by RULES & REGULATIONS 10 Replies latest jw friends
Every prayer at any meal,congregation meeting,and assemblyhas the FDS being thanked for the spiritual food that they provide.Jesus gave us an example on who to pray to and what to say.The Society or any human were not included and was not ever mentioned by Jesus.The Society has always included themselves in prayers.
Do you think that by including themselves in every prayer,they intentionally try to inculcate that into each brain,so that their powers are never questioned?
Because the WT's God IS their "faithful discreet slave", which IS a man made organization (idol). Lilly
I remember prayers thanking Jehovah FOR the "faithful slave" or praying for them, but I don't remember any prayers directly thanking them.
However, since the #1 most important teaching of the WTS is that God's people (JW's) are led by a group of humans (faithful slave), it is not surprising that the teaching is imprinted through public prayers at large assemblies, and copied at the congregational level.
Don't forget to say thanks for the publications that are so lovingly provided for us.
Say thanks by remembering the contribution box so lovingly provided for us.
I wonder do other religons thank their leaders for being the leaders in prayer.
I can recall a time when the JWs only spoke of or to Jehovah, seeking his blessing on the organization, etc. etc. Then, sometime in the late 1970s to early 1980s it seemed that several prayer givers became rather creative, and would thank Jesus for his sacrifice through Jehovah, as they prayed only to Jehovah.
The prayer would go something like this: "Jehovah, we thank you for the provision of salvation through the obedient sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ, and we thank him for his example of obedience through you."
The prayer is still to Jehovah, because the JWs have this superstition that they can only speak to Jehovah ... that prayer is an act of worship belonging only to Jehovah. So, in a sense, Jehovah becomes a conveyor of messages. It is not a stretch that the JWs would eventually began to thank Jehovah for the FDS and GB, and before long thanking the Anointed in heaven who are serving the organization, etc. etc. ... and that they would thank to FDS through Jehovah.
JWs like these sorts of creative moves ... they constantly wait for new information, new insight, changes, progressive revelation, because, quite frankly, they are bored out of their collective minds. The Watchtower system does not spiritually satisfy, and as a result, they leave the JWs wanting more and more fixes, like drug addicts, that will make them feel they are getting something new. I can recall just before 1975, every new book, magazine, and talk was exhaustively discussed as to its meaning just before Aramgeddon. The Society has been trying hard to replicate that situation ever since, but cannot seem to do so.
And ... if a creative step works well, the Society will find ways to make it all come out scripturally so that they believe it was Jehovah himself who was inspiring the new teaching, act, prayer style, etc.
If the new step appears to threaten the GB or their power hold, then the congregations will be coulseled to stop it, and scriptural reasons will be flooding from the Society as to why this or that prayer, or act, or teaching is bad. It appears that creative twists on prayer is not a threat, and so, I suspect we will see more of it for a while yet.
Jim Whitney
It's probably fair to say the FDS/org gets more mention in prayers than Jesus.
Mentions of the phrase “Faithful and Discreet Slave” in Watchtower Magazine in last 4 decades...
70’s 116
80’s 184
90’s 259
00’s 294
Mentions of the phrase "Faithful and Discreet Slave" in prayers in last 4 decades
(don't have the numbers but it's likely proportionate to the numbers above)
In the words of Edward G Robinson in the 10 Commandments...."who's your messiah now?" ......A golden WT. The F&DS have replaced Jesus, no doubt about it. They are the R&F's messiah now.
blond-moment / Danmera on youtube / Danmera Dinglebum on Facebook
I wonder why there is no mention of "the faithful slave," "slave class," reference to "food at the proper time," etc in the rest of the NT? Its obvious the early Christians did not understand Jesus' parable that way. Yet, to even ask that question in a KH is to invite a review of your loyalty.
I marvel when I hear my wife mentioning churchgoers attitude toward leaders in their churches. If you just replaced the names it would be a perfect description of the KH. Yet she can't see it. She has a study who just told her that she was quiting her Bible study to attend a weekday church study. Mrs. Bobcat told me she asked her: 'Can you ask questions about what you will be learning?"
On the prayer aspect (and in conversation for that matter), it feels like there is a concerted (but somewhat under the surface) effort to replace "the Society" with "the faithful slave." If you still use "the Society" you are not keeping up with theocratic order.
The claim is that they are the mediator between man and God and that Jesus is only the mediator for the so called anointed class. A bit like Catholics who pray to mary instead of jesus
