AboutBrenton Hepburn Expertise I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I can answer questions on the reliability of the NWT, the so called mind control problems, so called prophecies, and general practices and history of Jehovah’s Witnesses.....
>>>>WARNING<<<<<< ....Please be aware that there are at least ... 3 .... people here who ARE NOT practicing JWs and, (at other times there have been as many as 5.) These ones will, at times, appear to have an agenda against JWs., and will often give answers that are not correct in regard to JW teachings and practices. If you are after a answer from one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, please read some of the answers that the various experts have published before choosing someone. If you want to ask them a question that is fine, but if you want a balancing view after asking one of the NON JWs, ask a JW the same question
Experience I have been a publisher since 1964. When I first went on the internet I found a lot of negative information dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses covering prophecy, mind control and what many said was a very bad translation of the Bible known as the NWT. It shook my faith. After may hours researching these topics I could see why some felt that way, but, I was also able to explain why there were these misleading views. I can now set matters straight for anyone that has negative information about Jehovah’s Witness to show them that such information is at best misleading and at worst dangerous lies.
Education/Credentials I have been a student of the Bible for many years, am trying to teach myself Biblical Greek.
Was a public tax accountant for many yrars untill SEP 2009 when I gave it up.
Question -
I need to ask questions to work all this out. Please forgive me if I sound picky.
My question is:
"How can a person who has succumbed to mind conrol, confidently say that they themselves are not under under mind conrol?"
To me it's sort of like a person who was born blind trying to explain to a "seeing person" what a sunset looks like.
Answer -
Hello Owenaoz
Thank you for your question
This is not an easy question to answer on this site as it requires a lot of information to be discussed as to just what is and is not mind control and just what you consider mind control in your question.
There is a lot of information about mind control on the internet especially when it concerns JWs. I have read a great many of them. They often use references to books written by the following two men Steven Hassan and
Robert Lifton.
If we read these articles, yes, it does seem strange that someone under the influence of mind control would find it difficult to se that they are under mind control. However, in every case of mind control article I have read regarding JWs, there are many many untruths and misinformation about JWs published. This misinformation along with the mind control behavior described by Steven Hassan and Robert Lifton, really makes one think JWs have been greatly influenced by mind control. The general idea is that when we are under mind control we can not think for ourselves. When one carfully examines the criteria of “mind control”
The mind control techniques that are described by those writers are portrayed as evil.
Now this may seem like I am agreeing with them but I am not. JWs willingly come under the “mind control” of God as set out in the Bible. That is they willingly conform to Bible principles and laws because we see at as “God knows best” because he is our creator and as such he really does know what is best for us. That allowing ourselves to come under his “mind control” is based on reason and knowledge not some subversive techniques that we are not aware of.
The simple truth is, when one carefully examines the criteria of “mind control” as set out by Hassan and Lifton, every body on earth is under some form of mind control. That is because all of us are influenced by other people, by our parents, teachers, peers, advertising etc. All these things affect the way we think and behave.
God created us with free will, but that is not absolute free will. It is our choice to do either the right thing or the wrong thing. We have to have laws to protect the society as a whole or there would be total anarchy over the earth. So laws are a form of mind control as they stop us from doing harm to our selves or others. JW’s willing chose to follow Gods laws.
Take for example road laws. We are under a form of mind control to obey them. Of we do not we might get away with it, we might get a fine, we might damage our car, we might damage someone else property, and at worst we could kill ourselves or someone else. We chose every time we get into a car to do the right thing or the wrong thing.
For a discussion of JWs thinking for themselves see the following
I hope I have given you some food for thought. If you want more information please contact me
Brenton
Thanks for responding.
I agree that in a sense we all should have our mind controlled, but by whom we are controlled is the point.
READ 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
This reminds me that if I am a Christian I have the mind of Christ. This is made possible because I have the Spirit of Christ in my heart. I only want to be controlled by God's Spirit, not by an organisation that controls what I am allowed to think or read or whom I am allowed to talk to when it comes to understanding the truth of God's Word.
Just because an Organisation claims to be Jehovah's sole channel for Bible understanding doesn't mean that they are.
It takes faith to believe what someone tells us, but it can't be blind faith. It has to be reasonable in the light of available evidence.
Where's the evidence to give me confidence that the Watchtower's Bible understanding is reliable and that my eternal destiny depends on them being correct?
Once again I'm not trying to be difficult. I just need to be sure that my faith has a sure foundation.
I certainly don't want it to rest on the wisdom of men however sincere they might be.
Thanks again in anticipation of a reason response.
Answer Hello Owenaoz
I thank you for having an inquiring mind to ask questions. I do not see you as being difficult, and I understand the need for you want to make sure.
Making sure is something JWs urge all to who want to become a JW to do. It is interesting that this last week to discussed this very subject at our meetings. It was particular in regard to youths in the congregation. They are encouraged not to let anyone talk them into becoming a baptized JW, not parents or elders. It must be their own decision to be carefully considered.
Your are absolutely correct when you said
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Just because an Organisation claims to be Jehovah's sole channel for Bible understanding doesn't mean that they are.
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Jesus even alluded to this at Matthew 7:21- 23 “21 ‘Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness�
So you are absolutely correct when you say you need to be certain.
There are may that say that the JW organization….. “controls what I am allowed to think or read or whom I am allowed to talk to when it comes to understanding the truth of God's Word.� The truth is the JW organization does not do any of that. What they do, do, is point out Bible principles that apply to each situation. A JW is NOT excommunicated for reading any material that is not from the WTBTS It is suggested that they get a balance in what they read, not spending excess amounts of time in reading other material that could distract us from spiritual pursuits. Reading “pornography� is something Most religious organizations would warn against don’t you think.? Reading other commentaries of the Bible is not forbidden. If the material was from an ex JW, that is not forbidden either, but extremely discouraged because of what the Bible says
Here is a quote from 2004 regarding listening to apostates. Notice the wording I have put in CAPITALS for emphasis
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It would be A MISTAKE to think that you need to listen to apostates or to read their writings to refute their arguments. Their twisted, poisonous reasoning CAN CAUSE SPIRITUAL HARM and can contaminate your faith like rapidly spreading gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:16, 17 16 But SHUN EMPTY SPEECHES THAT VIOLATE WHAT IS HOLY; for they will advance to more and more ungodliness, 17 and their word will spread like gangrene. Hy·me·nae´us and Phi·le´tus are of that number) Rather, imitate God’s response to apostates. Job said of Jehovah: “BEFORE HIM NO APOSTATE WILL COME IN.�—Job 13:16
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They say it is a mistake and it “CAN CAUSE SPIRITUAL HARM�. They back up their reasoning with Bible texts. So, the JW organization gives council not orders. The same principle goes with statements that seem to others to indicate “the organization� puts “bans� on clothing, films, who we can talk to what music we can listen to etc etc.
No bans are place on us. What we are taught to do is to use the Bible to develop the mind of the Christ. To think about situations and say to ourselves what would Jesus do in situation ex, what would Jehovah thinks of us if we did such and such?
I read through the chapter in 1 Corinthians 2 and I am going to assume from what you have written (tell me if I assumed wrongly) that after reading that chapter it seems as if ( form verse 1 and 14-16) you have come to the conclusion that we should not let men tell us what is right and what is wrong what we can or can not do?
Now it is true that we stand before God on our own. NO man or organization can tell us what to do. God gave us free will to chose for ourselves. Paul points this out to the Corinthians. Actually I find the study of the books to the Corinthians is very interesting. Paul is telling these ones that they must stand before God on their own, but Paul is giving them the reminder. They did not come to that conclusion on their own. The congregation in Corinth was having a lot of problems. there were divisions amongst the congregation (1 Corinthians 1:12-14), they were allowing gross immoral conduct that even the nations thought was wrong to exist (1 Corinthians 5:1) There were some in the congregation that had fallen prey to bad association (1 Corinthians 15:33)
Basically as we read through this book we see a whole lot of council and advice being given. The congregation did not come up with the sollution on their own.
Notice they had been trained in the way of Christ, and Pauls words in Chapter 1 verse 4 - 6 shows this "4 I always thank God for YOU in view of the undeserved kindness of God given to YOU in Christ Jesus; 5 that in everything YOU have been enriched in him, in full ability to speak and in full knowledge, 6 even as the witness about the Christ has been rendered firm among YOU,"
Regardless of workimg toward the mind of Christ as individuals and as a congregation they needed council
We see the whole organization (that is the WTBTS and all the congregations) like that. At times there are difficulties and problems that arise in congregations. Through the way we are organized, these trends and problems are reported back to the “Society� they prepare material that will give reminders to all congregations
