Watchtower May 1, 2006, pg 30 para 14:
"When we preach the good news, hearers have the opportunity to become subjects of God's Kingdom. Further, the way people react to that message provides a touchstone, or standard, against which Christ the King can judge mankind. (Matthew 24:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)"
Huh? I thought they abandoned this idea when they dropped the belief that the sheep and goats are now being separated?
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 says it is those 'who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus Christ' that are destroyed, not those who do not listen to JW's version of the 'good news'. A JW coming to your door hardly ever talks about Jesus. They talk about paradise, government, world conditions, etc, but rarely will a JW talk about 'the good news about our Lord Jesus Christ'. And wasn't the whole idea of Jesus message was that to 'know' God was much more than just some mental understanding or legalistic adherence to law?
JW's preaching a 'touchstone' for life or death
by yaddayadda 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
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yaddayadda
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Fe2O3Girl
Actually, the two visits I have had in the last five years have been magazine presentations that went:
"Would you be interested in our Bible-based (TM) journals?"
So, we are being judged on whether we accept an American magazine on "information overload" or "hope for arthritis sufferers"?
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yaddayadda
Yes, and how many persons on this planet have even had a JW visit them anyway? Is God going to wipe out two billion Chinese and Indians cuz they havn't had JW offer them some mags?
How much more absurd can you get. -
ballistic
As a "do not call" I guess they're not bothered about my flat mate. And when they called on me by mistake, it was to ask if I knew anyone who was "hard of hearing", to which I replied, "what?"
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katiekitten
The touchstone idea sure gives them a lot of power. Power of life and death, albeit deferred for when god can be bothered to get round to it.
I used to wonder about the millions of indians and chinese when I was a dub. Seemed a bit harsh, but it was always countered with Sodom and Gomorrah - sometimes whole cities are bad and god has to destroy them all!! Wow, im not sure the indians and chinese would swallow that argument as easily as the dubs do.
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peacefulpete
You're right it would seem they should have abandoned the concept along with the sheep and goats change but i don't think they ever did. They just moved the formal judgment to the future but continue to base it upon the response to the WTS's writings encountered in their past. This was a step away from their teaching that people would be judged based upon their sensitivity to their conscience per Rom 2:15,16 that was endorsed back in the late 60's. Interestingly these articles were wiped from the second edition WT CD.