June 5, 2002
Dear Sirs:
I am respectfully and immediately declining membership into your organization, the Jehovah's Christian Witnesses, a.k.a. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. I have found that there are differences between what the Bible teaches and what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that are irreconcilable. I would like to take a few minutes to share with you some of my concerns with your organization. They are by far no means a complete list of my concerns but for the sake of giving you a fair analysis of my decision not to join, I will list them and according to relevant subjects. After reviewing my concerns, please pay special attention to the very important message I have at the end of this letter.
Concerns on the teachings of the Watchtower:
The following is based on the Watchtower's teaching that they are the only source for accurate interpretation of the Bible:
"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." The Watchtower, August 15, 1981, p. 29
Is reading the Bible exclusively really satanic?
What "apostate doctrines" does one come to believe in when they read the Bible exclusively?
The following is based on the Watchtower's teaching on "new light":
"New Light": "A new view of truth can never contradict a former truth. 'New light' never extinguishes older 'light', but adds to it.... So is it with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another". Zion's Watchtower, Feb. 1881
Jesus is NOT Michael the Archangel:
"Hence it is said, 'Let all the angels of God worship him':
(that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is
not the Son of God)....".
The Watchtower, November 1879, p. 4
Jesus IS Michael the Archangel: "Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the scriptures to be Michael the Archangel." The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1979, p. 31
The Watchtower Society has declared that "new light" can never contradict a former truth. Is Jesus really Michael the Archangel?
The following is based on the Watchtower's teaching that The Watchtower is the inspired word of God
"There is no reasonable or scriptural
injunction to bring children into the world before Armageddon,
where we are now."
The Watchtower, November 1 1938 p. 324
"The Watchtower is not the instrument
of any man or any set of men, nor is it published according to
the whims of men. No man's opinion is expressed in The Watchtower."
The Watchtower, 1931 November
1 p.327
Does Jehovah not want us to have children?
Concerns on Bible interpretation:
"Greater love has no one
than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" John
15:13
Has Jehovah performed the greatest act of love?
Isaiah 44:6, "This is what the LORD says -Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."
Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 1:17-18, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
(Obviously, Rev. 1:17-18 can only refer to Jesus.)
Revelation 22:12-13, "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
Here, both the "Alpha and the Omega" and the "First and the Last" are said to be one and the same.
How many firsts and lasts are there? In the Bible God is called the first and last and so is Jesus. Since God says there is no God apart from Him and Jesus and God are both addressed by the same title, then that poses a problem for the Jehovah's Witness.
Rom. 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Gal. 2:16, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.
Epheisans 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Underlining mine for the sake of emphasis)
It is by grace through faith that we are saved. Grace is getting what you do not deserve. The Watchtower teaches that it is by faith and works that we are saved. Of course, love motivates us to do good works to please Our Father for faith without works is dead, but it is not the means to our salvation! To believe that good works can reward you your salvation is to say that Jesus died for nothing! That all the work that He did is in vain, that it wasn't good enough. Apparently, the Watchtower believes that Jesus was not good enough for us to be saved. Not only is that belief untrue but also is outright hypocrisy!
Concerns on the real Truth:
In 1972, The Watchtower claimed to be the prophet of God
"So does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet...This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian Witnesses...Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a 'prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it." The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197 (See Deut. 18:20-22)
And here is the evidence that they have that backs up and supports this claim in 1972 and today:
"Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection." Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89.
"The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914." The Watchtower, Sept 1, 1922, page 262.
"Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge." The Watchtower, April 1, 1923, page 106.
"It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated, the thought that 1925 should see an end to the work." The Watchtower, Sept, 1925 page 262.
Is the Watchtower admitting Satan injected into their minds the thought that 1925 should see the end of the work?
"Some anticipated that the work would end in 1925, but the Lord did not state so. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond reason; and that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to throw away everything." The Watchtower, page 232.
To me, this states that the Watchtower indirectly admitted they have an inflated imagination beyond reason.
"There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1917, 1918, and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time...and they also learned to quit fixing dates." Vindication, page 338.
"True, there have been those in times past who predicted an 'end to the world', even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The 'end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing?.. Missing from such people were God's truths and evidence that he was using and guiding them." Awake, October 8, 1968.
No kidding. I think this last one spoke
for itself.
Mark 13:21-23, "Then, too, if anyone says to you, 'See! Here is the Christ,' 'See! There he is', do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones."
More Concerns on the real Truth:
The Watchtower, going back to its earliest years and still today, has claimed that the United Nations is the scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelations. In fact, in some of its most recent publications we learn:
"The UN, then, is actually a revival of the scarlet-colored wild beast." ( Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand, p. 248 ).
"Details supplied in the prophecy help us to identify this symbolic beast as a peace organization that came into existence in 1919 as the League of Nations (a 'disgusting thing') and that is now the United Nations." (The Watchtower, May 1, 1999, p. 17 ).
"From its inception, this body has also had the great harlot riding on its back, visibly associated with it, and trying to guide its destiny. For example, on its 20th anniversary, in June 1965, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, together with Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims-said to represent two thousand million of earth's population-assembled in San Francisco to celebrate their support and admiration of the UN." (Revelation Its Grand Climax at Hand, p 243).
I especially like the last one that lists several organizations having visible ties with the United Nations. What I also noticed is the Watchtower does not make any mention in any of their publications as to their ties with the United Nations. According to the United Nations, the Watchtower became a member of the United Nations in 1991 and along with being a member includes agreement in sharing the ideals of the UN charter, disseminating information about the UN to their membership, thereby building knowledge and support for the organization, disseminating information and mobilizing public opinion in support of the UN and its Specialized Agencies. In other words, they essentially work for the UN. Only recently, in October 2001, has the Watchtower broke ties with the United Nations after its long-term 10-year secret relationship with the United Nations within days of it being revealed to the public and congregations by an active Jehovah's Witness.
So there you have it, the evidence that the Watchtower, the great harlot, rides the back of the scarlet-colored beast of Revelation, the enemy of God. (Also see the picture of the UN riding the beast in The Watchtower, 1968, p.577) The deceptive and undeniable work of Satan the father of lies.
VERY IMPORTANT
During some of my many studies, I found myself curious to know more about the beloved man, C.T. Russell, who blessed us with the beginnings of the Watchtower organization. A rather interesting and sentimental discourse he wrote for a 1913 Convention Report of the International Bible Students enlightened me to what a wonderful man he must have been. He could be considered right for he said, "God never said they should make a separate church. God never said they should make a Baptist church. Or Presbyterian. Or Methodist church, etc. The Lord intended to make one Church and he intended that one Church should not have merely a little scrap of the truth, but all the truth." This could be true if you understood the real identity of the Church.
So with my interest glued to the marvel of this man and his excellent writing, I then come to a rather astonishing and mortifying truth. This man begins to explain, "I am very glad to have this particular opportunity to saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our Masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to Masonry, and we also are Masons. I am a Free Mason. I am a free and accepted Mason" Also, he mentions, "That is so. The Great Master Craftsman of our High Order of Free and Accepted Masonry, the Lord Jesus Christ, laid the foundation of it all."
If you do not know, I beg for a few more minutes of your time to explain to you exactly why this mortifies me. The Masonic Lodge is a branch of the Free Masonry. Other branches include the Grottoes, Shriners, Eastern Star, and Scottish Rite to name a few. It's embarrassing to say, but my paternal grandfather, paternal grandmother, uncles, my father-in-law, the majority of my husband's uncles and aunts are all members of one or more of these secret occult societies. I myself witnessed the installment ritual my father-in-law undergone as he took his place as "Worshipful Master" several years ago. It is a rare occurrence for this ritual to be open to family members to witness as it is usually done during a secret meeting, but nonetheless I was not impressed by the ritualistic and demonic nature of activities they allowed to be shown.
Without taking up too much more time, I'll just outline a few things I have come to know about the Masons. In general,
To be a Mason, you must first take an oath that is in reality a denial of Jesus Christ. This is not surprising either given that there is a Bible set upon an alter in the middle of the Lodge that does not get read and is not allowed to be opened to any pages past the book of Malachi. (In essence, no New Testament allowed)They claim to know and have the divine name of God. The divine Logos, or "Word" referred to in John 1:1-5. This name given is JAH-BUL-ON. This odd name is supposedly the true name of the deity of Freemasonry and is so "sacred" it can only be spoken in the company of three Royal Arch Masons formed by their intertwined hands.
Yet, the father of modern Masonry said, "Lucifer is God!" and consider him the bearer of Light. He is not a person, but a Force, created for good, but which may serve for evil. They represent this Force under the mythological and horned form of the God PAN and hence came the he-goat of the Sabbat (witches' festival) who is the brother of the Ancient Serpent and the Light Bearer. There are other gods too many to mention.
A specific example of blasphemy includes a York Rite ritual in which Chapter officers apply the holy name of God, "I AM THAT I AM" to themselves at every meeting.
Jesus Christ was the Great Master Craftsman of the Free Masonry? I could mention more, but I think you get the point and why I am sickened at the thought that the origins of a proclaimed Christian organization (Masons claim to be Christians too, by the way) has its origins from a man dedicated to the Masonry. I ask you; can a rotten tree bear fine fruit? (Matt 7:17-20) For an organization that takes pagan holidays as serious as it does due to their origins, I certainly will never understand how its members take this matter lightly. If they don't, may they always be blessed with the reminder of their origins, the sticky circle shaped medallions adorned on the cars of the Masonic members in our community.
I could mention more inconsistencies with the Watchtower Society, but I fear that not only would you not want to hear them you would not want to believe them for the wall of deception in your organization is great. I hope that one day you will be brave enough to look through the holes in that wall and stop trying to fill in all the cracks. I will be praying for you.
Sincerely,
Deanna Bergeron
Romans 16:18: "For men of that sort are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own bellies; and by smooth talk, and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones."