How did the 144,000 know they had "the feeling?"

by themonster123 25 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  OnTheWayOut

  As with most of fundamental Christianity, everybody was supposed to get "the feeling."
  The problem for JW's was that the original leaders anticipated or at least said that
  the end was coming around the next corner- and they hung onto that 144,000 as
  a literal number. Suddenly, there might be too many JW's. They had to change their
  teachings.

  Since the change, they have had to repress "the feeling" that all Christians are supposed
  to get. They are not successful in all cases, so there's the remnant. Their control is
  pretty good, so most JW's know that they shouldn't get "the feeling." As they reach out
  to establish franchises in new less-developed territory, many there aren't under their spell
  totally, and were taught by Christianity to have "the feeling." There's why the remnant is growing.

  Many of the anointed are mental-cases, because many JW's are mental-cases. I say that
  as a faded JW, not a mental-case myself. It's just that this Chicken Little Cult attracts
  many fatalistic people and mental-cases, along with us others. If you were a mental-case and
  nobody wanted to talk to you, then two nice ladies or men said they could come by every week
  and discuss life, you would be thrilled. They keep coming back because the mental-case makes
  it easier to get their pioneer hours. WIN-WIN. Another mental-case joins the chicken coop.

  "The feeling" is perfectly normal when you think you are serving God correctly. Don't make
  that feeling the litmus test for mental defects. Most JW's are now helped to avoid "the feeling"
  because they never really serve Jehovah perfectly by WTS standards. They don't study 4 hours a
  day, or they hope nobody answers the doors while preaching. They don't pray enough or don't
  avoid R-rated movies. In other words, they are more balanced than devoted JW's should be, so
  they are sure they shouldn't have "the feeling." Afterall, the Leaders Society says so.
• 

  Terry

  The oddity among JWs (since the 1930's) is that the "particular experience" is both emphasised and repressed -- as something that does "happen" but should not happen to you.

  Ironic.

  The Rutherford nonsense has been a two-edged sword for JW's. The flight to heaven is booked. Everybody else has to row their own boat. Yet, the passenger list has had 2,000+ years to be filled and there are still last-minute replacements! The plane has been set for takeoff since the 1800's and has even taxied out to the strip over and over and over again only to be sent back to square one.

  I was trapped on a plane that couldn't take off for over and hour once and it was F-ing miserable!!

  These poor saints, kings and priests must find the food and accomodations insufferable. They deserve heaven if they ever get there!!

  The last known time of departure was set for 1975. It is now 32 years later.

  Here is the rub: If you die "faithful" you are transformed in the twinkling of an eye. You mean to tell me that in two millennia there have not been enough "faithful" christians to fill the number yet??

  Astonishing!

  Astonishingly bad doctrine!!!
• 

  LongHairGal

  On The Way Out:

  I agree with your post, but, I think you might just hurt a few people's feelings by saying that some anointed are nuts. I think some people who post on this board might be ex-anointed. It was also my observation as well that some anointed were...."eccentric". There is nothing more dangerous than elevating somebody like this or putting them on a pedestal. People like this caused problems in the congregation because they expected people to cater to them. I have no patience for this and cannot humor anybody like that. I just stayed away from them.

  LHG
• 

  Reefton Jack

  One of the things I don't miss since breaking with the JWs is the no longer having to deal with a lot of strange people!
  In my experience, though, this was much more likely to be "In the Territory" rather than at the Kingdom Hall - although there was sometimes the odd one there, too.
  (Of all the mentally ill persons I encountered while with the JWs, few ever got past the "Bible Student" phase).
  
  
  The illness that I remember all too many suffering from in the congregations was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS).
  It was estimated that 5% of the "Publishers" in our circuit were afflicted with CFS at any given time.
  Significantly, since leaving the Witnesses 13 years ago, I have yet to meet ONE person who has CFS!
  
  (Although some argued otherwise, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is recognised as being more of a physchosomatic disorder, rather than a form of mental illness).
  
  When I first started work 35 years ago, you often used to see a wall poster around the place that said
  "YOU DON"T HAVE TO BE MAD TO WORK HERE - BUT IT CERTAINLY HELPS!"
  Maybe that sums up being a JW!
  
  
  
  
• 

  greendawn

  Whatever feelings they have can not be genuine since there are no two classes of Christians and what they feel is very likely based on self delusion they want to be distinguished as belonging to a superior class. That is especially true if they have nothing to show in terms of spiritual achievement after many years of being "anointed", the GB members are certainly failures in this way as they run in a way that is opposed to the ethos of the anointed christian by lying, deceiving, being greedy for power and very cruel to those opposing their doctrines and also uncharitable in the extreme despite the wealth they control.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  At least part of the Watchtowr's teaching on this matter is derived from Paul's letter to the conregation in Rome:

  So, then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh to live in accord with the flesh; for if YOU live in accord with the flesh YOU are sure to die; but if YOU put the practices of the body to death by the spirit, YOU will live. For all who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons. For YOU did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but YOU received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: "Abba, Father!" The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.

  Consequently I reckon that the sufferings of the present season do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us. For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will but through him that subjected it, on the basis of hope that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now. Not only that, but we ourselves also who have the firstfruits, namely, the spirit, yes, we ourselves groan within ourselves, while we are earnestly waiting for adoption as sons, the release from our bodies by ransom. For we were saved in [this] hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for when a man sees a thing, does he hope for it? But if we hope for what we do not see, we keep on waiting for it with endurance.

  I am an atheist, so my belief is that this is simply the manifestation of an emotional state; a psychological self-deception, not much different from "he loves me, he loves me not..."