Another 1975 explanation - get your barf bag

by kurtbethel 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  kurtbethel

  This is from a JW discussion group that tends to be full of apologists for the teachings.

  1975

  When we lived in Livermore, Ca a special talk was given by brother from bethel. He used an illustration that really stuck with me to describe the role of the FDS. They are the watchman class. Imagine you are in a walled city. All the people have taken shelter in the safety of the city. There are watchmen posted on the city wall. They are looking off into the distance for any sign of the army that has been reported as heading in their direction. Off in the distance they see see a huge dust cloud. Signs of the approaching army. They warn everyone in the city that danger may be approaching. They advise everyone to prepare themselves. They await further news from the watchmen. In time it becomes clear to the watchmen that the dust cloud was not the army but a herd of camels. The watchmen did their job. Were they wrong about the army approaching? Yes. Did it cause any harm to the city residents? No. They are supposed to alert the city of any potential danger and keep the people informed of what they know. Because the herd of camels was not the expected army, does that mean that the army is not on there way towards the city? No. The FDS is the watchmen class. They keep us informed. They keep us informed of the danger that they know is on the way. Have they made mistakes. Yes. Has any of their warnings to us caused us harm? No. It has helped us to remain alert to the impending end of this system. They are the watchman class. They are doing there job. Thank God for that.

  One of the replies was almost as nauseating.

  Re: 1975

  That was a nice analogy Steve. It reminds me of one that was used
  many years ago of comparing the FDS to a person who had been hired as
  a security guard. While on guard he stayed ever alert. One evening he
  noticed some unuasual suspicious activity. Rather than take the risk
  that it might be "nothing", he took alert action calling in back up.
  When the back up arrived, they found that it was only a stray cat
  that the vigilent guard had mistaken for an intruder. Would the
  employer of such a guard discipline the guard or praise him? He'd be
  praised of course. He was doing just what he was supposed to do. Stay
  awake, stand guard, and by no means sleep on the job. I thank
  you FSD for your vigilence. 1975 was the best thing that could have
  happenend as it clearly showed that there are still some who put on
  the pretense of serving God but what they were realling serving was a
  date, a date that existed only in their mind.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Yeah, the thing is this. They are the faithful and DISCREET slave. They are not supposed to
  lead everyone into a frenzy over their theories. They truly didn't minimize the 1975 thing.
  They encouraged people to work up their own frenzy and they clearly misled folks into
  being sure that this wasn't a figurative herd of camels. Discretion would be to say
  that "We could be wrong, but 1975 could mean this thing." Same as saying
  "We don't know what it is, but there is a huge dustcloud out there."

  Further, they tell their followers that they are spirit-guided. The spirit must have guided
  them. It is just a treachery of words to say that the spirit guided men are not inspired and
  are not infallible about this stuff. Inspired and spirit-guided really mean the same thing.
  It's just stupid JW words. Taking the Bible at it's own word, the writers were not infallible
  but they didn't write from their own thoughts. The prophets were not infallible but they
  did not prophecy from their own minds. The scripture in Deuteronomy is clear. They are
  qualified to be called false prophets.
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  DaCheech

  the FDS is nostradamus
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  darth frosty

  SOOOO even JW apologist admit that at best the FD are security guards that aren't even well equipped for that job.
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  DaCheech

  these apologist should compare the 1975 fiasco to a watchman telling the men inside the wall to push the button (nukes).

  they did ruin quite a few lives
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  JeffT

  Stupid analogies. I work in real estate. One of the thngs security guards are hired to do is PREVENT false alarms, not initiate them.
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  DaCheech

  next time your burglar alarm goes off, start shooting without looking twice
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  Homerovah the Almighty

  Gee they didn't come to the conclusion that 1975 was just a blatant marketing strategy for the publishing House and was duly orchestrated with that very intension.

  You know I'm starting to believe that the WTS. is just an organization of crooks in sheep clothing.
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  Seeker4

  I used your points, ONTheWayOut, when I was on the wayout and a CO and a local elder came to see me.

  In the middle of the discussion, I told them, "The F&DS can be either a bunch of men making the best cases they can, or they can be directed by god's spirit, but they can't be both. They can't be just men when they screw up but directed by Holy Spirit when they think they've hit a home run."

  That "spirit directed" concept is just such utter nonsense.

  S4
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  JeffT

  Seeker, we made the same point in our DA letter. They always try to have it both ways to their advantage. Try using "well when asked about 1975 they said they're only men" as a defense to a JC for not blindly believing everything they say.