The Watchtower Society's Deemphasizing Jesus.

by Blueblades 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Blueblades

  It's been a long slow process since the J.F.Rutherford era, to the present. The slow slide away from Jesus over the years is difficult to quantify. Perhaps the closest anyone has come to measuring it is in an overview in the book, "Revelation, It's Grand Climax At Hand!" page 36. which notes: In the songbook produced by Jehovah's people in 1908, there were " TWICE" as many songs praising Jesus as there were songs praising Jehovah God. In their 1928 songbook, the number of songs extolling Jesus was about the "SAME" as the number extolling Jehovah. But in the latest songbook of 1984, Jehovah is honored by "FOUR TIMES" as many songs as Jesus.

  A similar change was and has been reflected in the Watchtower's magazine articles, books, and study materials.

  Blondie's "Comments You Will not Hear " has always addressed this change and she has always pointed it out to us with the question, "Where is Jesus?" in the Watchtower Study Articles.

  Abandoning Christmas was just one step in this move away from Christ and " The Deemphasizing of Jesus" hence ,"JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES " and not " You Will Be Witnesses Of Me, Jesus!'

  Do you have any further thoughts, any further updates on the deemphasizing of Jesus.

  Using Jesus at this year's District Assembly is a ploy to actually get the rank and file to follow the Governing Body who have put themselves in the place of Jesus.

  With the exception on my comment about Blondie, I found this information in David Reed's book: "Blood On The Altar".and I thought you might find this interesting.

  Blueblades
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  AWAKE&WATCHING

  I completely agree, it's all about how humbly submitting to the FDS shows our loyalty to Jesus. Soon Jesus will be all but eliminated.
• 

  WTWizard

  I notice that. They "Follow the Christ". Remember, Christ means the leader chosen by a deity, and Moses was the Christ of the Israelites. Jesus is supposedly our Christ. And now, they are genericizing the term so they are making the Mother Organization "Christ". Which is bulls*** because they were never appointed by any Deity as leaders.

  Notably, there are so many other progressive symptoms of this. They did away with the cross. We can't celebrate Christmas without incurring their wrath. Images of Christ are banned. And they are displaying personalities that deviate from Christ's. They have become the greedy sticklers for rules that Jesus denounced as hypocrites. And they are seeking more into short term gains at the expense of the people in the long haul.

  (Funny thing is that, when I came in, I thought I was sacrificing short term gains for long term benefits. Now I see that the opposite is true, and is becoming more true every day. When they get that Kool-Aid edition of the Craptower and start recapturing people just to get their numbers past 7 million, that will put them as totally disassociated from Jesus.)

  Notice that Jesus' actual message was for people to think independently and break free from leaders. This is precisely the opposite of what the Watchtower Society wants. This would make the Watchtower Society the Antichrist.
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  metatron

  Take particular note of the Life Stories in the Watchtower magazine and observe that Jesus is never

  thanked or personally addressed. Indeed, take note of how the organization is extolled and praised.

  Pick up any Watchtower volume at random and you see this pattern.

  metatron
• 

  R.F.

  Since WtWizard mentioned the "sticklers for rules" it reminded me of this touching experience.....

  (John

  9:18-41)18 However, the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had gained sight, until they called the parents of the man that gained sight. 19 And they asked them: "Is this YOUR son who YOU say was born blind? How, then, is it he sees at present?" 20 Then in answer his parents said: "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how it is he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. ASK him. He is of age. He must speak for himself." 22 His parents said these things because they were in fear of the Jews, for the Jews had already come to an agreement that, if anyone confessed him as Christ, he should get expelled from the synagogue.23 This is why his parents said: "He is of age. QUESTION him." 24 Therefore a second time they called the man that had been blind and said to him: "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." 25 In turn he answered: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that, whereas I was blind, I see at present." 26 Therefore they said to him: "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them: "I told YOU already, and yet YOU did not listen. Why do YOU want to hear it again? YOU do not want to become his disciples also, do YOU?" 28 At this they reviled him and said: "You are a disciple of that [man], but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this [man], we do not know where he is from." 30 In answer the man said to them: "This certainly is a marvel, that YOU do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to this one. 32 From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. 33 If this [man] were not from God, he could do nothing at all." 34 In answer they said to him: "You were altogether born in sins, and yet are you teaching us?" And they threw him out! 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and, on finding him, he said: "Are you putting faith in the Son of man?" 36 The [man] answered: "And who is he, sir, that I may put faith in him?" 37 Jesus said to him: "You have seen him and, besides, he that is speaking with you is that one." 38 Then he said: "I do put faith [in him], Lord." And he did obeisance to him.39 And Jesus said: "For [this] judgment I came into this world: that those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind." 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him: "We are not blind also, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them: "If YOU were blind, YOU would have no sin. But now YOU say, ‘We see.’ YOUR sin remains."

  It reminds me so much of the org today and it's disfellowshippings and ones being afraid of being put out for not being in agreement with it, yet it's so refreshing to have this faith in Jesus.
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  R.F.

  Take particular note of the Life Stories in the Watchtower magazine and observe that Jesus is never

  thanked or personally addressed. Indeed, take note of how the organization is extolled and praised.

  Pick up any Watchtower volume at random and you see this pattern.

  And it's strange too how ones view you as strange when you mention and praise Jesus alot.

  It sure looks like the apostles didn't have problems doing so.
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  heathen

  Using Jesus at this year's District Assembly is a ploy to actually get the rank and file to follow the Governing Body who have put themselves in the place of Jesus.

  dittos on that . The FDS dogma puts them in that possition . The WTBTS was put in charge of all of the domestics and is being invisibly directed by jesus. Non anointed J-dubs are not even in the christian covenant and are only allowed to worship in the same fashion that foreign prosylites did in ancient Israeal, by obeying the law as interpreted by jewish leaders . They seem to be putting the hammer down on dissent , and still boast an invisible track record of excellence.
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  KW13

  Well worse than taking away from jesus, they replaced him by saying he chose them to represent him, making THEM the middle man between men and God lol. I'd rather drink my own sick.