Sometimes you just gotta let yourself be wronged. Your one-man band against  Jehovah’s approved body is a futile gesture, and as usual, is seemingly to draw attention to yourself. Man-up and repent, come back, there’s  always room for a prodigal son.

Over the years I have received many emails. Some are supportive. Others express confusion, some anger and outrage. Sometimes I respond privately. Sometimes I simply ignore them. Sometimes I respond publicly. This is one of those.

People—all people, including Jehovah’s Witnesses—make assumptions; unfortunately, oftentimes based upon limited knowledge and a lack of understanding.

You assume that I have a personal vendetta against the Watchtower. I don’t. I have not been personally wronged. And I harbor no ill will toward anyone. However, is it possible for someone to be justified in being righteously indignant towards the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses for their double-dealing and hypocrisy? Be careful how you answer. But first, let’s consider some of your other assumptions in more detail.

Your most glaring error is the assumption that the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses is “Jehovah’s approved body”—with emphasis on “approved.” And, of course, you share that assumption with the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses; who, for many years had been taught that Christ appointed his faithful slave over all of his belongings back in 1918, but no longer. In light of the Society’s own teaching, the coming of the master to judge his slaves is in the future. So what? you say.

Although their adjusted view has virtually dissolved what was formally known as the “evil slave class” and diminished the relevance of Christ’s future judgment to a mere formality, the fact remains that inadvertently the Watchtower has admitted that Christ has not bestowed his ultimate, final approval upon his slaves. So, to speak of “Jehovah’s approved body,” as if such approval is unequivocal or irrevocable, is to speak in ignorance.

By the way, it is not to call attention to myself, but since my motives and qualifications are in question, as Paul might say when his credentials as an apostle were questioned: “I reply like a madman.” So, for your information in 2005 the first addition of Jehovah Himself Has Become King was published. I personally mailed dozens of copies of it to members of the Governing Body and various department heads at Bethel, as well as to a number of branch offices of the Watchtower Society. 

Sure, it is not a professionally produced publication such as the Watchtower produces. It has typos and run-on sentences. I wish I could have afforded a proofreader. But for “a one-man band” it was the best I could do with my limited abilities and resources. It has even been translated into French and Spanish, for which I am grateful. At any rate, the chapters on the Harvest and the Judgment placed the appointment of the slave over the master’s belongs to the future, which was about eight years before the Watchtower adjusted their teaching. Although I consider it a relatively trivial point in isolation, it raises the question: How can an individual who has been cast out of the organization as an apostate opposer in need of repentance be ahead of “Jehovah’s approved body”?

Was it just a lucky guess on my part? Or merely a “futile gesture”? You can believe that if it makes you sleep better at night.

Or is there something else going on of which the majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses are unaware? If it is the latter, how can you ever know?

There is such a thing as groupthink. Consider what Wikipedia has to say on the phenomenon.

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences.

Loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking. The dysfunctional group dynamics of the “ingroup” produces an “illusion of invulnerability” (an inflated certainty that the right decision has been made). Thus the “ingroup” significantly overrates its own abilities in decision-making, and significantly underrates the abilities of its opponents (the “outgroup”). Furthermore groupthink can produce dehumanizing actions against the “outgroup”.

The excerpt above certainly describes the prevailing mentality of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Who can deny that there is tremendous pressure brought to bear upon everyone to conform to the Watchtower’s authority, even if it means suppressing our own logical faculties? Of course, it is all justified by means of the Scriptures. So anyone who goes outside the ingroup is cast as an enemy of God. But such may not be the case at all. 

You perfectly demonstrated the groupthink mentality in your dismissal of my website as a “futile gesture” of someone who is out for self-glory. (By the way, originally, up until about 2004, I published anonymously and the criticism then was that I was cowardly for hiding my identity. But now that I have put my name and face on the Internet I am seeking glory for myself.)

But it has to be that way, doesn’t it? There has to be something wrong with me, because if you took seriously the message I present on the Watchman’s Post then you would most certainly feel the pangs of conscience, a conscience that has been trained to only think within the confines of the “ingroup.” And since according to the Watchtower’s judicial rulings I am in the “outgroup,” you must dismiss me personally, otherwise you are disloyal to the “ingroup.” It’s a crazy world, isn’t it? However, you seem to have already crossed the line to some extent by even contacting me. (By the way, I appreciate the intent of your concern for my salvation.)

qryw4ycwadj7icrxntcn1Consider the real import of my message: The ingroup believes that there cannot be another world war. What is more, the Watchtower has stated that the sign of Christ’s presence cannot display itself more convincingly in the future than what has already become evident since 1914 – even though over recent decades the Society has retracted numerous things that had supposedly already been fulfilled. So, even though the Watchtower now teaches that many of the things Christ foretold have not been fulfilled yet, for example, men becoming faint with fear, they insist that all the things Jesus foretold cannot unfold in the future.

But again, in the first edition of Jehovah Himself Has Become King I pointed forward to an inevitable World War Three scenario, which will signal the authentic beginning of the relatively brief conclusion of the system. Of course, 10 years ago I was dismissed as a raving lunatic. And yet at this moment in time, the world stands on the brink of nuclear war. Sober minds realize this to be the case and in just the past few days there has been a frenzy of diplomatic activity intended to defuse the crises. And yet, the unavoidable fact remains that the Anglo-American-dominated global financial system is going to blow out. Sure, no one knows the day or hour, but many know it is coming soon and the aftermath will be nothing less than catastrophic. 

But where is the voice of the vaunted watchman class now? Why are they mute at this most critical juncture in history? Why has the Society watered down the prophecies to contain mere behavioral lessons for Jehovah’s Witnesses? Why did a member of the Governing Body glibly boast at the 2014 Annual Meeting that at next year’s Annual Meeting, they might let you know who the king of the north is? Why do they assume that the truth belongs to them? Are they prophets? I reply like a madman: I am one more outstandingly! Sorry. 

Let’s go back to your expression: “Jehovah’s approved body.” As you no doubt are aware, long ago God formed the children of Abraham into a nation. And of all the nations on earth back then Jehovah placed his name upon them and entered into a covenant with them. He gave them his law, which they were solemnly bound to obey. But they frequently, flagrantly broke God’s laws. In time God determined that it was necessary to sternly punish them, because otherwise, they were incorrigible. But instead of simply lowering the boom on them from out of the blue, God sent them prophets who warned of God’s coming judgment. By doing so Jehovah showed his reasonableness and fairness. All the leaders had to do was repent and Jehovah would withhold punishment.

But the point is, originally Israel and Judah both had God’s approval. For example, when God allowed Assyria to conquer the northern tribes he spared Judah and even sent his angel to slay the entire Assyrian army as they slept. Yet, later even Jerusalem – the city where Jehovah had place his holy name – was given over to destruction.

But, as already pointed out, prior to their horrific end individuals – prophets – made God’s judgments public. Jeremiah, for example, stationed himself in the gateway where people filed into the temple courtyard, where he announced Jehovah’s judgments. The kings and priests tried to silence them. Jeremiah was threatened and bullied. The king actually tore up Jeremiah’s scroll and burned it in the fire. (No doubt dozens of copies of Jehovah Himself Has Become King have met a similar fate)

Jeremiah was even thrown down a cistern and left for dead. But Jehovah was with him as a terrible mighty one. Just like Bethel today, the Jewish hierarchy back then told the people that they were at peace with God. They evidently suffered from groupthink back then too. But no matter how stubborn the Jews were, God made Jeremiah more hardheaded, so that he prevailed against those who had the power and prestige of Jehovah’s approved body. I am sure you get the point. If not, take the case of Ezekiel.

Jehovah picked him up by the scruff of his neck and in vision showed him all the horrible things that were being done in God’s temple. As a result, Ezekiel went off in the rage of his spirit; again a “one man band” – to announce Jehovah’s coming judgments. Did Ezekiel have personal issues with Jehovah’s organization? No. He was simply infused with the indignation that Jehovah felt towards his people. Ezekiel was outraged that Jehovah had been treated with such disrespect.

So, is it possible that God has any issues with the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses today? And if he does, is it realistic to expect proud, organizational men (ingroup) to accept it, much less admit their error?

I need not be a repentant prodigal son. I have not left the truth or turned my back on God. Sure, like everyone else I have my own personal faults and sins for which I must deal with, but exposing the Watchtower’s treachery is not one of them. 

The truth is, Watchtower organization has not been faithful to their covenant. They have not been true to the truth. They have denied God in may ways and have become hypocritical in their profession of faith. The Watchtower Society has concealed the truth about the parousia and has deluded Jehovah’s Witnesses into supposing that Jesus has already begun ruling. They have become the hardset legal adversaries of children who were abused by pedophiles who were in good standing within the organization. 

There is a penalty that the organization must pay for being untrue to God.

It is their unfaithfulness that has driven me mad and made me appear to be a fool in the eyes of Jehovah’s Witnesses by my being driven to take on the Watchtower, even as the prophecy of Hosea states: “The days of being given attention must come; the days of the due payment must come. Those of Israel will know it. The prophet will be foolish, the man of inspired expression will be maddened on account of the abundance of your error, even animosity being abundant.The watchman of Ephraim was with my God. As regards a prophet, there is the trap of a birdcatcher on all his ways; there is an animosity in the house of his God.”

While the Watchtower has many enemies and many detractors, as far as I know there is only one watchman whom Jehovah is using at this time to announce his coming judgment. Jehovah willing, he will continue to use me in that capacity up until “the days of the due payment” finally come. All indications are that the day is near. 

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