Can Jehovah's Witnesses Meet in Private Homes to Study the Bible?

I've been enjoying reading this blog from Stand Firm, an ardently (and I'm assuming young-ish) Jehovah's Witness apologist.

He's produced a long series of refutations called "Things Jehovah's Witnesses Can't Do". I dipped into his list at numbers 101-110. I was fascinated with how he handled some of the accusations against the Witnesses, their beliefs, habits and practices.

I have to, however, refute some of his refutations. For example;

"106. Have unauthorized Bible study groups

FALSE

Families get together and study the Watchtower, or do a combined Family Worship. The issue, of course, would be if some group began to apostatize; then that would be wrong. Having a dissenting belief does not make it right."

My refutation;

Are you being a little disingenuous? Perhaps readers of this blog do not know about the September 2007 decree from the Governing Body regarding groups who meet together to discuss and study the scriptures.

Let's be more specific; are Jehovah's Witnesses allowed to meet in non-family centric groups for Bible study? Before I cite what the Governing Body has published on this matter (and one wonders why it should even be raised in the first place; surely basic Christian freedom should decree we make our own minds up on this matter, full-stop), it's useful to remember that Jehovah's Witnesses are explicitly told to "obey the Governing Body". A Jehovah's Witness is trained and taught to view the Governing Body as Jehovah's mouthpiece on earth. So, to disregard or view as trivial something published by the Governing Body would be tantamount to disregarding Jehovah God himself.

The Governing Body speaks on behalf of the 'faithful and discreet slave' (see Matthew 24:45-47). Jehovah's Witnesses are warned against questioning, doubting or disobeying the 'faithful slave' class. So, it's logical to conclude that to doubt, question or disobey the Governing Body isn't something a faithful Jehovah's Witness would avoid.*

Therefore, are Jehovah's Witnesses allowed to meet in non-family groups to study/discuss the Bible?

The Governing Body published the following in the September Kingdom Ministry pamphlet (only available to those who attend Jehovah's Witness meetings and are active in the door-to-door work; this is not made available to the public. For proof please see this image);

"Does the 'faithful and discreet slave' endorse independent groups of Witnesses who meet together to engage in Scriptural research and debate? No, it does not."

How each Jehovah's Witness would interpret this statement is, of course, open to conjecture. But in view of the reverence given to the word of the 'faithful and discreet slave', as made known through the Governing Body, one could assume that an obedience Jehovah's Witness would be precluded from organising, hosting or attending Bible study groups that are not endorsed (and therefore unauthorised). I could cite anecdotal evidence of elderly Jehovah's Witness women who get dressed up in their finest, only to head downstairs to their living room and participate in "Family Worship" night all alone. They are quoted as believing this is a privilege.**

It may be of interest to impartial readers that exactly 6 months after this Kingdom Ministry article, the Governing Body wrote to all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses to inform them that as of January 2009 there would be no more authorised (or endorsed) Bible study groups in private homes. Instead, Jehovah's Witnesses are to meet as families for "Family Worship" night.

What is intriguing about these policies (no 'unauthorised' Bible study groups and no 'official' Bible study groups in private homes) is how they bear no resemblance to the 1st century Christians.

Acts 1:13 So, when they had entered, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were staying, Peter as well as John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bar·thol´o·mew and Matthew, James [the son] of Al·phae´us and Simon the zealous one, and Judas [the son] of James. 14 With one accord all these were persisting in prayer, together with some women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. (meeting in the upper room of someone's home)

Acts 2:46 And day after day they were in constant attendance at the temple with one accord, and they took their meals in private homes and partook of food with great rejoicing and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. At the same time Jehovah continued to join to them daily those being saved. [emphasis added]

Romans 16:5 and [greet] the congregation that is in their house. Greet my beloved E·pae´ne·tus, who is a firstfruits of Asia for Christ. [emphasis added]

1 Cor 16:19 The congregations of Asia send YOU their greetings. Aq´ui·la and Pris´ca together with the congregation that is in their house greet YOU heartily in [the] Lord. [emphasis added]

Colossians 4:15 Give my greetings to the brothers at La·o·di·ce´a and to Nym´pha and to the congregation at her house.

While it's true that meeting together in large groups in a purpose-built building is without question sensible, it doesn't seem to make sense for a Christian group to not endorse groups (family or otherwise) meeting in private homes for Bible study and worship or for a Christian denomination to 'cancel' all meetings in private homes, especially considering the apostolic tradition found in Scripture.

Stand Firm isn't completely open with the truth in his refutation of the claim that Jehovah's Witnesses aren't allowed to have unauthorised Bible study groups. The facts show that, yes, he is correct in stating that families are encouraged to study the Bible and Watch Tower publications together. However, the Watch Tower Society's policy is that they do not endorse (or authorise) groups of Witnesses meeting together to study and debate the Bible.

* There's little doubt in Watchtower literature as to the importance of obeying the 'faithful slave' class and its Governing Body, per the following Watch Tower publication quotations;

• "Since Jehovah God and Jesus Christ completely trust the faithful and discreet slave, should we not do the same?" Watchtower 2009 Feb 15 p.27
• "[A mature christian] does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and "the faithful and discreet slave."Watchtower 2001 Aug 1 p.14
• "All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave"Watchtower 1994 October 1 p.8
• "We have the opportunity to show love for our brothers who take the lead in the congregation or in connection with Jehovah's visible organization worldwide. This includes being loyal to "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matthew 24:45-47) Let us face the fact that no matter how much Bible reading we have done, we would never have learned the truth on our own. We would not have discovered the truth regarding Jehovah, his purposes and attributes, the meaning and importance of his name, the Kingdom, Jesus' ransom, the difference between God's organization and Satan's, nor why God has permitted wickedness." Watchtower1990 December 1 p.19
• "Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind." Watchtower 1967 October 1 p.587
• "To keep in relationship with "our Savior, God," the "great crowd" needs to remain united with the remnant of spiritual Israelites." Watchtower 1979 November 15 p.27 Benefiting from "One Mediator Between God and Men"

** As related by Circuit Overseer Michael Reid during his July 2009 visit to a congregation in the Lanarkshire Number 1Circuit, Scotland.

Piñatas Are In. Probably. But Toasting is Out. Why Being "Good" is So Important to Jehovah's Witnesses

Being good, doing well, is very important to Jehovah's Witnesses. As they are not assured of their salvation and are not born again, they constantly have to work to make sure they aren't displeasing Jehovah in anyway. Failure to make sure of even seemingly minor points could result in a Jehovah's Witnesses being destroyed along with billions of others at Armageddon.

Hence, the Governing Body publishes much print on how to make sure we're not upsetting Jehovah.

In this refutation I again want to address Stand Firm's series whereby he tackles "Things Jehovah's Witnesses Can't Do"

82. Toast drinks (pagan origin) 

TRUE

The "God's Love"[*] book explains on page 154:

"A common practice at weddings and on other social occasions is toasting. The 1995 International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says: “Toasting . . . is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods . . . in exchange for a wish, a prayer summarized in the words ‘long life!’ or ‘to your health!’”

True, many people may not consciously view toasting as a religious or superstitious gesture. Still, the custom of lifting wine glasses heavenward might be viewed as a request to “heaven”—a superhuman force—for a blessing in a way that does not accord with that outlined in the Scriptures.—John 14:6; 16:23." [emphasis added]

Is this really so difficult to skip? If you think it is, then it truly is superstition.

* "Keep Yourself in God's Love", a book published by the Watch Tower Society that is chocablock full of additional rules and regulations, over and above what's found in the Bible.
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I always have to wonder at the Watch Tower Society's need to impose rules where surely Christian freedom should prevail. I mean, if a Jehovah's Witness did offer a toast, what would happen? Let's imagine we're talking about a male Jehovah's Witness. Would they be counselled by the elders? Would they perhaps lose certain privileges, such as microphone handling? What if they had been considered for further privileges of service, would there now be a question mark over their spiritual maturity?

What I find interesting about the Governing Body's official policy on toasting is the use of the word 'probably'. Probably toasting is a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations. Probably.

Would Jehovah probably be displeased if a Christian were to offer a toast, click glasses and say 'cheers'? Could a Jehovah's Witness probably loose the chance of everlasting life? Would Jehovah probably decide to execute them at Armageddon?

It's of note that the Governing Body, via the Watch Tower Society, has a very inconsistent view of practices that probably have pagan roots. For example, wedding rings probably date back to ancient Egyptian religious beliefs about the third finger of the left hand being linked, in some way, to the heart. But because people don't make that association anymore, it's definitely ok - in fact, encouraged - to wear a wedding ring.

And wedding dresses, bridesmaids and wedding cakes all have probable ancient pagan roots, perhaps even steeped in occult beliefs, but in those cases it's very much up to an individual's conscience.

But how can a Jehovah's Witness be absolutely sure that the Governing Body is right and that Jehovah probably won't be angry with them for wearing a wedding ring, eating wedding cake and hitting a piñata? Well, as long as they don't offer a toast they should be ok…

And while we're on the subject of piñatas, in Mexico the piñata originates with the Myans who are thought to have made clay pots in the shape of their gods. The pots were broken using poles and sticks, spilling the contents to signify favour and blessing from these false gods. The idea was eventually adopted by Christians in the country, and piñatas were featured during masses leading up to Christmas.

So, it's fairly clear that the piñata has false religious and pagan origins. With that in mind, and factoring in the Governing Body's policy on toasting probably having links to false religion (where as the piñata definitely does), can Jehovah's Witnesses use piñatas?

Here's what the Awake! magazine of 8th July 2004 has to say;

I read with interest the article “The Piñata—An Ancient Tradition.” (September 22, 2003) It left me with some questions. The ties to false religion are well-documented. But the article seemed to take the position that as long as it doesn’t bother someone’s conscience, it is OK. What about birthdays and holidays such as Christmas?

S. W., United States

“Awake!” responds: Christians refrain from any celebrations or customs that continue to involve false religious beliefs or activities that violate Bible principles. For example, the Bible definitely puts birthday celebrations in a bad light. (Genesis 40:20; Matthew 14:6-10) However, if it is very obvious that a custom has no current false religious significance and involves no violation of Bible principles, each Christian must make a personal decision as to whether he will follow such a custom.

We found that for many people in Mexico, the piñata has lost its religious significance and is considered by most to be just harmless fun. In fact, piñatas are used in Mexico on many festive occasions, not just for the posadas or for birthdays. And piñatas can be purchased in many forms other than the traditional star shape. They are sometimes made to resemble animals, flowers, clowns.

When considering whether to include a piñata at a social gathering, Christians should be sensitive to the consciences of others. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) A main concern is, not what the practice meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area. Understandably, opinions may vary from one place to another. Hence, it is wise to avoid turning such matters into big issues. The Bible says: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”—1 Corinthians 10:24. [emphasis added]

The Governing Body has decided in the case of piñatas to allow Jehovah's Witnesses to exercise their own Christian conscience and decide for themselves whether piñatas are for them or not. And they shouldn't get all fussed about what piñatas probably meant years ago.

Why isn't this principle applied to toasts or throwing rice and confetti at weddings?

One thing I'm curious about, how does Jehovah communicate with the Governing Body to let them know what's probably ok and what definitely isn't? And does Jehovah ever change his mind? For instance, once upon a time Jehovah hated organ transplants, according to the Governing Body. But now he's probably ok with them, so it's up to your conscience to decide whether to have this medical procedure.

I have to ask, with the Governing Body's inconsistent rules, with them heaping onto the inspired word of God additional laws of their own making, how are they any different from the Jewish Pharisees of Jesus' day?

And if they are inconsistent with their laws, deciding for a while that something is abhorrent to God, then later changing their minds (as per organ transplants), how can they say they have "the truth"? Does the truth ever change?

But here's the real issue; since when is our making sure we're really, really good and well behaved important to Jehovah? If in some way us being good, doing really well, avoiding clinking glasses and saying "cheers", could win us favour with God, then why did Jesus need to die? Aren't the Governing Body completely missing the entire point of Jesus life, death and resurrection?

Jehovah's Witnesses, please meditate on the following from God's Word the Bible;

Romans 6:1-23

1 Consequently, what shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, that undeserved kindness may abound? 2 Never may that happen! Seeing that we died with reference to sin, how shall we keep on living any longer in it? 3 Or do YOU not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly also be [united with him in the likeness] of his resurrection; 6 because we know that our old personality was impaled with [him], that our sinful body might be made inactive, that we should no longer go on being slaves to sin. 7 For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin.