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Paragraph 12 of “Bible Teach,” Chapter 11 (p. 110) introduces a strange analogy of a classroom teacher who is “telling his students how to solve a difficult problem.” Unfortunately, a rebellious student claims that the teacher isn’t capable and that the student knows a much better way to solve the problem. Other students agree and join in the rebellion.

The paragraph goes on to say (p. 111) that if the teacher throws the rebels out of the class, the remaining students might believe that the rebels are right. They “might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.”

Paragraph 14 continues the analogy, stating:

The teacher in our illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try to prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, Jehovah knows that all honest-hearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his fellow rebels have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves.

My response

My response at this point would be to question the entire analogy.

First, where does the Bible say that Jehovah was in the midst of teaching all intelligent creatures how to solve a difficult problem when Satan rebelled against him?

Second, why is the teacher so concerned about what each of the students thinks of him? Isn’t he the final authority and judge over what goes on in the classroom?

Third, the analogy isn’t that the teacher temporarily lets the challengers have the floor in order to set up a very instructive discussion. It’s that the teacher stands back and lets the rebels completely take over the class for an indefinite length of time!

Fourth, when we analogize about Satan’s rebellion, we are not talking about a handful of students who are trying to show the class that they have a better way than the teacher of solving some difficult problem.

We are talking about students who take over the class, entice the other students into drug addiction, cheat them, beat them, rape them, and murder them. Meanwhile, the teacher supposedly steps back and lets all this happen in order to prove that his way of running the class is better!

What would Jehovah’s Witnesses think of a teacher who conducted the class in such a fashion?

Next week, we’ll look at the Watchtower’s explanation for why Jehovah has allowed suffering to go on for so long.