Did the heavenly calling cease in 1935? Not anymore!

by AnnOMaly 288 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Narkissos

  Imo: the WT couldn't care less about the potential recognition of the average "new Memorial partaker". 1935 had to be officially dropped because it made the current Governing Body look suspicious and stood in the way of its renewal and/or enlargement in the near future.

  A cheaper way to get around the 144,000 problem as pointed out by slimboyfat is to stop counting the Memorial partakers.

  The Governing Body, just like 1914, doesn't need to be justified anymore theologically. It has become a permanent institution which can survive its membership indefinitely (ironically: thanks to Ray Franz among others!) much like the pope or the Holy See. Its best braindead justification to the average JW is "where else would we go?"

  I guess we'll rarely ever read again that the GB represents the FDS or derives its authority from "him". Either it will be quietly and gradually identified with the FDS or the FDS doctrine will eventually vanish (it's very easy to make a "new light" about this one anytime by simply explaining the text as it is, a parable for Christian leadership, good or bad, including the GB).

  So much for Watchtower-fiction...

  Edit: I just noticed that Gary said essentially the same thing about the FDS.

  I think that the "two-hope" pattern (unscriptural as it is) doesn't need to be dropped. It has become an essential feature of the JW "product". In Rutherford's time it served an authoritarian purpose but it is not necessary to it anymore, as shown by the 5/1 article which explicitly denies individual "anointed" any authority. Now the boss is the boss because he is the boss. The average Catholic has the same "hope" as the pope but that puts him in no position to question what the pope says. Perhaps a few more JWs will declare themselves "anointed," but they will still be a small minority because (1) most JWs have been successfully taught "earthly hope" and (2) there is nothing practical to gain from declaring oneself "anointed" (unless, of course, you are being co-opted into the GB).
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  stillajwexelder

  ** re chap. 20 p. 125 par. 18 A Multitudinous Great Crowd *** Their being identified in 1935 as the great crowd of other sheep was an indication that the choosing of the 144,000 was then about complete

  So this will be a correction to the corrections
• 

  veradico

  A few of them are cynical bastards, but I tend to think that most of them are deluded by their own stories. Apart from the removal of the 1935 doctrine, the article collects together various notions that already existed in order to express a new perspective within the range of the traditional language. Technically, people have always been allowed to partake, and, technically, Witnesses should never judge each other. That’s not so very new, though it’s nice that the people who do partake should not be picked on in the future. What is markedly un-Witness-like about the tone of this article is the putting down of the anointed in a context in which the organizational roles (esp. the GB) are praised. The anointed finally have been detached from the organizational leadership in language the way we already know they are in fact, and everyone has been told that their loyalty goes, not to the anointed (i.e., the FDS class—which has been an increasingly fuzzy concept), but to the Organization. They are getting rid of the laughable doctrines that they used to support their authoritarianism without discarding the authoritarianism itself. They are changing the packaging, but they are preserving the true essence of the religion they love so well.
• 

  Leolaia

  I guess we'll rarely ever read again that the GB represents the FDS or derives its authority from "him". Either it will be quietly and gradually identified with the FDS or the FDS doctrine will eventually vanish

  That's an interesting take, in which case I suppose this question may have a different answer in the future:

  *** km 2/03 p. 6 Theocratic Ministry School Review ***

  Multiple Choice: The faithful and discreet slave mentioned by Jesus at Matthew 24:45-47 is (a) the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses; (b) all anointed Christians as a group on earth at any given time; (c) Jesus Christ himself.

  I think tho that this won't happen in the immediate future.
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  stillajwexelder

  Since this is all about "Keeping up with Jehovah's Celestail Chariot Like Organization" I would like to bet good money that at this years District Convention will be a new EZEKIEL book
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  timetochange

  I'm glad to hear about this change. My brother has partaken of the emblems for 17 years now and through it all has suffered much from some rigid rule keeping elders.

  I'm no longer a JW but I nonetheless celebrate any amount of release the Governing Body gives to its captive members. I hope for more!

  Ed.
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  ringo5

  I'm glad to hear about this change. My brother has partaken of the emblems for 17 years now and through it all has suffered much from some rigid rule keeping elders.

  I'm no longer a JW but I nonetheless celebrate any amount of release the Governing Body gives to its captive members. I hope for more!

  Ed.

  Ed? Ed Dunlap, is that you??!
• 

  jwfacts

  The comment that the Anointed are no more special than the Great Crowd puts a lot of power into the hands of the GB. The power of a cult lies in the distinction between the leaders and the followers, the mystical manipulation. If the GB alone are the F&D slave it exalts them even higher above followers (both anointed and Great Crowd), making their opinion even more important and awe inspiring.
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  dozy

  It is an interesting change - I think that it reflects dynamics in the writing committee (perhaps with Jaraz out of the way). The new Memorial outline (which I have seen) is very strong on telling the audience not to partake , so in a sense , this QFR even trumps the Memorial talk.

  JWD posters tend to view the WTS in very cynical terms , but I take them largely at face value as being competely immersed and fully believing these doctrines (other than perhaps a few power hungry individuals). What they have tried to do is react to the growing numbers of "anointed ones" and admit that all of these can't be frauds or replacements. It also opens up 2 or 3 much needed appointments for the GB.

  They also take the opportunity to re-emphasize the authority of the GB. The "Armaggeddon scenario" for the WTS is that a few anointed ones (in a kind of Ewatchman style coup) gather together their own group and proclaim their own authority. There is no reason why this group would have any less authority than the GB. What makes one group of a dozen partakers any different from another group?

  I agree with other posters - the average R & F JW couldn't care less about these changes & the WTS has cleverly not put this through in a study article where it might receive greater prominence and promote wider discussion. Sadly to the "thinking" JW it reinforces the image of a leadership that doesn't have a clue and has no greater insight than anyone else (as they actually state in the article).

  The real concern is that this opens up the floodgates to anointed status. I know several people who "think" that they are anointed but won't partake because they know that they will be viewed with suspicion. I originally (and correctly!) predicted a small rise last year http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/123704/1.ashx. The timing is too tight this year as the WT article won't be in general release until after the Memorial , but I would expect a rise of up to 1,000 in 2008 now that the stigma of partaking has been removed.
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  Zico

  Since the idea that the Organisation was appointed FDS in 1919 and the 144,000 are also the FDS is a contradiction, it would make sense for them to drop the idea that the whole 144,000 are the FDS. For how could anyone before 1919 be part of the FDS, but they are, if they are part of the 144,000? It makes sense to get rid of the 144,000 = FDS, because it means they only have one FDS, rather than the 2 FDSs that they currently have. Although, they would then be putting themselves on a level above the 1st Century Christians. (Unless they decided to suggest there were the second FDS, the 1st Century's 'Governing body' being the first, which would also be a nonsense, since the 1st Century GB's writings were supposedly inspired and flawless, unlike the 21st Century's GB)

  Since this is all about "Keeping up with Jehovah's Celestail Chariot Like Organization" I would like to bet good money that at this years District Convention will be a new EZEKIEL book

  I'll go along with that stilla.