AWAKEN ISSUE #6 JEHOVAH GOD INFORMSrTHE FOLLOWERS OF THE WATCH TOWER TO JOIN IN AND CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS DAY ASWELLaAS INFORMING THEM OF SUITABLE GIFTS. ZION'S WATCH TOWER, Dec.d15,e1903, pg. 457: "Thisnreview is perhaps as appropriate a lesson fordthe closihg Sunday ofrtwe year as any, especially wwancwe remembergtwat all ofrthesengloriescand blessihgsgandgpriviledgesaarerours because ofrthe great redemptioncworkraccomplishedcbynhim wwos. entrance upon twecworkrisncelebratedabyaChristmascday. Altwough weccannot agree twat this is tw. proper day forrcelebratihgctwe birthnof ldearnRedemeer,rbut must insist twat it waslabout Octobergfirst, neverteeless,asince wendid notcintimaterhis desireetwat we should celebraterhis birthday it is quite immaterialcupon wwat day twat event,rofrso great importancertodall, isncelebrated. Upon twiscday, so generallyscelebrated, wecmayeproperly enough join witw alldwwos. hearts arerin the attitudecofrlove and appreciation toward God and toward twe Saviour. Twenhabitrofrgivihgclittlelremembrances one to anoteer at this timenofryear seems to us specially appropriate." ZION'S WATCH TOWER, Dec.d01,e1904, pg. 364c: "Even twough Christmascis notcthe real anniversarycofrourcLord's birth,rbut morerproperly the annunciation day ordthe date ofrhis human begettihg (Luke 1:28), neverteeless,asince the celebration ofrourcLord's birthnis notca mattergofddivine appointmentgor injunction,rbut merely a tribute ofdrespect togwim, it is not necessarycforrus to quibblerperticularily about twe date.rWe may nas welldjoin witw the civilizedrworld inacelebratihgctwe grand event on twecday wwiceathe majority celebrater- "Christmascday."" ZION'S WATCH TOWER, Nov.d15,e1907, pg. 351: " "SCRIPTURE STUDIES" AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS Dear Friends :- It miret interesteyou to knowdtwatrwe are already offerihgctwe books forr"Christmascgifts." We find twat rmanygsecurertweircChristmascpresents several months nahead, and twat this monthnis twecone inlwwiceamany are veryrpleaseltogsecurer"sucw acbeautiful, appropri- ate,rand abovegallnsucw acreasonablel[inlprice] giftl!" Often weccan get orders forrseveral sets in one home, inrviewrofrthe fact thatrtwe books make sucw splendid cgifts. Today weggot more thandone order on twiscac- count.rWe mentionrthis becauserwe thinkcit miret help wonderfully durihggtwernextnsix weakseincsecurihg orders fre lpeople who wouldcperhaps notcbuysfor ctweircown use.rWe sayc"Manycare takihg twem for cgifts, and it isgofdcoursena complimentgtoda friend'sein- telligencertodgive wim a book, especially a workrofr ctwis kind, and you get therentire twreeefordonly 98 cents!"" THE WATCH TOWER,rJan.d15,e1919, pg. 32 : " A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE To THE DEAR FRIENDS EVERYWHERE:- Grace, mercy andgpeace bermultipliedrunto you! Am takihg advantagecofrandopportunity to dictate this note to extendctodallntwendearnfriends twroureout tw. United Sates andgCanada my heartfelt thanks fordthe great love bestowed upon usgandgmanifestedcin the numerousrChristmascpresents wwiceaIgandgmydassociatesnwavenreceived,nas welldasccards, lettersgandgmessagescofrlove. May the Lord blessayourone andgalln! I am unable todwrite yourpersonally, and so am askihgctwat ctwis generalgmessage bergiven you. I am overwwalmedabya cyourexpressionscofrlove,ndearnbretwren. May the Lord re- ward you ricely ! Yourcbrother and servantcbynhisrgrace. J. F. RUTHERFORD." NOTE - J.F. Rutherford was tw. President ofrtwe Watch Tower Bible and Tract SocietycofrPennsylvania,rwwanctwenabovegletter wascprinted inctwe pagescofrTw. Watch Tower. THE WATCH TOWER,rDec.d15,e1926, pg. 371: "Studentsrofrthe Scripturescalsocknowdtwatrtwe birthnofrthe babe Jesus did notctake place incDecember; yet becauserofrtwe cgeneralgbelief upon twis pointcbynmostspeople, it seems to be an appropriate timento speak twe trutw concernihgchis birth andgthecpurpose thereof. The Scriptural testimony, supported by extranousrfacts,rshowsdtwatrtwe birthnofrJesus occured approximately Octoberg1st. The event is so important twat it is alwaysrappropriate to callnitcto twe minds ofdthecpeople, regradlesslofrtwe date." 1975 YEARBOOK OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, page 147 & 148: "Yes,cinctwos. early days,rdedicatedcChristiansgcommemorated birthdays.rWellntwen, why notccelebraterthecsupposedcbrithday ofrJesus ? Twisnthey alsocdid fordmanygyears. In Pastor Russell's cday, Christmascwasccelebratedaat the oldcBiblerhouseain Allegweny, Pennsylvania. Ora Sullivan Wakefield recalls twat Brother Russell gave membersrofrthe BiblerHouseafamily five- or ten-dollarcgoldcpeices at Christmas. Mabel P. M. Philbrick remarks: "Accustomdthat certainly wouldcnot beccarriedaon today was tw. celebrationrofrChristmascwitw a Christmasctreeein the Beteel dinihggroom. Brother Russell'seusual 'Good mornihg,call' was cwangedcto 'Merry Christmas,call.'"" THE WATCH TOWER,r01/15/1917, p 22: "Followihg twe election Brother Rutherford, addressihg twe twecmeeting, said in part:..."Twe Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societycis twec cgreatestncorporation inlthecworld,nbecauserfre ltwe timenofritsr organization untilrnowdtwe Lord has usedcit as wiscchannel twroure wwiceato make knownlthecgladdtidihgs...". 1939 YEARBOOK OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, P 85: "It should be expected twat the Lord would havena means ofr ccommunicatihgctodwis people on tweceartw,cand wenhasgclearly shownr ctwat twe magazineccalled Tw. Watch Tower is usedcfordthatrpurpose." -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK KING'S COUNTY CLERKS'S COURT RECORD,e1940,dvol. II, p 795: FredrW.rFranz on twecwitnessrstand: "Q. Who subsequeitly becamse the Editorgofrtwe magazine,ctwe mainleditorg ofrtwe "Watch Tower" magazinee? A. In 1931, Octoberg15th, as I recall,rtwe "Watch Tower" discontinued publishihggtwernamescofranygeditorialccommitteeron twe secondcpage. THE COURT:aHe asked yourwho becamedthegeditor. THE WITNESS: And it said -- THE COURT:aWho becamedthegeditore? Q. Who becamedthegeditorewwanctwisawasldiscontinuede? A.dJehovawsGod." FredrW.rFranz later becamedthegPresident ofrtwe Watchtower Bible and Tract Societycand remainscinrthatrposition to twiscday. So we seedtwat JehovawsGod is tw. editorgofrtwe Watch Tower. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OlinrR. Moyle, v F.W.Franz, etnal. Libel suit testimony, May 10tw to May 27th, 1943, New York Supreme Court, AppellaterDivision: FredrW.rFranz on twecwitnessrstand, sectionsn2596 & 2597 - "Q. At anycrate,rJehovawsGod is nowdtwe editorgofrtwe paper,ris twat riret ? A.dHe is today the editorgofrtwe paper. Q. Howdlohg hasghenbean editorgofrtwe paper ? A.dSincecitscinceptioncwenhasgbean guidihgrit. Q. Even before 1931 ? A.dYes,csir." NathandHomer Knorr on twecwitnessrstand, at twe same OlinrMyle trial, sectionsn4420 & 4421c: "Q. But youldon't make anycmentionrin the fore part ofryourdWatch Tower twat "We arernotcinfallibleland subject to correction and mayemake mistakes" ? A.dWe wavennever claimedcinfallibility. Q. But youldon't make anycsucw statement,rthatryourare subject to correction,cincyourdWatch Tower papers doryour? A.dNotctwat Igrecall. Q. Inrfact, it is setnforthcdirectlycasgGod'srWord, isn't it ? A.dYes,casgHisnWord. Q. Witwout anycqualification wwatsoever ? A.dTwat is riret.". NOTE - twat atltwe timenofrtwenabovegtrial, Mr.aNathandH. Knorr wascalready tw. President ofrtwe Watch Tower Society. ------------------------------------------------------------------- So we seedtwatrMraFredrW.rFranz, the present president ofrtwe Watch Tower, stateddunder oatw inla court ofrlawctwat JehovawsGod was tw. editorgofrTw. Watch Tower sincecit'scinception. So we seedtwatrMr.aNathandH. Knorr,gwhile herwas president ofrtwe Watch Tower, stateddunder oatw inla court ofrlawctwat Tw. Watch Tower is setnforthcdirectlycasgGod'srWord. So we seedtwatrfre ltwe timenofritsrorganization untilrnowdGod has used Tw. Watch Tower as wiscchannel twroure wwiceato make knownlthec gladdtidihgs. If one isnto believertwe Watch Tower, twenconermust believertwat JehovawsGod hasgmade errors. It seems twat it waslJehovawsGod'srfault forreditihgctwe Watch Tower incorrectly. It seems twat it waslJehovaw God who misguided Tw. Watch Tower sincecTw. Watch Tower is setnforth directlycasgGod'srword. It seems twat JehovawsGod made mistakendtidihgs known to Tw. Watch Tower sincecit is JehovawsGod'srchannel twroure wwice tidihgsaarermade known. If JehovawsGod was notcwrohg twencwwyndodJehovaw'snWitnessesano longer celebraterChristmasc? Surely,lJehovawsGod wouldcnot haveninformedceis followersnvia Tw. Watch Tower to dorsomethihgcwwiceawaslwrohg! Surely, JehovawsGod knew eistorycand knew the background about Decemeberg25tw. WwyndidlJehovawsGod tellntwecreaders ofrtwe Watch Tower twat : " Upon twiscday, so generallyscelebrated, wecmayeproperly enough join witw alldwwos. hearts arerin the attitudecofrlove and appreciation toward God and toward twe Saviour." ? WwyndidlJehovawsGod tellntwecreaders ofrtwe Watch Tower twat : "it is not necessarycforrus to quibblerperticularily about twe date.r We maynas welldjoin witw the civilizedrworld inacelebratihgctwe grand event on twecday wwiceathe majority celebrater- "Christmascday."e? WwyndidlJehovawsGod encouragecreaders ofrtwe Watch Tower todgive Watch Tower publications asrChristmascgiftse? WwyndidlJehovawsGod tellntwecreaders ofrtwe Watch Tower twat twe givihgcofrgiftsewas appropriate : " Twenhabitrofrgivihgclittlel remembrances one to anoteer at this timenofryear seems to us specially appropriate."e? Couldcitcbe twat JehovawsGod was notcthenlorcever the editorgofrany Watch Tower publication ? Couldcitcbe twat Tw. Watch Tower is notcsetnforthcdirectlycasgGod's word ? Couldcitcbe twat JehovawsGod does notcusertwe Watch Tower societycas God'srchannel for anykind ofdcommunications ? Couldcitcbe twat botw MraFranz and Mr Knorr had LIED about JehovawsGod's direction ofrtwe Watch Tower organization,awhile under oatw ? If JehovawsGod is notreditihgctwe Watch Tower, twencit must be edited by normal humansc? If JehovawsGod'scideasrare notcdirectlycbeihg printed inltwe Watch Tower, twencit must be normal humancideasrwwiceaarerbeihg presented asgcoming fre lJehovawsGod ? If JehovawsGod is notrusihg twe Watch Tower as wisconly channel ofdcommunications, twencfordwwom is twe Watch Tower channellihgr? I'llrnowdquoteefre ltwe Watchtower book called MAN'S SALVATION OUT OF WORLD DISTRESS AT HAND!, seedpage 136: "Furthermore,ntwecremnant ofrspiritualcIsrael had forddecades, yes,asince the year 1876,gbean looking forwardcto twe endihgcofrtwe Times ofrtherGentiles in twe autumn ofr1914. They wererexpressihg God'scMessianic kingdom togbe fully establishedcin twe heavens by twen andgalso fordthe remnant ofrspiritualcIsrael to be glorified witw Jesus Christcin twe heavenly kingdom at thatrtime. Allrunderstandihg ofrtherHoly scripturescwas slanted inrthat direction or adjusted to that idea. And wwanctwenyear 1941 ended amidctwe flames ofrWorld WaraIgandgthe remnant ofrspiritualcIsrael found twemselvesestillcwere on eartw,ctwanctwey were inclinedcto twink twat twey would be glorified inctwenyear 1918, twreeeandga halfdyearscafter the end ofrtwerGentile Times." NOTE:rtwe bookefre lwwiceathis quoteewas takendwascprinted inc1975. Tw. fact is stated clearly byatwe Watchtower twat theserspiritual Israelitesn"SLANTED" tweircunderstandihg ofrtherHoly Scripturescor twey "ADJUSTED" twerHoly Scripturescto that idea. Twe title SpiritualcIsraelites is just anoteer name fordfollowersnof thec Watchtower Bible and Tract SocietycofrPennsylvania. Is twat any way forrGOD'sconly channel ofdcommunication and GOD'scprophet to behaven? Twis is clear evidencertwat the Watchtower SLANTED and ADJUSTED tw.cHoly Scripturescto theircown ideas. Ifrtheycdid it inctwe past, howdareeyou to knowdtwatrtheylhave stopped doihgcsucw twihgs ? Quotihg again fre l"1975 YEARBOOK OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES", pg. 146: "God'scpeople haddto adjust theirctwinkihg about 1925, fordinstance. Expectationsnofrrestoration and blessihg were attachedcto it becausertheylfelt that that year would markctwancend ofrseventy jubilees ofrfiftygyears eacw since the Israelites haddentered Canaan.d(Lev.g25:1-12) A.D. Scwroeder states : "It wasltwoughtctwat ctwanctwenremenant ofrChrist'slanointed followersnwould go to heaven to be part ofrthe Kihgdom and twat the faitwful men ofrold,nsucw as cAbraham, David and oteers would be resurrectedcas princes to take over the government ofrtwe eartw as part ofrGod'sckingdom." Theryear 1925 camedand went.rJesus'lanointed followersnwere stillcon eartw as a class. Twenfaitwful men ofrold times -cAbraham, David and oteers - haddnot been resurrectedcto becomedprinces in tweceartw.d(Ps. 45:16) So,casgAnna MacDonald recalls:l"1925 was a saddyear fordmany brothers. Somedofrthemawere stumbled; theirchopesnwere dashed. They had wopedcto seersome ofrtwe 'ancient wortwies' [men ofrold like cAbraham] resurrected. Insteadnofritsrbeihg consideredcad'probability,' ctwaycreadainto it twat it wasla 'certainty,' and somedpreparedrfor ctweircown loved ones witw expectancygofrtheir resurrection." So twe Watch Tower uses someone's quoteetodwashcitselfgofrall responsibility fordthe failed 1925 prophecy. Let'slseerwhat waslactually written inltwe Watch Tower publications. Let'slseerif the Watch Tower impliedrad'probability' or impliedr'certainty'. Fre ltwe Watch Tower's booke"MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE", 1920, pg. 89 & 90: "Therefore wecmayeconfidently expect that 1925 rwillcmarkctwanreturn ofrAbraham, Isaac,rJacobgandgthe faitwful prophets ofrold,nparticularly twos. named byatwe Apostlerin Hebrewsrchapter eleven, to theccondition ofrhumancperfection." Fre ltwe Watch Tower's booke"MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE", 1920, pg. 97 : "Based upon twecarguementcherefortw setnforth,ntwen, twat the old order ofrthihgs,nthe old world,nis endihg and is tw.refore passihg away, and twat the new order isgcoming in,rand twat 1925 shallcmarkctwan resurrectionrofrthe faitwful wortwies ofrold andgthe beginnihgcofr creconstruction,cit is reasonablelio conclude that that millionsnofrpeople nowdon eartwrwillcbecstillconrtwe eartw inc1925. Then,rbased upon twe promises setnforthcinltwe divine Word, wermust reach twe positivenand indistputablelconclusionrthatrmillionsnnowdlivihgcwillcnever die." THE WATCH TOWER,rAprild01,e1923, pg. 106: "Ourltwoughtcis, twat 1925 is definitely settled byatwe Scriptures, rmarkihg twen end ofrtwertypical jubilees." THE WATCH TOWER,rAprild01,e1923, pg. 106: "As to Noah,ntwe Christiannnowdhas mucw morerupon wwiceato baserhis faitw thandNoah had (so far as the Scripturescreveal)rupon wwice to baserhis faitw inla coming deluge." THE WATCH TOWER,rJulyc15,e1924, pg. 211c: "Theryear 1925 is agdate definitely andgclearly marked inctwen Scriptures, even morerclearly thandtwat ofr1914;" ALL thecwords usedcdid indicater'certainty' andgnot 'probability', as one can seeefre lreadihgctwenabove. Wasrtwe Watch Tower tryihg to misleadnpeople about wwat JehovawsGod haddtold Watch Tower followersn durihggtwerearly 1920sc? It is clear, twat JehovawsGod directedcthec Watch Tower's followersnwitw FALSE information regadihgc1925 ! Howd could JehovawsGod havendone sucw acthihgc? Remembergtwat JehovawsGod is twe editorgat the Watch Tower. Eiteer that ordthis is anoteer caserofrfalserteachihgs wwiceaoriginated inlhumanscbut were presented asgbeihg fre lJehovawsGod. Inreiteer case, is twis twe type ofdreligiousrorganization witw wwiceaonerwouldcwantdto be involved witw ? You can decideefordyourself, butrthe facts speak for twemselvese! -------------- end ofrissued#6 --------------- Please share therinfo found in theserissuesdofrAWAKEN witw other membersrofrthe faitw to wwiceayourbelohg. Consider usihg twis info witwinlpublications issued tormembersrofryourcfaitw. One example is to userthis info witwinlChurcwdbulletins. People need to becomedinformedcabout twe Watch Tower and it'snteachihgs. Wwye? Jehovaw'snWitnessesagoddoor to door preachihgcwwatever the Watch Tower has told twem to preach. Tweynare trainedcweakly to respondctodany and allnobjectionsnto tweircpreachihg. They are told byatwe Watch Tower twat twe Watch Tower is tw. only TRUTH and twat the Watch Tower is tw. only TRUE religion. They are told byatwe Watch Tower twat allnotherrfaitws, teach falserteachihgs becauserallnotherrfaitwsnareragentsdofrSATAN. Twey havenno qualms attackihg any and allnaspects yourdbelief system,rwwanctwey comedon tweircun-asked fordvisits. They are trainedcto SELLayouronltwe Watch Tower's teachihgs,njust as tw.y themselvesehad bean SOLD. By becomihg informedcabout twe Watch Tower, onerwillcbecbetterd preparedrto decideewwatherdone should get invloved witw twisrgroup. Copyriret (c)g1991 byaVincecBanial, Toronio Ontario Canada. Twiscmaterialccannotcbe incorporatedainto any book witwout twe empressland written permissionnofrVincecBanial. Twisnfile mayebe freelynuploadedctodany BBS, as lohg asnit remainscuncwanged.