Alan,
Thank you for your post.
‘Stupefied’, what an excellent word to describe the mental state that the WTS expects from its servants. The ability to contradict themselves even within one statement without most people even noticing is evidence of an almost complete success with this.
The idea for example, that the WTS has speculated on end times, directly contradicting Christs own commands in Acts 1:6,7 is clearly contained in the following paragraphs, but they then go on to confound their own point by continuing the speculation, take a look :
w98 9/15 10.. WHAT could be more natural…………..than to wonder when this wicked system will end and be replaced by God’s righteous new world? (Ezekiel 9:4; 2 Peter 3:13) Jesus’ apostles asked him time-oriented questions just before his death and after his resurrection. (Matthew 24:3; Acts 1:6) In reply, however, Jesus did not give them a means of calculating dates. In one case he gave them a composite sign, and in the other he said that ‘it did not belong to them to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father had placed in his own jurisdiction
On inquiring as to the ‘end of the system’ Jesus instructed his disciples very clearly to avoid that territory, but look here :
w97 8/15 12-13 It is not wrong to be interested in the coming end of the present wicked system. Recall the interest that Jesus’ own apostles showed: "Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?" Jesus replied: "It does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction."
According to Jesus it is wrong to inquire about these matters, according to the WTS it is not wrong.
w95 10/1 27-8 Guard Your Sense of Urgency Another reason for urgency is our inability to pinpoint the exact day and hour for the sudden outbreak of the great tribulation. Christ Jesus was definite that nobody on earth knows the predetermined day and hour of the start of that crucial event. (Matthew 24:36) On another occasion he told his eager apostles: "It does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction."
A state of ‘urgency’ would by implication reflect an attitude of expectancy, but here the WTS manipulate Jesus statement to mean the actual ‘day and hour’, when it is quite clear that he was condemning the attitude of ‘expectancy’ in Acts1:6,7.
How do they get away with it? Well, the average JW does not even read the magazines. According to the WTS own survey only 30% of JW’s read the WT magazine. If this is true for the JW’s, then by implication most the of people who receive this magazine in the door to door work do not read them at all. Given this scenario, it is not a difficult for them to make the most foolish statements and not have loaded mail bags pouring into Service. They rely on this MO to survive.
Best to you - HS
