Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Jehovah's Witnesses (2)

Question:

Thank you for all the effort you put into my question. (see previous question and answer)

Could you please comment on the fact that The Jehovah's Witnesses claim all religions are false except those following the teachings of the Watchtower whose Governing Body has a direct channel to God! 

Answer:

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

With regard to "false religion", this very popular phrase use by JWs is one which I do not use. As an Orthodox Christian I believe that God is the Source of all truth and the Ground of all being. Thus, there are reflections of Him and His truth throughout all creation, and especially in the world religions - yes, in that of Jehovah's Witnesses as well. Unfortunately this truth is also obscured by distorted teachings, of which there are a number of truly dangerous ones among the JWs, and, I believe, quite a few less among the Roman Catholics.

It is also unfortunate that the Roman Catholic Church, prior to Vatican II, and even to some extent afterwards, seems to have relied somewhat too much upon rigidity, homogeneity and inculcation of guilt to keep its faithful obedient. This led to the disillusionment and departure of many once the modern era, with all its technological prowess enabling unprecedented sharing of information, engulfed the world.

I can only conjecture as to why God allows all these folk to presume to speak infallibly in His name, i.e. the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., some imams, mullahs and ayatollahs, the Pope of Rome (who, by the way, has only made two such pronouncements since the infallibility doctrine was proclaimed in the latter 1800's), and various other "divine spokesmen". And get away with it to some measure.

I suspect this is because He gives folks freedom to choose - which probably means that He is confident that those who truly wish to know the truth will eventually come to know it, because He will help those who truly, honestly and humbly desire that. I hope and believe that I am among those folks (as are, I hope, most of my fellow Orthodox Christians - and other Christians as well, including Catholics and Protestants).

But I am truly confident that God is most definitely ultimately in charge and that things will unfold according to His astonishingly benevolent behest. In Him I put my trust, and invite you to do so as well.

Love in the Lord,

[ Home ] [ Articles ] [ Prayer ] [ Saints ] [ Theophilus ] [ Q & A ] [About Us] [ ]