ex-Bethelites - How many people at Bethel were anointed? (page 2)

stevenyc

Joe Grundy:
: Can I ask a question as an outsider?
:if the JWs believe that there are currently about 8,000+ 'anointed' living, and that the 'anointed' are the F&DS, why is there no procedure for WTBTS to consult the 'anointed' to ensure that WTBTS is getting updates from jehovah?

That's a good question. But, easily answered.

The society views the people as 'partakers' or 'those that believe they are of the anointed'. The only FDS that are recognized are the FDS members of the governing body and those that are closely associated with it. Even members of the governing body have been disfellowshipped, therefore "freeing up a spot" for younger members.

All decisions of the governing body are behind closed doors, and so accountability is behind closed doors. For a recomendation of any sort to be made a two thirds majority vote has to be made behind closed doors.

I would recomend reading Ray Franz's book 'A crisis of conscience'. He was a member of the governing body and gives a detailed account of the entire process.

steve

jwfacts

When I was in the Aust bethel i dont think there were any anointed out of almost 400 people (including constructionites). The Branch Overseers were not anointed.

Joe, good question, the F&D slave are supposed to feed the sheep, but they are never consulted for doctrine. There have been several anointed in congregations I was in and all were born after 1935 and none had any special link to Brooklyn bethel, most were not even elders.

Joe Grundy

Thanks for the answers.

It just seems to me (as one who doesn't accept this for one minute) that if the 144,000 are the 'spiritual Israel' and thus those specially chosen or anointed, then the 'remnant and top-ups' of the 'anointed class' are the ones directly in contact with their god - they will, after all, be the ones in charge of god's kingdom after Amy Geddon finally comes (poor woman, she must be awfully frustrated by now).

If this was a political party or a trade union, they'd at least have in place some mechanism whereby the members of this group could communicate with the executive council (or GB) their views. One would expect this even moreso when we're talking about divine revelation.

So this just goes to show (if further evidence were needed) that WTBTS doesn't believe its own doctrines.

Quandry

Joe

Yes, wouldn't you expect maybe some sort of suggestion box for the annointed scattered earthwide to send in their insights and "new light" to the headquarters? How do they contribute their direction as members of the slave class?

It all does boil down to a few, very few men deciding for the entire group of witnesses. If only the annointed can be on the Governing Body, it is curious how they keep finding younger and younger "annointed" when we are so far from 1935, at which time the initial "sealing" of the annointed supposedly took place.That was over 70 years ago. What will they do a few more years from now? How can there be a constant number of annointed every year? Many questions such as this always plagued me when I was "in." Only now I can feel free to actually wonder and think about them.

Joe Grundy

To me (as a sceptic) it just highlights where Russell, Rutherford, et seq, went wrong.

They should have kept their religion more vague.

Now, with the benefit of time having passed, it becomes clearer (new light ? !) that this was just another product of the mid 19th century craze for new religions.

Lady Lee

Interestingly there are women who claim to be anointed. Despite the fact they belong to this remnant class they have no part in decision making or policy setting of the GB. Their status while on earth is no higher than any other rank and file (R&F) female JW

Joe Grundy

Well, QED, Lady Lee!

WTBTS can't have it both ways, can they?

Yes, OK, I suppose they can! (In their own minds, anyway!)

MinisterAmos

Joe scores a hit by asking why the religion does not consult with the "anointed" before making major doctrinal changes.

Lady smacks it to the warning track by asking why women anointed (more common in Rutherford days I hear) are only considered as R&F.

Lady; A newly anointed sister in my congo is considered "marked" because there is doubt amongst the "very spiritual" that she is truly anointed (this really sounds comical as I type it). The sister has the requisite umty-teen years in the Org, she speaks seven languages, yadda yadda etc. but it will never be enough because she is "new". Anyway when they die and are ruling these anointed are supposed to lose their gender anyway.

Joe; the society does not consult with them because it does not enhance the power and control of the GB. I realize your question is rhetorical but it's all about control from the top. According to the Dubs, anointed ones serve no purpose on the earth in direct contrast to, for example, the book of Samuel which describes the great impact that anointed ones should have at least according to god.

But God's not on the GB is he?

ex-Bethelites - How many people at Bethel were anointed?

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