Fallout 2014

by wobble 66 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Ex-Dub MS

  First of all...BrotherDan, you were reading the 'Gods Kingdom of 1000 Years' book? Ho-LEEEE you must be bored. Or you got bored. QUICKLY.

  Anyway, weighing in on the original topic--I don't think we're going to see much change in J-Dub numbers at or after 2014.

  Think about it. How many J-Dubs of today would sit through a 'Book Study' of God's Kingdom of 1000 Years or The Nations Shall Know I'm the J-God--How? The same bunch who got dragged through the Revelation Climax book five times over? With revisions in beliefs that last go-round or two? How 'bout those enthusiastic hands-up commenters that led lively discussions through the Daniel book? Or both (agonizing) volumes of Isaiah? Oh for the love of Pick-Your-Deity, were conducting THOSE ever fun. *shudders*

  You can't hold a topical conversation with two-thirds to three-fourths of the Witnesses today on the doctrinal holes because they don't comprehend the ins and outs and intricacies of their faith well enough to begin with. They DON'T. You'd have to teach their own beliefs to them before discussing why they don't add up.

  Face it, folks. The 'Live Forever' book was apparently too complex a read for the new bunch. So tell 'em what to believe--and, of course, when it's their cue to applaud--and they'll suck it right down and ask for more. Except, of course, when the answer involves three or more scripture references in the paragraph. In which case they'll underline the sentences that match the words of the question, grunt a bit and move on.
• 

  brotherdan

  BrotherDan, you were reading the 'Gods Kingdom of 1000 Years' book? Ho-LEEEE you must be bored. Or you got bored. QUICKLY.

  Yeah, actually the book was already in the bathroom for some reason, so I picked it up. It is the main book that talks about how Jesus chose his Faithful Slave in 1919. They say it was based on the quality of the "food" that they were giving out at that time. As far as I can see the quality of "food" at that time was doo doo. (Much like it is now). They pretty much show how they COULDN'T have been chosen by Jesus, unless you want to insult Jesus. If He chose them...well...I'd like to hear His explanation of WHY!
• 

  stuckinamovement

  I am hosting a centennial celebration. It will be awesome. There is going to be red wine, crackers and cheese, and each guest will get an invisible statuette of Jesus.
• 

  PSacramento

  You are assuming that the typical JW will care about 2014 as meaning something.

  The "new light" has been actively getting brighter in these "last days" and it is evident that Jehovah is patient.

  What has Jesus been doing the last 100 years? well, besides making the light brighter, he has worked diligently through his FDS and the annointed ones, spreading the Good News all over the world via door-to-door preaching, just as it was done by the original apostles !

  Or some crap like that.
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  brotherdan

  each guest will get an invisible statuette of Jesus.

  Love it!
• 

  TD

  --Nothing big. But I do think there will be a psychological factor that will not help the current malaise
• 

  cantleave

  God Kingdom of 100 years has approached is the perfect toilet reading book. It is yellow and printed with that really cheap paper that yellowed easily. Therefore, you can piss on it and no one would know.
• 

  diamondiiz

  I think WTS is pushing 1914 aside. There is some talk of the year amongst the dubs but it's not as much as it was 20 years ago - practically non existant. When I was suckered in around 20 years ago there was quite a bit of talk about 1914 and 70-80 year generation and all that. Before I left, I don't remember much of 1914 being mentioned during talks or wt studies. They have altered the generation meaning and they will have to alter 1914 sooner or later. They can maybe re-enforce 120 year idea through talks and such but if they do, they know their time is limited to 20 more years. As 1914 is also mentioned less, people start to move away from dates and keep believing the idea that the end is simply closer without thinking about the length from the start of the last days being 100 years now. With mind control at play wts can slowly steer r&f into believing that dates don't matter and that it was their fault at thinking 1914 was anything special (already many will say dates don't matter and they don't serve for a date). They can slowly push more guilt on r&f that anyone serving Jehovah only because of 1914 is a faithless, spiritually weak individual and if they don't correct their view of the times, they and their families may lose their lives at ever soon to be Armageddon. Most don't even recognize that 1919 is special date for GB(FDS) and that 1914 and 607 are needed for the magic date. If wts plays their cards right they might be able to eliminate dates all together and keep a hard core of dumbed down dubs in and continue existence with a stagnant growth which is where they almost are now anyways.
• 

  Vidiot

  lifelong humanist - “I've asked my still-in wife this question several times recently. She simply won't answer. I guess she knows that something isn't right, but she's not acknowledging that the WTs 'game is up' as far as 1914 is concerned.”

  When I was still in and had no particular reason to doubt 1914, I used to play date-setting games with my very Christian (by his behavior and conduct, IMHO) and now deceased JW father. He had once been a very well-informed elder and was thusly fully aware of the failed predictions of the past (and even joked about them on occasion), so the games were all in good fun and never taken too seriously.

  Anyways, we both held the opinion that prophetic fulfillment - almost by definition – needed to be obscure before the fact, yet obvious in retrospect to be the real deal; as such, both of us thought the year 2000 would be too simple.

  We did, however, think that 2005 or 2014 might be actual contenders.

  The reason for 2005 was a bit convoluted; since 1975 was supposedly 6000 years since Adam’s creation, and as the WTS suggested, Eve’s creation and marriage to Adam was (evidently) the final creative act of Day 6, and supposedly since ancient Jewish men were considered adults and thusly (more often than not) were married at age 30, well, 1975 plus 30 years equals 2005.

  2014’s candidacy was more elementary simply by virtue of being 100 years since 1914; “ten times ten – “Earthly completion” by the reckoning of ancient Judeo-Christian numerology.

  Gives me a chuckle when I think back, now.

  civicsi00 – “I plan on buying my mom a 100-year-anniversary card and giving it to her. These people need to be reminded that the Big A ain't coming the way we were all taught.”

  Ouch. I’m too nice for that. I plan on looking after my mom in her declining years… In fact, in a weird way, I’m kind of relieved that she is unlikely to live long enough to see the WTS’s likely decline into history; the same for my late father, too, I suppose. Climate change, unsustainable population growth, the effects of peak oil, and conflicts over dwindling resources can (and very well might) effectively “thin the herd” without a shred of divine help.

  It’s partly why I’ve become convinced that fundamentalism (including the WTS) is headed for history’s dustbin; its leadership does virtually nothing to prepare the rank-and-file for these realities; a big part that helped with my fade…

  brotherdan - “Last night I was reading in the "God's Kingdom of 1000 years" book (while pooping...it's doesn't deserve more attention than that) and they were justifying setting dates. I believe around page 340-350 they talk about how we are not to know the day or hour. But it insinuated that you COULD know the year.”

  No school like old-school, huh?

  Ex-Dub MS – “You'd have to teach their own beliefs to them before discussing why they don't add up.”

  Woah. Dizzy.
• 

  brotherdan

  diamondiiz, I agree that they have softened it, but I don't see them getting rid of 1914 like they should. I think that they are worried that it will cause MANY old timers to leave. The amount of explaining that they would have to do if they were to get rid of 1914 would just be too much.

  Really, when you think about it, their ENTIRE religion is based on 1914. That was the time of Christs return. That marked the "last days". It based on this date that we arrive at 1919, when Jesus chose his slave class to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The entire Revelation book would have to be rewritten because EVERYTHING is based on 1914.

  Basically if you take away 1914 the entire organization would come down like a house of cards. At least it would for the halfway discerning person.