Comments You Will Not Hear at the 5-20-07 WT Review (Humbly Submit)

by blondie 48 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  jgnat

  Pistoff: He gave me a dirty look.

  HAHAHAHA, I get that dirty look all the time.

  My favorite line these days is that it takes less time to to go to college to be a surgeon than to be approved for field service. "Just think, honey, you could have been a brain surgeon by now." And then I laugh. Hubby has been waiting six years so far, and counting.

  Another is, "Sure, it can take years for an elder to forgive. Just keep plugging away there, honey. It's not biblical and it's not Christian, but when has that stopped them? How long did it take Jesus forgive the thief on the cross?"

  An elder once told my husband that the elders may never approve him for service, but Jehovah would. I've asked, "Honey, exactly how is that supposed to work? Are you supposed to informal witness to me? Knock yourself out. And why would Jehovah be kinder than his servants?"
• 

  Open mind

  CONTROL. CONTROL. CONTROL.

  I think they're just getting us primed for the new and improved "drone-only" version of the WT coming in January.

  Thanks Blondie.
• 

  moggy lover

  Aaaaah yeees .....them were the days. Gad. To strut about the congregation, looking humble but acting otherwise.

  I mean...like.... all you said was "The Society says...." and everyone jumped. We had more authority than the medieval Catholic Church.

  Now all I got to strut over is Miss Moggy. And she's so bloody spoilt she simply ignores anything I say anyway. Just thumps her tail, wiggles her whiskers in disdain and turns over in sleep. So there.

  > sigh< Them were the days.

  Cheers
• 

  Pistoff

  Yesidid:
  
  What is your source? Can I verify this?
• 

  Inquisitor

  11) Today, Jesus directs us by means of "the faithful and discreet slave," represented by its Governing Body and the appointed elders. (Matthew 24:45) Out of respect for "the chief shepherd," Jesus Christ, we heed Paul's counsel: "Have regard for those who are working hard among you and presiding over you in the Lord and admonishing you."-1 Peter 5:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 5:17.

  If you respect Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ, you will do what Bethel Elder Jesus Manuel Cano tells you to do. After all, it was the Holy Spirit that saw his appointment to such an hallowed office. So if Elder Cano says he needs to "deaden your body member" for you, you let him "work hard", "admonishing" you, setting you "straight".

  12) A second reason for cooperatingwith Christian overseers is that "they are keeping watch over [our] souls." If they detect anything in our attitude or behavior that might endanger our spirituality, they are quick to give us needed counsel with a view to our readjustment. (Galatians 6:1) The Greek word translated "keeping watch" literally means "abstaining from sleep." According to one Bible scholar, it "implies the unflagging vigilance of the shepherd." In addition to their maintaining spiritual vigilance, elders may even lose sleep out of concern for our spiritual well-being. Should we not willingly cooperate with such loving undershepherds, who do their best to imitate the tender care given by Jesus Christ, "the great shepherd of the sheep"?-Hebrews 13:20.

  Elder Cano must have lost sleep over all those young men he failed to inseminate with his brand of spiritual healing eh? Oh yes, we should be very willing to cooperate with "loving" undershepherds like him. Nothing like some good predatory sex to help young boys grow into well-adjusted Christian men.

  Sorry, I know there are some decent, non-pedophilic elders in the JW organization. But this article is undoubtedly aimed at re-affirming the authority of nasty elders as well as competent ones. My rant shows how a sweeping call for unconditional RnF submission to spiritual shepherds is seriously flawed and dangerous.

  Consequently, I resent this Sunday's mind-numbing exercise.

  INQ

  read more about Cano, see his mug: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/NEWS/701300316/-1/NEWS
• 

  J-ex-W

  At times, an elder may not do things as directed by the faithful slave class and its GoverningBody. If he continues acting this way, he will have to render an account to Jehovah

  --------------------------

  Ohmygawd, Sir82 ------------- That is such a GOOD point!!!!! I had been so used to seeing that, that I just glossed it over completely !!!!!!

  Yes................ We ALL KNOW that what things the faithful slave class and Governing Body say are exactly how JEHOVAH wants things done...............................................
• 

  cyberdyne systems 101

  Thanks Blondie! What a telling study article, paragraphs 4,5 and 6 were the ones that stood out for me. Particularly this bit:

  These "gifts in men" are overseers, or elders, appointed by Jehovah and his Son, through holy spirit,...........In this time of the end, however, with the number of anointed overseers still on earth ever dwindling, the vast majority of Christian elders in the congregations are of the other sheep. Since these are appointed by representatives of the Governing Body under the leadings of the holy spirit, they too can be said to be under the right hand (or, under the direction) of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 61:5, 6) Since the elders in our congregations submit to Christ, the Head of the congregation, they deserve our full cooperation .

  Firstly it says that its to the annointed that these gifts in men are given and in the next breath, they have over stepped the direction in the bible and now do their own appointing, of a group of people unqualified to do the task, even to the point that these great crowd elders are not able to be called Christians.

  It was this area that I had issue's with when I was in, I couldn't see how the verses used could be applied to us non anointed ones.

  CS 101
• 

  restrangled

  What really gets me.........they admit elders make mistakes but no where in this article or the previous one did they admit the GB makes mistakes.

  Has the GB assumed the position they are infallible? Next they will wearing purple robes and those crazy hats, carrying swinging balls of burning incense.

  r.
• 

  Pistoff

  The WT continues it's rich use of loaded and weasel language in this lesson.
  
  A prime example: in a desperate attempt to invest it's poor leaders with authority (didn't Jesus reject religious authority?)it maintains the fiction that Holy Spirit, oops, sorry, holy spirit appoints them.
  
  First, it discusses the prime example:
  
  6) **These "gifts in men" are overseers, or elders, appointed by Jehovah and his Son, through holy spirit, to shepherd the sheep with tenderness. (Acts 20:28, 29) To begin with, these overseers were all anointed Christian men. At Revelation 1:16, 20, those who served on bodies of elders within the anointed congregation were symbolized by "stars" or "angels" in Christ's right hand, that is, under his control.** In this time of the end, however, with the number of anointed overseers still on earth ever dwindling, the vast majority of Christian elders in the congregations are of the other sheep. Since these are appointed by representatives of the Governing Body under the leadings of the holy spirit, they too can be said to be under the right hand (or, under the direction) of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 61:5, 6) Since the elders in our congregations submit to Christ, the Head of the congregation, they deserve our full cooperation.-Colossians 1:18.
  
  SO: the christian elders (anointed only) in the first century were appointed by holy spirit. BUT: no anointed today to speak of, just the OS. HOW can they be appointed by holy spirit? Same process??
  
  NO NO NO.
  
  Note the chain of command:
  
  "Since these are appointed by representatives of the Governing Body under the leadings of the holy spirit, they too can be said to be under the right hand (or, under the direction) of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ."
  
  SO the OS elders are appointed by what? Holy spirit? NO NO NO. They are appointed by representatives of the GB, who are claimed to be led by holy spirit.
  
  Yes, friends, we are the recipients of USED HOLY SPIRIT, recycled holy spirit, filtered holy spirit.
  
  My elders here are appointed by holy spirit first bestowed on who? Garret Loshe, maybe? Or (gasp) Ted Jarascz himself? I hope so, I hope it was Ted, because that would be UNUSED holy spirit.
  
  The end result:
  
  "they too can be said to be under the right hand (or, under the direction) of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ"
  
  They can be "said to be" under Jesus' hand, or ARE they under his hand? Which is it? This is prime weasel language.
  
  The next time this is referenced, no nod is given to this tortured piece of spiritual logic, just that they are chosen by holy spirit.
  
  And that is how you build a fellowship of folks who are susceptible to bad logic.
  
  My other favorite example of weasel language:
  
  We never hear the WT say that "God speaks through US"
  
  We hear: God has an organization.
  
  God has a "channel of communication".
  
  Today that is surely the group of Jehovah's witnesses.
  
  He has given his holy spirit to anoint and appoint overseers in that group.
  
  It just SOUNDS so much less bat shit crazy to say: God's channel of communication, as opposed to "God speaks through US".
  
  
  That difference is lost on the rank and file; if you would ask them is God is speaking to the world through the WT, they would laugh and deny it.
  
  The same ones would tell you that not obeying the local elders is resisting Jehovah.
  
  Go figure.
• 

  Gill

  Oh dear oh dear oh dear! I feel a nervous twitch coming on!!!!!

  I will submit to NO window cleaners, used car salesmen, bank clerks or anyone claiming to follow the direction of the spirit directed drivel from the Very Unfaithful FDS!!

  I believe, that as usual, the WTBTS is trying to throw the R and F off track by blaming all short comings in their congs on imperfect elders who are no following the perfect drivvel from Brooklyn.

  Then there is the child abuse cover up problem, which must be the fault of the local elders and not the direction from the idiots running the bOrg in the first place.

  It's funny how, in the terms of the WTBTS,the elders can turn from 'Stars of the Congregation' to 'Imperfect Arseholes' whenever it suits Brooklyn to describe them as such.

  What a shameful organizion the WTBTS is and especially the 'Slobering GB' who are are running the show!

  Even bigger shame is the fools who continue to follow such rampant BS!

  Blondie! Thank you for all your work...but this is one of those articles that makes me want to spit....and worse!!