Are these talks pretty well scripted...if my wife goes to the local DC, which I am guessing she will, will she hear pretty much the same speech?
How much free reign are the speakers given at a DC?
District Convention Friday pm talk - Answers to Questions About the Last Days
by yadda yadda 2 55 Replies latest jw friends
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Kinjiro
ssddc
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sir82
How much free reign are the speakers given at a DC?
Not much.
Some talks are manuscripts, and must be read word for word.
Other talks are in outline form, but there are higher-ups who follow along offstage to ensure little deviation from orthodoxy is given. The ones giving the talks generally look upon it as an extraordinary privilege to to be up there giving the talk, so to ensure they continue to get such privileges, will stick to what is kosher.
If someone ever deviated too much from what is expected, he'd get utterly reamed the moment he got offstage, and would never have a privilege higher than broom-pusher at any convention ever again.
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out4good3
Even the ones that aren't manuscripted have probably been reheased to the point of lunacy before the convention overseers to make sure there is no deviation of the content.
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daniel-p
Other talks are in outline form, but there are higher-ups who follow along offstage to ensure little deviation from orthodoxy is given. The ones giving the talks generally look upon it as an extraordinary privilege to to be up there giving the talk, so to ensure they continue to get such privileges, will stick to what is kosher.
If someone ever deviated too much from what is expected, he'd get utterly reamed the moment he got offstage, and would never have a privilege higher than broom-pusher at any convention ever again.
While attending at an International Convention, I commuted with the brother whose job it was to follow along on the outline to check for deviations from the script. Every deviation, no matter how small, was noted. In the event that the speaker deviated substantively and started injecting apostate ideas, this brother's job was to go down to the platform with two other attendants to remove the speaker and finish the talk himself.
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cabasilas
Just thinking about the line of argument used in that talk...
If it's a good thing to "keep on the watch" by thinking Armageddon may happen by a certain date, then is it possible for anyone to be guilty of false prophecying for that? If so, how?
The undercurrent I get from that talk is that because JWs declare Jehovah's name and the truth on other issues (that's another subject to be sure!), then they can't be false prophets.
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Gayle
Was Ciro Aulicino's talk scripted there? Sounds like he was off on his own there. Horrible!!
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gubberningbody
At least Ciro was following the WTBS logic to its horrific logical conclusion.
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cabasilas
I can't speak for Ciro's talk, Gayle, but this one "Answers to Questions About the Last Days" sounds like it's a manuscript talk to me. At least, this first section on the "wrong expectations" for certain dates.
I'm still dumbfounded that they're saying that predicting things for certain dates is actually a virtue.
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cabasilas
Doing some more thinking about this talk...
So, all the overeagerness is commendable? This is what outsiders would call fanaticism, not overeagerness. Consider that Rutherford (president of the Watchtower Society from 1917-1942) --the same one that had pushed the 1925 date-- kept on saying that Armageddon was at hand, even saying in 1941 that Armageddon was "months" away.
During this time, Rutherford declared that it would be improper for those that hoped to live on the paradise earth (a group he called "the Jonadabs") to marry and have children. In 1938, Rutherford said in the lecture "Fill the Earth":
see:
http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/booklets/facefacts.html#fillearth (pages 46 and 47)
If this conclusion is Scripturally correct, then it would mean that those men and women forming the "great multitude" will marry and bring forth children in righteousness and unto life, There are now on earth Jonadabs devoted to the Lord and who doubtless will prove faithful. Would it be Scripturally proper for them to now marry and to begin to rear children? No, is the answer, which is supported by the Scriptures.Referring to the prophetic picture: Noah's sons and their wives had no children before or during the flood, and none were born of them until after the flood was dried up, and the record is that it was two years after the flood before children born are mentioned. (Genesis 11:10,11) There is no Scriptural evidence that any children were taken into the ark, but only eight persons were taken therein: "And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1) This is proof that the class pictured by those taken into the ark will be counted righteous by reason of their faith and obedience, and which is evidenced by their being carried over Armageddon. The Scriptures fully support the conclusion that the filling of the earth is not due to begin before, but after Armageddon. The words of Jesus further support this conclusion, to wit: "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" —Matthew 24:19.
It is the great privilege of the Jonadabs to now see that the kingdom is here and that it is their bounden duty, if they would live, to fully support the kingdom and do what the Lord has commanded them to do, which is to seek righteousness and meekness, and to join forces with the remnant and give testimony to the world of and concerning the kingdom of God under Christ. It will be far better to be unhampered and without burdens, that they may do the Lord's will now, as the Lord commands, and also be without hindrance during Armageddon.You can hear Rutherford himself delivering these words here about 21:30 minutes into the lecture:
http://www.archive.org/details/FillTheEarthByJudgeRutherford
For over 10 years, marriage was looked down upon and singleness was encouraged for JWs.
So, was this from God? Did Jehovah really lead Rutherford (there was no Governing Body then...Rutherford ran the whole show then) to say these things about not marrying and not having children? Was this just an overeagerness that can be just overlooked?
Or, does such fanaticism show that Rutherford was speaking on his own and did not get this from God?
Promoting predictions for dates for Armageddon has consequences. Negative consequences on many millions of lives.
But, what is even more amazing is that the Watchtower Society is unable to acknowledge their part in this. It's all passed off to "some Witnesses" who believed these things....the very things they were told to believe in by the Watchtower Society!