awake!, May 22, 1987, p. 15: “Jehovah’s Witnesses preserved Christian neutrality during World War II and thereafter. Rebounding from Hitler’s attempts to destroy them, the number of active Witnesses in Germany increased from fewer than 9,000 in 1946 to over 52,000 within five years.”

The Yearbook of 1974 states that there was a TOTAL of 2,000 Witnesses in the camps! And that the number of deaths was “a total of 635″! Yet we see that the Watchtower throw around fantasy figures like 10,000 Witnesses in the camps, and 4,000 dead! Why?

http://corior.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-many-jehovahs-witnesses-in.html

If you are reading this opening sentence, You will be reading a cohesive line of words that took nearly an hour to write. How does one begin to express the depth of a souls longing for knowing a path to tread? Ive no clue but I do know that in the end I just began writing. What you get is the best I can do right now.

Any Bible aware. righteously inclined person, after reading the article on this web journal, will have to conclude that Jehovahs Witnesses with their legal corporation the WTBTS have misled a lot of folk with their version of biblical interpretation.

At the risk of offending modern day Bible Students, I also would have to state that Charles Taze Russell, despite perhaps, maybe having an honest heart in the beginning, appears to have deviated from simple Bible instructions to NOT worry about the time or the hour as per Jesus instructions. CTR started the trend of dating and end time predictions that have heaped ridicule on the religious order. Rutherford, it would appear from emerging historical evidence, was a self seeking monetary and power oriented individual who perhaps because of his drinking problem had delusions of spiritual endowment. Perhaps the truth is simpler than that. Perhaps he was just a crook.

In any event, historical evidence aside, a look inside the pages of the scriptures will condemn them out of their own mouths. So many wrongdoings and pursuits in the name of Jehovah that do not have his approval or blessing.

So….

it is what it is.

Where are you going to go now? Who are you going to serve?

Oct. 30, 2006

Please send corrections/updates/suggestions to: Joseph M Schaffer

PO Box 496

Luling, TX 78648 USA

Truthsquared@e-cepher.com

Truth

is the goal of both sincere readers of the scriptures, as well as the student of the natural environment around us. While other subjects are relevant and interesting, scriptural truths are often construed as clashing against natural truth, cerebralist vs. theist, delusional nihilism vs. irrational piety. For some instances we can consider the trial of the Papal institutional view of an earth-centric cosmos vs. Galileo in 1633, and the evolution/creation debate that was publicly followed with great fanfare and  known as the “Monkey Trial” in Tennessee vs. John Scopes in 1925. Contradictions, claims, and firm stances have been at issue on levels both great and small throughout human history in an attempt to stake out the human understanding of our existence. Even in ancient Babylon, while it seems that a few mathematicians understood that likely the earth was round, religious leaders promoted the concept that the earth was flat.

Natural categories are much more easily folded into clear and distinct separate classes, even when little is known about the subject. As flower petals can all be classed together, and categorized as separate from plant leaves. That is, until plants are discovered which have leaves that can become petals during certain seasons, at which time the definition as to what makes a petal a petal, and a leaf a leaf are refined in order to perpetuate the human desire for nice, clean categories.  A similar situation is occurring today regarding the definition of what makes a planet a planet, and not an asteroid or some other special resident. Supposedly this has been resolved, until some other object disrupts the definition established by the International Astronomical Union in August of 20061. For instance the defining of an object orbiting the Sun would preclude the many similar objects found circling other stars. They have been reported as planets, but the new definition would technically render them nameless since the star they orbit is not our “Sun”. Many of these categories are man-made, defined in such a way as to help us to intellectually comprehend the creation in which we live, even while the creation blends from one to the other without such limits. The conflict between the blends of nature and the determination of man to have clearly defined definitions sometimes leads to intellectual conflict.

It is important at this juncture to state that categorizing our collection of known facts is valuable, but failing to understand or remember that the boundaries of those categories are artificially derived and that new information will often require modification of the definitions. They help to explain the reality, but do not shape nor influence the reality. A resulting paradigm shift may also be needed, and failing to do so could and will often lead one down a path of imaginary conclusions, as logical and delightful they may be.

This need for categorical understanding has often been applied to scriptural hermeneutics and exegesis as well, often with misleading results. How many messiah figures have passed through history without the expected conclusion? Even the one who did fulfill every scriptural evidence was misunderstood as to the immediate outcome.2

Students of nature, who are often grouped in the ‘camp’ of scientists with some level of   validity, find it convenient to point out the error of students of the scriptures and claim them to have ignorance. However, caution must be used. They fail to realize that scientific conclusions have been grossly error in ignorance at times as well.3

Rationalization of either truth set can have other limitations. For instance a single set of facts can have multiple interpretations, some of which may not be apparent to the person or persons drawing on the facts under scrutiny. While some of the interpretations may seem logical under analysis, the difficulty is to determine which interpretation, or theory, is in fact the accurate one. Which explanation harmonizes best with all known facts? Obvious errors can readily be ruled out, however at times the harmonization sits alongside other harmonized theories, putting the conclusions at risk of being circular proofs. In turn this requires more fact findingand study in order to determine a high degree of validity to a given theory.

There are two basic methods that are readily available in the physical realm: One that has been initiated by Francis Bacon toward the end of the 16th century, now known as the “scientific method”. This requires a collection of data based upon an initial theory drawn from observation, with control group, variations of the elements under study, and a conclusion. Rarely are multiple theories investigated, most often for reasons of keeping the study within conceptual limitations, as too much data would make an analysis more difficult. And it would be an unusual event that the end of a study would arrive at multiple conclusions, despite the possibility. These are often supplied by others who analyze the results. Previously established understandings tend to suppress new conclusions that differ greatly, and event that pure logical would not prevent, but implicates the human logician as having enteric influence. This method has proven beneficial in gaining knowledge that has lead to many advances in technology, such as the design and improvement of the semiconductor, the study of medical science, and horticultural improvements, and the use of not yet fully understood quantum mechanics, to name but few.

The other is one that is often not well recognized in the science world, but does have it’s use, and is often employed for reasons of no available alternatives. It is also very often refuted on the basis of not being ‘scientific’. This is the analysis of emerging patterns. In contrast to the scientific method there is no control group, data is gleaned from events that occur with little or no intentional directorate or purposefully influenced control. How can we learn about the earth, when there is only one earth? The moon as well is singular, no control group outside of its spectrum is possible. In fact an additional moon or moons would distort the study of a single moons affects on the earth.

This method proves valuable data even in advancing technology and discovery, such as in July/Aug 2005 when the Discovery space shuttle suffered damage during lift off. Subsequent use of the on-board camera to inspect the shuttle while still in orbit revealed pieces of ceramic coated gap filler fabric protruding from between two heat protection tiles. NASA officials feared that the protruding fabric could cause turbulence upon reentry, which in turn would heat the protective ceramic tiles to a temperature near or above their designed endurance.4  What study was available to make this determination? As one NASA official put it, “… the only data we’ve got comes from the shuttle and that’s all there is in the world.”5  And the only single data point available to provide an ‘emerging pattern’ regarding extruding gap filler fabric was a shuttle in 1995 that had a tile region raise from the normally expected 2,300ºF to nearly 2,800ºF.6  In this case, the emerging pattern had but a single reference point, but it was a pattern that potentially saved lives when it was referenced and turned into action.

This paper is not an attempt to solve the conflicts in every detail that may have arisen, are currently at issue, or will arise in the future. Instead it is an attempt to detail one method by which the natural and the scriptural set of truths can be resolved, based on current knowledge bases of both scripture and nature.7

This method would hold both parties as ignorant of factual truths from their opposite spectrums, and in fact will tend to alienate both factions as they adhere strictly to their emotionally charged positions. The tension created by the struggle over the imaginary definitions as though these man made boundaries were more important than the facts themselves create a situation where a valid analysis of truth is difficult to maintain without being distorted into one faction or the other, both by accusation and by hostile takeover. Both extremist factions on this and other issues are often guilty of both of these moral corruptions, which often lead to verbal and intellectual warfare.8

Quite simply they can be readily resolved and investigated peaceably. Students of the Bible are directed both to scripture and creation to understand God.9  There is no need for controversy; in fact such behavior only serves to detract from the factual gleaning toward any gain of further knowledge. The method is simply a continuation of the pattern set for harmonizing the full set of scriptural truths.

It does require that current theories and mental models be understood as subservient to established facts. Theories can be used to temporarily fill in where lack of concrete discovery exists, but they are merely penciled in, ready to be erased and modified or replaced as required. Scientific method is used where available, emerging patterns where it is unavailable. And scriptural truths (not religious doctrines, which are tantamount to theory) are given equal weight with natural facts (not theories).10

Often at conflict is the accepted method by which we came to exist. Was it progressive from a big bang, to single cell life, to modern complexity as the evolutionists determine, or was it sudden, explosive, and all matter in the universe came into being some 49,000 years ago as some intelligent design advocates hold?11  So let’s examine this and see if any resolve can be made between the two.12

What facts are known?

Natural: The earth is geologically 4.54 billion years old.13

Scriptural: The earth and all life on it were created in seven ‘days’.14

How can an attempt to resolve these two truths be accomplished?15

A simple attempt at harmonizing the two would result in a potential result that would better fit with the facts than emotional attachment to either source alone. The natural world’s harmonious structure decries at least an unbiased investigation into the possibility of a supreme being in order to properly assess the attempt at discovery where

we came from, and the scriptural texts point us to the natural world as evidence toward an enhanced comprehension of the pronounced supreme therein16.

The one truth is silent in word17, but contains volumes in material discovery, which requires interpretation in order to acquire intellectual comprehension of it.

The other recorded in the imagination18, allows for intellectual discovery to verify its reliability and to resolve interpretation.19

For instance, the scriptures elucidate a historical chronology which would indicate that the seventh creative day would be approximately 7,000 years long.20  A purely scientific and/or emerging pattern view from paleontology would propose that the oldest human remains discovered to date are from 16,000 years ago.21  Whereas a strict interpretation of the scripturally provided chronology would place the dating of man at 7,000 years.22  Is this a contradiction, or is it possible it can be resolved?

There is one element of the paleontological measurement that remains theoretical, that is the accuracy of the measurement. To date no one has, by scientific method, nor by emerging pattern watched an object form, get buried, then re-measure the object over a period of 1,000’s, 10,000’s, and more years. The capability to maintain accuracy is at best based upon logical inference but not actual measurement of the calibration source. Should any part of the environment for that source suffer an unknown disruption that could contaminate the results between the period it was deposited and the time it was harnessed and used for calibration, it could skew the results by unknown multiples of error.23  Hence a resolution would provide that any measurements would have to be normalized to fall within the unbroken chain of eye witnesses that recorded the age of mankind from Adam, captured in what is known as the Hebrew scriptures. Thus, to harmonize this, a human fossil would of necessity be something less than 7,000 years old.24

Now the apparent conflict between the 7,000 and the 160,000 (or millions depending on which anthropologist is referenced) age of human existence would threaten to disperse one to lean toward either the scientific or the religious in order to provide oneself with a comprehensible model that makes the simplest sense, especially when the thought is carried to an apparent logical conclusion that this would also mean that the earth is only 49,000 years old, which appears to violate the very geological evidence laying around us.25  This would seem to suggest that either God lied when his Word was written, or he lied when he created the physical earth by implanting misleading artifacts.

There can actually be several methods to resolve these two elements that do not require the need to slip oneself mentally into the emotionally charged regions of either extreme. Simple reasonableness26  could resolve the whole into a best available model based upon established facts, and missing knowledge filled in with scientifically established data when available, and when not available then by use of catalogued emerging patterns. Modification will be expected, and differing interpretations accepted.27  Variations of the model could be personally extracted, stretched, and turned in order to test theories and ideas, however the publicly agreed upon model would be utilized as an agreed point of discussion, unity, and from which to develop further study and reference during communication.28  This is no different from the current process employed within scientific circles.

In using this example of the age of the earth, we can merge the facts available from the two divinely supplied sources, and result in a determinate value. According to at least one source29, the age of the earth is 4,500,000 years. According to the scriptural passage the creative period lasted for 7 days30.  Given that no human recorded the actual events that predate Adam, we are left to determine how to resolve the two apparently differing values. No scientific experiment can be performed to replicate the results, so one must derive what can be glean from an emerging pattern frozen within both records, the natural writ and the holy writ. One theory might be that each creative ‘day’ was of a specific and equal length. This is a common concept that makes the conflicts most apparent. If the simplistic value of 7,000 years31  were assigned to the total, then the 4,500,000 measured length of time must be compressed within a period of 49,000 years. Since the creative book does not harmonize with this specific interpretation, then the values interpretively assigned to the creative days must be inaccurate. Based on measured elements of the creation, it would be physically invalid, or in mathematical terms:

4,500,000,000    49,000.

The interpretive model must be improved.

Alternatively, if more weight is given the measurements of the physical book of creation on this subject, then an attempt at correlation remains problematic. In fact it only serves to shift the problem to the other side of the issue. This would require each creative day to equal 648571428.571429 solar years. This is problematic due to the scriptural expectation is that the seventh creative day measures to be approximately 7,000 years. Hence this model would fail scripturally, as:

648,571,428.571429

It must be remembered that the creative ‘days’ may be merely descriptive of the events that occurred within each day to mark it as differing from the other. Alternatively the six days may actually be a representation of incompleteness, the unfinished creative process, and not tied to any time length at all32. For the purposes of this paper, it will be expected that the six days, while perhaps symbolic, do indeed correlate to the specific age of the earth. Even in scriptural interpretation, while the most probable hypothesis is held up as the standard for common reference, every hypothesis that harmonizes with the whole of scripture must be considered until ruled out. However one hypothesis that will be entertained here would be if the creative days were inversely “logarithmic-like”33  in scale. For instance, the seventh creative day may actually be 7,000 years, but there is no scriptural limit to the actual length of each creative day. In this model, the seventh creative day would equal approximately 7,000 solar years, while the sixth day was approximately 63,879, and so on. Other models in the future may prove to be more accurate, however this should be sufficient to indicate that a resolve between the two books of truth are truly harmonious, and should not be forced into a position of constant conflict as the media and supporters of either camp would lead the majority to believe. Since the sum of all creative days can be resolved to 4,500,000,000 then this model can be determined to be probable both for the physical measurement and the scriptural presentation of fact.

Upon improved understanding of physical dating techniques, this method would require new calculations, and perhaps even scaling. However it provides evidence that harmonization is possible. Given the premise of Occam’s Razor, this could also be the most likely conclusion.

This basic premise can be applied toward every human study, from what are known as the physical sciences, to human behavioral training. This can also offer a glimpse into realizing that human efforts to understand their condition, when accomplished outside of harmonious resolution between both the holy creative library and the holy written expression of facts, only leads to conflict, error, and misdirected conclusions. Resolving both expressions of holy spirit is not only possible, but is the best method for having a planet harmoniously joined in forward progress in technology and education, but also would help render the earth devoid of illogical yet intellectual (or even intellectually lacking) conflicts.

1  http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0603/index.html accessed Oct. 29, 2006

2  Acts 1:6,11; 3:18

3  In the late 1500’s, Tycho Brahe provided the most accurate measurements of the heavens up to his day. His results caused him to realized that either the stars were too far away for their parallax to be measured with his most modern equipment, or that the earth was the center of the universe. He chose to promote the latter in contradiction of Galileo’s conclusions, perhaps because Galileo had less accurate equipment. Similar Brahean blunders are repeated at times within the halls of science.

4  The shuttle disaster in Feb. 2003 which had similar failures was a cause for concern that reminded of the need for heavy caution.

5  http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/news/2005/space-050803-usia01.htm  accessed Oct. 21, 2005

6  http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/sts114/3290289 accessed Oct. 21, 2005

7  Genesis 1; Isaiah 40:26; Romans 2:1

8  James 4:1,3 (hdonh; note though often translated as “lust” could also indicate intellectual “pleasing”); Often selfish reasons, such as funding, stated goals, lack of or for belief in God, and prominence will drive the intensity of the claims being promulgated.

9  Romans 1:20; 2Timothy 3:16.

10  Caution must be given that unwitting interpretations are not viewed as scriptural truths. For an example

of this see The Watchtower 1999, Aug. 1, p. 10, “Bible Interpretation-By Whose Influence?” On the other hand interpreting the physical evidence is fraught with similar risks. It is much like trying to determine the emotional tone of email, you have the factual words in front of you, but are you reading the intent of the message correctly? A researcher may have the factual evidence mentally grasped, but reading what was cause and effect have long been a struggle for fields of study that range from forensic scientists, to lawyers, and to students of earth’s history. For every hypothesis, and alternative hypothesis must be allowed until they have been proven false. For a well written overview of this see The Watchtower 2000, Dec. 1, p. 29,

“Must You Believe It?”

11  The concept of Intelligent Design in this discussion is considering a somewhat strict interpretation of ID but which includes a supreme being, a.k.a. god. Some would hold the creation account to indicate the earth was only 6,000 years old, however this does not fit within even the strictest interpretation of the scriptures without subjecting definitions to extreme distortion. There are too many varieties of ID as there are too many varieties of evolutionary theories to included each in this paper. Evolutionary theories are often modified by nihilist preferences, funding, and discovery, while often ID theories are often modified by fundamentalist hijacking, opportunity, and religious rationalization. It should also be noted that, ID as is popularized in the political spectrum  has some significant theological failings that are akin to Gnosticism, in that it is an attempt to use the opposing side’s momentum against them.  Many neo-religious Creationists have adopted forms of “science” in what astronomer Isaac Asimov once referred to as “The Judo Argument.” i.e., if science once knocked down their beliefs, then they want to use science’s own

momentum as an offense. They know that faith in God carries no weight in science, and in turn begin to hinge their faith on science alone, which carries only limited weight in matters of religious faith. Avoiding such fruitless attempts, which have not been resolved for 1,000’s of year now, we find far better use of our time and effort in the preaching and teaching work. If debunking all erroneous scientific thinking, or pursuing scientific advances, had been our commission at Matthew 28:19,20, then Jehovah’s Witnesses would be renowned for such works. But the actual assignment is far more harmonious with God’s will in an attempt to reach the hearts of those seeking the same peace and happiness we look forward to in the paradise earth under God’s Kingdom. It is a very dangerous sect of Christianity. Possibly more so than evolution theories, in that it is a pretender in the realm of theism. (See also The Watchtower 1986, 9/1 pg.

30 “Questions From Readers”, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses)

12  This method is not intended to examine the details as to how the timing was measured, as improved methods will most likely force this date to be modified in the future. But rather this document is intended to provide a brief over view of how to resolve two sources of truth, rather than determine what sciences and details need to be improved.

13  http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html accessed Oct. 19, 2005; disputing the method for determining the age is outside the scope of this document, however the methods presented herein could be used to examine the claimed measurement. Dating of human remains and artifacts would require a separate resolve.

14  Genesis 1:2-2:3; determining the mean point of each day is also outside the scope of this document, however future analysis and discovery may provide a source of data by which some of the length of the days can be more accurately determined than the conclusions made herein.

15  The order of the two accounts, both the natural and the scriptural are in general agreement, with some vagueness and overlapping on the part of each due to lack of specific information or resolution.

16  See footnote 9.

17  It could be argued that the language of mathematics could be used to express the contents, but such claims would be limited. Any camp on this subject has the same challenges that have yet to be realized, such as solving for a comprehensive formula which could distinguish between an intelligently carved stone, such as petroglyphs as found along the King’s highway on the Big Island of Hawaii, or the Beishan Mountain China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the rock from which they were carved.

18  Intellectual communication, whether verbal, written, body motion, etc… requires the use of imagination on the part of both the transmitter and the receiver.

19  Proverbs 3:19-21; 1Thessalonians 5:21; 1John 4:1; 5:20

20  ”All Scriptures Inspired” pgs. 284-298; published by Jehovah’s Witnesses; that we are approximately

6,000 years into that seventh day is being ignored for the purposes of this discussion, one can assume a position as if we were at the end of that seventh day.

21  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1295624 accessed Oct. 21, 2005; others caution that errors in measurement allow for this to actually be in the 100,000 range. For the purposes of this discussion, it is being assumed that the fossil is both human, and that theoretical extrapolations that would trace the ancestry back some hundreds of thousands, or millions of years back are left to the realm of theory. See also: http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html

22  Note end comment of footnote 15.

23  The fact that the accuracy of carbon dating, potassium-argon dating, and others are still argued without solid resolve would indicate that while improvements in the accuracy are being made, not all unkown affects have been resolved. For instance, regarding a similar type of decay which has long been determined to be even more stable than carbon and potassium-argon decays is radioactive decay, which can no longer be claimed as unaffected by the environment around it. Claus Rolfs, a physicist at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, has discovered that certain conditions can actually reduce the half-life some at least some isotopes from thousands of years to just two or three years. Rolf concludes this has ‘profound implications for measuring the ages of the earth and the universe’. “Half-Life Heresy: Accelerating Radioactive Decay” http://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/mg19225741.100 accessed Oct.

23, 2006

24  Unless it was possibly Adam, Eve, or a very early offspring, which could put it at 7,000 + the time of

Adam’s creation until the start of the seventh day.

25  See footnote 10.

26  Philippians 4:5.

27  A person who relies on the word of god would not want to be known as having a character that is ‘not open to any agreement’ (1Timothy 3:3) but would rather be seeking the interests of their companion

(Philippians 2:21) and peace (Romans 12:18). This would be necessary and true in an attempt to resolve expressed and measurable truths as well.

28  Given that a person would have essentially forever (Psalm 22:26) to seek out natural truths (Eccelsiastes

3;11), there is no need to be impatient. All truth will eventually be uncovered even if a circuitous route is taken in the discovery. (contrast Psalm 94:4)

29  http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html, referenced Oct. 30, 2006.

30  Genesis 1:2-2:3.

31  This would be the roughly 6,000 years since man’s creation based upon Biblical chronology, plus the

1,000 year reign of Christ which would conclude the day of rest which commenced in Genesis 2:2. Insight on the Scriptures, vol-1 p. 545, under the subject of “Creation”, subheading “Length of Creative Days”. There are many reasons not to tie the length since man’s creation to the creative days, however for the purposes of demonstrating the process of resolving conflict, we will commence with this over-simplistic view. Note The Watchtower, 1976, July 15, pg. 436 ¶ 20, subheading “Time Factors That God Has Not Revealed”. Some fundamentalists try to hold to a view of the total creation being 7,000 years, which would only serve to pronounce the conflict yet further.

32  The Watchtower, 2004, April 1, p. 6, article entitled “Identifying the Wild Beast and Its Mark”, under the subheading, “Six Repeated Three Times-Why?”

33  ”Logarithmic-like”, since actual equations fit best into 4,500,000 years with a value of 9.1256 instead of a standard log. Based on 10.

By B. J. Kotwall and B. Stett.

Comments on The Watchtower 1995 May 15

MISUSED PROVERB

THE WATCHTOWER (WT) Magazine of May 15, 1995 appeals to Psalm 97:11 and Proverbs 4:18 as justification for past errors and subsequent newer doctrines.
In THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES of THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY (WTS) Psalms 97:11 reads:

Light itself has flashed up for the righteous one, and rejoicing even for the one upright in heart.

The WTS interprets this to mean that they regularly receive “flashes of light” from Jehovah (God).

That this interpretation is convenient though false is seen by reading the entire chapter of Psalm 19. Also PEAKE’S COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE explains:

…light and life are synonymous. Hence ’see light’ should not be taken in the sense of mental illumination, but as denoting the experience of a full, free and satisfying life (p. 420)

Proverbs 4:18 reads:

The path of the righteous one is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

Reading the entire chapter shows that verses 18-19 contrast the benefit to the “righteous” of obeying the instructions of a wise father with the damage to the wicked who forsakes such wisdom. Proverbs 4:18 does not - taken in context - justify the need of any individual or organization replacing doctrines and failed prophecies with new doctrines and prophecies. False teachings can be called “false words” and Proverbs 13:5 says:

“A false word is what the righteous hates.”

The first of three “Flashes of Light” articles in the May 15 WT summarises various New Testament teachings and calls them “brilliant light”, “flashes of light”, “stream of light”, etc. This is done with the resurrection stories of Lazarus, Jesus being recognized as Messiah, circumcision seen as unnecessary, etc.

The second article applies the same “light” phrases to modern WTS doctrines, for example that Holy Spirit is a force, Christ’s return would be invisible, the “faithful and discreet slave” of Matthew 24:45-47 is a class dispensing Christian truth etc. About 60 times WTS doctrines are called “light”, “striking flash of light”, “brilliant light”, etc. By using Proverbs 4:18 for New Testament statements and for WTS doctrine as well the WTS leaders imply they are as infallible as they teach the Bible to be!

INFALLIBLE LEADERS

The following claims of WTS leaders amount to claims of infallibility:

Nothing is interpreted but the interpretation comes from God and is then published.
(WT 1943 July 1 pp. 202-203)

Angels deliver what is published.
(PREPARATION 1933 pp. 36-37, 64)

THE WATCHTOWER publishes “no man’s opinion”.
WT 1931 November 1 p. 327; 1936 March 15 p. 85)

“To it (this organization) alone…the Bible is not a sealed book.” The WTS is “the only organization on earth that understands the ‘deep things of God.’ “
(WT 1973 July 1 p. 402)

The leaders are “spirit directed” (WT 1988 March 1 p. 10) and “God’s channel.”
(WT 1969 January 15 p. 51; 1960 July 15 pp. 439, 442)

“It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions of the ’slave’ as we would to the voice of God, because it is His provision.”
WT 1957 June 15 p. 370)

C. T. Russell founder of the WTS, called himself “God’s mouthpiece” (WT 1906 July 15 p. 229); claimed that compared to reading his books Bible reading is “a waste of time” (WT 1910 September 15 p. 298), and that his books “harmonize…every statement in the Bible.” (DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES 1886 p. 34

God uses and directs the WTS.
(VINDICATION Book 1 1931 p. 77)

“The ’slave’ class has served as God’s sole collective channel for the flow of Biblical truth to men on earth. Just as the early Christian congregation collectively served as the channel of communication from heaven to earth, so in our time.” (WT 1960 July 15 p. 439)

“As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on an intensified and unparalled scale. All of this activity is not an accident. Jehovah is the one behind all of it.”
(WT 1964 June 15 p. 365)

“Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah’s theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements.”
(WT 1967 October 1 p. 593)

“FAITHFUL” SLAVE - “RIGHT SORT OF FOOD”

The May 15 WT says that:

“Jesus…returned and found ‘the faithful and discreet slave’ giving the ‘domestics’ their food at the proper time. As a result Jesus Christ appointed that slave ‘over all his belongings’.”(p. 15)
That appointment was made in 1919
(WT 1977 January 1 p. 14) .

The basis was that the message at that time was “accurate and well founded”
(REVELATION - IT’S GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND! 1989 p. 164)
and the “slave” was “faithful” and: “proclaiming Jehovah’s kingdom and announcing its establishment in A.D. 1914.”
(WT 1943 January 1 p.7)

Also: “the serving of food, the right sort of food, at the proper time was the issue. It had to be according to this that a decision must be rendered by the returned master.” (GOD’S KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND YEARS HAS APPROACHED 1973 p. 350)

Let us review the “right sort of food”, the “brilliant light” of “God’s mouthpiece” compared to which Bible reading is a “waste of time”, and which got the “faithful slave” appointed:

“RIGHT SORT OF FOOD” SAMPLED

The WTS taught:

“The ‘Time of the end,’ a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914 is particularly marked in the Scriptures.”(THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 23)
The WTS taught:
“Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874.”
(WT 1922 November 1 p. 333)

“Beyond a doubt” but it was wrong!

The WTS taught:

we present proofs that the setting up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophesy that as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Revelation 18:14)…will end in A.D. 1915, with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership … .”
(THE TIME IS AT HAND 1889 p. 101)

The fake kingdom of 1878 was proclaimed until 1926!

The WTS taught that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh is “inspired” and “God designed” (THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 362; WT 1922 June 15 p. 187)

This was taught for 47 years from 1881. In 1928 the Pyramid became “Satan’s Bible” and its devotees had: “turned away from Jehovah and his Word.” (WT 1928 November 15 pp. 341, 344)

The WTS taught:

“In the year 1918… Christendom shall go down as a system to oblivion…” (THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 513)

This same book THE FINISHED MYSTERY, has been estimated to contain 1,500 interpretations rejected by later WTS writers. (JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES: A STATSTICAL SURVEY 1992 p. 204)

Consider again the claim in May 15 WT that:

“Jesus …returned and found the…slave giving…food at the proper time.” (p. 15)

The WTS has only since 1927 understood the “slave” as referring to a large group collectively. Prior to 1927 the doctrine was that the “slave” or “servant” is one man - C. T. Russell . (WT Reprints 1916 December 1 p. 5998; THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 41

His teachings were “Divinely appointed teachings…”
(THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 426)

The same book says:

“though pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work.” (p. 144)

The WT in 1922 stated:

“to repudiate him and his work is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord… .” (May 1 p. 132)

Then in 1927 Russell was repudiated as “that servant” (WT February 15 p. 56) and thousands of his interpretive points were gradually repudiated as well. Therefore, using WTS’s own words, they “repudiated the Lord.”
The May 15 WT mentions some past doctrines such as Armageddon being a social revolution and the Bible predicting a literal restoration of Israel as things “once thought.” (pp. 18-19) Such things weren’t just “thought” but had entire books about them and were promulgated as “divine light” and “Bible truth”! (THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON 1897; COMFORT FOR THE JEWS 1925)

FALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAH

At the time Christ supposedly appointed the “slave” (i.e. the class or group) in 1919 the WTS promulgated the absurd public lectures MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This was published as a book in 1920 and taught:FALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAHFALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAH At the time Christ supposedly appointed the “slave” (i.e. the class or group) in 1919 the WTS promulgated the absurd public lectures MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This was published as a book in 1920 and taught: “We may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old.” (pp. 89-90) The WTS claims that this was a message “Jehovah caused to be preached”! (WT 1955 November 15 p. 69 Obviously the “Jehovah” of the WTS is not the Jehovah of the Bible but is a man or men who stole the name. MORE CREDIT TO JEHOVAH

The May 15 articles contain many more deceptive assertions. For example p. 21 gives the impression that in 1962 the WTS got a bright flash of light that subjection to the “superior authorities” of Romans 13 is relative not absolute. However in 1886 such subjection was viewed as relative. (THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES p. 266) Until 1929 the “superior authorities” were interpreted to mean secular governments; then this changed and they were God and Christ this being taught as “truth” and “light”; then in 1962 they became the secular governments again!

The May 15 WT calls Russell and his followers “part of the faithful and discreet slave” and “those Jehovah used” and “anointed”. (p. 17) Also: “they took no credit to themselves. …All credit went to God.” This misleads since Russell claimed he alone was the “slave” not “part of”. Also besides his numerous failed prophecies he, in 1881, urged his followers to give all spare money to “the Lord’s service” - mainly Russell’s service - and thereby avoid sickness and even death. (WT Reprints p. 187) Reports of miraculous cures, even old people restored to youth, appeared in the WT until the 1890s! For the WTS to praise a fraud like Russell as “Jehovah used” and “anointed” while insulting all other religions as “false” and do this as an ongoing policy clearly constitutes double standards - religious hypocrisy. By giving “credit…to God” the WTS leaders wish readers to view them as humble, sweet, faithful and wise but instead really blame God for the false prophecies they could have avoided. There are hundreds of “flashes of light” the May 15 WT could have mentioned but didn’t. For example: “…vaccination is a direct violation of the law of Jehovah God.” (THE GOLDEN AGE 1935 April 24 p. 471) Jehovah’s law got the boot in 1952!

EVER BRIGHTER: NO LIGHT EXTINGUISHED

The light-getting-brighter doctrine existed in 1881 when Russell wrote: “New light never extinguishes older light but adds to it. …So it is with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another.” (WT Reprints p. 18 At that time (February 1881) Russell taught that he and the “saints” would rise physically to heaven in Autumn. Afterwards this “light” was extinguished and Russell substituted the doctrine that the general selection for heaven ceased in 1881 and they’ll ascend by 1914!

WT 1976 says:

“as the light of understanding shines even brighter, old ideas have been replaced. Now, in these 1970s, it can truly be said that ‘the day is firmly established’ among Jehovah’s people… .”
(July 1, 1976 p. 400)

However, numerous doctrinal changes since 1976 show that “the day is not firmly established after all!” For example tissue transplants stopped being “unscriptural” in 1980, Armageddon is no longer in 1970s, the “Communist king of the north” is currently not Communist, and “this generation” of 1914 has a new starting date!

REPETITIOUS TRICKY PROPHET

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses follow men who attach God to lots of lies and who then keep changing this so-called “bright spiritual light” almost like traffic lights?

One reason is repetition. As already mentioned the May 15 article calls WTS doctrines “light” about 60 times. In the course of a year WTS doctrine is called “light”, “education”, “accurate knowledge”, “truth”, “genuine Christianity”, “loyal to God’s word”, and similar things several thousand times! Christianity is summed up negatively “apostate”, “Babylonish”, “deceitful”, “fraudulent”, “false”, etc., also thousands of times yearly. Also Jehovah’s Witnesses have to shun all who criticise them or their publications.

The leaders of WTS claim to be a prophet. (WT 1959 January 15 pp. 40-41; WT 1972 April 1 p. 197) To claim to be God’s prophet and then hide behind Proverbs 4:18 when prophecies fail is a trick since the Bible says that prophets who make false predictions in God’s name deserve death. (Deuteronomy 18:21- 22; Jeremiah 2

Jesus once warned:

“If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
(Matthew 6:23)

Copyrighted by:
INVESTIGATOR magazine
P.O. Box 3243
Port Adelaide 5015
Australia

(Note to reader: Reference numbers refer to a documentation package index (includ-
ing photocopies of the actual articles quoted). It is available from MacGregor Ministries for
$3 plus postage. Please see their address and web site information at the end of this
article.)
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CLAIM TO BE PROPHETS
The Watchtower of April 1st, l972, page 197, had this statement:
So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and
to declare things to come?…These questions can be answered in the affirmative.
Who is this prophet?…This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men
and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at
that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s
Christian witnesses….Of course it is easy to say that this group acts as a
“prophet” of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be
done is to review the record. What does it show?
(1)
Since the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be God’s prophet, we are free to put them to
the Bible test for a prophet, found in Deuteronomy 18:18-20. Verse 22 of this same chap-
ter says, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD (YHWH), if the thing does not
come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken.”
Verse 20 plainly says, “that prophet shall die”. False prophecy cannot be “explained
away” and treated lightly. The Watch Tower has invited us to examine their record, and we
will! All quotes are from publications of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society and avail-
able at headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Some of these publications may also be
found in local Kingdom Hall libraries. Judge this self-proclaimed “prophet” for yourselves!
6,000 YEARS OF HUMAN HISTORY PROPHECIES
6,000 years from Adam ended in A.D. 1872.
(Daily Heavenly Manna, inside cover page).
(2)
6,000 years of human history ended in 1873.
(Thy Kingdom Come, page 305).
(3)
6,000 years of human history ended in 1972.
(The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 152, 1943 edition).
(4)
6,000 years of human history ended in 1975.
(Awake!, October 8th, l968, page 15).
(5)
ARMAGEDDON PROPHECIES
Armageddon would end in 1914. (The Time is At Hand, page 101, 1911 Edition).
(6)
Armageddon would end in 1915. (The Time is At Hand, page 101, 1913 Edition).
(7)
Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses expect Armageddon any minute!
Page 2
THE RETURN OF CHRIST PROPHECIES
Since Christ failed to show up for any of the Watchtower dates, Jehovah’s Witnesses
altered their teaching to make his coming conveniently “invisible”. Christ returned in 1874.
(The Finished Mystery, page 395).
(
The Watchtower publications taught this 1874 date right up to 1929. The “Prophecy”
book, published in 1929, states on page 65, “The Scriptural proof is that the second pres-
ence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D.”
(9)
Christ returned in 1914. (The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life, page 87).
(10)
THE MILLENNIUM PROPHECIES
The Millennium began in 1873. (Thy Kingdom Come, page 305).
(11)
The Millennium began in 1874. (Finished Mystery, page 386).
(12)
PROPHECIES ON THE RESURRECTION
The resurrection would occur in 1878. (Thy Kingdom Come, page 234).
(13)
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old would return in 1925.
(Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89.)
(14)
The Watchtower Society even published a book telling their followers to add a room
onto their houses, and get an undertaker to decorate it. Undertakers, of course, would be
looking for employment, since there would be no more deaths in 1926. When the room
was completed, Watchtower devotees were to call up Jerusalem, where Abraham would
have an office, and request that their parents be “awakened” from death. They would soon
appear in the new room! (The Way to Paradise, pages 228, 229).
(15)
PROPHECIES ON SPACE TRAVEL
“Man cannot by airplane or rockets or other means get above the air envelope which is
about our earthly globe….” (The Truth Shall Make You Free, page 285, 1943 edition.)
(16)
THE BOOK OF RUTH
The Book of Ruth is “not prophetical”. (Watchtower Reprints IV, page 3110, 12/7/02).
(17)
The Book of Ruth “is prophetic”. (”Preservation”, page 169).
(1
PROPHECIES ON SODOM AND GOMORRAH
Will the men of Sodom be resurrected?
1. Yes…Watchtower 7/18/79, page 7.
(19)
2. No….Watchtower 6/1/52, page 338.
(20)
3. Yes…Watchtower 8/1/65, page 479.
(21)
4. No….Watchtower 6/1/88, page 31.
(22)
5. Yes…Live Forever (old Ed.), page 179.
(23)
6. No….Live Forever (new Ed.), page 179.
(24)
7. Yes…Insight, vol. 2., page 985.
(25)
8. No…Revelation book, page 273.
(26)
These changes are more like flashing lights, on and off again. How can they
be trusted?
THE “HIGHER POWERS” OF ROMANS 13:1
“Higher Powers” refers to earthly governments. (The Time is at Hand (1915) pg. 81).
(27)
Page 3
“Higher Powers” refers to Jehovah God and Jesus. (The Truth Shall Make You Free, page
312).
(2
“Higher Powers” refers to earthly governments. (Man’s Salvation…at Hand (page 326)
(29)
Notice how the “brighter light” dimmed back again!
THE REVELATION NAME “ABADDON-APOLLYON”
Refers to Satan. (The Finished Mystery, page 159).
(30)
Refers to Jesus Christ. (Then is Finished the Mystery of God, page 232).
(31)
Quite a change!
THE “ALPHA AND OMEGA” OF REVELATION
Refers to Jehovah God. (Awake!, August 22, 1978, page 28).
(32)
Refers to Jesus Christ. (Watchtower, October 1, 1978, page 15).
(33)
Notice the rapid change of “truth” and “interpretation of scripture” in just two months!
THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE
Refers to their founder, Charles Taze Russell. (The Finished Mystery, page5).
(34)
Refers to the “Remnant of Spiritual Israelites” (the supposed remnant of the 144,000 “heav-
enly class”). (From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, page 193).
(35)
THE 1914 GENERATION FIASCO
Until October 22nd, 1995, each Awake! magazine proclaimed, “…the Creator’s prom-
ise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914
passes away.”
(36)
Beginning with the November 8th, 1995 Awake!, the reference to 1914 disappeared.
Why? Because it is another false prophecy! 1914 plus 80 years (the longest time possible
for a “generation” by their own admission) ran out in 1994. This prophecy was attributed to
Jehovah as “the Creator’s promise”. Therefore this particular false prophecy was done in
the name of the Lord, and is subject to His condemnatory judgment on false prophets.
There is no escape! Time is the enemy of a false prophet.
IN CONCLUSION
Although the official publication of the Jehovah’s Witnesses claims, “…Jehovah’s
witnesses today make their declaration of the good news of the kingdom under angelic
direction and support,” according to the Watchtower of April 1, l972, page 200, they have
proved to be an embarrassment to the angels!
(37)
Undaunted, the Watchtower of July 1, l973, page 402, goes on to claim, “Consider too,
the fact that Jehovah’s organization alone in all the earth is directed by God’s holy spirit or
active force.”
(3
Obviously the Holy Spirit did not prompt these false prophecies!
Not only does the Bible give us a simple test for prophets, which we considered at the
beginning of this article, namely that their prophecies will fail, but the word of God has more
to say about prophecies and prophesying.
The Bible reveals three sources for prophecy. One, it is from God, and inspired by
Him. Two, it is from the Devil and inspired by him. Thirdly, prophecies can come out of
“the flesh”, or out of our “own spirit”.
Since the Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s witnesses has so many failed prophecies,
Page 4
we know they are not prophesying by God’s direction, and through His Holy Spirit, or by the
angels.
This leaves us with two alternatives for the false prophecies of the Watchtower Soci-
ety. They are from Satan, or they are from “the flesh”.
The Watchtower has chosen the latter, claiming that “we all make mistakes,” etc. “We
have new light”. Is this an “out” for them? No, for Jehovah’s witnesses should carefully
read Ezekiel chapter 13. This chapter is a judgment of God on prophets who hope for a
fulfillment of their words, after prophesying falsely. Verse 8, says, “‘Because you have
spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore, behold, I am against you’, declares the Lord
God.”
The Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a proven false prophet, and the
Lord, by His own decree, is against them. Why would you want to remain in this doomed
organization and share in its judgment?
MacGregor Ministries (in Canada: Box 294 Nelson B.C. V1L 5P9) (in the US: Box 454
Metaline Falls WA 99153)
WEB http://www.macgregorministries.org

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the group over Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Awake and Watchtower magazines having been notable Watchtower publications for public distribution. This is a helpful compilation shared in late April 2006, and it includes many helpful links for additional information. It contains both the good and the bad as no individual or leadership organization is perfect. Feel free to copy and distribute it in whole or part.

Abbreviations * marks pedophilia/molestation, + marks blood transfusion refused, # marks suicide, — indicates some unstated but alleged problem(s), ! indicates murder, > marks surveillance or wiretapping, % indicates a congregation said to be extra warm or friendly,

$ marks a major money scandal. Some items are yet to be marked; so feel free to do so.

Also an = sign appears immediately before various states or provinces and nations so that, if you have received a copy of this online, by going to Edit and selecting Find (on This Page), you can jump quickly to those locations. For example using =Texas will jump you to Texas connected items.

This publication was started by underground Jehovah’s Witnesses who wished and still wish to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal. A copy was posted and or sent to many people. Therefore, although I cannot provide any names of compilers, I would add that there are references or internet links to substantiate a vast amount of the material and any hearsay without such references and links has the needed wording “alleged” or “allegation” for clarification.

The intent for myself and doubtlessly others in sharing this is, beyond the obvious historical reasons, that it shall prove helpful in keeping more Jehovah’s Witnesses alive, well and able to come to greater happiness in view of what reputable media has had to say of the Watchtower Society’s treatment of them. For example JWs about to move into another JW congregation will have a better chance of learning beforehand some of its past and thus be better able to watch out for their children and themselves.

If you yourself have additional information please contact either silentlambs.org or whoever sent you a copy of this or posted it on a website.

==========UNITED STATES===========

ALABAMA: Towns with alleged pedophiles among Jehovah’s Witnesses: Marion Junction, Sylacauga http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm

=ALASKA: Towns with alleged pedophiles among Jehovah’s Witnesses: Anchorage, Palmer http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm

Special Comment: Several persons in and outside Alaska have commented that there is too much class (rich-versus-poor)consciousness among JW congregations in the state.

=ARIZONA: listed as places with alleged pedophiles who are or were Jehovah’s Witnesses: Tuscon, Parker http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm

PHOENIX: A Jehovah’s Witness congregation hall in northwest Phoenix was torched December 25, 2003, resulting in an estimated $1.2 million in damages. Bob Khan, an assistant fire chief for the Phoenix Fire Department, said investigators determined arson but without an established motive and onvestigators for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would assist. “You take it personal because it’s your building; it’s your house of worship,” said Bob Reyna of Sun City. There had been problems in the parking lot behind the Kingdom Hall where people gather to party out of sight from the road and vandals scribbled graffiti on the front door. The article does not consider if a victim or other person angry about child molestation coverups, bleeding deaths etc may have taken the action http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/122703dntexchurchfire.4e03.html

discussed at http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/64005/1.ashx

Mrs J Christian died March 1968 at Good Samaritan Hospital after refusing blood transfusions: Scottsdale: Shea Heights: — Andrew James Burns died 8-29-98 at St Mary’s Hospital after not receiving blood transfusions http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml

“In the summer of 1998 I found that one of my JW cousins, Andy Burns, had leukemia at the age of

39. I had heard through the family “grapevine” that he had not been feeling well and suffering from some migraine headaches. After some tests and a diagnosis of acute leukemia, he was hospitalized for some intense chemotherapy. He lived another six weeks before he died. Of course, he being a JW elder, refused all blood transfusions. His blood count became so dangerously low that the hemotherapy treatments had to be discontinued. He is now memorialized on AJWRB’s Watchtower Victims Memorial. ” http://freeminds.org/women/hampton.htm

“Jehovah’s Witness Sees Omen: Stops Molesting Boy by Chuck Shepherd source: Arizona Republic April, 1993 In Phoenix, Arizona, Paul Vernon Johnson, 26, stopped during his sexual molestation of a

13-year-old boy when the boy cried out, ‘Jehovah, help me.’ Johnson said he was once a Jehovah’s Witness, and he regarded the boy’s cry as an ‘omen.’”

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/62985/1.ashx

TUSCON: “CJ was a JW for more than 25 years and faithful in every way. She was always a ’sister in good standing’. Her first husband committed suicide in the 1970’s after being disfellowshipped for

smoking. Originally from Indiana, she had been living in Tucson, Arizona the same town where I grew up. She had two young children left at home, a son, Derrick, 13 years old and a granddaughter, Jamie

who is 10. She also had two daughters in their 20’s, Rebekah and Lily.” # http://freeminds.org/women/cjmaurer.htm

=ARKANSAS: listed as places with alleged pedophiles who are or were Jehovah’s Witnesses: Conway

Hot Springs

Little Rock

Mammoth Spring

Monticello http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm

=CALIFORNIA: listed on silentlambs.org as places with alleged pedophiles who are or were JWs are

Adelanto; Arcadia; Anderson; Aliso Viejo; Alpine; Boulder Creek; Booneville; Canyon Country; Carmichael; Clairemont; Colfax; Encinitas; Forrest Park; Fresno; Fullerton; Gerber; Glen Cove; Gilroy; King City; La Costa; Lake Elsinore; Lake Tahoe; Lone Pine; Long Beach; Loomis; Los Angeles; Madera; Manteca; Marietta; Monterrey; North Cypress; Oakland; Oroville; Padusa; Paradise; Petaluma; Philo; Pollock; Pines; Red Bluff; Roseville; Rocklin; Sacramento; Salinas; San Bernardino; San Diego; San Jose; Santa Clarita; Santa Cruz; Santa Maria; Santa Rosa; Sebastopol; Shell Beach; Temple City; Truckee; Ukiah; Universal City; Union City; Visalia; Vista; Weaverville; Wilmington; Westminister; Whittier; Woodland; Yorkville  http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm

Four former members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have filed a lawsuit in Superior Court, contending they were sexually abused by a church official in Sonoma County during the 1980s and the church covered up the crime. The lawsuit names two Sonoma County congregations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Donald L. Glew, a former church leader in Santa Rosa and Petaluma who was convicted in 1989 of four counts of child molestation. Glew, now 52, was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He started molesting two of the plaintiffs when they were infants and the other alleged victims were 1 and 5 years old when Glew started molesting them, according to the complaint filed Feb 9, 2004, the suit alleges.

“He was someone vested with authority,” said Bill Brelsford, a Sacramento attorney who represents the four plaintiffs, identified only by their first names in the 22-page complaint although top JW attorney Phillip Brumley said Glew was never a church official based on preliminary investigation and the church isn’t responsible for Glew’s actions. Similar lawsuits have been filed in six other Northern California counties, including Napa, Santa Clara, Monterey and Yolo. According to the Sonoma County lawsuit, Glew became a “ministerial servant” in the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the late 1970s. He molested the four plaintiffs, two boys and two girls, between 1982 and 1988, according to the lawsuit. Other church leaders learned Glew was molesting children as early as 1980, the suit says, but they took no action to stop him and they prohibited the victims’ families from reporting the crimes to police.

According to the suit, the church “engaged in a systematic pattern and practice of suppression of information to cover up and hide incidents of child molestation from law enforcement and their membership.” Glew now lives in San Mateo County. Reach Staff Writer Steve Hart of the Press Democrat 707-568-5312 or shart@pressdemocrat.com. Feb 19, 2004 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/local/news/19jehovah.html

ANAHEIM: Rosario Rios Villagomez (51, husband Freddy) died after refusing a blood transfusion at Martin Luther King Hospital in early 1999 and a Watchtower representative blamed her gallstones instead of the bleeding+ http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml ARROYO: Tony Mendez died 6-6-95 at Arroyo Grande Community Hopsital after refusing blood transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml CAHOGA PARK: Brendon Hood (4 years old) died late January or early February [year not supplied] after parents refused blood transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml CHINO HILLS & Chino North: Steve Morales a former Bethelite was convicted for serial rape * (courtesy of Kent Steinhaug and verified in news account) COSTA MESA: on/about June 2001 a 17-year-old girl was arrested after she drove by on a bike & threw a homemade bomb into a Kingdom Hall in the 2200 block of Canyon Drive about 9:20 PM though it bounced so that there were no injuries or property damage DOWNEY: Downey North Congregation: Gary L Kreider (in late 40s) hanged himself 12-96 # FRESNO: Lenae Martinez

(12) died 9-22-93 at Valley Children’s Hospital agreeing with her parents in refusing blood transfusion GRIDLEY: alleged pedophilia*

HOLLISTER: Trail of abuse preceded murder Tuesday, September 30, 2003 By Jed Logan/Assistant Editor Murder victim Stephanie Rodriguez had been trying for months to move away from her estranged and abusive husband before he killed her. Several neighbors and longtime friends who were close to Stephanie, 37, said she was in the process of divorcing her husband Leo Rodriguez, 40, when he apparently took matters into his own hands Saturday night. Local courts had She ordered her back to Hollister where Leo Rodriguez still lived because the custody of their son was still in question and they reportedly did not want her changing the youth’s school until a decision was reached, her friend of more than 25 years said, adding, “The court system failed her.” The article does not note that he was also a Jehovah’s Witness but the forum discussion makes it clear that he was although his victim may or may not have been ! (Hollister Free Lance in Benito County, California USA)

http://www.freelancenews.com/news/newsview.asp?c=76086

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/59814/1.ashx)

LOS ANGELES: doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles were successful in 2001 when having to use bloodless surgery to save 7 month old Aiden Michael Rush who was born with an obstructed bile

duct & had developed liver disease www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/141news.html )

Pat Garza: I’m Pat Garza, and I’m here to say that I was raped by Theodore Jaracz (explanatory note: Jaracz is on the worldwide Governing Body of JWs) when I was a little girl, I was living in Los Angeles, he was the District Servant. There are two boys; their initials are “M.D.” and “M.W.”, if they - if I could find them – they’re older than me, they were there, there were witnesses! We were terrified and silenced! We were not allowed to talk. My life was threatened and my brothers, were threatened, they were going to be killed if I spoke.And when I started remembering the abuse I was abused horrifically in the congregation and I wrote the Watchtower Society and I begged for help, I have the letters with me to show you the names of ten of the elders who hurt me and they told me they could not answer any of the questions I asked, nor could they comment on the circumstances that I described in the congregation.

I ended up in the hospital, in crisis in the emergency ward because of what the elders did to me. And then I was hospitalized for months, because I had nowhere to go, I was homeless. They threw me out in the street, I was destitute and I was disabled, I was unable to work because of the flashbacks I was having. And I ended up on the street, and I have with me a photocopy of the letter that the elders, the entire body of elders sent me, it has all of their names on it. It says that they called the Watchtower Society here in New York, and asked how to help me and they sent me a list of homeless shelters and I have that list of homeless shelters, one of them was Parkside Projects on skid row in Portland Oregon. Two of them were *** Beaverton Oregon and the other was the YWCA. The humiliation that I felt was beyond belief. I almost died when I got that letter from those elders, and I almost stopped praying.

The Watchtower Society has stood as a block between children and your God. All they do is destroy a person’s faith and hope and make us feel like God does not love us. And I’m here to say that He does, and I’m saying for those of us who are victims of Satanic Ritual Abuse in this organization fight some of these elders and fight Ted Jaracz. It’s safe to come out now and you can come and talk and I’m begging anybody who knows “M.D” and “M.W.” - I would say their names but for privacy I won’t reveal them, but SilentLambs knows the full identity of “M.D.” and “M.W.” who were there - would you please call SilentLambs at 1-877-WTABUSE Please step forward and be my witnesses.

They’re bringing pedophiles into this organization, they’re ruining children for sex and that’s what they were doing with me, the boys were there to prepare me for sex with Ted Jaracz! They were there to keep me, to make me, disassociate so that I could not remember him.” http://www.jehovahswitnessonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=729

(Compiler’s note: Pat Garza later died of cancer. Her statement above was publicly made before media in front of the Bethel complex of buildings of the Watchtower Society whose Governing Body members includes Ted Jaracz; confronted by media Jaracz has run rather than answer to what she alleged openly)

MARTINEZ: Carey Verse, a JW convicted of sexually assaulting teen-aged boys and homeless man, was released in the late 1990s from prison to Atascadero Mental Health Hospital. In August 2003 Martinez residents expressed alarm that he might be set loose in their town. In Contra Costa Times of California. Contact staff writer Corey Lyons at 925-977-8418 or clyons@cctimes.com http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/56860/1.ashx * MIRA MESA alleged extreme nepotism then

separated out

MOUNT SHASTA: Don and Kim Clemens of Mount Shasta, California, say that in 1996 their son accused his babysitter, Alizum Varium—a neighbor and a fellow Witness—of molesting him frequently for six years, beginning when he was 5 years old. The family informed local Witness leaders. “It was my son’s words against her words,” Kim Clemens remembers. “The elders filed it away and said there’s nothing they can do.” When the Clemens family saw Varium volunteering at a daycare center, they hired a private investigator to gather information. “Our goal is to keep her completely away from all kids,” Kim Clemens says. “If there are more children who come out of there having been abused, I don’t want to say 15 or 20 years down the road that I didn’t say anything.”