Find solution
What is the national governing body for athletics?

Jehovah's Witnesses: Does the Governing Body fear the Internet?

  • The Internet represents freedom of information. When Witnesses read anything other than the propaganda the Watchtower puts out, they can see truthful gaping holes and rapidly changing theology. In other words, the Governing Body has learned that almost every time any Witness begins to cross-examine the organization, their speed of departure is directly proportionate to their personal honesty towards the facts of history. Would you say this is true?

  • Answer:

    The Watchtower Society leadership has had various articles in its literature on the subject of the Internet. It has wisely pointed out that the Internet is rife with pornography, gambling opportunities, and time-wasting virtual reality games (that often feature violence). Of course, everybody knows this. There is something else it warns about that nobody else seems to know about. Here are just two examples: "Some apostates are increasingly using various forms of mass communication, including the Internet, to spread false information about Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, when sincere individuals do research on our beliefs, they may stumble across apostate propaganda... Exposing ourselves to apostate teachings through the various means of modern communication is just as harmful as receiving the apostate himself into our homes. Never should we allow curiosity to lure us into such a calamitous course!" "How can we guard against being deceived by apostates?... We "avoid them" by steering clear of their reasonings - whether in person, in printed form, or on the Internet." Bear in mind that all JWs consider "apostates" to be those their leaders tell them are apostates! But their leaders never tell them precisely what false teachings those ones are supposed to be propagating! They are warned not to have anything to do with people who leave, or who are put out for this alleged "apostasy", even if those persons insist that they love God and Christ and worship in faith. Word just goes out in local congregations that a person is now an apostate and they must cut them dead. This is the fear the Governing Body has. It is fear of those peoples' changed beliefs being explained to JWs. As the GB has no control over the Internet, it "advises" members not to go on to "apostate" web-sites - they must stick to official Watchtower Society sites. Thus the answer to your question is that the GB fears the power of the Internet in informing JWs what so-called "apostates" discovered that led to the rift. It also fears JWs discovering how many thousands of ex-JWs are now worshipping God in other denominations. That would blow the lid on this statement: "Today, there is no great apostasy taking place among God's people. Still, a few individuals have left our ranks, and some among them are bent on defaming Jehovah's Witnesses by spreading lies and misinformation." Hundreds of thousands leave their ranks every year! Those with personal honesty (more than a few!) will not be silenced by intimidation tactics, like shunning, and they wisely use the Internet to spread the truth about the Christian faith. All JWs have to do is check out their sources. But most JWs fear the Internet because their GB has told them they could be "contaminated" by reading an opposing point of view!

Sonny Daye at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Don't be silly now... of course that's not true. You have an active imagination. If what you are saying is true... then we would be told not to use the internet period, wouldn't we? But we are NOT told that... so your comments thinly disguised as a "question" are null & void. The only propaganda here, is this so-called "question"

Poя¢єℓαιη Vєѕѕєℓ (στην αλήθεια)

No. of course not. Don;t be ridiculous! But they advise that you don't view apostate material because then their followers will learn about Miracle Wheat, Using the Pyramid at Giza to calculate 1914 and can hear the audio where they bamboozled the audience at a convention into thinking 1975 was the date for Armageddon.

Miss Information

You are sooo not right!!!! just another day for you and me in Jehovah's witness bashing paradise eh sonny??? O btw am I not reading this ? apparently, I am reading this ,on the internet , so i must be reading something other than the watchtower don't you agree? duh!!! But I must say... the watchtower is so much more rewarding than reading the garbage you type out!

Jahdaugh

LOL, not true. Internet is a medium for fast messages and information - but as well for evil habits. For example snuff videos or bashing school comrades or porn. The Governing Body indicates, that there is danger by using the internet, not more, not less. We JWs always cross-examine things. That's nothing new. We began with that when starting studying the Bible. ;-)

Galaxis

No, not at all. Now most congregations file their reports and details directly via an internet website. In some countries new letters to the congregations are sent out solely via the internet. So its a convenient medium, just like other technologies.

Kilroy J

absolutely not. as a matter of fact, the more information available to the average religiously inclined person, the more likely they will come into the Truth. As for the rest, even Jesus knew it was a waste of time to even try to convince the unconvinceable. "Shake the dust off your sandles", he said.

Richard

Greetings, We are convinced even more that we are not brainwashed every time we see such ridiculous statements and false claims as some answers to this question! Witnesses constantly use the Internet yet are just as careful as other authorities as to its dangers. Witnesses also read and use standard reference works, lexicons and dictionaries from all types of authors. I personally have over 2000 books in my personal library, most of them reference works on the Bible or history. I have over 200,000 files on my computer downloaded from the internet which contain single papers to many volume reference works. Witnesses are repeatedly and constantly admonished that they cannot simply trust anyone else to tell them the Truth, but that they must study the Bible for themselves and make sure that they personally know and understand the facts. Actually, I gave a Public Talk last Sunday at a neighboring congregation and it explicitly states that everyone must gain a personal knowledge of what and why they believe. I ask the audience the specific question: "Do you believe just because your parents or the Watchtower Society tells you to?" The sermon nowhere says that you must simply rely on some organization or person to tell you what to believe. Others can only assist us to search for and gather the evidence, but we must make it our own and confirm it further through personal experience. The truth of the matter is that any individual who does not continue to seriously examine their beliefs in light of the Scriptures will not become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and if they do get baptized they will not remain a Witnesses. From the first study with JWs a person is taught to examine the Bible and compare their personal beliefs with it. To be a Witnesses you must also talk to people of all religions who will challenge your beliefs and force you to continue to research your own beliefs and support them from the Bible. Witnesses do not need Watchtower literature to prove their beliefs. The Bible is clear enough and other standard lexicons and dictionaries provide additional support. This is proven by many answers from myself and other Witnesses even on this forum which give evidence primarily from the Bible and then standard reference works. Others cannot defend their beliefs by Scripture or sound arguments and so they are forced to make emotional, slanted and prejudicial statements. When we see how weak, unreasonable, illogical, and downright false these other opposing arguments and beliefs are then we are even more convinced that have the Truth and are part of the Christ's True "Church" today (Dan.12:3; Mat.13:39-43). All Witnesses do is to invite others to do the same, critically examine your beliefs in light of the plain and explicit teaching of Scripture and the evidence in the actions of your religion and its members, then choose to follow Christ closely (Rom.10:1-3; Eph.1:17). “Rev. K” is always a good example of ridiculously false statements. He states “the JW cult has shrank steadily each year since 1997." Where does he get these things? His claims are so blatantly false that it cannot be due to ignorance. Here’s the rounded figures for the growth of Witnesses” 1997 = 5,413,000 1998 = 5,599,000 1999 = 5,912,000 2000 = 6,035,000 2001 = 6,117,000 2002 = 6,304,000 2003 = 6,427,000 2004 = 6,513,000 2005 = 6,613,000 2006 = 6,714,000 2007 = 6,957,000 Our recent yearbook puts the number over 7,000,000. The growth of Witnesses is world wide regardless of access to the Internet. (Wow, "Rev K" quickly disappeared his answer when he was exposed. Don't know how he thought he could get away with such obvious "*claims*" in the first place. Sincerely, BAR-ANERGES EDIT: Danman, You also are misled by false claims. The number of those DF'ed are regularly mentioned in our Literature (averages about 35,000 ea yr.). The financial records are public knowledge since they are a non-profit!! Danman, you get your answers and you still just retreat into unsupported claims and demands for more ridiculous minutiae. Give up! Start reading the literature and get the answers first hand.

BAR- ANERGES

Not true, I looked for 30 years trying to find holes in their teaching......It is all from the Bible ...And as Jesus said about Jehovah God....Your word is truth.

seemorebetter

Now that'd be weird, seeing how the Watchtower Society runs (at Vot's last count) 9 different official websites. I know you desperately wish it were different but sorry, you're deluded. Now did you have a Bible question?

Vöt Änårж

Load more

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.