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IMPORTANT NOTICE "Due to the lack of public interest in sincere encouragement and a personal perspective of life as one of Jehovah's Witness, I am ceasing my work on this cite. It is clear to me that in today's ambivalent and emotionally numbing world that my responsibility lies with my own family and it is towards my own family that I now will focus. While this site was never brought forth in order to reap the applause of men, it has also failed to reach those who sincerely wish to make informed decisions about any religion they may join. Most individuals would rather allow others to make their decisions for them, or be swayed by the opinions of others: it neither is nor ever was the intention of this site to do either. Enabling others to make their own decisions, and then trusting that their Bible-trained conscience would guide them in the correct path should be a goal we all have in common, directing no person to anyone but Christ and our heavenly Father, Jehovah God-- never to any organization or church that originates with men." --Timothy B Kline, October 19, 2000 |
Community Responsibility
and
the Christian
Part Two Understanding why “community responsibility” is something that should be considered by a Christian is the admonition given in the Bible at Revelation 18:4, And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. To the Witness, this is a specific warning against getting involved with Babylon the Great, or the world empire of false religion, an organization that will “soon” be destroyed at the behest of the governments. But underneath the current Witness understanding lies the fact that even in this, community responsibility is an issue. Determining or guessing who “Babylon the Great” is does not eliminate this basic biblical principal. Using this “Babylon the Great” as our example, what is the reason for the need to leave? We find the answer in the next several verses. Among the reasons: because of her sins, her presumptuousness, and her becoming involved with the kings of the earth and the merchants of the earth. Wealth was and is a predominant feature as well. Simply put, if we are a member or otherwise associated with an organization that is engaged in such aspects, or has been in the past, then we may fall under community responsibility and receive punishments accordingly, by reason of our membership and association. Even early Jews of the first century were clear on this. In a stirring speech by Peter recorded for us in Acts chapter 3, he accuses them under community responsibility: The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Servant, Jesus, whom you, for your part, delivered up and disowned before Pilate’s face, when he had decided to release him. Yes, you disowned that holy and righteous one, and you asked for a man, a murderer, to be freely granted to you, whereas you killed the Chief Agent of life. . . And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers also did. . . Repent, therefore, and turn around, so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah and that he may send for the Christ appointed for you, Jesus… (Acts 3:13-20) It was a similar speech that he had given in chapter 2 of Acts: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man publicly shown by God to you through powerful works and portents and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know, this man as one delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men and did away with. . . Now when they heard this they were stabbed to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Men, brothers, what shall we do?” Peter said to them: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit. . .” And with many other words he bore thorough witness and kept exhorting them, saying: “Get saved from this crooked generation.” Therefore those who embraced his word heartily were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added. –Acts 2:22-42 While it was true that not every single individual present had personally engaged in Christ’s being delivered up to Pilate or being fastened to the stake, they were communally responsible and thus had need to repent and choose a new course. Peter recognized that their actions were done in ignorance, just as their leaders had acted ignorantly, but he also pointed out that this was no excuse to continue in their course now that they knew where they erred. His speech resulted in some 3,000 individuals’ repentance and subsequent baptism. So the question that needs to be asked now is whether we are personally involved or attached to an organization that has erred in its course to an extent that would be tantamount to that of the Jews of the first century. Blaming the leaders for a wrong course and blinding ourselves to the reality that we might be following men rather than God will not suffice as an excuse. What if the leaders have led the people in a wrong direction? We know that it has happened many times before, including in Jesus’ day when the religious leaders, the Pharisees, really believed that they were carrying out God’s will. And whether we discuss the Sadducees, the Pharisees, or the Essenes, we are referring to sects of the primary Judean organization, each preaching what they were convinced of in their heart. Yet Jesus was a member of none of these groups. He even rebuked them through illustrations as well as pointed accusations, showing how their thinking had become skewed. In the end, he told his disciples that even the glorious city of Jerusalem was about to be abandoned to its crooked ways. There is no reason to believe that history will not repeat itself in this respect, or that it hasn’t already done so numerous times. Witnesses make it a lifetime effort to announce to other religious groups how those religious groups as a whole have failed to honor God through dishonest leaders, false teachings, and tolerance of immorality within the religions. The call is put forth to those who listen to the Witness that the faulty religion must be abandoned if survival is to be attained. Otherwise, only death can be expected. Numerous examples are brought to bear by the Witness as the householder politely listens and perhaps asks a few questions. The point is made clear: because a religion is doing or teaching a particular point, and it is wrong in view of the Bible’s overall teaching, then it must be a false religion, more intent on maintaining its own following and subsequent rewards, than on dispensing Biblical truth. It thus dishonors God. Any positive points are irrelevant, according to the Witness as they speak to the householder. Community responsibility means that destruction is sure to come unless the person comes away from the allegedly false religion. And salvation can only be achieved with more surety by subsequently becoming a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What is, for me, the pinnacle of this discussion is the unmistakable fact that there is a double standard in effect with the Witness. On the one hand, it is with no great effort that a Witness can spell out what is wrong with all other religions, and why they are thus false religions. But on the other hand, when those standards or examples are brought into view where the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses are concerned, justification comes to the fore. Somehow, gears get shifted from “any positive qualities are irrelevant” when speaking about other religions, to “we’re imperfect, we make mistakes, but we mean well and we’re doing what we can” when speaking about the organization. Clearly, the example James gives us about the man who looks in the mirror and sees his imperfections, but then walks away and forgets about them (James 1:22-25) is made all the more profound when it comes to Jehovah’s Witnesses. If anyone in one of those “other religions” used the Witnesses’ justification mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Witness would realize the person is closed-minded and thus not able to appreciate the wonderful “truths” that the Witness is at the door offering. The Witness would walk away, convinced that false religion has a powerful foothold on mankind, and this was one more example to share with other Witnesses, happy that they were not personally a member of such things. But when a Witness begins to peer closer at that mirror, starts hearing what he or she is saying, and then begins to more closely examine the facts, the result can be nothing short of tumultuous. What happens when the Witness comes to realize that the clear imperfection of his own organization can be compared to the failings of other religions, that things have been or are being taught that were not Bible-based, but were, in fact, “commands of men” taught “as doctrines.” (Matthew 15:9) In most cases, the justification occurs. The Witness convinces himself or herself that in spite of these things, it is God’s organization. So did the Jews of the first century, until God abandoned it to its own devices. The result was countless deaths at the hands of Rome. In a few cases, the Witness resigns to continue with the false teachings of the organization, convinced that God will, in due time, correct matters. They continue to go out and preach to others things that may be true today and yet be changed tomorrow, and preach it as though it has been and always will be truth. And they, like the various sects in Jesus’ day, remain convinced that they have God’s approval, even in preaching things which might prove false. They’re convinced that they’re doing God’s will in such activities, all in the name of Jesus. In still fewer cases, the Witness suddenly experiences a crisis of conscience and finds it impossible to ignore the things either discovered or revealed to them. They come to realize that the Witness organization truly is no better nor any worse than any other Christian religion, and cannot, in good conscience, continue to proclaim the teachings of the organization that they once held to so firmly. They may drift away from the meetings either sporadically or altogether. They might become quite outspoken about the things they have come to know, demand an explanation and a solution. And yet, in spite of these things, they cannot bring themselves to formally remove themselves from the membership roles, content to reason that their actions are statement enough, or in lieu of an announcement of disassociation/disfellowshipping being made to friends and family, simply stay away and try to make it on their own through personal Bible study, trying to piece together what remains of their tattered faith and resolve. It is among this group that I personally find myself at the time of this writing. Personally, it has come to the point where I have, by my own actions, disassociated myself. But the argument that was given to me before I was baptized that convinced me to write letters of disassociation to any and all churches that I might be a member of, voluntarily or unwittingly, is probably just as valid in this issue, too. In rare cases, the Witness does totally cut himself or herself off from the Witness organization voluntarily. They then either join another group or become totally anti-organized religion. Some even go on to become vicious apostates, bent on doing all they can to vilify the organization out of revenge or spite. I don’t personally approve of such a course nor can I see myself taking such a route in life. Whether, in light of a close examination of the issue of community responsibility, a Witness chooses to continue or withdraw, they must do so through an informed decision and nothing less will suffice. Their resolve must be to serve Jehovah and not any organization regardless of a claim to speaking for God or being a channel for God. And it is my personal conviction that in the instance where a Witness determines to remain with the organization, a personal Bible study and relationship with Jehovah God must always outweigh any studies of an organization’s literature or attendance at meetings. They are in no equal in God’s eyes so far as I’ve been able to determine from the Bible. And if a person can spend 6 hours of their week at a meeting, they should be able to spend 12 hours a week in their own Bible, apart from any organizational literature. H. H. Halley said it best, when in the Halley’s Bible Handbook, he states: "We may, indeed, absorb Christian Truth, in some measure, by attending religious services, listening to sermons, Bible lessons, testimonies, and reading Christian literature. But,
in these things, however good and helpful they may be, we are receiving God’s
Truth second-hand, diluted through human channels, and, to quite an
extent, glossed over with human ideas and traditions. Such
things cannot possibly take the place of our reading for ourselves the Bible itself,
and grounding, for ourselves, our faith and hope and life, directly on God’s
Word rather than on what men say about God’s Word. God’s Word itself is the weapon of the spirit of God for the redemption and perfection of the human soul. It is not enough to listen to others talk and teach and preach about the Bible. We need to keep ourselves, every one of us, in direct touch with God’s Word. It is the power of God in our hearts." –Halley’s Bible Handbook, © 1965, by Halley’s Bible Handbook, Inc., page 806. And as I’ve always said and firmly believe, “Time tells all Truths.” Whether I am correct in my understanding thus far on community responsibility or not, I know that all will be made clear in the end. Timothy B Kline September 15, 2000 |
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