COMMENTARY ON

Practices & Beliefs

OF THE WATCHTOWER

Jimmy Swaggart & The Watchtower

From The Watchtower - May 15, 1960, page 295: "The Scriptures justify the 'war strategy' of hiding true facts from the enemy."

Few Jehovah's Witnesses know the truth about The Watchtower Society and Jimmy Swaggart's day in court.

Why did the Watchtower Society change its literature distribution program in 1990, eliminating set prices for literature items? JWs believe the Governing Body instituted a "simplified" arrangement. Few know the change really took place because Jimmy Swaggart lost his case in court. In a February 21, 1990 letter to congregations, the Society explained the new policy this way:

By adopting a method of literature distribution based completely on donation, Jehovah's people are able to greatly simplify our Bible education work and separate ourselves from those who commercialize religion.

However, this is what really happened:

Early 1980 State of California informs Jimmy Swaggart Ministries that tax is due for religious books and tapes sold in the state since 1974. Swaggart eventually pays the tax--$183,000.00--but sues for a refund. The case begins moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
February, 1989 U.S. Supreme Court rules it is illegal for Texas (and 14 other states) to exempt religious books from sales tax. Some states had been taxing religious books all along.
Summer, 1989 WT Society gives away "free" books released at U.S. conventions. Witnesses are instructed to place donations in contribution boxes to cover the cost.
June 22, 1989 Watchtower Society, files amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief with U.S. Supreme Court in Jimmy Swaggart case. Others filing similar briefs include National Council of Churches and Society for Krishna Consciousness.
January 17, 1990 U.S. Supreme Court rules against Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, declaring that the sales tax must be paid.
February 9, 1990 WT Society writes letter to congregations announcing that literature will no longer be sold at Kingdom Hall and no price will be set in door-to-door distribution.
February 25, 1990 February 9th letter from Society is read at Sunday meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses across the United States.
March 1, 1990 New policy of distributing literature without naming a price goes into effect.
The March 15, 1990, WATCHTOWER magazine and March 22nd AWAKE!--printed earlier--still say "25 cents (U.S.) a copy" and "$5.00 (U.S.) per year." The April 1, 1990, Watchtower no longer carries a price.
March 11, 1990 Announcement is made at Kingdom Halls in the U.S. that food will be available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis, at JW conventions.

Since many JWs refuse to believe the Society actually filed a legal brief in Jimmy Swaggart's case, we reproduce pages here below as evidence.

Jimmy Swaggart

Jehovah's Witnesses are trained it's O.K. to lie using "theocratic war strategy":

This is what was taught 15 years before Fox lost his family because the Watchtower organization allowed them to be kidnapped by their mother.

1960 "the Scriptures justify the 'war strategy' of hiding true facts from the enemy." (Watchtower May 15, 1960, page 295)
1960 "As a soldier of Christ he is in theocratic warfare and he must exercise caution when dealing with God's foes. Thus the Scriptures show that for the purpose of protecting the interests of God's cause, it is proper to hide the truth from God's enemies." (Watchtower; 6/1/1960; p. 352)

Is it really O.K. to Lie for God?

"While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. ... Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from non-worshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light.-Ge 12:10-19; chap 20 [Abraham lying to Pharoah and Abimelech]; 26:1-10 [Issac lying to Abimelech]; Jos 2:1-6; Jas 2:25 [Rahab lying to king of Jericho]". (Insight on the Scriptures, it-2 245, Note: bracketed text [ ] added. It would be interesting to see how Jw's view Noah's example of getting drunk and Lot's example of incest.)

1993 "Rahab--Declared Righteous by Works of Faith, What about Rahab's misleading words to pursuers of the spies? God approved of her course. (Compare Romans 14:4) She took a risk in order to protect his servants, giving evidence of her faith. While malicious lying is wrong in Jehovah's eyes, a person is not obligated to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Even Jesus Christ did not give full details or direct answers when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Matthew 7:6; 15:1-6; 21:23-27; John 7:3-10) Evidently, Rahab's course of misdirecting the enemy officers must be view in that light." (Watchtower 114:24, Dec. 15, 1993, p. 25)

Did the Watchtower get this doctrine from the Catholics?

So ... a false statement knowingly made to one who has not a right to the truth will not be a lie. (Catholic Encyclopedia, IX, 471)
... we are ... under an obligation to keep secrets faithfully, and sometimes the easiest way of fulfilling that duty is to say what is false, or to tell a lie. (Catholic Encyclopedia, X, 195)
More doctrine Jehovah's Witnesses got from the Roman Catholics.
... the unbelieving ... and murderers ... and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire & brimstone ...Revelation 21:8