Society demands submission as a 'sacred responsibility'

yaddayadda

The Society demands submission to them as equal to submission to Christ. Nov 1, 2006 Watchtower, page 22 of the first study article "Do You Share Jehovah's View of Sacred Things?" para 7: "Submission to Christ also involves our showing proper respect for the men used by him to take the lead in the work he is now directing. The role of the spirit-anointed ones who make up the Governing Body, and of the overseers appointed by them in the branches, districts, circuits, and congregations should be recognised as a sacred responsibiliy. This arrangement therefore commands our deep respect and submission. - Hebrews 13:7,17" The question for this paragraph is: "How do we show our submission to Christ"

lovelylil

Thanks for sharing that. We always knew that they put the organization on the same level as Jesus or should I say, in place of Jesus. And this just proves it. Lilly

moggy lover

I am constantly being amazed at the disingenuous way the WTS props up its dogmatism before its R&F membership. Surely using Heb 13:17 to apply to the ''Other sheep'' is wrenching the verse out of the very context for which it was intended.

It is true that the writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers, as believers in Jesus Christ, to submit to their local leaders. But what the WTS ignores is the very legitimate question of why. Why indeed are "we" to "submit" and "obey" our leaders? Because our obedience is predicated on a certain eventuality.

In vs 14 tells the writer tells "us" that WE have a "lasting city" which is not here but we are seeking the city which is to come. [Which the WTS says is the "heavenly Jerusalem" and which is limited to the ''anointed''] What the WTS in effect is saying is that the act of obedience is required, but the reward is not !!

I recall Ray Franz in his book "in Search of Christian Freedom" [pgs 181-185] saying that the members of the GB have a real antipathy to reading and studying the Bible [especially the NT] in its context, because it may "stumble" the R&F. It is so much easier to stitch seperate scriptures together and to make them mean whatever the WTS wants it to mean.

In this respect, in order to bolster its more pompous, ritualized statements, the WTS cultivates, among its R&F membership, a veneer of religious authoritarianism, overlaid with a susve, almost unctious gloss of dogmatism. It is this authoritarian system with its dictatorial centralism and noxious bigotries which provides the basis for its interpretation of scripture.

For the WT interpretation of the Bible to be sucessful it must have a pliant, submissive following who collectively agree to abdicate all resonsible thinking to the WT leadership. It is sad to see so many actually being browbeaten, by the constant refrain that the WTS is God's exclusive channel, into doing this.

Cheers

yesidid

It is true that the writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers, as believers in Jesus Christ, to submit to their local leaders. But what the WTS ignores is the very legitimate question of why. Why indeed are "we" to "submit" and "obey" our leaders? Because our obedience is predicated on a certain eventuality.
In vs 14 tells the writer tells "us" that WE have a "lasting city" which is not here but we are seeking the city which is to come. [Which the WTS says is the "heavenly Jerusalem" and which is limited to the ''anointed''] What the WTS in effect is saying is that the act of obedience is required, but the reward is not !!

Good point moggy lover thanks.

yesidid

XU

scary

compound complex

Dear Yaddayadda,

Granted, we differ as to our understanding of what "willing submission" entails for each of us personally. And all the more so now, as we enlightened and emancipated ones would not so eagerly obey, and unquestioningly, all we are/were told to do. My former PO was very adamant that "suggestions" from the FDS were as good as God-inspired commands and should not be taken lightly (never off the hook). Many of us did exactly as we were told, even anticipating a submissive demeanor by asking the elders for permission to do thus and so. Often the response was, 'thou shall not....' I cringe now at my former ready acceptance of most everything I heard from the platform, even when it was directed at some poor souls who wound up humiliated and crushed. It is very much like Lady Lee's recent repost on emotional blackmail, resulting in one's becoming, at least potentially, OBSEQUIOUS:

1. excessively willing to serve or obey; overly submissive; servile; toadyish; fawning

2. compliant; devoted; dutiful

Syn.---attentive, yielding, cringing, deferential, slavish

I'm sure that I frequently confused "devoted" and "dutiful" with "overly submissive," though cannot say that I was ever "toadyish." I am not going to look that one up for fear I may have to admit to it. It's going to take a very long time for me to get the balance between "You [FDS>DO>CO>PO>wannabe authority figure] may think without reservation that that is God's will for you and me" and "I disagree and must do what I feel is right." I imagine we're all works in progress.

Yours truly,

CoCo

yesidid

Another variation on the theme.

In "Organized to do Jehovah's Will" published last year, they devoted 11 paragraphs to Jesus and 17 to:

"Trusting the 'Faithful and Discreet Slave' ".

On page 20 they say:

"Another way to show that we trust the slave class today is to support its decisions. Even though we may not fully

understand the reasoning behind certain decisions, we know that upholding them will be for our lasting good.

On occasion important issues have been clarified, and we have wholeheartedly supported these decisions.

As a result, Jehovah blesses us for our obedience to his Word and the slave class.

We thus show our subjection to the Master Jesus Christ."

Spectre

And yet, how dare those Catholics call anyone "father".

Satanus

men used by him to take the lead in the work he is now directing. The role of the spirit-anointed ones who make up the Governing Body, and of the overseers appointed by them in the branches, districts, circuits, and congregations should be recognised as a sacred responsibiliy.

There is the de facto wt priesthood, vicars for christ - In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latinvicarius) is anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious"). - http://www.answers.com/topic/vicar.

S

Mary

"Submission to Christ also involves our showing proper respect for the men used by him to take the lead in the work he is now directing. The role of the spirit-anointed ones who make up the Governing Body, and of the overseers appointed by them in the branches, districts, circuits, and congregations should be recognised as a sacred responsibiliy. This arrangement therefore commands our deep respect and submission.

2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
Let no one seduce you in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called "god" or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god.

Funny how the Governing Body is indeed fulfilling prophecy, although not in a way that flatters their pompous asses.

Society demands submission as a 'sacred responsibility'

2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4

Share this