Is this why the WTBTS is changing the "generation" meaning?

by TooBad TooSad 10 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  TooBad TooSad

  During the 1970's, 80's and 90's I was always calculating how old the generation was that

  saw 1914. At one time they had to be at the age of discernment 12 to 14 years old

  and then it was just being born by 1914. Well we all know that this Watchtower teaching

  was changed in 1995 and is changing again so that the generation is referring to only

  the "anointed remnant". For about 20 years this number has been in the 8,000 range

  and holding and even going up. Now that the door for the anointed was not closed in

  1935 there will probably be an increase in 2008 and 2009. If I were a betting man,

  the plan is for the WTBTS to show a significant decrease in 2010 and 2011 of at least

  500 per year. This will get the Witnesses all excited again. The Sociey knows that

  their biggest growth period is during the times of expectation. Can you see the talking

  about how the number of the anointed is dropping which means we are getting closer

  to the Great Tribulation. For the next 3 to 5 years the numbers could be fixed to show

  only a decrease of 150 to 200 per year. Still going the right direction. There would be

  Watchtower articles about the numbers of the anointed declining. In the 2017 let

  and 2018 let there be a big decrease of 500 per year then drop it down to 200 per year.

  Playing this number game can go on for 30 years and there will still be a couple of

  thousand anointed remaining. There will be a lot of excitment as the number dwindles

  then there can be "new light" that the generation is not the anointed and we can

  start over again. During the 1960's and 1970's the first thing the Witnesses did when

  they got the Watchtower the first part of every new year with the world report for the

  preaching results for the previous year is to see how the number of

  the anointed reduced because this was a sign of the times. The last 10 years the

  number has not budged and has gone up taking this exictment away. The WTBTS needs

  a new "carrot" to dangle in front of everyone. Could this be the carrot?
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  WTWizard

  I hope it is a total fiasco. Anyone can fake the numbers they want if they want to keep bumbling. Keep it heading ever closer to zero, so you can put out false hope that the end is close.

  Hopefully, it has the same amount of success that the attempt to set off the Great Tribulation with the False Religion crapt did. That did nothing. And, so I hope that by attempting to peg the generation to something they can fake and then put fake numbers headed in the right direction will have no effect. I would like to see the TOTAL publisher count in the area of 2,000 or less. Maybe then the end will come--for the Watchtower Society.
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  Hortensia

  maybe they'll all get bored and lose interest. I did.
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  VoidEater

  While cooking the books wouldn't be beyond the GB (after all, they've proven their lack of integrity on the 607 BC issue), it's surprising to me that they haven't done so already. Since the number of Anointed seems to be more or less consistent (perhaps there's a statistical representation here based on number of adherents, or number of publishers, or maybe there's just a "float" that the number will always be between), they will have to start making things up to prove The End Is Near.

  With the latest light, there isn't any objective streetsign to mark the passage of time and generate Armageddon Frenzy. Can't use a calendar - not base in time. Whatever will they do? The only measure now is the number of Anointed. And they've already backed away from saying that all the Anointed will be gone in time for the big party.

  So, I wonder...although the number of Anointed seems to now be the ONLY marker they can use (other than Earthquakes! Floods! Civil Dissent!), it's not even all that important either...

  What's an apocalyptic cult to do?
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  MissingLink

  Perhaps Toobad's on to something. They gotta keep some of these tricks in their pocket for rainy days. They can easily change the counting method - making people have more proof of being annointed besides munching some crackers.
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  VoidEater

  Heeeeyyyyy...I'm feeling Anointed...
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  OnTheWayOut

  TBTS, I like your thinking. Having the 1995 definition, there is no monitoring.
  Breaking down that slightly old light, there would be people around who can see the sign
  of the end until the end arrives. It means nothing, and there's no way to progress the
  understanding.

  I actually thought they would drop showing the number for the partakers every year, but
  you make a good point. Get those Circuit Overseers out there (eventually) to talk with
  the individual partakers (and hell- get the elders to do it) and convince them they are not
  anointed. That could be done if they don't die off fast enough to drive the numbers down
  slowly. If the numbers do go down, leave them alone.

  Your plan is well thought out. If they didn't think of it before, you just told them what to do.
  We gotta stop giving them our ideas. JW's will be in a frenzy as the years roll on and the
  number drops a few more hundred again and again each year. "Oh, it's imminent."

  I have heard it here before, also. The reasons to make new doctrines is to "sell" new literature.
  Whatever crap they come up with, more than 7 million people will "buy" it.
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  whereami

  Interesting theory. One thing that has me thinking is, the number has gone up 347 for the 2007 service year. They now have over 9100 anointed. This does not look good for them, raises questions. So the question is if they are willing to "cook the books" in the future regarding this number, why haven't they not done this now? I mean why show an increase? Just keep the anoited numbers showing a very small decrease every year, eventhough it's really going up, that way no one will question the current increase and everyone still thinks we're in the end. Just doesn't make any sence to me.
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  garybuss

  Now, the number of reported anointed isn't a problem for the Tower Witnesses . . . but . . . the number 144 thousand IS. They'll always have problems with this teaching because it's so stupid. If it's true, it discredits itself, if it's false, it discredits itself. They can't win with this one.
  
  Maybe the Society writers could visit the Bible Students and let the Bible Students explain it to them.
  
  
  
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  Must obey!

  Good topic but your post didn't make a lot of sense to me. I don't understand why you feel the numbers could start dropping by 500 or so a year from 2010 onward, when for the last two years the numbers have gone up by about 230 & 300 each year? With the 1935 'deadline' removed, the numbers are likely to go up even more in years ahead, not go down like you surmise. Is your point that the Society are just going to have to lie about the figures and deliberately report large declines when the opposite is happening? Seems very far-fetched. If the numbers keep going up at they rate they are they will just eventually come up with some "new light" about the 144,000, for example, they will just say that the 144,000 is a symbolic number representing a divine, heavenly completeness/fullness of those chosen to rule in heaven.