Posted by J.H. on March 22, 1999 at 17:43:49 {MWKQmDRkic4cM}:
In Reply to: Need Help? posted by ANDY on March 22, 1999 at 16:50:59:
Andy,
: Some place online I read at quote from the Watchtower or Awake about it being alright to lie in some instances when talking to those who do not desesrve to hear the truth. Something about being OK to lie to your enemies?
Operative term: "Theocratic war strategy"
First, one word of caution. Some critics of the WTS has made a bit too much of this term, IMO. Read what the text says. It is no blanko permission for JWs to lie about anything to all outsiders. I don't think that was intended, and JWs generally didn't understand it like that. What makes JWs dishonest in dealing with outsiders is far more subtle than that.
Ok, here's the answer:
I looked it up in the Watchtower Publications Index 1930-1985:
"Lies ...
distinguished from "theocratic war strategy": ad 1061; w60 352; w57 285; w56 86-7"
Very revealing, not?
Here's the text of the Watchtower articles listed:
***
w60 6/1 351-2 Questions from Readers ***
Questions from Readers
God's Word commands: "Speak truth each of you with his neighbor." (Eph. 4:25) This command, however, does not mean that we should tell everyone who asks us all he wants to know. We must tell the
truth to one who is entitled to know, but if one is not so entitled we may be evasive. But we may not tell a falsehood. Thus a sister should tell the truth about her age for the purpose of having correct information on her publisher's
record card, as that comes under the purvue of right to know. Fear to do so is a sign of vanity and immaturity. Nor may this particular information be kept from a prospective mate if that one thinks it important enough to ask. Such a one
would also have a right to know. So it would depend upon the circumstances whether one may be evasive about one's age or not. The same principle applies in the case of a patient suffering from some incurable disease. He has the right to
know the verdict of a medical examination as to his life prospects. He may not be denied the knowledge that is so vital to him-just how precious his days are to him by reason of their being so few. It does not make for trust, understanding
and love to deceive such a one, and the one practicing the deception will be continually plagued by a guilty conscience. If the patient is dedicated to Jehovah he certainly will appreciate that his times are in God's hands and therefore
will not have a morbid fear of dying but will strengthen himself in the resurrection hope. Some who withheld such information, intending kindness, afterward found that it had been a mistaken kindness. There is, of course, a right time
and manner for divulging such information. The time should be opportune and the manner sympathetic yet not unduly sorrowful. It may not be amiss to observe that one may be hopeful about his condition in spite of such a prognosis, since
medical knowledge is not infallible today. Love, wisdom and self-control will enable one to broach the subject properly and the result can be a far greater bond of affection than existed previously. At such a time the resurrection hope,
the blessings already enjoyed as a member of the New World society as well as those that still lie ahead might also be mentioned. What about telling a prospective mate the unfavorable truth about one's past, such as before one became one
of Jehovah's witnesses? If the subject comes up and one is asked, the rule would apply that the truth should be told as the other has a right to know. If one is not asked, then it would be up to one's discretion and conscience. However, if
it appeared that the information was vital to the other, and the other did not ask simply because he did not think such a thing likely, then the information should be volunteered, trusting in love and understanding to cover over the
matter. If there is to be any disillusionment, certainly it is far better that it take place before marriage than afterward. Here the well-known principle stated by Jesus would apply: "All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you,
you also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean."-Matt. 7:12. There is one exception, however, that the Christian must ever bear in mind. As a soldier of Christ he is in theocratic warfare and he
must exercise added 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. A Scriptural example of this is that of
Rahab the harlot. She hid the Israelite spies because of her faith in their God Jehovah. This she did both by her actions and by her lips. That she had Jehovah's approval in doing so is seen from James' commendation of her faith.-Josh.
2:4, 5; Jas. 2:25. This would come under the term "war strategy," as explained in The Watchtower, February 1, 1956, and is in keeping with Jesus' counsel that when among wolves we must be as "cautious as serpents." Should circumstances
require a Christian to take the witness stand and swear to tell the truth, then, if he speaks at all, he must utter the truth. When faced with the alternative of speaking and betraying his brothers or not speaking and being held in
contempt of court, the mature Christian will put the welfare of his brothers ahead of his own, remembering Jesus' words: "No one has greater love than this, that someone should surrender his [life] in behalf of his friends."-Matt. 10:16;
John 15:13. *** w57 5/1 285 Use Theocratic War Strategy *** A WITNESS of Jehovah was going from house to house in Eastern Germany when she met a violent opposer. Knowing at once what to expect she
changed her red blouse for a green one in the very next hallway. No sooner had she appeared on the street than a Communist officer asked her if she had seen a woman with a red blouse. No, she replied, and went on her way. Did she tell a
lie? No, she did not. She was not a liar. Rather, she was using theocratic war strategy, hiding the truth by action and word for the sake of the ministry. In this she had good Scriptural precedent. Did not Rahab hide the Israelite spies
by both action and word? Did not Abraham, Isaac, David and others likewise hide the truth at times when faced with a hostile enemy? They certainly did, and never do we read a word of censure for their doing so. Rather, we read of their
being termed exemplary servants of Jehovah. Their actions were in line with Jesus' wise counsel: "Look! I am sending you forth as sheep amidst wolves; therefore prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves."-Matt. 10:16,
NW. Perhaps some will wonder as to where the line is to be drawn between use of theocratic war strategy in hiding the truth and the telling of lies. First of all, let it be noted that whenever one takes an oath to tell the truth he is
obligated to do so. By dedicating himself to do God's will each Christian has taken a vow or made an oath to do God's will and to be faithful to him. To this oath he certainly must be true. Likewise, when a Christian is placed on a witness
stand he is obligated to speak the truth if he speaks at all. At times he may prefer to refuse to speak and suffer the consequences rather than betray his brothers or the interests of God's work. And, of course, there is no occasion for
use of war strategy when dealing with our Christian brothers. In dealing with them we tell the truth or tactfully remind them that what they seek to know does not concern them. Lies are untruths told for selfish reasons and which work
injury to others. Satan told a lie to Eve that worked great harm to her and all the human race. Ananias and Sapphira told lies for selfish reasons. But hiding the truth, which he is not entitled to know, from an enemy does not harm him,
especially when he would use such information to harm others who are innocent. A great work is being done by the witnesses even in lands where their activity is banned. The only way they can fulfill the command to preach the good news of
God's kingdom is by use of theocratic war strategy. By underground methods the literature is brought into the country and distributed. Would it make sense to hide this literature by one's actions and then reveal its whereabouts by one's
words when queried? Of course not! So in time of spiritual warfare it is proper to misdirect the enemy by hiding the truth. It is done unselfishly; it does not harm anyone; on the contrary, it does much good. Today God's servants are
engaged in a warfare, a spiritual, theocratic warfare, a warfare ordered by God against wicked spirit forces and against false teachings. God's servants are sent forth as sheep among wolves and therefore need to exercise the extreme
caution of serpents so as to protect properly the interests of God's kingdom committed to them. At all times they must be very careful not to divulge any information to the enemy that he could use to hamper the preaching
work. [Footnotes] For details see The Watchtower, February 1, 1956. *** w56 2/1 86-90 Cautious as Serpents Among Wolves *** 37 In view of the above-given Scriptural examples Jesus was in harmony
with the spirit of Jehovah God in instructing his apostles when he sent them out as sheep among wolves: "Prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves." Since the unchristian wolves declare war upon the sheep and choose
to make themselves "fighters actually against God," it is proper for the inoffensive "sheep" to use war strategy toward the wolves in the interests of God's work. No one against whom this strategy is used is unrighteously hurt because of
it, whereas the "sheep" or those interests that deserve to be protected are safeguarded. God does not oblige us to show the stupidity of sheep and play into the hands of our fighting enemy. We should meet the seed of the Serpent, the
"offspring of vipers," with the cautiousness of serpents. Foreseeing danger, we should cover ourselves against the wolves that prey upon Jehovah's flock. "Oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with
tenderness, . . . Therefore keep awake," says Paul. (Acts 20:28-31, NW) "A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself."-Prov. 22:3, AS. 38 It is proper to cover over our arrangements for the work that God commands us to do. If the
wolfish foes draw wrong conclusions from our maneuvers to outwit them, no harm has been done to them by the harmless sheep, innocent in their motives as doves. The action is not out of a liar's hatred. "He that hideth hatred is of lying
lips; and he that uttereth a slander is a fool. A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded."-Prov. 10:18; 26:28, AS. 39 We cannot condemn as a liar and deceiver the witness of Jehovah that was about to cross the border line back
into Nazi Germany and who took Bible literature with her at the risk of her freedom. She put the literature in the baby carriage at the feet of her baby and covered it over with unwashed baby diapers. When the Nazi officer inspected her
carriage, dug down into it and got his hand in touch with the wet, dirty diapers, he quickly withdrew his hand in disgust. He let her cross the border, and with her the literature went in to feed many of the oppressed, brutally treated
sheep under Hitler's regime. Then there is the witness who was working from house to house with a basket of literature. Enemies reported her to the police as a woman with a shirtwaist of a certain color. So around the corner she took out a
shirtwaist of another color and made a change, then walked back down the same street and past the officer on her trail, and escaped being identified. There is the brother, too, who was sentenced to the quarries from which no one was known
to come out alive. As a musician he was spared the killing quarry work, but he was not mindful of only his own life. At risk of his own privilege as the musical entertainer of the camp officer, he smuggled portions of food to his underfed
brothers sentenced to backbreaking quarry work and was able to keep them alive. When at last deliverance came, not only he but those whom he had fed contrary to Nazi regulations emerged with him from the place of doom. 40 To this day the
history of Jehovah's witnesses is ever-new with like cases of their outwitting the wolves by exercising due caution in the face of danger while they are engaged in a good, loving work according to God's will and command. Such outwitting of
oppressors of the sheep is not a failure to "render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's"; it is a courageous, sensible way of rendering first "unto God the things that are God's." (Matt. 22:21, AS) If the wolfish enemy
drives Jehovah's people underground like David who was driven by Saul into the cave of Adullam and other caves, then their underground worship is not a work of deceit and lies because it is not done above ground under greedy eyes of the
wolves. (2 Sam. 23:13;1 Sam. 22:1; 24:3-10;1 Ki. 18:4, 13) The hypocrisy and deceit lie with the wolves who openly make of God's house a "cave of robbers."-Mark 11:15-17, NW. 41 Serpentlike caution is to be exercised only while the sheep
are among wolves or in contact with them. Jesus did not advise this among the congregation of Jehovah's people, for all of these are sheep. So it is as much a rule for spiritual Israel of today as it was for natural Israel of old: "You
people must not steal and you must not deceive and you must not lie any one to his associate. And you must not swear in my name to a lie, so that you do profane the name of your God. I am Jehovah." (Lev. 19:11, 12, NW) In these days since
A.D. 1919 when Jehovah has restored the remnant of spiritual Israel and their dedicated companions to his pure worship, his prophetic instructions are: "These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor;
execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah." (Zech. 8:3, 16, 17, AS) The apostle
Paul himself applies these words to sanctified Christians, the "Israel of God."-Eph. 4:25; Gal. 6:16. 42 Being under no necessity to outwit or use strategy toward our sheeplike brothers to lead them off the track, we need not put on a
pretense to cover over proper conduct. Peter (Cephas) once put on a pretense before the brothers at Antioch, Syria. Privately he lived the same as any non-Jewish Christian but publicly he acted like a Christian "according to Jewish
practice" for fear of being criticized by Christian visitors from Jerusalem. The apostle Paul rebuked him for not acting truthfully but acting outwardly in support of wrong doctrine and practice.-Gal. 2:11-14, NW. 43 We do not have
anything wrong to cover over from wolfish enemies, but if there is anything wrong we cannot cover it over from Jehovah. We dare not lie against him. Ananias and his wife Sapphira tried to lie to God for the sake of putting on an all-out
generous appearance before the apostles and the rest of the Jerusalem congregation. Peter asked Ananias: "To what end has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit. . . ? . . . You have played false, not to men, but to God."
The holy spirit in Peter sharpened his perceptions to see that Ananias was trying to lie to God, and the spirit immediately killed Ananias. After he dropped dead and was carried away, his wife came in and put the spirit in Peter to the
test, by trying to keep up the pretense. Peter asked: "Why was it agreed upon between you two to make a test of the spirit of Jehovah?" Instantly she dropped dead.-Acts 5:1-10, NW. 44 Similarly, at Jericho's fall Achan tried to act out a
lie before his brother Israelites and test the detective power of God's spirit. Contrary to strict orders from God he seized some of the tabooed spoil of the cursed city of Jericho and hid it under the ground of his tent. The deceptive
work did not escape Jehovah's notice, and his spirit caused the exposure of Achan as the greedy troublemaker for Israel. He and his household were stoned to death in due punishment. (Josh. 7:1, 10-26) Later King Saul tried to lie to God
and to his spirit in the prophet Samuel. Before ever Saul made report to Samuel, Jehovah informed him of Saul's disobedience in not devoting everything of the Amalekites to destruction. Saul tried to give a religious flavor to his keeping
the best of the plunder and King Agag himself alive, but Samuel exposed the rebellious, presumptuous hypocrisy, saying: "To obey is better than a sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat of rams." (1 Sam. 15:22, NW) Lying to God never
succeeds. 45 We dare not lie against God's Word, adding to it or taking away from it, reading into it what it does not say and denying, passing over or explaining away what it does truthfully say. "Every word of God is tried: . . . Add
thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov. 30:5, 6, AS) We may not tell untruths in his name, for that puts God in the light of a liar. "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar." (Rom.
3:4, NW) In Jeremiah's day the false prophets prophesied lies in Jehovah's name and lied against his purpose, foretelling in his name what he had not foretold. Therefore Jehovah was against them. He executed judgment against them at
Jerusalem's destruction in 607 B.C. (Jer. 23:25; 27:15) Religious liars like them today cannot escape a like judgment but will meet a like end at Armageddon. 46 Never swear falsely in Jehovah's name. Jehovah declares that at his temple
he will be a "swift witness against . . . the false swearers." (Mal. 3:5, AS) Never take an oath in his name and then tell lies as a sworn witness. Rahab of Jericho was under no oath in Jehovah's name to tell the facts to the king's
officers and hence was not a false swearer or a false witness. "A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness uttereth lies." (Prov. 14:5, AS) A faithful witness does not love a false oath. So he tells the truth as he swore to do.
What he does speak will be the truth. If he speaks at all he will tell the truth. To the extent that he chooses to talk he will state the truth. If for conscientious reasons he refuses to tell everything he will be willing to suffer the
consequences if he be judged deserving of a penalty. He refuses to tell everything, not to escape punishment, but facing punishment for conscientious reasons. Even Jesus kept silent before Pilate, refusing to answer though knowing Pilate's
power.-John 19:8-11. 47 Never take an oath to do a thing and then prove false to it by failing to do what you swore to do. That means to prove false to the "oath of Jehovah." It means "swearing falsely in making covenants." (Hos. 10:4,
AS; RS) Shimei, who cursed the fleeing King David, swore in Jehovah's name to Solomon not to budge outside Jerusalem the rest of his days. When he proved false to his oath by leaving Jerusalem to recover two escaped slaves, King Solomon
said to him on his return: "Why, then, did you not keep the oath of Jehovah and the commandment that I solemnly laid upon you?" For proving false to Jehovah's oath Shimei died with his blood upon his own head. (1 Ki. 2:36-46, NW) Likewise
Zedekiah, Jerusalem's last king of David's line, acted a lie against the oath of Jehovah. 48 This oath in Jehovah's name King Zedekiah made before King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to guarantee that he would be obediently subject to his
Babylonian overlord. After eight years of keeping this covenant he looked to Egypt for help and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, thus despising the "oath of Jehovah" and suggesting that nothing could be guaranteed by Jehovah's name.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head." (Ezek. 17:13, 16-21, AS; 2 Chron. 36:13) Zedekiah felt how Jehovah
hated false oaths and false swearers, when his city fell, his sons were killed before his eyes, his own eyes were then blinded and he was carried off captive to die in Babylon. 49 The nation of Israel (excepting a faithful remnant) was a
large-scale example of proving false to the "oath of Jehovah," entering into a covenant with him by an oath and rebelliously failing to carry out that covenant. (Dan. 9:11; Ezek. 16:59; Deut. 29:12-14, NW) The nation of Israel and Shimei
and Zedekiah are examples of warning to us not to treat lightly our own "oath of Jehovah" in dedicating ourselves to him through Christ and then not carrying out that dedication faithfully in full obedience to his will. His command to us
is: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah." (Isa. 43:10, 12, AS) His King Jesus Christ reigns since A.D. 1914 and the King's command to us is: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a
witness to all the nations." (Matt. 24:14, NW) In Jehovah's name we are sworn to obey these commands. The word of the inspired wise man to us is: "Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God." (Eccl. 8:2, Da) This
we will determinedly do. 50 In carrying out our King's instructions for preaching in the field we will follow his counsel to be "cautious as serpents and innocent as doves" among the wolves. We will be true to God's purpose, proclaiming
it and working in harmony with it. We will be true to his Word, publishing it in its purity and preaching no falsehoods in his name. We will be true to his spirit, never putting it to the test with false, hypocritical conduct within his
organization but letting his spirit move us to a truthful course of conduct before all his sheep. To them we will speak the truth for their edification and protection, never betraying them to the fangs of the wolves. As sheep among wolves
we will keep preaching under our Shepherd's care until all wolves are destroyed and all his sheep are safe upon the green pastures and beside the still waters of his new world.
Use Theocratic War Strategy
NOT "LYING AGAINST THE TRUTH"