Book Burning

Book Burning-Like Behavior – By Who?

I was an occasional poster on one of the popular Jehovah’s Witnesses / ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses websites and forums. I was a member for just over two years. I made occasional replies to the various topics there. My replies were always cordial and respectful. My replies were a reflection of the material I present on this website. For two years, mind you.

Last week – and to my surprise – I could no longer log into my account to participate in the forums. I sent an email requesting if there were technical issues or if I was just outright blacklisted. And, if I was blacklisted, “Kindly tell me my?”

Well, no response … and I was not surprised.

Many persons from that website started appearing here on e-Prophetic.com with questions they were not getting satisfying answer for on that forum and others. I know this because questioners told me this. I also received some very very “low blows” from certain ones membered with that website. These are persons who feel that since they have longetivity of membership with the website they felt I was intruding upon their turf. 

That website and many others are “quarantiners of information” What I mean by this is that while they harp on how the Watch Tower organization is or is not the truth (depending on who is posting), they themselves practice what the Watch Tower practices: They quarantine information and only allow information that fits their “mission.” There is no true freedom of expression. It is likened to the book burning practices of Nazi Germany.

The purpose of book burning was to censorship, control, and suppression of information. Many so-called “Christian” websites with forums feel the need to erradicate independant thought, which poses a threat to them as they want people to blindly follow “the program” without question or opposition. Anything said by individuals that disagree with what they are promoting by way of teachings is met with a blacklisting, banning, and expulsion. This is the same practice that The Watch Tower Organization practices: Censorship, control, and suppression of information.

book-burning

In the book Acts 5:33-40, the Pharisee Gamaliel cautioned the high priest of the Sanhedrin Hall about trying to prevent and censor Peter and the other Apostles from expressing the teachings of Christ. What I really appreciate about what Gamaliel said was that one should not worry about trying to prevent free expression of speech. Why? Because if what the Apostles were expressing was a scheme from men, it will be overthrown obviously because what they expressed would not be the truth. And, Gamaliel also said:

… but if it is from God, YOU will not be able to overthrow them;) otherwise, YOU may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.

The practice of trying to censor and suppress information and to ban, expel, blacklist and defame other for their expressions is foolish. I have actually ask The Most High God to shut me down if I am expressing anything not from Him through His Son. I really mean that because what we express to others can mean their lives! It is really serious.

Sadly, too many persons take matters into their own hands as they think they know more than others and feel they know what is best for them. Rather than let persons freely express themselves (right or wrong) and allowing hearers and readers of the information to “conclude” for themselves, these persons (and the religious organization) arrogates themselves to “conclude” for the individual. Thus, the erradication independant thought and the creation of a baby-like reliance on the “religious organization” to “chew the food” for the individual never really allowing the individual to “taste” the full flavor of the information for himself. It has already gone into “mothers mouth” and she has softened it up for her babies so that they can digest something adulterated.

The truth from God through His Son is unaduterated. It is not easy to digest (accept), but it will be the truth. Most persons in the world today will vomit out (not accept) the truth spoken or written. It will not “taste good.” It will make them sick in a sense.

My point here, dear reader, is that none of us need not try to prevent someone from from freely expressing their viewpoints. I feel like the Pharisee Gamaliel: If it is not from God it is going to vanish and not stand. But if it is from God, there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. It will stand.

Today, if one looks really close at all religious organizations, they are dying. I do not mean dying in the sense of their strengths in numbers, but dying in the sense of they are all compromised. None are completely loyal to The Most High God. They are like a husband or wife who has comitted adultery. The marriage is compromised. The marriage has either died or is dying unless there is an confession of the adulterous relationship and the husband or wife seeks to be reconciled to each other. With regard the religious organizations, they have all compromised their relationship with God. And within what is called by men – Christianity – faith in both God and Christ has been compromised.

“Christianity” has committed adultery not just with Caesar (The Political State) but also with teachings that did not come from God through His Christ. They listen to other voices (teachings). It has “cheated” on God and Christ and has “entered into the sheepfold by another way” to get to God. It has stolen from God and Christ because it has taken property (mankind) that it did not pay for and has led (misled) that property through this door and has closed it and kept that property in captivity. 

Christ paid the price for all of mankind and so he is their property and owner and Head. (1 Cor 11:3).

Jesus speaks of this misleader, thief and plunderer at John 10:1-6:

Most truly I say to YOU, He that does not enter into the sheepfold through the door but climbs up some other place, that one is a thief and a plunderer. But he that enters through the door is shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has got all his own out, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. A stranger they will by no means follow but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  Jesus spoke this comparison to them; but they did not know what the things meant that he was speaking to them.

Notice that true disciples of Christ recognize the voice (teaching) of their Shepherd. They do not recognize the voice (teaching) of another – one who has entered in among them by another way –  claiming they speak the truth. This stranger is Christianity. Yet, Christianity does not know that “what the things meant that he was speaking to them.”

I really appreciate what Jesus says here because “the following” is to be to him, not to religious organizations or to a book that men gave the name Bible to and authorized it, made it holy and blasphemously have given it Jesus, lofty title “The Word of God.”

What Jesus teaches at John 10:1-6 is what I have been attempting to get across in all that I write on e-Prophetic.com. That:

  1. Ones “following” is to the person of Christ only. Not to any religious organization no matter what claim it makes for itself. We do not belong them. We belong to Christ! The Most High God has commanded us to listen to no other, but His Son. (Luke 9:35)
     
  2. No book by any name or person is “The Word of God.” This title is reserved and has been given to only one person: Jesus [the] Christ, The Son of God. One blasphemes when they view and call anything else The Word of God. It is interesting how the Watch Tower “truthfully” teaches that there is only one God, The Father. Yet, it has no problem teaching that there are “two” Words of God: Jesus is one and the Bible is the other.

Information like what is presented here is too hot to enter the mouths of many. If they take the time (letting it cool down) and look at it and then take it in, they will see that it is the truth. No, it will not initially taste good because one will not have tasted (heard) anything like this before. But eventually, with constant prayer to the Father, it will make sense and have a delightful odor and taste. You will want more from the Father.

King David Psalms 34:8 tasted God (LORD in all capital letters) and discovered that he is good. David’s refuge was in God exclusively. That means that David relied upon God as the source of wisdom, understanding and knowledge. David’s refuge was in nothing or anyone else. Likewise today, our refuge and reliance is to be in The Father theough His Son. We do not take refuge in other persons or religious organizations.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

The proverbial “book burners”, suppressors and quarantiners of information think themselves so intelligent and above others that it decides for them what they are to take in. It wants persons to take refuge in them, not in God.

My thought is: “Shame on you.” Christ set men free and you seek to ensnare and enslave them. Why are you afraid of free expression? Did the Master Christ “censor” anyone or did he “correct” them?You do not allow persons to walk in the light in order to see everything – not even that which is hidden. You keep them walking in darkness and while in that state they cannot see anything, not even the lie … and certainly not the truth. (John 8:12)

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R. Jerome Harris

No one of importance. A disciple (student) of Christ apart from the established religious systems who reasons, thinks and concludes matters for myself. Something is not right with the state of religion in the world. The real dichotomy is that we live in a world so full of religion, yet is an evil, immoral, and dangerous place to live. A mental and spiritual separation from this world that Jesus said his kingdom is no part of is the first step to a "break-through" to freedom and entry into a much larger spiritual world where God and Christ resides and the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God can be accessed.

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