I am not a massive cricket fan, but I do enjoy the odd test match and, of course, the Ashes. I find the battle the battle between the batsman and the bowler fascinating. The bowler seeks to tempt the batsman into playing a shot that will lead to his dismissal, but every now and then the bowler will not quite get it right, giving the batsman the opportunity to hit the ball for six.
Now lest you fear the Reachout Trust blog has decided to ditch cults and start commenting on sport, let me share with you where I am going with this. Every now and then a cultic group, like the bowler in the cricket match, will give the batsman (in this case Reachout Trust) the opportunity to hit the ball for six.
This is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done in their feature article on JW.org. The piece is entitled: ‘Protect Yourself from Misinformation’ and, as I began to read it, I nearly spat out my coffee. If only Jehovah’s Witnesses would take what they are here being taught and apply it to their own leaders and teachings. Let’s consider the advice they are being offered.
We all need to protect ourselves from misinformation.
So begins the article and they are correct. This is sound advice. So, what does JW.org suggests Witnesses should do? They offer four pointers:
i) Do not believe everything you see or hear
ii) Evaluate the source and content
iii) Be guided by facts, not personal preferences
iv) Stop the spread of misinformation
Again, this is all good, but those reading this will completely fail to spot the irony.
Here we have guidance coming from an organisation which tells its members not to believe or trust anything coming from outside of their group. That they have no need to check or evaluate anything they are being taught, because the Faithful and Discreet Slave is to be completely trusted. And what about being guided by facts? Have you ever tried to have a Jehovah’s Witness check the fact that Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 586/7 BCE and not 607BCE?
Types of Misinformation
It continues to warn Jehovah’s Witnesses about misleading news, false reports, and conspiracy theories. Then, in another ‘spit the drink out of my mouth moment’ the article quotes the secretary- general of the UN.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the secretary-general of the United Nations warned of a dangerous epidemic of misinformation. “Harmful health advice and snake-oil solutions are proliferating,” he stated. “Falsehoods are filling the airwaves. Wild conspiracy theories are infecting the Internet. Hatred is going viral, stigmatizing and vilifying people and groups.”
It does make me smile when I find the Watchtower Society quoting the United Nations, after all here is what it thinks of that organisation:
The UN really stands in the way of God’s Kingdom by the “seed” of Abraham. Hence, it is the present-day “disgusting thing that causes desolation.” (Matthew 24:15) No, the UN is not a blessing, even though the religious clergy of Christendom and the rabbis of Jewry pray heaven’s blessing upon that organization. It is really “the image of the wild beast,” the visible political, commercial organization of “the god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil. So the UN will soon be destroyed along with that beastly organization.[1]
They go on to say that misinformation is not new, and this is true. For example, the Watchtower Society has been spreading misinformation regarding the way of salvation for the past 150 years. They quote 2 Timothy 3:1,13, not realising that these verses speak about them.
But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here… But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled. (NWT)
The Internet
It is pointed out that the internet can be a source of misinformation as…’our email, social media, and news feeds can become filled with distorted facts and half-truths’.
This is their way of telling their members not to believe anything they may see or read on the internet, particularly if it is speaking about Jehovah’s organisation. The question is posed: ‘How can you protect yourself from misleading information and conspiracy theories?’
My answer would be to stop listening to anything the Faithful and Discreet Slave tells them, but of course that is not their answer. They say: ‘Do not believe everything you see or hear.’ Followed by the Bible verse:
“The naïve person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.” Proverbs 14:15
In a recent encounter with Jehovah’s Witnesses at their cart, I shared my testimony and why I believed they were in grave danger. After showing that I had clearly done thinking, some fact checking and some research, they no longer wanted to speak to me. This seems to be the exact opposite of Proverbs 14:15.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are looking for ‘naïve’ people who will believe their every word without question. They have no time for the ‘shrewd’ who will ponder each step. In a further show of blind irony, the article continues by saying: ‘We can easily be deceived if we are not careful’.
They then reference videos and images that can be ‘taken out of context’. Jehovah’s Witnesses are given some wise counsel in this regard. They are to evaluate the source and content. In this they would be wise to follow the biblical advice of 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to ‘Make sure of all things’ which, ironically, they quote out of context! If only Jehovah’s Witnesses would really make sure of ALL things.
Next time we will continue to respond to Misinformation and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
[1] The Watchtower, September 15, 1984, p. 15
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