They currently preach a 'different Gospel', by their own admission. That different message is connected to 1914. It would seem to me that throwing 1914 under the bus would result in a mass exodus. However, the mind control is so effective, that one can never be certain.
Let's predict the next 10 years of "noolite"
by Awakened at Gilead 70 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Confession
I loved this from Pubsinger...
"Some Christians have increasingly been led to believe that accepting blood is a matter of conscience - how should we view them? It would not be right for us to stand in judgement, everyone must bear their own load before God."
Like you, the style and word choice of these guys will forever be etched upon my mind.
In considering the 144,000 problem, I'd imagine the WTS would continue to react as they have before. Instead of loosening, they tend to tighten their grasp. All they'd need to do is say that elder bodies would be responsible for reporting the number of partakers whom they deem legitimate. I can see the letter from them now, full of instructions as to how to make such a determination. I know they did it with the "generation" of 1914, but rather than go back on such a fundamental teaching as the 144,000 being literal, I think they'll just choose to control the numbers themselves.
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leavingwt
The whole 1918/1919 selection by Christ Jesus (which makes them so darned special) would have to be re-explained.
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Pubsinger
Yep I agree 1914 will go - but very quietly and probably using the ploy of simply ceasing to mention it.
I think that they may stop mentioning it in the next 10 years but it may be as late as 2034 before the say something like
"Many brothers have in the past thought that 1914 marked the invisible return of Christ. However the evidence seems to suggest that it would be presumptuous to make such a statement. Gods faithful servants KNOW that Christ has indeed returned and is reigning. The exact date of his return is not of any great significance and is not something we should be preoccupied with"
Hey it's actually quite good fun writing this stuff LOL -
Pubsinger
Hey thanks Confession
I'm gonna apply for a job in the writing dept ;-) -
Awakened at Gilead
No JW in their right mind who looks at 1919 can believe in it... I mean, read the proclaimer's book, p.720!
*** jv p. 720 Noteworthy Events in the Modern-day History of Jehovah’s Witnesses ***
1919 The Society’s officers and associates are released on bail, on March 26; on May 14 the court of appeals reverses the decision of the lower court, and a new trial is ordered; the next year, on May 5, the government withdraws from the case, declining to prosecute
As a test to see whether the work of the Bible Students can be revived, J. F. Rutherford arranges to give the public lecture “The Hope for Distressed Humanity,” at Clune’s Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California, on May 4; the crowd cannot all fit in, and the talk has to be given a second time
Bible Students hold convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, September 1-8; coming publication of the magazine The Golden Age (now known as Awake!) is announced
Bulletin (now known as Our Kingdom Ministry) is published as stimulus to field service
Report for the year shows 5,793 Bible Students actively preaching in 43 lands; reported Memorial attendance, 21,411
Reading this really opened my eyes... what happened in 1919? ABSOLUTELY F**KING NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!
They got realeased from jail (big deal). They had a convention (they have them every year, but dont claim that each one fulfills prophecy). They were only 5,000 members (how can 5000 people be a plague of locusts that caused pain all over the earth, what an insignificant number!)...
Will they re-write their history? They have done it before, they will do it again... the mass of JW humanity will still believe whatever is written in the almost inspired writings of the WTS...
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Awakened at Gilead
"Many brothers have in the past thought that 1914 marked the invisible return of Christ. However the evidence seems to suggest that it would be presumptuous to make such a statement. Gods faithful servants KNOW that Christ has indeed returned and is reigning. The exact date of his return is not of any great significance and is not something we should be preoccupied with"
Exactly Pubsinger... they will blame the friends for believing in 1914, just as they blamed them for believing in 1975, or that CTR was the FDS, when they were the ones pushing it from day 1...
Brother Pubsinger, Welcome to the Writing Department, where the best works of
fictionspiritual food the world has ever known are prepared for consumption... what a banquet! What a privilege! -
leavingwt
Very true. All blame will be conveniently placed at the feet of the mysterious "Brother Some."
"Some brothers believed that Christ had returned invisibly in 1914. This led to the expectation that Armageddon would occur during their lifetime. Let us remember that Jesus insisted that no man would know the Day or the Hour."
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Meeting Junkie No More
I may be in the minority here, but I think the next noolite is not going to come from the WBTS at all.
This may be just my hope, but I think the real new light may just come from the Vatican archives...once some of the secret stuff begins to be released to the public - also, I believe there will be some truly enlightening archeological/historical discoveries that may cause a huge religious paradigm shift. I mean, with the many series' on the History Channel a la Da Vinci Code etc. there will be a serious rethinking of the whole literalness and reliability of the Bible itself.
There is already a significant movement afoot in 'mainstream' Christianity a la Bishop John Shelby Spong and eventually, as that shift increasingly takes hold, the Witnesses themselves will be seen to be completely 'out of touch' and probably lumped in with all the other backward religious literalists and FUNDAMENTALISTS who will become increasingly marginalized. All this will be 'SPEEDED UP IN ITS OWN TIME!'