"Follow the Christ " conventions...is it me?

by Gordy 57 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Gordy

  Looking at the convention invitation,.
  
  Does anyone get the feeling this is a ploy by the WT to project themselves as "Christian".
  
  The way it is worded gives the image that they are "Christ centred".
  
  "FOLLOW THE CHRIST!"
  "How can following the Christ help you to" .........
  
  No sign of "Come to Jehovahs organisation for Salvation."

  Will there be a talk on staying with "Jehovahs organisation"
  The talk for Sunday "Who are the RealFollowers of Christ?" we can be sure who they will project who they are.

  How do they get round the "Jesus is Michael the archangel" teaching?

  My son pointed out how strange they have a picture of Jesus on the invite. With a beard, yet if any JW brother dared grow one they would have a few words with him.
• 

  OUTLAW

  Follow the Christ..???..Not JW`s..WBT$ is thier mediator to Jehovah..JW`s can skip Christ....Jesus is now in the unemployment line!..Jehovah now works for the WBT$!..And..Jehovah would`nt have a job without the WBT$..LOL!!!!...OUTLAW
• 

  SirNose586

  I think this is definitely a ploy. I'm sure they'll talk about how "The Christ" doesn't refer to just Jesus, but of course to the Slave(TM) with it's Governing Body(TM).
• 

  Arthur

  When the Watchtower pays lip service to following Christ; it is the same fuzzy; feel good talking points every time. The message is always the same: only those who follow Watchtower teachings are truly following Christ. If you want to be a "true Christian" you need to go to their Kingdom Hall meetings and go door-to-door distributing their pap-filled literature.

  They'll point out how a true Christian does not vote, does not celebrate Arbor Day, does not watch certain movies, and most certainly does not study the Bible on his own. The clear teaching of the Watchtower Society, is that in order to follow the Christ; one must follow His proxy; namely, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.
• 

  Leolaia

  I just checked the CD-ROM and found something rather interesting. I searched the following for exact phrase:

  "follow Jesus" = 345 instances

  "follow God" = 117 instances

  "follow Christ" = 98 instances

  "follow Jehovah" = 95 instances

  "follow the Lord" = 7 instances

  "follow the Christ" = 0 instances

  Similarly, there were zero hits for "following the Christ" or "followed the Christ". So this is a new phrase that the Society is using. Is there a new approach or message that will accompany this new phrase?

  There is an interesting connection with the old Watchtower teaching that "the Christ" refers to the "anointed class" (in fact, "the anointed" is used today in the same sense that "the Christ" used to be, and "Christ" literally means "anointed") joined with Jesus in the redemptive work. I doubt they would revive this teaching as it was repudiated in the 1960s, but who knows?
• 

  littlerockguy

  Leolaia hit the nail on the head; to outsiders (nonJWs) they would think it is meaning Jesus Christ but actually in Watchtower speak they are actually saying to follow THE CHRIST meaning follow THE ANOINTED, in essence their idea of the FDS.

  LRG
• 

  heathen

  Yah they try to make it sound so simple but in reality those that have been there know "follow the christ" is WTBTS speak for obey the book publishing corporation and whatever local arrangement they have .
• 

  searcher

  Maybe it is one of the infamous WT 'short quotes' which should actually say.....

  Follow the Christ to Jehovah and upwards to the Governing Body.
• 

  Zico

  Personally I don't think they'll go down the 'The Christ includes the FDS' route. I think they'll just misrepresent what following Jesus means.
  
  In the Kingdom Ministry they had a talk called 'Follow the Christ by maintaining dignity' and then had a talk about how following Jesus meant dressing appropriately, not chewing gum, sitting in the right place etc... Stuff that has nothing to do with anything with what Jesus said, but they'll pretend it did anyway.
  
  They'll probably claim following Jesus involves following the Org he's appointed, but not that the Org is the Christ itself.
• 

  needproof

  Follow what Christ, that is the question. Interesting that they have added 'the' into it.