by life is to short 26 Replies latest watchtower scandals
The light is blinking. "New World" was the expression used in the 1950s and 1960s. Everything old is new again LOL.
I wonder if some of the people who worked on the previous song book are now out of the Borg and wanting their copyright rights. Hmmmmmmmmm.
So glad to be free!
Ruth
"New World" was the expression used in the 1950s and 1960s.
Then it was "new system," then "new order." Wonder if they will recycle those again too?
Yawn...
2010: "As times passes, refinements are made in our understanding of the Sciptures. Proverbs 4:18 says: "The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established." Increased light inevitably leads to adjustments in the way in which we 'sing the truth.' For the past 25 years, Jehovah's Witnesses in many lands have enjoyed using the songbook entitled Sing Praises to Jehovah.* In the years since that book was first published, the light has been getting brighter on a number of topics, and some of the expression used in that songbook have become outdated. For example, we no longer speak of "the new order" but of "the new world." And we now state that Jehovah's name will be "sanctified," not "vindicated." Clearly, from a doctrinal standpoint, there has been a need to bring our songbook up-to-date.
1986: Two new melodies were composed for favorite words because it was learned that the melodies previously used had not been composed by Witnesses. How could that have happened? A composer may hear a little-known tune. When it later comes to his mind, he might imagine that he composed it. As the light shining on God’s truth became ever brighter in harmony with Proverbs 4:18, it was found necessary to change songs that had been in previous songbooks. That was true with the current Song 215. In 1974 we came to understand that Noah’s ark pictured our spiritual paradise, not the Kingdom. (See The Watchtower, 1974, page 634.) So the line in the older songbook “Flee at once to the ark of salvation, To the Kingdom of God that is here!” was changed to “Act at once! Make a full dedication; Serve the Kingdom of God that is here.”Among other refinements in the interest of accuracy are the following: In the new system of things, there will be no more “evils” to dread, rather than no more “demons” to dread, for God’s people do not dread demons. (Song 129) In line with Jesus’ words at Matthew 6:22, Song 26 admonishes us to ‘keep our eye simple’ rather than ‘our sight single.’In several instances a certain melody was given a new set of words that appeared to be more effective and useful. Song 60, “God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years,” uses the melody of Song 86 in the previous songbook. The lyrics for Song 2, “Obeying God Rather Than Men,” are an expansion of those of former Song 79. It seemed that this theme deserved a full page rather than a half page.
1966:Proverbs 4:18 tells us that “the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” This Scriptural principle has made it advisable to publish a new songbook, for with the ever-increasing light there are new truths, new themes, clearer understanding and change of emphasis. And so now again, in 1966, after sixteen years, the publishing agency of Jehovah’s people, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, has produced a new songbook entitled “Singing and Accompanying Yourselves with Music in Your Hearts.”...On the other hand, all music known to have originated with Babylon the Great has been dropped, as have the few remaining melodies from secular or “classical” sources, because of their worldly associations. Any similarity of melodies in the new songbook to worldly melodies would be offset by distracting differences.
Same old, same old...
Don't forget the new world society...........
Don't forget the new world society...........
Wasn't that the same as "new world" in the 50's? I think that term had mostly gone out of use when I became a JW in 1969. We mostly talked about the "new system of things." (Which term, by the way, references the same Bible texts as "new world," but brings them into the New World Translation era)
I think most likely changing of songbooks is similar to what Ray Franz said about Commentaries or other Bible reference books .
Some Bible commentaries from 100 or even two hundred years ago are just as accurate and useful today as they ever were.
Wt. books must be rewritten every ten or twenty years because of the WT'S much personnel application and going beyond the things writtten .
The WBTS should make a 136th song. I'm thinking funk. Perhaps...
disco?
Torn
