Blinders are used on a horse to limit the vision of the animal so they stay on track and don't see what is behind or along side of them. It reduces fear in the animal. Blinders have good effects in getting a horse to do work.
Most people within the LHMM live with the mindset of blinders. They have a limited vision and experience that they will allow into their life. The attitude I've experienced often is "My mind is made up so please don't confuse me with the facts." There is a great fear of outside literature. Blinders are enforced through phrases and thoughts that are engrained in them by the organization and those in it.
Some examples:
"Did you know ____ is a sifter? They've lost their standing before the Lord."
Labeling a person as a sifter is arbitrary and usually based on the fact that the person wrote a letter or addressed the brethren in the group in an "unauthorized" fashion. At that time they are shunned, put out, or essentially ex-communicated. All "truth" needs to be OK'd from headquarters. This prevents people from thinking on their own.
"There could be error in that book."
Actually, there are verified errors in the "truth" books...though they get overlooked. The worldview of the LHMM allows for this by admitting that the authors were not perfect. Unfortunately, they could not possibly correct the errors of publish a list of them. They have no perceived authority to do that.
"That's a tainted translation of the Bible."
No translation of the Bible is perfect. Modern translations are much more accurate than those in the past. There is nothing sacred about the King James Version.
"___ isn't in the truth."
I actually had someone introduce a friend to me in this manner: "This is Mary. She's not in the truth." What? I'm sure that made her feel good that she must be "in the error". Inclusion in the group is very important in the LHMM. The thing that separates you is a profession of belief in the writings of Russell and Johnson.
These blinders were created by statements that Russell and Johnson made that close off the possibility of outside information being truthful or reliable. For example, "You cannot understand the Bible without the help of the Studies in the Scriptures. Without the aid of the studies books you will go into spiritual darkness within a few months."
One difference between a horse and blinders and the average LHMM follower is that a horse is driven by a trustworthy driver. The LHMM is not. Actually, those in the LHMM are driven primarily by two people: Charles T Russell and Paul S.L. Johnson who have been dead for many years. Their writings are the test of authority.
Bible interpretation by the LHMM might begin by reading the scripture. It is not followed by thought, contemplation, and prayer. The next step is to find out what Russell and Johnson had to say about the verse in question.
It is a completely circular argument that goes something like this: How do we know this is the correct interpretation? Russell and Johnson said so. How do we know we can trust Russell or Johnson? They were God's servants to dispense the truth. "Look at what they wrote." They will say "It's obvious." Not so much.
Their worldview is based on circular logic and the assumed authority of Russell and Johnson. Here's an specific example of the logic and a possible conversation:
Has Christ returned? Yes. He returned invisibly in 1874.
How do you know? Various scriptures and the signs of the times indicates that he has. (If they are well studied they might point to a verse.)
Why do you believe that the interpretation of that verse would lead you to the conclusion that Christ has returned invisibly? Pastor Russell and Johnson wrote about it.
Why do you trust Russell? He was "That Servant".
Why do you trust Johnson? He was "the Epiphany Messenger".
Why? Because they wrote about it being true.
The question "Why?" is very important in getting at the REAL reasons for belief.
Posts
2 comments:
Russell never said he was that servant. I think YOU focus too much on the man instead of the fact that Russell understood truth that had always been in scripture. Daniel was told to lock up what he wrote. Later it would be revealed to humans. Not all at once, so Russell did not have it all, but he had more that the so-called christian religions have today.
I also would agree with this assessment of Russell. In fact, Russell himself would have - and did - write in correction of the direction the ABS and LHMM have taken his works and authority. In The Divine Plan of the Ages, he spoke of those searching for scriptural truth who chose to 'halt around some favorite leader' and thus choosing to believe no more than to the degree of truth that their favorite leader came to understand before he died. (Study or Chapter 1, pages 20-28) If his words as found in just this one chapter were accepted and followed, one would not end up in the 'measure of darkness' he spoke of in that chapter because of having "halted" around him and his writings - now over 100 years old! He himself even admitted in the revised preface of each volume that he wrote in 1916 before he left Bethel that there were things he thought he saw from the Bible but which time had shown were wrong. He encouraged sound reasoning on the Scriptures not some sort of superstitious reverence for himself and his writings which he never admitted or promoted as inspired - but only as "helps" to the study of the Bible. I would submit that if brother Russell were on earth today he would not recognize, approve of nor join either the Associated Bible Students or the LHMM as neither have followed the Bible and reason but have gone off course.
Post a Comment