#16 - Is Receiving a Blood Transfusion a Sin? – Part 2

“Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Genesis 9:4, RSV)

‘This is the first of several Scripture verses that Jehovah’s Witnesses use to argue in support of the Watchtower society’s ban on blood transfusions. The organization teaches that a blood transfusion is the same as eating blood, because it resembles intravenous feeding. The society accordingly prohibits blood transfusions for its followers. A witness who accepts a transfusion can expect to be summoned before a judicial committee to be put on trial behind closed doors for violation of “God’s Law.” The punishment, if found guilty, is “disfellowshiping,” whereby the individual is shunned by family and friends who are forbidden even to greet the offender.

Jehovah’s Witnesses feel very strongly about this issue. They will die rather than accept a transfusion to replace blood lost in an operation or accident. And they follow this same course with respect to their minor children. Most Witnesses carry a signed card in their wallet or purse, stating their refusal to accept blood and instructing emergency medical personnel not to administer a transfusion if the Witness is found unconscious. The card is a legal document, signed by the JW and countersigned by two others.

JW’s recognize that they are unique among religious people in their stand on blood transfusions, although it does not occur to them that this very fact shows that the doctrine does not really derive from the Bible. No one else who attempts to follow the Bible as a guide in life has come up with a ban on transfusions—and even the Watchtower organization did not promulgate the doctrine until 1944.

Most Jehovah’s Witnesses are unaware that their leaders have had a history of introducing other medical prohibitions and then later changing their mind. In 1967, for example, they prohibited organ transplants. Followers were expected to choose blindness rather than accept a cornea transplant, or to die rather than submit to a kidney transplant. But then, in 1980, the leaders reversed the teaching and allowed transplants once again (see The Watchtower, 11/15/67, pp. 702-704; Awake! 6/8/68, pg. 21; and The Watchtower, 3/15/80, pg. 31). In addition, between the years 1931 and 1952, JW’s had to refuse vaccinations for themselves and their children because the organization taught them: “Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant that God made….” (The Golden Age, 2/4/31, pg. 293)

Even though Witnesses will attempt to quote Scripture to support their position on blood transfusions, the real reason for their stand is blind obedience to the Watchtower Society. If the organization lifted its prohibition tomorrow, witnesses would freely accept transfusions—just as they did an about face when the vaccination ban was lifted in 1952 and when the ban on organ transplants was rescinded in 1980.

“And you must not eat any blood in any places where you dwell, whether that of fowl or that of beast. Any soul who eats any blood, that soul must be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 7:26-27).

This text is frequently quoted in support of the Watchtower society’s ban on blood transfusions. Even though the verse specifically forbade Israelites to eat the blood of fowl or beast, Jehovah’s Witnesses stretch its meaning to include medical administration of human blood to save life—a thought obviously not intended when Moses recorded God’s words. Leviticus discusses at great length the divinely ordained arrangements for animal sacrifices by the Jewish priesthood, and the blood played a major role in those sacrifices as a foreshadow of the precious blood of our Savior, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Any attempt to read these verses as a prophetic ruling on the pros and cons of modern medical procedures totally ignores the context of the passage.

When discussing Leviticus 7:26-27 with Jehovah’s Witnesses, you might bring up the fact that orthodox Jews of today, who still scrupulously observe the regulations for kosher butchering and bleeding of meat, have no religious objection to blood transfusions. Therefore, the original Hebrew text does not even hint at the interpretation that the Watchtower imposes on it.

If a Jehovah’s Witness still insists that he must refuse blood transfusions on account of Leviticus 7:26-27, the next move would be to show him Leviticus 3:17, which says: “You must not eat any fat or any blood at all” (NWT). Ask him to explain why Watchtower leaders tell him to refuse blood transfusions but allow him to eat fat. Are they not simply pulling words out of context from Jewish dietary laws?”[1]

It is clearly obvious that Jehovah’s Witnesses follow a mixed-up cult that proclaims ‘truth’, and then changes its mind. Blood transfusions therefore, when applied with all safety precautions taken, save lives.

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[1] JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ANSWERED VERSE BY VERSE, David A. Reed; 1986; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506; pp. 22-23,29-30

#15 - Is Receiving a Blood Transfusion a Sin? – Part 1

Definitions:

eat vt 1: to take in through the mouth as food: ingest, chew, and swallow in turn.

ingest vt: to take in for or as if for digestion.

intravenous adj: situated, performed, or occurring within or entering by way of a vein.

transfuse vt 1a: to cause to pass from one to another: TRANSMIT…2a: to transfer (as blood) into a vein of a person or animal.

transfusion n 1: an act, process, or instance of transfusing; esp: the process of transfusing fluid into a vein or artery.

digestion n: the action, process, or power of digesting: as a: the process of making food absorbable by dissolving it and breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds that occurs in the living body chiefly through the action of enzymes secreted into the alimentary canal.

(Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1983, pp. 393, 621, 635, 1253, 354).

“It shall be a perpetual statute for your generation throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood” (Leviticus 3:17, KJV). This law, given by God, forbids the eating of blood, and of fat. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that accepting a blood transfusion is a sin worse than theft or adultery. Indeed, thieves and adulterers are more quickly forgiven by Watchtower judicial committees than individuals found guilty of taking blood. A Witness must refuse blood in all circumstances, even when this is certain to result in death. The organization also requires adults to refuse transfusions for their minor children. But, is accepting a blood transfusion really the same as ‘eating’ blood?

What exactly defines ‘eating’? According to the above definitions, eating entails a process, which begins with ingestion—or the taking in of food for digestion—into the mouth where it is then chewed, and swallowed. During and after this process, the food is digested—starting partially by the saliva and the chewing in the mouth, and then ending completely by the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. But isn’t blood a liquid, and aren’t liquids drunk? The eating of blood means the eating of flesh containing blood. This goes into the mouth as a solid, and the term ‘drink’, here, does not apply. But drinking entails the swallowing of liquid, and the drinking of blood is therefore, also, included in the above commandment.

What exactly defines ‘blood transfusion’? According to the above definitions, a blood transfusion is the process of transferring the blood of one person into the vein or artery of another person. This is done in emergency situations where a person is in need of life-saving blood to replace or replenish his body’s own blood supply. A Jehovah’s Witness will argue that receiving a blood transfusion is the same as ‘eating’ blood, because it resembles intravenous feeding. They claim it is intravenous ingestion. But is ‘ingestion’ the same as ‘eating’? Hardly. Eating involves ingestion, but ingestion does not necessarily involve eating.

So, according to the definitions given above, is receiving a blood transfusion the same as eating blood? Before this question can be answered, another must be asked: Does the process of receiving a blood transfusion follow the process of eating, as defined above? Let’s examine the facts and then ask ourselves: Does one receive a blood transfusion through the mouth? Does the blood received undergo the mouth-action called ‘chewing’? Does it then undergo the mouth-action called ‘swallowing’? Will the blood received undergo ‘digestion’? If the answer to the above questions is NO, then receiving a blood transfusion is NOT the same as eating blood. If you could stuff a drumstick into your vein, would you call that ‘eating’ chicken?

What, does the Bible say, is the penalty for eating blood? According to Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 7:24-27; 17:14-4, and Acts 15:8, God forbids the eating of blood. The punishment for eating blood was “cutting off”—excommunication—outlawed from the people. Eating blood, fat or flesh of an animal not properly killed was atoned for by washing one’s clothes and person, and remaining unclean until evening. But, is this how the Watchtower interprets the Bible?

The Watchtower contradicted the Scriptures when it first dreamed up this ban on blood transfusions. To enforce the Society member’s adherence to this ban, the Jehovah’s Witness president was quoted as saying that, in the Bible, “Deliberate violation of this law regarding the sacredness of blood meant ‘cutting off’ in death” (AID TO BIBLE UNDERSTANDING pg. 244). Is this what the Bible says? Definitely not! And there is no law in the Bible forbidding blood transfusions. Jesus said, “nothing from without a man, entering into him can defile him” (Mark 7:14, KJV). Since there is no law in the Scriptures forbidding blood transfusions, the Scriptural rule applies: “for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15).

According to Numbers 15:32-36, the punishment for breaking the Sabbath was death. This was a more serious crime than eating blood. But, why did Jesus work on the Sabbath? The answer is found at Matthew 12:11-12, Luke 14:5 and Luke 6:9. Jesus, the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5, KJV), permitted work on the Sabbath, which was necessary to save life. Why, then, won’t the Watchtower allow the lives of needy Jehovah’s Witnesses to be saved? This cult is, in effect, killing its own members! Therefore it is good to donate blood, and it is lawful to receive a blood transfusion, if it will save life.

The Watchtower has been a confused organization since its inception. The president of Jehovah’s Witnesses once declared, “Organ transplants are forbidden by God as they are equivalent to cannibalism” (The Watchtower, 11/15/67 & 6/8/68). This later became, “Organ transplants are not forbidden by God as they are not equivalent to cannibalism” (The Watchtower, 3/15/1980). God changed His mind. Finally, “Blood transfusion is essentially an organ transplant” (JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES AND THE QUESTION OF BLOOD, pg. 41). By their own logic, since God lifted the ban on transplants, blood transfusions are no longer forbidden by God. Unfortunately, the Watchtower contradicts its own words—and also the divinely inspired words of the Scriptures: Why does the Watchtower forbid the eating of blood (as Leviticus 3:17 states), but allows the eating of fat (as Leviticus 3:17 also states)? Christians! Don’t let Jehovah’s Witnesses fool you! Their beliefs are scripturally illogical. Believing them could kill you!

#14 - Why ‘Jehovah’ Doesn’t Exist

What??? Jehovah doesn’t exist? Isn’t that blasphemy? Not quite. Are we saying that God doesn’t exist? No, not at all. God exists, but His name is not ‘Jehovah’.

What is ‘Jehovah’? ‘Jehovah’ is a man-made word. It is the combination of the four consonant characters of God’s personal name—YHWH, with the vowels of the word ADONAY (My Lord). This produced the mixed word ‘YaHoWaH’, which became ‘JaHoVaH’, which is now pronounced as ‘JeHoVaH’. According to the NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, ‘Jehovah’ is a “false form of the divine name YAHWEH”, and “an erroneous form of the name of the God of Israel.” (ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA) This mixing of the consonants of one word with the vowels of another word is as erroneous as combining the consonants of GERMANY with the vowels of PORTUGAL. Those who claim to be ‘Witnesses’ of ‘Jehovah’ are as lost as those who would claim to be citizens of a country called ‘GORMUNA’. It simply does not exist!

God told Moses that His name is I AM. Moses then told the Israelites that ‘He Who Is’ had sent him. ‘He Who Is’ in Hebrew is a Tetragrammaton, or four-consonant word. The equivalent English sound of the first Hebrew character is Y, of the second character is H, of the third is W, and of the fourth is H. This spells YHWH, and is pronounced ‘Yahweh’. “This is my name for ever” said the LORD (Exodus 3:15, KJV). This is a God-spoken word, and is therefore pure; pure in every sense of the word, unadulterated by mixture with any other man-made word, unlike ‘Jehovah’. Which name of God is therefore pure? Which one is not? You don’t have to be a theologist to reach the right conclusion.

But doesn’t the Bible contain the word ‘Jehovah’? Yes it does, unfortunately. Jehovah’s Witnesses will often ask a Christian to open up his own bible, to show him that the ‘name’ of God is Jehovah. This, of course, is to impress the unsuspecting Christian with his ‘knowledge’ of Scripture, and to make the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” sound legitimate. Even the original King James Version—the most accurate English translation—contains this erroneous form of the name of God. Jehovah’s Witnesses will first point to Exodus 6:3, then to Psalms 83:18 and Isaiah 12:2,26:4. Then they will open up their own distorted version of the bible—The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures—to show that ‘Jehovah’ appears 280 times. How impressive…(yawn!) DON’T BE FOOLED!

It must be understood that the ancient Israelites first used the name YHWH in the Scriptures. They later replaced YHWH with ‘Adonay’ in their prayer services to avoid offending God by mispronouncing His holy name. This is why the King James Version contains so many occurrences of the word LORD. It should really contain the name YHWH or ‘Yahweh’ instead of ‘Jehovah’ in those four occurrences.

Here is a Watchtower lie: In the New world Translation of The Holy Scriptures, pg. 1448 they quote:

“there were 134 passages…where the Jewish Sopherim… substituted this word ‘Adonay’ for the name Y^ehowah (“Jehovah”) in the primitive Hebrew text….We have therefore restored the name ‘Jehovah’ to those 134 passages, and thus reduced the number of occurrences of ‘Adonay’ to 298 times. The first occurrence of ‘Adonay’ is in Genesis 15:2, where it precedes the divine name to produce the combination ‘Adonay Y^ehowih’, which is translated “Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” This combination occurs 280 times by itself.”

What’s wrong with this picture? The Watchtower purposely slipped in the word ‘Yehowah’ (“Jehovah”) where it doesn’t belong! The Jewish Sopherim substituted the word ‘Adonay’ for the word YHWH, not ‘Yehowah’. ‘Yehowah’ is already a combination of YHWH and ‘Adonay’, so it can’t possibly be combined AGAIN with Adonay! This is grammatically false!

Combining the consonants of one word with the vowels of another is a grammatically incorrect way of combining words. Can you mix apples and oranges? If you did, you would have an ‘opplasnge’ or, basically, a non-existent fruit. ‘JEHOVAH’, therefore, cannot even mean ‘Adonay YHWH’ (Lord God)! This is not only ridiculous, but also blasphemy, distorting God’s holy name like that! It is for reasons such as this that the ancient Israelites tried to protect the real name of God! The Watchtower sticks to the name ‘Jehovah’ because it promotes their organization’s multi-million dollar-a-year operation. Anybody who believes that ‘Jehovah’ is God’s name must be an immigrant from ‘GORMUNA’!

#13 - Watchtower Reasoning vs. Logic – Part 3

Where is the evidence to support Christianity’s doctrine that hell offers the wicked eternal torment? In 1 Corinthians 15:53, the apostle Paul says, “For this corruptible must put on corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”. Aren’t we ALL corruptible? And aren’t we ALL mortal? Indeed we ALL are. Therefore this applies to ALL who have ever lived. We shall ALL be changed to a state of incorruption and immortality!

Immortality is the key word in this discussion. Immortality means NO DEATH BY DESTRUCTION. There is no logic in the idea that an immortal body will suffer a mortal fate. Therefore, destruction of the wicked comes in the form of a hopeless future. A man thrown into hell, into “the outer darkness” (Matt. 22:13) called “Gehenna” (Luke 12:5, NWT), which is a “furnace of fire”, will “weep and gnash [his] teeth” (Matt. 13:42, RSV), and “mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25, NWT), and “the smoke of [his] torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and [he has] no rest day or night” (Rev. 14:11, KJV). Neither day nor night sounds like a pretty long time. And if this isn’t long enough, by Watchtower definition God’s ‘day’ is seven thousand years. True or not, that sounds even worse! According to definition, immortal man lives forever, enduring the flames and suffering pain eternally. With no future to look forward to, he is basically destroyed.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the Christian doctrine of eternal torment in hellfire is unfair:

Many who give thought to the traditional doctrine of hell find that it seems to depict God acting unjustly, so it offends their natural sense of justice. In what way? You find one answered by comparing the doctrine of eternal torment with a standard of justice given by God: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” (Exodus 21:24) For the sake of argument, apply to the doctrine of hellfire that divine law given to ancient Israel, a law of exact retribution. What conclusion will you likely reach? That only those sinners who have caused eternal torment deserve equal eternal torment in return—eternal torment for eternal torment. But since humans (no matter how evil) can cause only a finite torment, sentencing them to eternal torment creates a disproportion between their crimes and the infinite penalty of hellfire. Simply stated, the sentence would be too heavy. It would go far beyond “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” Considering that Jesus’ teachings moderated the idea of retaliation, you may admit that true Christians would be hard-pressed to see justness in eternal torment—Matthew 5:38,39; Romans 12:17 (The Watchtower, 4/15/93, pg. 6) (underline added)

Man’s natural sense of justice? That’s a joke compared to the justness, righteousness and infinite wisdom of God! And it should be noted here that the Watchtower’s phrase, “true Christian”, underlined above, means Jehovah’s Witnesses, not real Christians. Jehovah’s Witnesses will argue that God is not so cruel as to punish the wicked eternally, that this punishment would be greater than the crime. But aren’t we assuming too much? How do we know that our sins against God aren’t greater than we imagine? Every time we sin against God, we slap Him in the face. In turn, we get what we deserve. Plain and simple! God is not unjust, but man is unjust a hundred times over. Jesus said, “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you” (Mark 4:24). This is logical. The reverse is also logical: that what is measured to us, is what we mete. First of all, we have to keep in mind that this law of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” was given to man, and therefore applies only to man, not to God—for God said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay” (Romans 12:19, KJV). We Christians are not worthy to put ourselves in the judgment seat of Christ. It is also not our place to exact revenge on our fellow man. We are to not only love our neighbor, but our enemies as well, and to “forgive them” (Luke 17:4). Let’s face it—we finite humans with our limited wisdom cannot know for sure just how serious our sins are in God’s eyes. So, let’s take into consideration the possibility that the law of exact retribution does, in fact, apply to eternal torment; that all sins carry a very high price tag; that we do deserve eternal torment for our wickedness; and that maybe even that is too little punishment for us. Jehovah’s Witnesses then, must think all sins are on sale! Obviously, Watchtower reasoning does not take ALL the facts into consideration. Therefore it is not logical, and not based on the bible but rather on human assumptions!

#12 - Watchtower Reasoning vs. Logic – Part 2

Definitions:

mortal adj. 1 that must eventually die 2 of man as a being who must eventually die 3 of death

immortal adj. 1 not mortal; living forever 2 enduring

corrupt adj. 1 evil; depraved –vi. to make or become corrupt –corruptible adj.

destroy vt. 1 to tear down; demolish 2 to wreck; ruin 3 to do away with 4 to kill

(Webster’s New World Dictionary, pp. 384, 294, 137, 164)

The Watchtower cult has taught Jehovah’s Witnesses that the wicked will be destroyed into nonexistence by hellfire. The basis for their reasoning lies in their misunderstanding of the application of the Greek words for ‘destruction’ in the Scriptures. Pages 6-7 of their April 15, 1993 issue of The Watchtower explains:

In Britain, one [Bible scholar], John R. W. Stott…explains that when the Bible refers to the final state of damnation (“Gehenna”; see box, page 8), it often uses the vocabulary of “destruction”, the Greek “verb apollumi (to destroy) and the noun apoleia (destruction).” Do these words refer to torment? Stott points out that when the verb is active and transitive, “apollumi” means “kill.” (Matthew 2:13; 12:14; 21:41) Thus, at Matthew 10:28, where the King James Version mentions God’s destroying “both soul and body in hell,” the inherent idea is destroying in death, not in eternal suffering. At Matthew 7:13,14, Jesus contrasts the “narrow…road leading off into life” with the “broad…road leading off into destruction.” Comments Stott: “It would seem strange, therefore, if people who are said to suffer destruction are un fact not destroyed.” With good reason he reaches the conclusion: “If to kill is to deprive the body of life, hell would seem to be deprivation of both physical and spiritual life, that is, an extinction of being.”—Essentials, page 315-16.

The Watchtower’s misinterpretation of the words for ‘destruction’ becomes clear when one considers the words of the apostle Paul: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the very last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54, KJV). We shall not all be dead at that moment, for many of us will not yet have tasted death. But we shall ALL be changed—those asleep in death, just as those who are living—both righteous AND wicked. This change will occur at the last trump of the trumpet—the dead being raised. Man is both corruptible and mortal, for we all have a tendency to be evil, and we all die. Our mortal and corruptible bodies will be changed into incorruptible and IMMORTAL bodies!

This raises the question of how the words ‘apollumi’ and ‘apoleia’ are applied to the meaning of the Scriptures. In the Greek language, just as in the English language, the words ‘destroy’ and ‘destruction’ can have multiple meanings. A person is said to be destroyed if he is doused in gasoline and set ablaze to burn and die. Likewise, a rich man who suddenly loses his fortune and is forced into a life of poverty and homelessness is said to be destroyed because his future looks hopeless. Also, an athlete with great physical attributes, who develops a degenerative and crippling disease is said to be destroyed by his illness. The first example is a literal physical destruction (in harmony with definitions 3 and 4 of ‘destroy’ above). The other two examples show a figurative destruction (in harmony with definitions 1 and 2). A question then arises: According to the above definition of the word ‘immortal’, if a body is raised immortal, will it be destroyed? Though ‘destruction’ unto nonexistence by hellfire does sound logical on the surface, it loses its logic when the question of immortality comes into the equation.

An immortal body does not die, and cannot be destroyed by the flames of hellfire, but rather lives forever, enduring the flames, as defined above. This is logical. Watchtower reasoning on this topic contradicts Scripture, and is therefore illogical. This raises other questions: Does God do things in vain? Isn’t there a purpose in everything He does? What is the purpose of raising a body immortal if it is to be destroyed in hellfire? Is this logical? The answer is obvious.

#11 - Watchtower Reasoning vs. Logic – Part 1

Definition: logic n. 1 correct reasoning, or the science of this 2 way of reasoning 3 what is expected by the working of cause and effect (Webster’s New World Dictionary pg. 347).

This is Watchtower reasoning:

Revelation 14:9-11 speaks of some who are “tormented with fire and sulphur…And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.” Does this prove eternal conscious torment in hellfire? Actually, all this passage says is that the wicked are tormented, not that they are tormented forever. The text states that it is the smoke—the evidence that the fire has done its work of destruction—that continues forever, not the fiery torment. (The Watchtower, 4/15/93, pg. 7).

This is logic:

Logic disproves this Watchtower reasoning in two ways: forward and backward. First, taking Watchtower ‘logic’ a few steps forward makes it fall flat on its face. Observe: I have an object. I set it on fire. The fire begins to consume it. The object burns, and smoke rises from it as a result. Over time, the fire completely consumes the object, and there is nothing left of it to burn. It is now destroyed. With nothing left to burn, the burning stops and there is no more smoke. And the smoke ascends no more. Conclusion: Since the smoke ascends no more, and Scripture states that the smoke ascends forever and ever, then Scripture must be false. But we know that Scripture is true, therefore the Watchtower is false for contradicting Scripture!

Second, we start from the Scriptures and work backward to the Scriptures’ logical conclusion. The Watchtower defines the ending of life as its destruction. Therefore, if a living person is destroyed, he has no more life. The reverse would also have to be true: if a living man is not destroyed, then he continues to have life. Let’s say that the object here is the resurrected body of a wicked man thrown into the lake of fire. Now observe: Scripture states that the smoke of the body ascends forever and ever, therefore this ascension of smoke is continuous and uninterrupted. For the ascension of smoke to be continuous and uninterrupted, the burning of the body must also be continuous and uninterrupted. If the burning of this body is continuous and uninterrupted, forever and ever, then the burning never reaches the point of destruction. If destruction is never achieved, the life of the body is never extinguished. What living thing is not destroyed remains alive. Now, if the burning of this body is continuous, and the body is never destroyed but remains alive, then the body burns alive and will be in torments forever and ever. Conclusion: Since eternal conscious torment in hellfire is true, then the Watchtower reasoning that hellfire destroys the wicked into nonexistence is obviously false. Forward and backward the Watchtower reasoning falls flat!

The logical conclusions reached by both methods are true to the definition of logic as stated above: they both follow what is expected by the working of cause and effect. This way of reasoning is correct reasoning. DON’T BE FOOLED by Jehovah’s Witnesses who quote this particular Scripture to ‘prove’ their doctrine of post-death nonexistence. Logic dictates the TRUTH of the Scriptures, but Watchtower reasoning is illogical!

#10 - Does God Approve of Homosexuality?

Today, homosexuality is not only an acceptable lifestyle in our modern secular society, but it has progressed beyond acceptance to the point of being the more favored sexual lifestyle. We live in a society that is seemingly heading towards a future where heterosexuality will eventually be outlawed!

Homosexuality is FORBIDDEN by God! So detestable, so abominable is homosexuality in the sight of God, that He thoroughly and completely destroyed two cities whose inhabitants were engaging in this vile practice! The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were burned to smoldering ashes when “the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.” (Genesis 19:24-25, KJV) Neither the inhabitants of those cities, nor that which grew upon the ground survived. And the ground itself was rendered completely barren. God obliterated these two cities because “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13, KJV), “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.” (Genesis 18:20, KJV) Abraham asked the LORD if He would spare the city of Sodom if even fifty righteous people lived within the city. “And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” (Genesis 18:26) This number was dropped from fifty down to ten righteous people “[and God] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” (Genesis 18:32, KJV) Yet the cities were scorched! Imagine, not even ten righteous people in an entire city!

When the two angels of the LORD visited Sodom, they were met by Lot and he took them into his home. But then, all the wicked men of the city—both old and young, surrounded Lot’s house and demanded to have sex with Lot’s two visitors. Lot pleaded with the men not to do such a wicked thing, and offered to them instead his two virgin daughters. The wicked men refused. They wanted to have sex with men! There were so many wicked men, and not one of them wanted a woman! Isn’t this a growing, visible trend in our society today; in cities such as San Francisco and New York City? These are known as the gay capitals of the United States.

God’s commandment is clear: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22, KJV) A man shall not lie down to have sex with a man, as he does with a woman. This is abomination in the eyes of God! Gay men worship the male body. They “worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” (Romans 1:25-27, KJV) The following underlined labels describe homosexuals: “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind…shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). One thing needs to be made clear: God does not hate gays, but He hates homosexuality! HOMOSEXUAL ACTS ARE NOT OK! It’s a heterosexual sin, perverse and disgusting! Christians! Those of you who have fallen into this sin, STOP! Remember God’s commandment, and how He punished Sodom and Gomorrah! If you feel you can’t resist the flames of passion for a person of the same sex—TRY HARDER! The flames of hell will be much more unbearable than this!

#9 - Does Man Exist After Death?

How does a Jehovah’s Witness answer this question? The Watchtower has taught them that man has no soul apart from his body, and that after death there is no existence until a future resurrection. They quote such verses as Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalms 146:3-4, and many other verses they can find which ‘prove’ that man is of the dust of the ground and to dust he shall return, and that all his thoughts perish with him. Of course this cult conveniently quotes Old Testament Scripture here because God had not yet revealed to man the good news, or ‘gospel’ of everlasting life.

But how does the Bible answer this question? Ecclesiastes 9:5 and Psalms 146:3-4 only prove the obvious: that man’s body dies and decomposes, and that dead bodies are unconscious and cannot think. In the Old Testament, God had promised righteous man a long (though limited) and prosperous life on earth (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:3). The good news of everlasting life He had not yet revealed to man. But where is the revelation of this good news found in the Bible?

One of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus “said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43, KJV) Death was apparent and imminent for all three of them on this very day. And Jesus said, on this very same day this man shall be with him in paradise. Verily, an existence in paradise immediately after death!

What really happened to our Lord’s betrayer, Judas Iscariot, after his death? The Bible gives us a clue: “…but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24, KJV) It is important to note that if he had not been born, the betrayer would have been nonexistent. But nonexistence was better than the punishment now in store for him. Plainly, something other than nonexistence is spoken of here. So, the Watchtower must be wrong in its teaching that Judas’ death plunged him into eternal nonexistence.

Besides paradise, the Bible plainly speaks about hell. To deny the Christian doctrine of hell is to deny the Holy Scriptures. Luke 16:19-31 describes the state of man in hell: “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from hence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Clearly, this passage shows that the rich man was conscious after his death and burial, and was tormented.

The Watchtower teaches the following sequence of events as truth: that man lives, dies, and is nonexistent until a future bodily resurrection, whereby he becomes conscious again to be judged. After judgment, if he is wicked, he is thrown into the lake of fire to be instantly disintegrated into nothingness. But, is this what the Bible says? Hardly. Scripture tells us that the rich man and the beggar both lived and died. After his death, the rich man opened his eyes and looked up at the beggar in Abraham’s bosom. This looking is a conscious act. He was also in torments. Feeling is a conscious phenomenon. He spoke to Abraham. Speech is a conscious act.

So, the rich man lived, died, and was conscious after death, doing conscious things (looking, being tormented, speaking). Does this sequence of events follow the Watchtower’s above sequence? Was the rich man unconscious after he died and was buried? Does the conversation between the rich man and Abraham indicate an instant disintegration in the flames of hell? The very fact that he begged Abraham to warn his five brothers about this place of torment shows that his brothers, just as the rest of the world, went on with their lives normally. There is no indication of any resurrection before or after the death of the rich man and the beggar. Obviously, the sequence of events that the Watchtower teaches DOES NOT match the sequence of events that the Bible teaches, and is therefore false! This passage, without any reasonable doubt, disproves the Watchtower teachings that hell is the grave, and that man is nonexistent in the space of time between death and resurrection.

But the Watchtower claims that this passage is just a parable, and that it doesn’t really speak about hell, but rather the current state of affairs between the Apostles, the Jewish leaders, and God. David A. Reed, a former Jehovah’s Witness elder, describes this belief in detail:

In the Watchtower’s interpretation, Lazarus pictures Jesus’ disciples, the rich man pictures the Jewish religious leaders, Abraham pictures Jehovah God, the death of each pictures a change of conditions for each group while here on earth, and the torments of the rich man picture the public exposure of Jewish religious leaders by the Apostles’ preaching. Therefore, Jesus was not really talking about the condition of the dead in Luke 16, according to the Watchtower Society….But an examination of the Lord’s other parables reveals that all of them were illustrations based on real-life situations….So, if the story of the rich man and Lazarus is like all the rest of Jesus’ parables, it must also use a real situation to illustrate spiritual things. People must really have a conscious existence after death, and some of them must really be “in torments,” deeply regretting their past life. Regardless of what the parable illustrates, the basic story, like other stories Jesus told, must be taken from real life.[1]

Someone is obviously grasping at straws here. But let’s give the Watchtower some credit: It takes a creative mind to imagine such an explanation. On the other hand, the Devil can influence anybody whose heart is not close to Christ. It is clearly obvious that, to back up its no-hell doctrine, the Watchtower denies what the Bible plainly says.

Let us ponder for a moment about the dead: A buried corpse will not open its eyes in the grave to see. It will not speak. It will not be tormented by the worms that devour it, nor by the process of its own decay. How then, could the rich man look, speak and suffer? Was his body resurrected after his death? This was just proven not to be so. He did these things while he was dead, but conscious. This consciousness is the life-force that never dies, though the body it dwells in is destroyed in death. This is the pneuma, the spirit.

During Christ’s transfiguration, “there appeared unto [his apostles] Moses and Elias talking with him” (Matt. 17:3, KJV). Jehovah’s Witnesses might argue that Elias appeared in his body because he had never died, and this would be true. But the same can’t be said about Moses, who died, and whose body was buried, and who now appears here in spirit. This is Scriptural proof of man’s existence apart from his body, after death, and before the resurrection on Judgment Day.

Jesus Christ made a distinction between body and soul: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Jesus tells us that man can kill the body, but there is something else, which he cannot kill but which only God can—the soul. In this verse, Jesus plainly speaks of two separate things: The effect on one object to the exclusion of another indicates the existence of two different objects. This is proven by the word “both”, which addresses two objects; and the logical operator “and” which logically connects two or more things together. Similarly, Luke 12:4-5 makes the same distinction between the body and the soul: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that hell is the grave. But if this is so, then why would the above verse point out that God has the power, after he has killed the body, to cast it into the grave? Doesn’t man also have this power? And isn’t it man who buries his dead, not God? Burial after death goes without saying, so the above verse cannot possibly speak about God casting the dead into the grave. We are told that man can do no more to a person after he has killed the body and buried it. But God, after he has killed the body of a person, and after man has buried it, can do more to this person—things that man cannot do at all. This is Scriptural proof that hell is not the grave, but rather something beyond the grave. And if the body is killed, and more can be done to the person whose body is killed, then shouldn’t some other part of this person exist after the body is dead? Obviously, for the Scripture to be correct, some other part of the person must exist after his body has been killed, in order for more to be done to him. This is logical. So, what other part could this be?

Matthew 10:28, above, has already informed us: It is the “soul”, or spirit, this life force beyond the body, which the apostle Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 5. Here, Paul wrote of the body as “the earthly tent we live in,” adding that he “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord,” and warning that “we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body” (vv. 1,8-10). Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in the existence of the soul. But, if they were correct, then what part of Paul could leave his body and go to be with the Lord?

And let’s not forget Revelation 6:9-11, which speaks of “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God,” asking God when their blood would be avenged. It adds that “white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that they should be killed as they were”. These souls had been killed, but they are depicted as being in God’s presence engaging in conversation with Him.

Scripture proves, conclusively, that man exists consciously immediately after death, and that he either enters into “paradise” (Luke 23:43), or is “thrust out” (Luke 13:28) into the “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12), the “place of torment” (Luke 16:28) which is a “furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42,50) called “Gehenna” (Luke 12:5, NWT), where he will “mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25) and “gnash his teeth” (Matt. 13:42,50; Luke 13:28) from being “tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). The Watchtower’s doctrine of post-death nonexistence contradicts Scripture and therefore is FALSE!

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[1] Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse, 1986 by David A. Reed, pp. 63-64

#8 - Do Not Distort The Cross!

There is a practice among most Christians today which dates back centuries—the making of the sign of the cross. There are two basic methods: the modern way, as practiced by Roman Catholics; and the original, ancient way, as practiced by Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox Christian way of making the sign of the cross dates back to the time when Christianity was one united church—the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The original method of making the sign of the cross was centuries old before the Church split into western and eastern regions in 1054 A.D. Then, a new way of making this sign was developed by the Pope in Rome. Alas, the original way was distorted—for the Western Church. But it was kept unchanged by the Eastern Church, and it remains intact today, displayed by Eastern Orthodox Christians around the world.

To properly make the sign of the cross, it is important to remember what a cross is: The Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a vertical beam with a horizontal crossbeam perpendicular to it. He was nailed to this cross with His arms outstretched. Orthodox Christians are fortunate to be gifted with possession of the original, and true way of making the sign of the cross. And they are, therefore, obligated to follow the form of the cross when making this holy sign—perfectly vertical and perfectly horizontal motions of the hand. In short, as perfectly perpendicular as the perfect cross of Christ!

The Orthodox Christian way uses the index finger, middle finger, and the thumb touched together, symbolizing the Holy Trinity together as One composite God, to tap:

1) the forehead (for Christ originated, and came down from, heaven),

2) the belly button area (for he came down to earth in the form of a man),

3) the right shoulder (because we Christians want to spend eternity by the right hand of God), and

4) the left shoulder.

The Orthodox might then place his open hand over his heart and bow slightly, as a reverent gesture of the closeness of God to his heart. But, is this the way most Christians make the sign of their cross?

A Christian must not distort the cross! But many Christians, even some priests unfortunately, seem to be playing air-guitar with their hands! Their hands seem to make vertical-diagonal motions instead of vertical-horizontal ones. Sometimes even diagonal-diagonal or vertical-vertical. Satan hates the cross, and he must be enjoying the ignorance, apathy, and pure laziness of Christians who distort this holy symbol. Christians, DO NOT DISTORT THE CROSS! Make this holy sign in its proper form with fear of God, humility, and pure reverence for our Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood on it for our salvation!

#7 - Watchtower Beliefs: A Different Gospel – Part 2

“All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NWT)

‘Jehovah’s Witnesses will express strong agreement with this passage….But, in practice, they don’t really believe the latter half of it. They don’t believe that a man of God is fully competent and completely equipped, unless he has their organization’s books and magazines. The Bible alone is not enough.

We Christians also have Christian magazines, books, concordances, Bible dictionaries, and so on. We see this literature as helpful and instructive, but we don’t feel that we need these supplements in order to understand the gospel message, come into God’s favor, and gain eternal life…

Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, believe that one must have their organization’s literature in order to be saved. In commenting on the Society’s own Scripture Studies book, The Watchtower (9/15/10, pg. 298) said:

Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the Scripture Studies aside…and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light at the end of two years.

Have Jehovah’s Witnesses of today abandoned that view expressed in the words of their organization’s founder, Charles Taze Russell, back in 1910? Compare that quote with this more recent statement in The Watchtower (12/1/81, pg. 27):

But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his “faithful and discreet slave,” made up of spirit-anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand and apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.

The thought is the same! The inspired Scriptures alone do not make a person “fully competent and completely equipped” (2 Timothy 3:17) in the eyes of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

What happens if a JW does read the Bible alone, without Watchtower Society books and magazines? The organization made an amazing admission about this, when it stated the following about ex-members:

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 back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago…[The Watchtower, 8/15/81, pp. 28-29].

So, the Watchtower Society itself admits that Jehovah’s Witnesses who begin reading the Bible alone stop believing Watchtower doctrines and return to the doctrines taught in Christian churches. Whose doctrines, then, are the ones that are truly based on the Bible? The answer is obvious, by the Society’s own admission.’[1] (Bold and abbrev. Added)

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[1] JEHOVAH’S WINESSES ANSWERED VERSE BY VERSE, David A. Reed; 1986; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49506; pp.98-100

#6 - Watchtower Beliefs: A Different Gospel – Part 1

“And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14, NWT)

‘This verse is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ all-time favorites. But they read into it a number of thoughts that go beyond what it says. They believe that Jesus Christ returned invisibly in the year 1914 A.D. and “established” God’s kingdom in heaven at that time, with the Watchtower Society as his visible agency on earth. So, in order to receive everlasting life, people need to “come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation” (The Watchtower, 11/15/81, pg. 21)

When Jehovah’s Witnesses preach their “gospel” or “good news” of the kingdom, they are actually preaching the doctrine of Christ’s invisible return in 1914. They freely acknowledge that the “good news” they preach is not the same as the gospel or Good News preached by Christians down through the centuries. But they think it is wonderful that they have different good news:

…the Kingdom witnessing of Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1914 has been something far different from what Christendom’s missionaries have published both before and since 1914. “Different”—how so?…What Jehovah’s Witnesses have preached world wide since 1918 is something unique…the preaching of this good news of the Messianic kingdom as having been established in the heavens in 1914….(The Watchtower, 10/1/80, pp. 28-29)

But the Bible plainly warns against the preaching of another gospel:

“However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed. As we have said above, I also now say again, Whoever it is that is declaring to you as good news something beyond what you accepted, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9, NWT)

Ask the Jehovah’s Witness, “Did the apostle Paul teach the disciples in Galatia that Christ would return in 1914 and set up a visible organization with headquarters in Brooklyn, NY?” If not, then the Watchtower leaders’ “good news” is “something beyond” what the Galatians accepted—placing them under God’s curse for teaching another gospel.’[1] (Bold added)

“[The] disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’” (Matthew 24:3, NKJV) Unfortunately, someone has already deceived Jehovah’s Witnesses, and we as Christians must take care that they do not deceive us. DON’T BE FOOLED by these heresies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Watchtower cult exalts its own publications above the Bible, just as Lucifer once exalted himself above God. Jesus was there as he “beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:18, KJV) Those who follow the Watchtower shall likewise fall!

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[1] JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ANSWERED VERSE BY VERSE, David A. Reed; 1986; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506’ pp. 55-56