The Jehovah's Witness religion states that apostasy is bad, what exactly do they believe apostasy is?

Question

If you question the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses does that make you an apostate? What about Russell? He questioned the original belief that the Jehovah's Witnesses had about the Trinity, did that make him an apostate? Also, the book, Jehovah's Witnesses, proclaimers of gods kingdom quotes Matt 7:15 regarding being on the watch for false prophets. It states theat they will come from among you yourselves and that they would do so QUIETLY and from within the congregation in a secret or camouflaged way.
What about studying the bible, beliefs and addressing questions as to the accuracy of the teachings? I don't think that would be considered apostasy as Russell was able to question the issue of the trinity without being considered an apostate. So then, if questioning a belief out in the open how could this be considered apostasy?

OK, but to clarify...please explain the process of determining if someone is an apostate or just trying to get the truth. It is clear that the truth according to the Jehovah's witnesses changes or should I say "the light gets brighter" That in itself shows that all of the teaching may or may not be totally correct. Therefore, if I am studying the bible and accuracy of a religions teachings then perhaps the light will get brighter.

This appears to be a catch 22. The organization says that the light gets brighter or, and I quote, has the present truth. So how can one be expected to only study information given by a group who's opinions can change? If you study information that is not given by them then you are an apostate. If you only study their information then you run the risk of it changing. This does not seem like a fair way to study god's word.

Answer 1

I believe the most telling statement I've ever seen on here comes straight from achtung-heiss' own answer to this question: "Publicly advocating the superiority of ones ideas over the teachings of ones own religion is apostasy". So all JW who used to be affiliated with other religions became apostates when they began to study with JW and made a choice to claim that theology over their current religion. They can dissect it however they wish but the true definition of apostate DOES NOT only apply to those that have left being a JW. It applies to ANYONE who thinks that a new line of thinking is more truthful than that of their current religion and is free enough to speak about it. If performing research, coming to conclusions and respectfully discussing these differences with elders DOES NOT make one an apostate, why when I spoke with several elders in the congregation about my concerns was I told that I was "leading myself into apostate thinking" and that "it is a slippery slope that could lead to your disfellowshipping"? All I wanted was clarification and reassurance and all I got was a warning about my conduct and the consequences that could come from that. You cannot ride the fence on this, it is one way or the other.

Answer 2

As a former JW, and as someone who has been labeled as an apostate, I thnk I can answer this one for you.

The JW's believe they are God's representative here on earth and that they are the only organization that has the truth.
They believe that once you have accepted their dogma and become a JW by baptism, you have left Christendom (all other false religions that claim to be Christ's followers).
They believe that once you leave their organization and speak against it in anyway, you are persecuting the true followers of Christ and are therefore an apostate by teaching against "the truth" that they teach.
Questioning their teachings (whether or not that later on what you question becomes "new light") will get you disciplined within their judicial committee system and possibly disfellowshipped for "running ahead of the organization".

IF in say 1970 you questioned out loud that you thought that 1975 would not see armageddon arrive, you would have been disfellowshipped if you didn't quit asking questions.

This is their way of keeping every one dependent on THEIR page.

It is their belief that only the governing body can decided what and when new light is provided.

Answer 3

A bible thumping, trinity preaching, hell preaching, repentance preaching, smelly dirty Christian. Wait a minute isn't this how Jesus and His disciples presented themselves? I don't remember Jesus pulling anyone aside and telling them they need their sunday best or they couldn't listen to him. Jesus said "Come as you are."

Russell could question the trinity if he wanted to but he should've search the Bible for answers. According to Gen. 18:2-3 and 1 Jn. 5:7 the trinity is a doctrinal teaching.

Answer 4

Apostate is the name they call people like me who have left the ORG. and embraced Christ, been re baptized as a born again Christian and spend time trying to save the still blinded witnesses from a heretical ORG. that has kept them in bondage to a false God.

An Apostate is anyone who questions what the WBTS tells them to think feel and believe. If you don't believe that, see what happens when Witnesses ask questions here that do not go along with mainline Witness teaching.

Answer 5

Catch 22. heh.

The individual JW may question but they MUST acquiesce to the current thinking, even if it doesn't ring true to them. That acquiescence is called "waiting on Jehovah" to make the understanding clear. So what they're in effect doing is waiting for the Governing Body to catch up with the correct thinking, and that's called "not running ahead of the Organization." (aren't you glad to be getting all this babblespeak, too?)

Under no circumstances is the individual JW to call for accountability from the Governing Body, the Organization, the WBTS, the Faithful and Discreet Slave, et al., in other words, those who receive the "light" they publish and enforce.

make sense?

(Carol, I remembered I left out "running ahead of the Organization".. we must've typed it at the same time!)

Answer 6

This Has to Be the Best Question of the Day!

Answer 7

Firstly, Russell questioned the Trinity doctrine that was being taught by mainstream Christianity. Jehovah' s Witnesses have never believed the Trinity doctrine to be in the bible.

Apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of God, actually rebellion against Jehovah God.

It is not so much as just questioning, it is trying to cause devision and drawing ones away with you. Some may question certain things and have to to intense study to come come to understand it in their own mind.

Some scriptures regarding apostasy.

They seek to make others their followers, thus causing sectarian divisions:

Acts 20:30 "From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away th disciples after themselves."

2 Pet 2: 1 , 3 "Ther will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them...Also, with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words."

They may profess to believe in Chirst but treat lightly the preaching and teaching work he assigned to his followers:

Luke 6: 46 "Why, then, do you call me 'Lord! Lord!' but do not do the things I say?"

Matt. 28: 19, 20 "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them...teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you."

Matt. 24: 14 "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all nations; and then the end will come."

They may claim to serve God, but reject his representatives, his visible organization.

Jude 8, 11: "These men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones. Too bad for the, because they ...have perished int he rebellious talk of Korah!"

Num. 16: 1-3, 11, 19-21 "Korah...proceeded to get up together with ..two hundred and fifty men of the sons of Israel, chieftains of the assembly...So they congregated themselves against Moses and Aaron and said to them: 'That is enough of you, because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst. Why, then should you lift yourselves up above the congregation of Jehovah?....(Moses said:) 'You and all your assembly who are gathering together against Jehovah. As for Aaron, what is he that you men should murmur against him?' When Korah got all the assembly together against them at the entrance to all the assembly. Jehovah now spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 'Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, that I may exterminate them in an instant."

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

Matt. 24: 45-51 "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? ...But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, 'My master is delaying,' and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites."

2 Tim. 2: 16-18 "Shun empty speeches that violate what is holy, for they will advance to more and more ungodliness and their word will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that number. These very men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some."

Would faithful Christians welcome apostates into their presence?

2 John 9, 10: "Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God...If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him."

Rom. 16: 17, 18 "I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them...By smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones."

Would any serous harm come from satisfying one's curiosity about the thinking of apostates?

Prov. 11: 9 "By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin."

Isa 32:6 "The senseless one hmself will speak mere senselessness, and his very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward, to cuase the soul of the hungry one to go empty and he causes eve the thirst one to go without drink itself."

How serious is apostasy?

2 Pet. 2: 1 "These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them bringing speedy destruction upon themselves."

Job 13: 16 "Before him (God) no apostate will come in."

Heb. 6: 4-6 "It is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away ["if they, then commit apostasy", RS] to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame."

Answer 8

The New world Translation is an example of Apostacy.

Answer 9

how can you compare the fantasy of one denomination as a challenge to the fantasy you believe?

Answer 10

Apostasy

Definition: 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 Jehovah’s organization.

Should we expect that apostates will arise within the Christian congregation?

1 Tim. 4:1: “The inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.”

2 Thess. 2:3: “Let no one seduce you in any manner, because [the day of Jehovah] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction.”

Some identifying marks of apostates—

They seek to make others their followers, thus causing sectarian divisions

Acts 20:30: “From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

2 Pet. 2:1, 3: “There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them . . . Also, with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words.”

They may profess to believe in Christ but treat lightly the preaching and teaching work he assigned to his followers

Luke 6:46: “Why, then, do you call me ‘Lord! Lord!’ but do not do the things I say?”

Matt. 28:19, 20: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”

Matt. 24:14: “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.”

They may claim to serve God but reject his representatives, his visible organization

Jude 8, 11: “These men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones. Too bad for them, because they . . . have perished in the rebellious talk of Korah!”

Num. 16:1-3, 11, 19-21: “Korah . . . proceeded to get up, together with . . . two hundred and fifty men of the sons of Israel, chieftains of the assembly . . . So they congregated themselves against Moses and Aaron and said to them: ‘That is enough of you, because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst. Why, then, should you lift yourselves up above the congregation of Jehovah?’ . . . [Moses said:] ‘You and all your assembly who are gathering together are against Jehovah. As for Aaron, what is he that you men should murmur against him?’ When Korah got all the assembly together against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then Jehovah’s glory appeared to all the assembly. Jehovah now spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: ‘Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, that I may exterminate them in an instant.’”

Not only do they abandon the true 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

Matt. 24:45-51: “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? . . . But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites.”

2 Tim. 2:16-18: “Shun empty speeches that violate what is holy; for they will advance to more and more ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that number. These very men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some.”

Would faithful Christians welcome apostates into their presence, either personally or by reading their literature?

2 John 9, 10: “Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. . . . If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him.”

Rom. 16:17, 18: “I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them. . . . By smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones.”

Would any serious harm come from satisfying one’s curiosity about the thinking of apostates?

Prov. 11:9: “By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin.”

Isa. 32:6: “The senseless one himself will speak mere senselessness, and his very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward, to cause the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself.” (Compare Isaiah 65:13, 14.)

How serious is apostasy?

2 Pet. 2:1: “These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.”

Job 13:16: “Before him [God] no apostate will come in.”

Heb. 6:4-6: “It is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away [“if they then commit apostasy,” RS], to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.”