Jehovah's Witnesses, what is meant by referring to your organization/religion as "the truth"?

We don't term it as "we are the truth". What we say is "we have the truth" or "we know the truth about God's word the bible". How many religions as a group will attest that their faith teaches the truth about the bible? Not many. Because they don't have confidence that what they are being taught is all truth.

What does it mean to "have the truth"? It means that we learn with accurate knowledge. You will find throughout the book of John, Jesus emphasized the importance of worshiping with truth.

“The Father . . . will give you another helper to be with you forever, the spirit of the truth.”(John 14:16, 17.)

What was Jesus reason for being born on earth? Was it just to save us? He stated that his first purpose was to....“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37)

He states that God is searching for ones that also bear witness to truth through their worship. "Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,24).

So there must be truth here on earth to be found among countless of people and worshipers. Notice "worshiper" is plural in that it is a group of people that does have the truth and these Jehovah God has preserved his true word (John 17:17) within them so they can be like Jesus and bear witness to the truth. We, Jehovah's Witness, are that group for we follow Jesus example to ensure our worship is true according to God's word and we preach and teach to others, like Jesus, what we have learned to be true.

Please read this article: Christians Worship With Spirit and Truth

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002524?q=searc...

Isn't it interesting that the ones that are talking bad about JW's are all doing two things:

1. Bashing it and claiming it as a cult thus not answering your question.

AND

2. Have not given you a reason why the JWs do not have the truth.

Conclusion - They know Jehovah's Witnesses have the truth about the bible, yet, for some personal reason they want to make sure no one else finds out.

Ask them the alternative. Not one had said "I left the JW cult because I found the truth!" I don't think they believe in the bible and I don't think they believe that Jehovah is powerful enough to make sure his word it spoken in truth. Wouldn't you?? Why write a book and let lies spread about it and about you? We always want to correct rumors or lies about us, right? We want others to know the truth! So why not God?

If we didn't believe we were in the true religion and that we know the truth about Jehovah God and his purposes, why would we be a part of it?

Ask any member of Christendom if they believe what their religion teaches them is the " truth"

If they so no, then why are they a member?

Each person needs to examine what they are being taught. Make sure that everything being taught is from the Bible and not based on man made traditions or thinking.

How does their religion feel about politics, going to war, the use of idols in worship, do all members truly love one another, do they feel that their faith is united worldwide, is telling others about God's Kingdom the main aspect of their faith, do they believe that the entire Bible is the inspired word of God,

Do they show respect for God's holy name and worship Him as the one true God?

Everyone should feel they have "the truth"

Jehovah's Witnesses positively do. We do have the truth and the truth has set us free. Free from what?

All false religion and it's pagan teachings, sexual immorality, drug abuse, idolatry,and alcoholism.

Witnesses say that they are "in the truth". A non-JW "isn't in the truth". When someone leaves the organisation they have "left the truth".

The first question that a JW will often ask about someone they don't know is "are they in the truth".

The term "The Truth" is what's known as loaded language. Firstly, these terms help to distinguish group members from non-group members in any given situation, thus removing the need for the individual JW to use their own judgement to examine whether an unknown person is trustworthy or not (good or bad association). If a stranger is "in the truth" they can be welcomed and trusted. If they're "not in the truth" and they're not open to conversion then they will be considered best avoided.

Secondly, loaded language serves to polarise (black/white, good/bad) and thus constrict thoughts and communication within the membership (both each individual's internal thoughts as well as their communications within the group). Thus if a group member has an issue with "The Truth" then it is immediately clear that the problem lies with the individual rather than the "The Truth" (in reality the organisation's ideology/policies). Group members are thus deprived of their ability to question anything about the group without the risk of being branded as stubborn, defective or even evil.

Watchtower Society literature is actually rife with this kind of loaded terminology. These 'Ultimate terms' allow the quick labelling of people or things as either entirely good or entirely bad, removing the need for an individual JW to seek a balanced understanding of an issue or use their own judgement to decide. It is effectively the language of non-thought.

There is always a struggle to get more truth. Many false religious teachings have been revealed by

study of the Bible-one of the biggest is the Trinity Doctrine-CONSIDER:

What does the Bible say? “Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘Look! I can see heaven thrown open,’ he said, ‘and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.’”—Acts 7:55, 56, The New Jerusalem Bible.

What did this vision reveal? Filled with God’s active force, Stephen saw Jesus “standing at God’s right hand.” Clearly, then, Jesus did not become God again after his resurrection to heaven but, rather, a distinct spiritual being. There is no mention of a third person next to God in this account. Despite attempts to find passages of Scripture to support the Trinity dogma, Dominican priest Marie-Émile Boismard wrote in his book À l’aube du christianisme—La naissance des dogmes (At the Dawn of Christianity—The Birth of Dogmas): “The statement that there are three persons in the one God . . . cannot be read anywhere in the New Testament.”

OTHER FALSE DOCTRINES

Mary Is the Mother of God

God Approves of the Use of Images and Icons in Worship

All Good People Go to Heaven

The Wicked Suffer in Hell

The Soul Is Immortal

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Their "Watchtower Organization" has become their Jesus...so now their created faith in the teachings of men, has surpassed the salvation and grace offered by Jesus.

It is only "Their Truth", for Jesus died for all men. The Watchtower is dying for it's own glory.....and that's the truth....

True Christians are in the Body of Christ, and HE ALONE is the only way, Truth, and Life.

J-Dawg's answer accurately sums up JW's use of the term "in the truth" except for one thing: JWs don't see that expression as something that "polarizes their "us vs them" attitude" at all.

They simply realize the truth of what they have learned from God's inspired word, based on what identifies as making sense with the way we are created and the contrast they see to what they were taught in their former religions.

For example, I was raised a Presbyterian, having been taught that, if I'm good, then when I die, I will go to heaven. But if I am bad, then when I die, I will be tormented night and day forever in a fiery hell. No, not for just a hundred years, not even a billion, zillion years - forever. And that, even though I was born imperfect, having inherited Adamic sin. Does that make sense to you?

Ecclesiastes 9:5 says that the dead are "conscious of nothing at all." If you are conscious of nothing at all when you are dead, how could you be tormented?

What about heaven, then? I could never understand the logic there. And then along come JWs and point to what it says at Psalm 37:11,29: "But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. 29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it."

How can that be if I'm in heaven? Who are the "righteous" that are going to reside on earth forever if all good people go to heaven?

God's original purpose was to have humans live forever on earth. [Gen. 1:27,28; 2:17] Isaiah 55:11 shows that that is his unchangeable purpose.

Does it make sense?

Yes.

Does it sound like "the truth"?

Yes.

"O Life" has given you an excellent answer.

I want to share a little illustration with you.

Alright, so there's a big crate in front of you. Inside that crate, is 100 bottles. While they all look a little different here and there - they all contain a clear liquid that looks similar across the board. In like manner, they also have a big stamp pasted across them that reads: "100% - PURE DRINKING WATER!" Now then, you're curious, so you decide to run a test on each of those bottles, to see if the liquid inside of them really is drinking water. The results are quite interesting.

Turns out, 99 of those bottles are actually tainted, and consuming their contents can very well kill you. On the other hand, the one remaining bottle really does contain "100% - PURE DRINKING WATER!"

So then - what does bottles and water have to do with your question? You see - those bottles represent the many different religions out there. The liquid on the inside represents their teachings and beliefs. Finally, the label across them represents the main thing that they all say: "We have the truth!"

Jesus speaks of this.

“Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves." - MATTHEW 7:15 (New Century Version)

"Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will." - MATTHEW 7:21 (Today's English Version)

Jesus spoke of their being a "narrow gate" and "narrow road" (a true religion that teaches the truth about the Bible) - that leads to "life" (everlasting life). As Jehovah's Witnesses, we believe we've found that road. (MATTHEW 7: 13-&-14)

That's why, just like Jesus and His followers, we seek to teach people about the TRUTH - Bible truth. While other religions claim to have "the truth", they're busy teaching about already proven to be false doctrines, like hellfire and life after death, just to name a few - and promoting practices that God condemned, such as idolatry and taking part in celebrations that promote things that God hates (Christmas, for example - is not as innocent as it seems).

Our religion was formed through deep study and reasoning of the Bible. We've looked through it again and again, trying to gain the best understanding possible, and showing people what it REALLY says. Even today, we're still learning new things - all a part of gradually growing in knowledge of God and his Kingdom Message. Jesus and his followers set the example - and we're trying our best to follow it. (MATTHEW 28: 19-&-20)

J-Dawg reminded me of what happens to the lucky ones who have escaped that mind controlling brainwashing cult, because, it had been so ingrained to use the expression 'in the truth', that even when those lucky ones have escaped they continue to use that subliminally powerfull form of mind control.

The JW Borg are not unique in using phrases such as that. The phrase in and of itself is quite harmless. However, when used as a way to seperate and isolate members and perpetuate the Borg's evil agenda it is fair to say that it can used as powerful tool of mind control.

Very similar to what other groups do, so, in that regard they are not alone. Why do the Borg use the phrase The Truth? It's simple, by that statement they set themselves up as right and anyone who doesn't believe are liars.

Thank you Lungboy, Jdawg and ?!

Part of maintaining a cult is to foster an "us versus them" attitude and to create "cult lingo".

Contrary to postings here, Witnesses very commonly refer to the Watchtower as "the truth" I did a quick search in their archives and came up with over a thousand hits of the Watchtower referring to itself and membership as "the truth".

From a control stance, by calling themselves "the truth" it sets up authority for their human leadership as well as creates a mental bond with the individual to reaffirm that their cult membership is the only option available.

Actual religions may feel they are correct, but allow each member to decide for themselves if it feels like "the truth" to them. The high control organization of the Watchtower does not permit free thinking and makes the decision that they ARE the truth and then commands their members to accept it.

If they question or doubt this command, they are spoken with and intimidated into conforming to group think mentality, or if they show signs of independent thought, they are kicked out, branded with a label that commands all members to treat their former friend like human garbage.