QUESTION: I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I am not disfellowshipped nor have I disassociated myself. I still go to meetings on occasion, but I’m what is considered inactive. My interest is that you still hold true to the teaching of Jehovah’s witnesses but yet not everything. Although I was raised a Catholic, I never believed Jesus was God, or hell fire, or in the immortality of the soul and Idolizing the saints. As a result of this it was very easy for me to accept and become one Jehovah’s Witnesses And so I too believe the basic doctrines which by way were believed since the time of Russell. My problem is that I am stumbled over the attention that is given to what is revered to as “God’s Organization.” Instead of trying to strengthen our faith in God’s Kingdom they want us to look to “Jehovah’s Organization”. And so this prelude was just hopefully, to help you better understand my question. How much involvement does Jehovah actually have with “Jehovah’s Organization”.
ANSWER: If you know you have been stumbled and what has stumbled you that is good. It seems most people who have been stumbled do not recognize that they have been.
Jesus said that causes for stumbling are unavoidable. After all, in the first century a large number of people who started off following Jesus were stumbled when he told them they had to drink his blood and eat his flesh or they would have no life in themselves.
So, it should not surprise us that the Watchtower has stumbled many of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But, the question is, does the fact that this undesirable situation exists in the first place indicate that Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the true faith? No. Like Jesus said, “It is unavoidable that causes for stumbling should come.” (Luke 17:1)
However, Jesus also spoke of a future day when such stumbling blocks will be removed. And when might we expect that to occur? Jesus said that during the conclusion of the system of things “the Son of man will send his angels, and they will collect out from his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and people who practice lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace.”
Since Christ himself acknowledges the fact that there will be stumbling blocks and persons doing lawlessness within his Kingdom — that is to say, within his congregation — up until the angels intervene, we should be determined not to allow ourselves to fall victim before the conclusion commences.
Of course, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not see things this way since the Watchtower has convinced them that the conclusion began in 1914. But ironically that teaching is, itself one of the stumbling blocks!
Hopefully our knowing that God allows such stumbling blocks now and that there is a point in the future when the situation will be remedied will give us the needed faith and insight to continue on in the path despite the obstacles that present themselves, whatever they may be.
