Last time I began to respond to an article on JW.org entitled: ‘Protect Yourself from Misinformation’. I suggested that, though the advice given was generally sound, they need to take the counsel and apply it to Jehovah's organisation.
The article continues by encouraging Jehovah's people to ‘evaluate the reliability of the source' saying that:
News media companies and other organizations may slant a story because of their commercial or political bias.
This really is an article that just keeps on giving. This could just have easily said: ‘The Watchtower organization may slant a story because of their commercial and theological bias.’
Let’s Agree
Now, I do find myself agreeing with some of the advice given in the article. For example, they say: 'Compare what you see in one news outlet with other sources'. I agree. Yes, we should.
'At times, friends may inadvertently pass on misinformation through email messages or social media posts. Therefore, do not trust a news item unless you can check the original source'. Yes, I agree.
'Make sure that the content is current and accurate. Look for dates, verifiable facts, and strong evidence to support what is being said'. Yes, I totally agree.
They then add in another quote from a U.N. correspondent:
“Fact-checking now is probably becoming as important as hand washing.” says: Sridhar Dharmapuri, a Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer for the U.N.
Be guided by facts, not personal preferences.
If only they would seriously apply the advice, they are being given. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not guided by facts – they fear facts. They refuse to consider any proofs presented to them, because they are conditioned to just trust what they are told by Jehovah’s organisation and it would never lie to them.
Again they quote another bible verse to support their point:
“Whoever trusts in his own heart is stupid.” Proverbs 28:26 (NWT)
It is worth looking at the whole verse, here quoted from the NKJV:
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26
We know that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked[1], so we mustn’t trust our heart, but the proverb also says we are to walk wisely. How is this achieved? By fact checking everything we are being told – even by the faithful and discreet slave!
The article then says something so true, yet the Jehovah’s Witnesses would never believe that it could apply to them.
‘We tend to trust information that confirms what we want to believe’.
Now, I have no problem with putting my hand up and saying I am sometimes guilty of this, surely, we all are. Yet the JW would no doubt say: ‘Not me’.
Continuing, the article rightly points out that our social media feeds will offer us information based on our interests and browsing history. They then quote someone named Peter Ditto, a social psychologist:
“People are capable of being thoughtful and rational, but our wishes, hopes, fears, and motivations often tip the scales to make us more likely to accept something as true if it supports what we want to believe.”
Stop the spread of misinformation
Finally, the article gives advice on how to stop the spread of misinformation. My advice to them is to just stay of our streets, but I trust they would not readily accept my guidance. Yet, they quote Exodus 23:1 (NWT), which clearly agrees with my advice to them:
“You must not spread a report that is not true”
They then say something that is again true and clearly pointing at themselves:
‘Remember that the information you share with others has the power to affect their thoughts and actions. Even if you unintentionally pass on wrong information, the consequences can be harmful.’
How damaging is the ‘wrong’ information given out by Jehovah’s Witnesses. I am reminded of Jesus’ words at Matthew 23:13:
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in…”
They end with a quote from yet another ‘worldly’ source:
“The No. 1 rule is to slow down, pause and ask yourself, ʻAm I sure enough about this that I should share it?’ If everybody did that, we’d see a dramatic reduction of misinformation online.”— Peter Adams, a senior vice president of the News Literacy Project.
The question is then posed to the loyal followers of Jehovah:
‘Am I sharing this information because I know it is true?’
This is not just a question about the spread of misinformation online, but also about their confidence in sharing what they believe as Jehovah’s Witnesses. They believe they are in the ‘truth’ (Jehovah’s organisation), yet they do not know the One who is the Truth.
Whilst they continue to deny the person of the Lord Jesus and reject what He has done for them, they will continue to spread misinformation
If only they would heed the advice given in the article on JW.org and apply it to the organisation, but they cannot. Rather they continue to believe that which supports what they want to believe and so they remain lost and without hope.
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