others have done as an excuse to stop studying God’s Word, to stop associating with fellow Christians, to stop sharing in making known the good news of God’s kingdom. Really, if they let what others do keep them from carrying out these Christian requirements, they make questionable the genuineness of their profession to be truly Christ’s disciples. For such to stumble would make them suspect as looking for an excuse, consciously or unconsciously, to serve God no longer.

Not only do we want to be careful that we do not let others stumble us, but we lovingly and wisely want to exercise care that we do not stumble others. Justice requires that we do to others as we would have them do to us. (Luke 6:31) We would not want anyone to be careless or thoughtless as to stumbling us, would we? Then we should exercise care that we do not stumble others. For example, a letter recently received by the Watch Tower Society complained that some immature persons were being stumbled because others to whom they looked as examples flaunted their fondness of liquor. Pursuing such a course in the use of liquor was not heeding the counsel of the apostle Paul: “Keep making straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.” Besides, Jesus warned: “Whoever stumbles one of these little ones who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.” Surely none of us would want that to happen to us, would we?​—Heb. 12:13; Matt. 18:6.

So let all exercise care to do what is wise, loving and right, thereby keeping both from being stumbled by others and from themselves stumbling others.

Kindness Is Powerful

● Kindness can break down even intense opposition. This was the experience of a paralyzed man in the Philippines. His wife bitterly opposed his studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses. The children even threatened that if he became a Witness they would no longer view him as their father. Relatives, on whose property he was living, told him to get off their land. Jehovah’s witnesses in the area quickly came to his aid. They helped him to move his small house to another location and to make some renovations at the same time. What effect did this expression of kindness have on his wife and children? They were moved to begin studying the Bible. Now all are baptized Witnesses.

Questions From Readers

● Why do Jehovah’s witnesses so strongly condemn other religions? Do they not believe that there are good people in all faiths?

What Jehovah’s Christian witnesses say about the religions of this world is not for the purpose of condemning people. They are making known what God himself has set forth in his Word. Their exposure of religious error, hypocrisy and bloodguilt serves to help honesthearted people to forsake the world empire of false religion, “Babylon the Great,” and to escape God’s adverse judgment. This exposure is in harmony with the Bible command: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind.”​—Rev. 18:4, 5.

Hence, in pointing out the failures and sins of false religions, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses are working for the eternal interests of sincere people. Jehovah’s witnesses are also imitating Jesus Christ. Note the strong words that he directed against Jewish religious leaders because of their wrong practices and false teachings: “You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me.’” (Matt. 15:6-8) “Look out for the scribes who desire to walk around in robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and front seats in the synagogues and most prominent places at evening meals, and who devour the houses of the widows and for a pretext make long prayers.” (Luke 20:46, 47) “They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger.” (Matt. 23:4) “Outwardly indeed [you scribes and Pharisees], appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”​—Matt. 23:28.

Like their Exemplar Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s witnesses call attention to unscriptural religious traditions and teachings, hypocritical actions and religious exploitation and oppression. At the same time, deep love for their fellowmen moves them to point all to the way of salvation, a way that includes cutting off association with “Babylon the Great” so as not to share with her in her sins and her disastrous end.

Is This God’s Purpose?

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