JWs: Is it honest to say that all apostates are acting against Jehovah?

If you are a Jehovah's Witness you are bound to agree with what the Governing Body says about apostates. They describe an apostate as a former baptised Jehovah's Witness who either was disfellowshipped or left and then has the temerity to speak out against the organisation and its theology. Here is the official view: "Apostasy is, in reality, a rebellion against Jehovah. Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah’s organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness." (Watchtower 1993 October 1 page 19) You see how they brand the "apostate" as being so ingrained with "badness" that they become an object of hatred, a "legitmate target"?

Apostates, they say, are false teachers and, what's more, they are mentally diseased! I couldn't make this up, honest. Here is a quotation from the 15 July 2011 Watchtower article entitled Will You Heed Jehovah’s Clear Warnings? Do Not Follow “False Teachers:”

"How can we protect ourselves against false teachers? The Bible’s counsel regarding how to deal with them is clear. (Read Romans 16:17; 2 John 9-11) “Avoid them,” says God’s Word. Other translations render that phrase “turn away from them,” “keep away from them,” and “stay away from them!” There is nothing ambiguous about that inspired counsel. Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease. You would know what the doctor means, and you would strictly heed his warning. Well, apostates are “mentally diseased,” and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings. (1 Timothy 6:3-4) Jehovah, the Great Physician, tells us to avoid contact with them. We know what he means, but are we determined to heed his warning in all respects?”

“7. What is involved in avoiding false teachers? We do not receive them into our homes or greet them. We also refuse to read their literature, watch TV programs that feature them, examine their Web sites, or add our comments to their blogs. Why do we take such a firm stand? Because of love. We love “the God of truth,” so we are not interested in twisted teachings that contradict his Word of truth. We also love Jehovah’s organisation, through which we have been taught thrilling truths… Why, then, allow yourself to be soured by anyone who would denigrate the organization through which you learned these truths?”

“8. No matter what false teachers may say, we will not follow them! Why go to such dried-up wells only to be deceived and disappointed? Instead, let us be determined to remain loyal to Jehovah and to the organization that has a long record of quenching our thirst…” (pages 15 and 16)

They brand every person who speaks out against them as apostates who are mentally diseased and who are acting against Jehovah. And if a baptised Jehovah's Witness disagrees with that view, they had better keep their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves otherwise questions will be asked and sanctions applied.

You ask if it is honest to say all apostates are acting against Jehovah. Not when an ex-Jehovah’s Witness subsequently becomes a born-again Christian. Apostasy, in fact, is when a person once believed but then rejects Christ Jesus and God. It has nothing to do with speaking out against an organisation that preaches a false gospel.

No it doesn't make any sense. The apostate claim is the Bogyman to the witnesses. I personally have never met an apostate witness ( by their definition)

An Apostate witness is someone who knowingly tries to take Witnesses away from the truth and lead them to Satan........These people do not exist. Only Watchtower smoke and mirrors and fear and lies.

Kind of Like the Wizard of Oz telling Dorothy not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain at the very time she is about to find out the truth of her Great and Powerful OZ (a fraud)

I left the Witnesses almost 30 years ago due to false prophecies, Changing the Bible to support unchristian dogma and the cover ups of rape and molestation ( Mine )

I warn others because they are a cult and not Christian.

For me to walk into a Kingdom Hall would be the Height of Apostasy

Edit: Wondered how long it would take someone to misapply the "New Light" Scripture...not long at all.

Where is the Apology from the Watchtower Society to the families of the Dead who faithfully refused organ transplants?

Same today with their flawed interpretation of scripture that causes the deaths of many Witnesses by insisting that they refuse Blood transfusions.

I am SURE that the WBS knows full well that they have misused scripture. Their easing up on the transfusion edict in places like Bulgaria prove that they do not support their own theology.

This is the problem: If the WBS back peddles and allows blood transfusions or pulls a "New Light" reversal the families of the dead, Myself included will shut them down with the largest influx of law suits to hit religious history....they KNOWINGLY led the weak and blind to their deaths for theology that was inaccurate and the death toll of the Witnesses due to arrogance in the WBS is the largest in the history of all the cults put together.

Hopefully soon they will be brought into litigation over this and be shut down...there's so much blood on the hands of these cult leaders in Brooklyn I doubt it will ever be cleaned

I'm going to try and keep the response as simple as possible. Look at this scripture:

(Proverbs 4:18) 18 But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

It is understandable that as time goes on, you attain a better understanding of divine guidance the more you study and the more you learn to listen to Jehovah God through the Bible. It is humbling to acknowledge when an adjustment to a certaint hinking has to be made and JW are avery good example of that. Organ transplant, guns, the cross, etc, etc. The light gets brighter and things are cleared up and adjustments are made. Remember that humans, JW and all others, are still imperfect and make mistakes. But the true servant of God is willing to accept correction from him and fix the wrong and not continue in a mistake.

So those who at the moment when they said, no to organ transplants, die because of it... they where faithfull to the instrucitons given and have faith that Jehovah will repay their obedience in the resurection. Those who are rebelious in nature just because they do not understand something at that moment have to think about their motives and attitudes:

(Numbers 17:10) 10 Subsequently Jehovah said to Moses: “Put Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony as something to be kept for a sign to the sons of rebelliousness, that their murmurings may cease from against me, that they may not die.”

The israelites followed the comands Jehovah had given them so far and if they where not rebelious to those commands, they would find favor before Jehovah. Rebeling is what would cause them to loose Jehovah's favor.

King Saul was rejected for being rebelious:

(1 Samuel 15:22, 23) 22 In turn Samuel said: “Does Jehovah have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat of rams; 23 for rebelliousness is the same as the sin of divination, and pushing ahead presumptuously the same as [using] uncanny power and teraphim. Since you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he accordingly rejects you from being king.”

I hope these helped. Email me if you need anything else. Thanks.

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If you would like to know more about this and other themes, next time Jehovah's Witness come to your door, ask them for a free Bible study at your convenience. You will never regret all the knowledge you will acquire and remember that what you do with that knowledge is your choice.

Knowledge + Application = Wisdom

why would an apostate act against any religious person, an apostate is one who has rejected their faith and walked away .

If they speak against the teachings of Christians, what would that make them?

Apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of God, actually a rebellion against Jehovah God. Some apostates profess to know and serve God but reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible but reject the religious organization they belong to.

Not only do they abandon the their faith but they then “beat” their former associates, using public criticism and other methods to hinder their work; the efforts of such apostates are devoted to tearing down, not building up.

In my 54 years as a JW, never have I known anyone or heard of anyone accepting a organ transplant, but if they did, that would be their decision, I know I would not have one. Now said that, I know JW that has major open heart surgery without blood transfusion. In fact, my sister is having a knee replacement Tuesday morning.

Organ donation is a conscience thing i thought...

And If someone is disfellowshipped as an apostate I am going to listen tp the guidance of the brothers. They are who Jehovah has appointed to take care of his flock...

If you go against Jehovah's People then yes you are against Jehovah... Though I believe that some truly had honest questions...But Its not my place to try and find out who is really an apostate or not...The bible says that Jehovah will bring all things to the light.....So we'll just have to wait and see....If someone was indeed wrongly accused then I am willing to apologize to them personally...

ANYWAYS: What I'm trying to say is that it's not up to us to make sure of these things. We are to trust the judgement of the appointed brothers. If something is done wrong then Jehovah will fix it. Just trust in Jehovah and don't worry about other people. He recognizes true intentions.. That's who we are supposed to please anyways.Right?