Jehovah’s Witnesses Propaganda on Apostates

Every culture has a bogeyman. An imagined character made to strike fear and horror into young supple minds. When children inevitably misbehave, soon comes a whisper of warning concerning a dark shadowy figure who feeds on little boys and little girls who don’t go to sleep when they’re told. We understand the intention of any parent using this tactic. They know it’s wrong, but they’re willing to risk future therapy bills for some peace and quiet. They need only weave a fake story that scares those under them into unquestioning obedience. It’s not about love, but control and coming from a position seen as a source of truth.

This works at bed time, but also on larger scales. Take North Korea, by far the most oppressive country in the world. They too created a boogeyman for their brainwashed citizens, South Korea, the US, European Countries, and anyone that isn’t a cruel dictatorship. The tool of propaganda is always soaked with fear mongering, and you need a great evil to fight against and avoid. While this tactic is certainly present in authoritarian governments, it’s also found in some religions, like Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Never mind all the talk surrounding the impending Armageddon. While that’s forever just around the corner, the religion focuses on a much more ever present threat, sneaking about in congregations, minions of the devil out to poison the baptized publisher when they expect. Their bogeymen, apostates. These are former Jehovah’s Witnesses, who’ve basically through their actions or words made it known the religion isn’t true. Current members are warned by their leaders of the dangers of apostates. Anyone who opposes Jehovah or his organization, ex-witness or not, is unsafe and a threat to your very eternal life. The message is loud and clear, apostates are bad, don’t speak to them, don’t interact, engage, read their material, or visit their websites. Whatever you do, avoid them.

Now Witnesses claim this a directive from Jehovah God himself. Is that true, or is this a bogeyman tactic meant to control their members? As you’ll see, it’s the latter. What you’ll find is repetitive, gross propaganda filled with deception. It is meant only to keep the members constrained under the boot of the leaders. To confirm this, there’s no better place to start than the Watchtower, or as they believe, spiritual food directly from God.  

Warning, apostate are hunting you!

Let’s see what apostates are, their motive, their plan, who are they, are they still worthy of love? Beginning here with the Watchtower July 2011 , the article titled “Will You Pay Attention to Jehovah’s Clear Warnings? 

So false teachers may come from inside the congregation. These false teachers are apostates. What do they want? Paul said that when they leave Jehovah’s organization, they want “to draw away the disciples after themselves.” The disciples Paul is talking about are the disciples of Jesus Christ. These false teachers do not go outside the congregation to make disciples. They try to take, or steal, disciples from inside the congregation. Jesus said that apostates are like wolves that eat the sheep. Apostates want to destroy the faith of the members of the congregation and want them to leave the truth.​ – Watchtower July 2011 pg 11

First, Paul never said the words “Jehovah’s organization“. It’s obvious the they’re painting ex-members with a level of unrealistic fear, and bizarre motives. Did they consider, maybe the people who left, reach out to witnesses, because it’s their only family and friends, the people they still love. Wouldn’t that be more reasonable? Apparently not according the Watchtower. This insanity is repeated, informing their members what these apostates truly desire. ( Remember, this is “accurate knowledge”)

What is it that apostates want? Most are not content to leave the faith that they once perhaps viewed as true. Often, they want to take others with them. Rather than going out and making their own disciples, many apostates seek to “draw away the disciples [that is, Christ’s disciples] after themselves.”Regarding false teachers, the apostle Paul sounded this urgent warning: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey.” Does that not describe what many apostates try to do? Like a kidnapper who carries an unsuspecting victim away from his family, apostates prey upon trusting members of the congregation, seeking to carry them away from the flock. – Watchtower Feb 2004 pg 16

Again, assuming there is no other rational explanation, rather than apostate are just mentally obsessed. When you isolate members, and keep their social network within the organization, it’s pretty obvious they’d want to maintain their only relationships. For whatever reason they’ve left, they certainly don’t believe it’s the truth, so naturally, their desires for those closest to to leave as well. However the Watchtower’s thinking is extremely narrow, and insulting.

Apostates use “counterfeit words.” This means that they say things that make their false ideas sound true, like criminals who make false documents look real. They try to get as many people as possible to believe their “deceptive teachings.” Peter also said that they like twisting the Scriptures. They explain Bible verses in the wrong way to make others believe their ideas. Apostates do not care about us.  – Watchtower July 2011 pg 11

Did you notice the abhorrent lie? No former member really cares? If a husband believes his wife has been unknowingly drinking toxic water for years, wouldn’t she and his children be the first people he’d warn? Again the Watchtower is spinning a tale of nonsense. Backing up to these apparent deceptive teachings, notice they didn’t give an example that would have been helpful don’t you think. Note these “wrong beliefs”, are anything the organization doesn’t teach as accurate truth that week.

Apostate misinformation?

Then there’s the accusation of twisting scripture. While this is hurled against apostates, here’s where the blame-shifting begins. As with more tyrants, they’ll accuse their enemy of the same sin’s they themselves are intrenched. This tactic is common, as one must direct these actions elsewhere to appear wholesome. It’s undeniable the Jehovah’s Witness religion has mishandling the text of scripture to suit your own false teaching. Every one of their doctrines has its origins from manipulating the Bible. The entire religion is built on half truths, like temple being destroyed at 607, their false prophecy surrounding 1914, and their misquoting historians and scholars. Moving on to more apostate lies, the organization tells their members what they must do when exposed negative JW talk.

No matter where these ideas come from, we need to be determined to reject them. It is not wise to have communication with apostates, either in person, over the Internet, or in any other way. -Watchtower July 2014

A subtle way of saying, even if someone shows you an old Watchtower, reject it. Look at the way, telling people to be determined, not in correcting lies or building a defense, just mentally push yourself to think they’re wrong. This is cowardice, and a refusal of obedience to 1 Peter 3:15 to defend the faith.

All of this “don’t even look at what apostates say” is a logical dismissive fallacy, reinforcing cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and maintains the echo chamber, where the only voice is that of the leaders. This isn’t how truth behaves, this is purely information control.

So inevitably Witnesses are told when the apostate comes around, they should have only one reaction, run. They must sever all communication and convince themselves anything said was only lies.

It is not wise to have communication with apostates, either in person, over the Internet, or in any other way. Even though we may want to help the person, we would be disobeying God if we had such a conversation. He commands us to reject, yes, completely avoid, apostasy. – Watchtower July 2014

You would be disobeying God if you had a conversation? There is no Bible verse that supports this. All of this is just censorship from the leaders, not the a directive from God. direction. The true colors of the organization are revealed with each mention of apostates. They need to maintain control, and restrict damaging information. Here’s another examples.

Satan and those under his influence often mix lies with truths in an attempt to undermine our faith. Apostates use similar tactics today. How should we react to apostate teachings? Treat them as the poison they are! Never read them, reply to them, or repeat them. Be quick to detect information that is designed to raise doubts about Jehovah and his organization​—and reject it! – Life and Ministry meeting workbook May/June 2023

Ok we get it. Apostates are out to get Jehovah’s Witnesses, and only them. They could be hiding anywhere, their words are intended to infect you with lies, and if you listen to anything that say, it will cause doubts about God’s organization and will threaten your eternal life. Therefore, if encounter an apostate, don’t speak, just run. Their position is clear, but is this all Biblical? Of course not.

The Bible disagrees with the Watchtower.

Regarding running away. I know witnesses use Romans 16:17-18, and the direction of keep away. However in context, these are all speaking of those within the church.

With a quick read, this could be telling people to keep away from any opposer. However, their own interpretation is read into the text. In context, Paul is speaking about those within the church. This direction of keep away from is also mentioned 2 Thessalonians 3:14,Titus 3:10,and 2 John 1:10

This isn’t “don’t speak or debate”, but don’t align your faith with there’s. The advice, be the better Christian, don’t cause arguments, just focus on who Christ is. Those who are weak, need correcting, and should NOT be viewed as an enemy. Witnesses obviously take issue, refusing to engage to any opposer. You might be thinking, “but didn’t Jesus interact with the pharisees, the people who wanted to stone him?” Why yes, he did, on many occasions. Paul too was hunted by his own, yet went into the synagogue and preached in a hostile environment. You see examples of like in Acts 13:45-46 or Acts 9:28-29.

This is boldness in the face of opposition, towards those who believe you mislead. Paul was able, being confident in the real truth. He knew if God was for him, no one could be against. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses aren’t told to stand against the lies, but told to flee. Though it’s in opposition to the action of the early Church, the governing body must maintain control, since “apostates” have something the organization fears…the real truth. 

Speaking on these supposed apostate tactics of creating doubt. First, doubt can be used to reinforce your faith. The Bible encourages people to test the spirits 1 John 4:1 to see if they’re from God.

The Bereans in Acts 17:11 doubted as well, yet research on their own from Scripture. Doubt isn’t bad, and if questions come about, you’re encouraged to get answers.

John the Baptists while in prison, began to doubt that Jesus was the promised messiah, going so far as to sending messengers. Christ responded using scripture, and mentioning the super natural evidence at work. [Matthew 11:11] Jesus then tells a crowd, John was the greatest man that ever lived, a man who just questioned and doubted his authenticity. Yet Witnesses aren’t supposed to test, but told to completely dismiss anything that calls into question the legitimacy of the religion.

Hate the apostate?

To summarize, the faithful slave has said apostates are kidnappers, uncaring, persecutors, liars, poisoners, evil people who prey on the innocent, only seeking to hurt Jehovah’s people. To them, they are truly enemies of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But Jesus said we should love our enemies, right? Out the many dozens of Watchtowers I went through researching this topic, you know what’s never mentioned? Praying for apostates, or having loving apostates. Not one mention from God’s most loving people. Well if we aren’t to love them, does that mean JW’s are supposed to hate apostates? While that’s never directly said, it’s heavily implied.

Jesus encouraged his followers to love their enemies, but God’s Word also says to “hate what is bad.” in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked. Indicating that Jesus did not mean for us to love the hardened enemies of Jehovah. – Watchtower 1961 July 15

To denying apostates are enemies of Jehovah. Unfortunately there’s more.

Christians rightly hate those who are confirmed enemies of God, such as the Devil and his demons, as well as men who have deliberately and knowingly taken their stand against Jehovah. – Insight on the Scriptures

Again, according to Jehovah’s Witnesses, apostate certainty have taken their stand against Jehovah. If this isn’t bad enough, the Biblical definition of apostasy is someone who leave God. It’s full disbelief in God, where there was belief. However, any ex-witness is still guilty of apostasy, even if they still love God, but opposes the JW leaders.

apostates may forsake his service by treating lightly the preaching and teaching work that he assigned to followers of Jesus Christ. They may also claim to serve God but reject his representatives, the visible part of his organization.  – Insight on the Scriptures

Again from their very definition of apostasy…

“Others claim to believe the Bible but reject Jehovah’s organization.” –Reasoning From the Scriptures

“They may claim to serve God but reject his representatives, his visible organization.” –Reasoning From the Scriptures

No NO! That’s not found anywhere in the Bible. A great example of the organization making themselves synonymous with God. This goes further, as they suggest apostasy can occur if you stop field ministry.

We should use our time to preach about God’s Kingdom. If we stop preaching, we start following Satan. And if we are on Satan’s side, we are against Jehovah. We all have to choose which side we are on – Watchtower July 2011 pg 16

Therefore in order to avoid being an apostate, you must agree with everything taught by the society, obey the rules, and be active in the preaching work. If you fail, you’ll become a disgusting enemy that all your friends, family, and God will hate you.

Where’s the love?

Obviously this against Christ’s teaching. Still, Jehovah’s Witnesses get around this by claiming “oh Jesus meant love your personal enemies, not enemies of Jehovah.” Except that not what Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-45

God has some pretty strong feelings about the unrighteous, but notice he still provides for those deserving of his wrath. God’s love and wrath aren’t opposed. He can have intense loathing of our sinful nature, with mercy for all anyone who seeks it. God showed his love, that while we were yet sinners, enemies against him, he still sought to redeem him. However Witnesses admit, to the enemies of God, they show no love.

That’s not what God did was Saul, or Peter, King Manasseh, and especially us. Romans 5:11 reminds us that everyone is an enemy of God, and he doesn’t look at someone worse than another. You are either saved, or unsaved, lost or found, a sinner or redeemed, an enemy or a friend.

Now all this being said, how does the Bible say to treat “Apostates” or opposers. Well, with love, you treat them as someone lost who needs to saving.

That word in Greek for strays is planaó, to lead astray, to deceive, to cause to wander,  the same  word used in 1 Timothy 4:1 how many would abandon the faith by this deceiving.

Well if someone turns them back, that someone would have to be a Christian, therefore, they didn’t cut off all communication, but sought them out in love for their soul. That is the love of Christ.

So why does the Jehovah’s Witness religion say all this senselessness? Information control. Should any witness start researching the history of the religion, the errors in their Biblical interpretation, or lies the Watchtower has been feeding, they’re sure to tell others. The leadership can’t have that, so they invented a caricature to instill fear. Every Witness should treat ex-members as an infection, mentally diseased, someone who’s gone crazy, irrational, and unworthy of love or prayer. There is no greater evidence to the wickedness of this organization than their treatment of those who’ve left. These people aren’t obstacles to the faith, they’re become whistleblowers to what was hidden, and the leaders can’t have that.

Luckily God doesn’t view people the same way. Humanity itself went apostate, and yet God still sought them out, showing the ultimate form of love in his sacrifice. He offers his gift of mercy freely to anyone who repents and puts their trust in the person of work of Christ. He doesn’t care what we’ve done, as there’s nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ. Truth withstands scrutiny, stands bravely against attacks, and doesn’t flee and cower under any pressure. If you’ve sanctified Christ in your heart, you’re willing to give a defense to the hope within to anyone who opposes, but Jehovah’s Witness leaders aren’t interested in defending their faith, just controlling it.