To Whom Are They Testifying?

By James Caputo

Five years ago I started to recognize a disturbing pattern in the testimonies of Jehovah’s Witnesses presented in both The Watchtower and Awake Magazines.  

For the most part, those chosen to give their testimonies are individuals who spend their lives in either full-time missionary service or Bethel service. It became apparent to me how such ones invariably made multiple references to the Watch Tower Society, Watchtower literature, Watchtower Conventions and prominent Watchtower leaders or Presidents. Conspicuously absent, however, were substantial references to Jesus Christ, if any at all. 

Those who gave their testimonies  did not recount their lives as one spent in Christ, but as a life spent "in the truth" or in the Watchtower, as it were. Reference was not made to the Bible as the source of illumination, but to "Bible aids" or specific publications published by the Watchtower organization at the time. Such ones  prided themselves on following God's "spirit-directed organization" rather then attributing their life-course to the leading or prodding of the Holy Spirit.   

Finally, it became apparent that the endless expressions of  thanksgiving  made to "Jehovah"  were often, upon closer examination, expressions of gratitude for the "organization" and the rich role it allegedly played in the particular person's service to God. To all intents and purposes, Jehovah had been insidiously rendered synonymous to the organization.  

While virtually any Watchtower testimony could support my contention, a perfect example can be found in the December 1, 1999 issue.  On page twenty we find the life story of Elizabeth Tracy. Please understand that I certainly do not deny the love and dedication this woman has for God. To the contrary, her life course of self-sacrifice demonstrates a laudable zeal and sincerity toward God. What strikes me, however, is what she considers the highlights of her life and thus worthy of global publication as encouragement and an example to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Having five pages at her disposal, she chooses to make reference to the Watch Tower Society five times, the Watchtower Magazine three times, Bethel, The Gilead Missionary School, The 11^th class of Gilead, The 34^th class of Gilead, The Watchtower books and booklet; Deliverance, Government, and Jehovah’s Servants Defended, Brother Rutherford three times, Albert Schroeder twice, Herman G. Henschel and President Milton Henschel, The 1937 convention in Columbus, Ohio, The Washington, D.C. convention and the St. Louis, Missouri convention of 1941. 

It must be admitted that it is more than a little ironic that this woman who spent her life ostensibly following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ as his ambassador, one who is fulfilling the great commission of Matthew 24  -  makes no mention of Jesus Christ! Her testimony is by no means an exception, however. To the contrary! A cursory glance at all Watchtower testimonies and study articles will irrefragably evidence that the Watchtower organization has de-emphasized Christ' central role in the Christian faith. In fact, the Watchtower's 2001 year book (whose length is 256 pages) mentions Jesus' name all of 4 times!  

The pattern of speech of the "faithful slave" and her devotees does everything but mirror our forerunner the apostle Paul, who sought to know nothing but Christ crucified, or the apostles Peter and John who said in reference to Christ, "for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Likewise, today, those who experience a relationship with God through Christ can’t help but speak of their Lord and what he has done for them. When it is  the Holy Spirit that teaches, all glory goes to God. When one learns how Jesus alone bridges the gulf between our depraved sinfulness and God’s unattainable righteousness - giving us his righteousness, the free gift of eternal life that is through faith and the power to live a God-honoring life,  one wants nothing more than to incessantly express gratitude to the magnificent grace of God. 

It has been my experience that when one communes with God primarily through his Son and the indwelling Holy Spirit, man is removed from the equation.  At such a point, earthly organizations become a means to an end, yet never the end itself.

Two thousand years of Christianity testify to the fact that regardless of denomination or station in life, the "Christian testimony," while differing in particulars, is essentially the same. It ultimately brings honor to God alone through Christ Jesus, for it is of the Holy Spirit.