Against You, You Only, I Have Sinned

The Watchtower study "YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL" disparages the entire point.

Paragraph 11 In the case of David and Bath-sheba, before the judgment of the death penalty could be softened, there had to be a pardoning of their sin. The Israelite judges were not authorized to do this. If they had been allowed to handle the case, they would have had no alternative but to pronounce the sentence of death. This is what the Law required. Out of regard for his covenant with David, however, Jehovah wanted to see if there was a basis for forgiving David's sin. (2 Samuel 7:12-16) Hence, Jehovah God, "the Judge of all the earth," who is "an examiner of the heart," chose to handle the matter himself. (Genesis 18:25; 1 Chronicles 29:17) God could accurately read David's heart, evaluate the genuineness of his repentance, and grant forgiveness.

Did God have to see if there was a basis to forgive David's sin?

2 Samuel 7:12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "

Nowhere is it written God was taken by surprise and now had to review the facts and determine if there was validity to absolve David. The Covenant was not given as a means to be influenced by such a factor.

The Society's viewpoint if played out is that God did in fact violate his own Law. They just admitted "the Israelite judges were not authorized to do this. If they had been allowed to handle the case, they would have had no alternative but to pronounce the sentence of death. This is what the Law required." Who's Law? Jehovah's spoken and written Law.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The Watchtower continues,

Paragraph 12 The mercy that Jehovah shows us by making possible our release from the penalty of inherited sin is in accord with his justice. To make possible the forgiveness of sin without the violation of justice, Jehovah has provided the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ–the greatest expression of mercy ever shown. (Matthew 20:28; Romans 6:22, 23) To avail ourselves of God's mercy, which can save us from receiving punishment for inherited sin, we must `exercise faith in the Son.'-John 3:16, 36.

If you were to ask a Jehovah's Witness who has done the greatest act of love and mercy he or she would say Jehovah--in their minds only the Father is Jehovah.

Yet, Jesus plainly reveals:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

According to the Watchtower's doctrine, a creature has outperformed God in love and mercy! For a christian, God is the one who loves supremely.

Paragraph 19 The disciple James tells us why we should make mercy an essential quality in our lives. He wrote: "Mercy exults triumphantly over judgment." (James 2:13b) James was speaking of the mercy that a worshipper of Jehovah shows toward others. It exults triumphantly over judgment in that when the time comes for a person to "render an account for himself to God," Jehovah takes into consideration his merciful dealings and forgives him on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of His Son. (Romans 14:12) No doubt, one of the reasons why David was shown mercy for his sin with Bath-sheba was that he himself was a merciful man. (1 Samuel 24:4-7) On the other hand, "the one that does not practice mercy will have his judgment without mercy." (James 2: 13a) No wonder the "merciless" are listed among those whom God views as "deserving of death"! -Romans 1:31, 32.

No doubt?

1 Samuel 24:6 So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."

Do they forget David too was the LORD's anointed (1 Samuel 16:13). Do they forget David wanted to kill Nabal and all his men for insulting him (1 Samuel 25)? Do they forget he not only committed adultery with Bath-sheba, but planned the murder of her husband Uriah and later was responsible for the death of 70,000 men (2 Samuel 11:14-16 and 1 Chronicles 21)?

They quote part of Psalm 51 on paragraph 8 but skim over the significance.

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Why is David calling out to blot out his transgressions commited unto God alone? Why does there need to be a washing away of iniquity and cleansing of sin? What is the significance of the hyssop plant used for sprinkling the blood of sacrifices by the priest?

It is because King David looked forward to his Lord who would gloriously overcome the everpresent sin.

Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, saves us from everlasting punishment for OUR OWN sins if we repent, believe, and trust our lives to Him. We too can have our iniquities washed away and become cleaner and whiter than snow.

Matthew 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Watchtower January 15, 2008 in English

"Since 1879, through periods of war, economic hardship, and persecution, The Watchtower has faithfully proclaimed truths about God's Kingdom."

And so begins another chapter.

Governing Body on Higher Education

Gerrit Lösch, Governing Body member of the Jehovah's Witness and not a lord over their faith, giving a talk on higher education at a convention in Italy.

"If you are currently going to college, why don't you currently meditate in prayer on the possibility of dropping out and doing something better?"

"What decisions will you make? Will you refuse or not? Will you get a university education or not? You will be accountable to Jehovah for this.

We would like to praise those in the audience who dropped out of college when they accepted the Truth, as we praise all those, who after listening to this talk, will make the same decision."

Witness Paradise

This video portrays what Jehovah's Witnesses regard as the "real life".



An eternity devoid of Jesus Christ is misery.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Titus 2:13 While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ

Watchtower Sep 1, 2007 Study

This week's Watchtower Study "TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO LOVE JEHOVAH" includes the following paragraphs:

Par 4 Why is parental example so important? Just as adults can learn to love God by looking at Jesus' example, children can learn to love Jehovah by following their parents' good example. A child's associates can either strengthen the child or "spoil useful habits." (1 Corinthians 15:33) For much of a child's life, and certainly during the important formative years, the closest, most influential associates a child has are his parents. Therefore, parents do well to ask themselves: `What sort of associate am I? Does my example encourage my child to develop useful habits? What example am I setting in the vital areas of prayer and Bible study?'

What sort of an associate is a parent to a child? Are they a family or Wal-Mart employees?

Par 8 How can a parent's attitude toward Bible study influence a child's relationship with God? For any relationship to grow and survive, the individuals involved must not only talk to each other but also listen. One of the ways we listen to Jehovah is by studying the Bible with the aid of publications supplied by `the faithful slave.' (Matthew 24:45-47; Proverbs 4:1, 2) Therefore, to help their children develop a lasting, loving relationship with Jehovah, parents do well to encourage them to develop the habit of studying God's Word.

They listen to Jehovah by studying their publications? Even when errors and inconsistencies proliferate their literature?

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Watchtower January 15, 2008

Behold! The January 15, 2008 Insider's Only Edition Cover...in portuguese!

Approximate translation of contents:

11-17 of February "Be Careful to complete the Ministry that you received from the Lord" Page 4 Songs 193, 151

18-24 of February "Pay attention to your 'Ability to Teach'" Page 8 Songs 6, 123

25 of February-2 of March "The "correctly disposed" are accepting the Good News" Page 13 Songs 156, 133

3-9 of March "Counted as worthy of receiving the Kingdom" Page 20 Songs 195, 60

10-16 of February "Counted as worthy of being guided to springs of life giving waters" Page 24 Songs 99, 187

Very reminiscent of their artwork from their distant past. Is it just me or are they ashamed of Jesus' name and cross?

1914 The Generation That Will Not Pass Away

One of the few remaining European veterans of the Great War, has died. He was 109.

It is no surprise that in 1995 the Watchtower Society had to change the "1914 Generation". Imagine people who were born before the events of 1914 took place and were assured by the Society that the Creator promised they would never pass away.

How many of the people pictured on the May 15, 1984 Watchtower cover believed this to be the Word of God? How many of them have passed away?

There is excellent documentation found on cftf.com.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

Maintaining the "Grand Illusion"

I like how PropMin points out in his article how the Watchtower Society still has a hold on some former--or even borderline for that matter-- Witnesses who wish to see a reform take place.

They do this simply to maintain "the 'grand illusion' that the Watchtower Society was ever specially chosen or even used by God as his 'organization'.

PropMin: "Yet, the very heart of the problem, is this: “still love the organization”.I would submit that if you love an “organization”, YOU have fallen into idolatry.I would also submit, that if you are looking for an apology from the Watchtower, you have terribly misjudged who these “men” really are. They don’t care about you, your family, or your friends; only the maintenance of their authoritative, corporate oligarchy."Somewhere the governing body has made a wrong turn"? They never did make a right turn; take a hard look at how many hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people over the years who have been adversely affected by wrongful disfellowshippings, "apostate" labels, false hopes, or loosing their health or their outright lives because of the Watchtowers teachings of medical quackery (such as those regarding immunizations and organ transplants)."

I would also add in response to the person who claims that "if you’re one of the many who have become disillusioned with them and have come to the conclusion that Jehovah doesn’t have a people, think again! The Witnesses simply have too much good and too much potential to be lightly cast aside. However, changes need to be made… and very soon!"

Please understand that your starting point, of humans being good and with potential, is completely untrue.

Romans 3:10 “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

Air America Launches Nationwide Atheism Program

Air America now brings The Freethought Radio Program, hosted by the co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The liberal talk radio network Air America announced this week it will launch a nationwide show focusing on atheism. The first national show will feature Christopher Hitchens, author of "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

I wonder how much freedom of thought is going to be allowed.

"The full truth for me, not for you"

If Jehovah's Witnesses are the only ones preaching the Good News why would they not share it with their neighbors? The long announced two versions of "The Watchtower" --one for the general public and the other for active members-- will be unveiled in the next few weeks. The Society's justification for the different editions is so it will not have to explain terms like "regular pioneers" (70 hours a month evangelizers) in the study articles to unfamiliarized readers. After all, what's a better way to save a few words of ink then to just print a new edition?

Prior to this the "Awake" magazine went from being published bi-weekly to just monthly. One sister, baptized since the early 1980's, put it to me as "something wonderful is happening that only the Society is aware of. They must be on to something and this just illustrates how close the End is."

The September "Our Kingdom Ministry" discourages members from investigating the accuracy of their New World Translation and from bible study without the aid of their publications, among other things. A copy for members only, with the study article only, which contains their most current doctrine --they call it light-- reeks of kool-aid, but perhaps I am being unkind.

It can be embarassing to have the general public have access to their teachings like Jesus being the created Michael the Archangel, the very possible upcoming Generation change, and words which may come back to haunt them.

If their literature is truth why hide it from the people they supposedly strive to reach?

Phony Senators and Media

It is pitiful that the mainstream media is giving attention to Media Matters and is now maligning Rush Limbaugh for his "phony soldiers" remark.

Anyone listening to Limbaugh when those comments were made understood he was not referring to those serving in the military and oppose the Iraq War, but those who truly fake their status and service. They are phony for their credentials and erroneous accomplishments.

Along with Media Matters, Sen. Harry "The War is Lost" Reid, is moving for a public condemnation of Limbaugh who never disrespected any real soldiers with real capacities. Where was Reid's swiftness to repudiate MoveOn.Org for their General Betray Us Ad? Why does he and other democrats continue hindering our soldiers from doing their jobs?

Let us not forget there are people who still care for truth and will stand up against these phonies.