by bite me 29 Replies latest watchtower bible
JW ex Elder:
Have I heard right that there are far more women than men??
I just wondered with all the lack of screen stars and heartthrobs to look up to whether the CO PO and elders take on the mantle of female DROOL?
Like aka 'respectable' porn stars to fantasise about whilst sat next to hubby?
It was the exact same old recycled sh*t. You could have heard this talk 30 years ago and not a word would be changed. All about the failure of human governments and how God's Kingdom will be so much better. Anything new to that?
This actually turned into an argument with my wife and I. She wanted to go and I did not. She still wanted to go without me and I repeated what I had told her her earlier. The "special" talk is not really special. It's just a new outline. Nothing more than an excuse to try and fill the KH. The same old shit in a re-run format
In other words, another waste of time. Glad I missed it.
I sent the following letter to the PO. Mostly just to raise his hackles - maybe to raise his awareness too. Who knows?
Dear Presiding Overseer,
I was reviewing my copy of the outline for your upcoming ‘Special talk’ in April, 2008, and found several anomalies which I hope you would be willing to address.
The outline, as you can see, contains over 20 references to Jesus specifically, and only one to ‘Jehovah’ by name. While commendable on the surface, is this a reflection of a legitimate move toward more mainstream Biblical Christian doctrine, and a placement of the Christian Saviour to the fore of JW teaching? Or like previous years, is it just a Trojan horse, intended to sway people into the organization? For decades, Jesus is given second billing by your organization, when the Scriptures certainly indicate otherwise. Is this an authentic move back toward the King?
Under the Sub-Heading “What Rule By Christ Jesus Will Accomplish”, I noted a very disturbing trend of thought. Scriptural support for a strong economy, good health care, protection, and the earth’s ecology, were all supported solely by scriptures that are recognized by studied Jewish historians to have been fulfilled by the nation of Israel, and not as prophecies pointing to apocalyptic survival by Christians. If indeed the Witness view was the belief of Jesus, why cannot such support be found in the more modern New Testament writings, even Jesus‘ own words?
One final point: In the final Sub-Heading these two statements are made to round the conclusion;
“Evidence that he has taken power and begun ruling in heaven is abundant. We urge you to grow in your understanding of these facts.”Yet no evidence is presented, nor can it be that Jesus is ruling in heaven! Just assertion! How can anyone be urged to ’grow in understanding of assertion’? Could you please present such evidence to me? Interesting too, was the avoidance of the date1914 in this discussion. The society has eliminated 1935 as the sealing date, changed ‘the generation’ understanding, and is now allowing with these eschatological shifts, a growing number of those claiming to be ‘anointed’, as evidenced by the increase of ‘partakers’ in the past two [and likely three] years. All these coincide with the ’private Watchtower’ starting this year. I suspect that the modification [or total elimination] of 1914 will happen soon. After all, who wants to think Jesus is sitting on that throne ‘waiting’ for a hundred years? Time will tell.
Your Watchtower study article for the same week displays a more typical view - Though it is entitled; “Jesus Christ - The Greatest Missionary”, paragraph one immediately urges “people to draw close to Jehovah God and enjoy a precious relationship with him”. The balance of the article does the same. There is little in that article to entice one to draw to Jesus, instead to draw upon Jesus’ example as a means to this end. In this context, Jesus becomes little more than a ‘motivational speaker’, which is significantly polar to the supposed acclamation paid him in the public address.
Well, just my thoughts as I reviewed your talk outline and the Watchtower. I spend little time these days involved in deep doctrinal thought about the WTS training sessions - but a cursory look at the talk outlines often sparks my view that someday Jw’s might join mainstream theology. Who knows? You can reply by letter or by email @ xxxxxx if you wish.
With deep affection to you,
Jeff
Special talks are always "special" in the Olympic sense.
I actually felt comfortable taking the kids along, because I knew the talk would be heavy on the Jesus, and light on the Crazy since they were targetting JW newbies. (Can't let the newbies see the crazy straight off you know)
Did y'all notice that the Watchtower lesson was scheduled to be exactly the same - all Jesus, very little Crazy. Just a short reprieve though, the Crazy will return next week and Jesus goes back on the shelf.
Well, here is the latest, of course I did not go, but the usual party did. Don't they not see that it is the same? Do they forget? Do they let it go in one ear and out the other? Does someone have the outline for the last year or two? That would be very interesting to show them that there is nothing new or special.
"I was reviewing my copy of the outline for your upcoming ‘Special talk’ in April, 2008,"
Thats gold Jerry! Gold!!.
"I was reviewing my copy of the outline for your upcoming ‘Special talk’ in April, 2008,"
Yep - I even sent him a copy with all the Jesus refs highlighted. I have lots of hightlighters around, since I used to be a Jw ya' know.
I imagine it chaps their asses when I do such a thing. They must hate to know that we evil apostates are privy to documents that only the elders are supposed to see.
Jeff
AK-Jeff..... for the chapped ass quality alone, that is priceless! never mind the fact that it is asking for a rational scrutiny of their public teachings
