by Billy the Ex-Bethelite 118 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Does anyone have a tape of Losch's talk? This talk HAS to be made available online!
I know a Hawaii version was floated around for a while, but some extensive searching and hacking to capture streaming audio got me this for your (enjoyment?). It is purported to be the talk he gave in Australia, per this thread's notes, and has remarkably good audio quality.
Gerrit Losch - What the Near Future Holds, Australia Version (35.5 MB MP3):
Most of what has been outlined above about this discourse is pretty accurate. He's a bit melodramatic... I'll pull out some of the "juicier" bits later into a shorter soundbite segment so you don't have to listen to the entire talk. He continually talks about how "very, very scary" it will be. Sounded like Elmer Fudd at one time: "it'll be VEWY VEWY SCAWY!!"
Here's a transcript of one part at the end of the talk, when discussing college education... he literally likens it to shooting yourself in the head with a bullet. This is not taken out of context; it's his entire discussion on higher education. Before this, he talks about the Branch recommending "personal territories" instead of "group witnessing" in scattered territories, and after the comments quoted below, he moves on to talk about Baruch.
If you have the file above, you can find the following at 1:08:28-1:11:50:
Well, generally speaking, what effect has the conviction that the Great Tribulation is near [had on you]? Do others see that we really believe it? It is not wrong to have money. It's not wrong to be rich. But not at the expense of spiritual things. Otherwise, you know, we'd be like the man in the parable of Jesus at Luke 12:21 that eventually died and Jesus said 'so it goes with someone that is accumulating riches but is not rich toward God'--that's the key, to be 'rich toward God.'
And to that end, we really want to be balanced as to what we want to pursue in this system of things so shortly before the Great Tribulation. In one study 200,000--in the U.S.--200,000 university students in 390 institutions were surveyed, and the result was that 71% admitted that they go to college for the money they hope to earn after they finish. See? So most of college students go for that reason, to have a higher living standard. Some go for the fame, but most go for the money. Sometimes the children wouldn't even go, but the parents PUSH them to go; they want to be able to say "My son is a DOCTOR!"
So, is this really the thing to pursue this side of Armageddon?
Now, some have good motives: if they do, we will not judge them--it's a personal decision. Some pioneer throughout college, and have good motive. But we have lost, really, too many to the world already. And so it is a--kind of a danger.
This reminds me of an experience that was mentioned in our literature about a young man that had a compulsory [sic:compulsive] behavior. He was always forced, like, to wash his hands--many, many, many times a day--just couldn't stop doing that. He hated himself so much for it, that finally he decided to kill himself. He bought himself a gun, and he pulled the trigger, and--uh--the bullet went through his head! But he survived.
And, some went to college, and survived. Now, this young man survived, and the bullet had hit this part of the brain that was responsible for his compulsory [sic] behavior. After he recovered, he was normal.
So, the question is: yes, he survived colle--in that case we can apply it to college--he survived that "operation", the bullet operation. But would we recommend that to others?! That's a different matter!
The part I love most about his bullet illustration--likening the "bullet operation" to college--is that he missed the irony of this statement:
After he recovered, he was normal.
Go to college, young JW's! Yes, it will be a shock to your protected culture. After you recover, you'll be NORMAL!
Now, some have good motives: if they do, we will not judge them
Kind of difficult to make a call on someones motives without.....erm.....judging them first.
Anid if we judge they have a bad motive we are then to make a further judgement on them?
The only possible exceptional situation is where the good motive is to 'pioneer through college' - I'm not clear on how pioneering is a good motive.
Brilliant comment on the "judging" about motives, Besty. Shows how subtle their reasoning can be--I totally missed that one.
lol...........remember when the "Men of Old" were supposed to appear back in the early days? People at that assembly were looking all over to see if they could spot Moses or Abraham........sad how gullible we all were, just like these poor deluded bros and sis!!
God, what a boring speaker he is .......'The GT is near.......what are your motives for wanting to go to university......the end is near........blah, blah, blah.........We've lost 'too many' to the world (can't imagine why) and of course this infamous 'man who had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who shot himself and survived. Great example of Brother Lush speaking with a forked tongue because on one hand he claims that they aren't 'judging' someone for going to college, yet the idiot then turns around and compares going to college with surviving a suicide attempt!
I forwarded it to my boss. His response was: "That's demented. He's comparing surviving a suicide attempt to having your faith survive university! How does he think people should provide for their families? Or is the world ending tomorrow? Again?"
Everything Losch says simply shows that he has mental issues.
I disagree...... if what some other JWDer have posted... Losch believes he has the 'right' to be the next prevailing personality.
He also admitted to A@G's class that there are 'problems' within our doctrines and also is rumored not be in 'unity' about higher education.
The WTS is a corporation, to get ahead you have to schmooze, be seen, and be known as 'reaching out'.
Losch is the most seen GB in the circuit/district events. He has dropped hints that would garner support from the reformists, it is rumored that he is challenging Teddie Boy more often. He is the only "new" GB that was appointed before Ted was in the driver's seat.
Time will tell of course.
